As tomorrow I embark on the year-long journey of being 41 years old, I thought I would do an exit photograph of me as a 40-year-old, something that would encapsulate the entire year, that shows me who I really am, with all my confidence, warmth, and yes — I’ll say it — raw, uninhibited sexuality; a photo that captures everything my 40th year on this earth did for me, and to me, and what it promises for the year ahead:

Yes, yes. I think that just about covers it.

Save your birthday wishes and pity for tomorrow, people. You’re supposed to be paying attention to your mom today anyway.

So after about an hour or so, the previous new keyboard I got last week started having problem finding my computer (it was a bluetooth keyboard), and about an hour after that, steadfastly refused to speak to my computer at all — it was a like a first date gone wrong, where the two people have decided they hate each other but still stick around for dessert. Well, this did me no good, so I returned the keyboard. In its stead I got a Logitech MK710 keyboard, which has two things going for it: Soft touch keys which aren’t all sticky and clunky, and a purported three-year battery life, which I assume I’ll be able to definitively agree with sometime in May 2013.

So far I’m liking the keyboard, which I suppose isn’t necessarily surprising since with the exception of the two-hour interregnum of the ill-fated previous new keyboard, my last three keyboards were all Logitechs as well. Logitech apparently hits my typing sweet spot most of the time (I’ll note that the problem with the previous Logitech keyboard was me spending months on low-profile laptop keyboards changing my preference, not anything inherently wrong with the keyboard).

You ask: What do I do with all they old keyboards? Aside from the one I returned, the rest are loitering in an ever-growing pile of obsolete tech in the basement. I should probably go and get rid of most of that pile, but I find extra keyboards do come in handy for times when, say, you have to return a balky one and need something to plug into the computer until the new one shows up.

Also, before anyone asks: I like the Bamboo tablet which I got just fine, and am keeping that, although I don’t think I’ll be using it as a permanent mouse replacement. What I’ve ended up doing is when I experience mouse fatigue I use the tablet as a track pad for a while and the change up does my wrists good. And these days I really am paying more attention to ergonomics in an overall sense.

And this is what what happened when it did:

That’s from the thunderstorm on Friday, which spawned a tornado watch. It passed south of our house but hit Troy, Ohio, which is where this picture was taken and which lost power for most of the city for a while — the picture goes some distance to suggesting why that might have been. In the distance you can see that one of the poles is so far over it has to be propped up by a crane. Krissy, who is an insurance adjuster by trade, is dreading going into work on Monday. And who can blame her.