Me
I am 45 years old, and live in the woods with my husband and my five-year-old daughter, neither of whom were accidents. (Well, to be fair, I didn't plan to meet my husband; but I was certainly at a point in my life when I thought a relationship might be nice. His timing has always been excellent.) I also have two fabulous step-kids who are both grown - one working, one in law school.
I've worked as a software engineer for...let me see...OH. Never mind. I refuse to do the math. Let's just say "long enough to know better." At this point I'm starting to face some of the issues one runs into as an older person in this industry. For a number of reasons, some of which actually have to do with enhancing my career path, I am in the process of getting a degree in Interactive Media Design (or Web Design and Interactive Media, depending on which year you enrolled) from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh online. The plan is to pursue a degree in what is essentially computer-aided design, and pursue the more technical side of Web and interactive programming on my own. I don't know how successful I will be, but so far it is a whole lot of fun.
Interests. So many, yet so narrow. I love playing with my Mac. If I can't get to the Internet, I will open up Illustrator or Dreamweaver or even TextEdit, just so I can fiddle. Nothing personal, Windows, but you're just not fiddling material. I think I could spend hours just watching the little power light on my laptop breathe. Macs have always won the beauty contest; but since I switched in 2001 I've come to believe they've got Windows beat on brains as well.
I love television, which is odd, since we have no broadcast TV right now. I love Doctor Who (new and old), and Miami Vice, and Firefly, and Star Trek (everything but Voyager and Enterprise), and The Wire, and Futurama, and Battlestar Galactica (the new one). I also have some favorite movies, including Moonstruck and Galaxy Quest. I find watching TV shows and movies over and over again to be very soothing (well, except for The Wire, which is amazingly depressing, even in its briliance).
I love to read, although it's been a while since I've read for fun. I love mysteries, including Anne Perry and Carol O'Connell. I have a secret addiction to J.D. Robb, and I try to ignore the fact that they're basically romances dressed up as mysteries - whatever they are, she does it really, really well. Mostly, though, I read computer books these days, either to learn software I need for school, or to boost what I am trying to do at work. (I learned Swing a few years ago. Oy.)
"But Liz," I hear you say, "don't you get any exercise?" I used to dance, but I don't really have the space to do that right now. I have to admit that apart from dancing I find exercise so dull it's hard to make myself do it. But I do take walks with my husband whenever I can, including sometimes when we are at home and can roam around our lovely neighborhood. Those walks are much more fun. Still, I need to get my office done so I can dance again; I miss it. (No, there will never be pictures.) And yes, that means I love music: almost anything, although I have a preference for electronica and rock I can sing along to. Peter Gabriel and Sarah McLachlan are two artists whose work I still try to buy as physical CDs.
I still struggle with what I want to be when I grow up - but less now than I used to. In some sense I feel I have fulfilled my duty to the human race by reproducing, and therefore have enough "meaning" for my life. Of course, I have the luxury to have enough of my needs fulfilled to cultivate some wants. I really like this Web stuff, and I think I actually don't suck at it. I would like to not suck at it for a living, and maybe even to be really good. As for Fame and Fortune - well, I have a different view of that than I did when I was younger. I'm not so interested in being known throughout the world; I rather like that I am known as the mom of a well-behaved little girl. I really do feel like if I can raise her to be a good and happy person, I won't want any more immortality than that.
As for retirement - I'd love to have enough money to not have to work; but right now I can't picture not working. I would love to be able to make my husband a kept man, and I'm working on it.