FORT E

Happy September 17th, 2007.

Today I am 40.

(Aggie reaches out and takes Treé's hand, crossing the threshold at precisely 10PM – wearing only a smile.)

I am trying to learn how to blog from e-mail. I've taken to typing out the random thoughts of my silly little mind in e-mails during work hours. I then save them with the intent of posting to the blog-o-sphere…..which I never get around to. ( I don't know if I'll be able to respond to comments via e-mail though.)

Terry, I was really sorry to hear about your sister's boy. My heart aches for her and for you and I pray for healing. It is very difficult. Thanks for dropping by and for wishing me happy birthday. :)

Autumn, I caught your post first thing this morning. It was so nice to know I'm thought of from so far away. Thank you for thinking of me…and for just being wonderful you. I hope you're well. Have you found a better job yet? Me neither. Lol (wink)

Christa, I'm missing you. I think of you often and I hope you and Robin are healthy and happy. Big Troutday Hugs – even if it's not Troutday yet. :)

Becky, I've got to drop by and see you and that beautiful little girl of yours. Winter's coming and I look forward to "bundled-up-baby" pics. LOL they're so fun in the cold. I hope you're doing well. Hugs!!

Rupen, How are things on the other side of the planet?? What are you reading and have you found the woman of your dreams yet? Do tell!!

I sure hope this post actually works and it doesn't show up as some ASCII jumbled confusion. Here goes nothing…

Here is everything we'll ever need to know about 40. ;-)~

40 (number)
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

- 40 (forty) is the natural number following 39 and preceding 41. In English, forty is the only number whose constituent letters appear in alphabetical order. Note that "40" is not written as "fourty" with a "u", but as "forty".

In mathematics

- Forty is an octagonal number, and as the sum of the first four pentagonal numbers, it is a pentagonal pyramidal number. Adding up some subsets of its divisors (e.g., 1, 4, 5, 10 and 20) gives 40, hence 40 is a semiperfect number.

In science
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- The atomic number of zirconium.

- Negative forty is the temperature at which the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales correspond; that is, −40°F = −40° C. It is referred to as either "minus forty" or "forty below".

In religion
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The number 40 is significant in Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and other Middle Eastern traditions, it can also represent a rough calculation huge sum of units (a lot of).

- "Forty days and forty nights" describes the period for which rain fell during Noah's flood

- "Forty days" was the length of the period that the twelve spies explored the Promised Land (Numbers 13)

- "Forty years" was the length of Israel's wandering in the wilderness. This period of years represents a generation, that is, the time it takes for a new generation to arise.

- 40 lashes is one of the punishments meted out by the Sanhedrin (in actual practice, only 39 lashes were administered)

- "Forty days and forty nights" was the period Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, after which he was tempted by Satan.

- Forty days was the period from Jesus' resurrection till his ascension into heaven.

- In modern Christian practice, Lent consists of the 40 days preceding Easter. In much of Western Christianity Sundays are excluded from the count; in Eastern Christianity Sundays are included.

- The dead are usually mourned for forty days in Muslim cultures (kinda wish I had known this...coulda used it)

- Some Russians believe that ghosts of the dead linger at the site of their death for forty days

- In Eternalism, 40 is believed to be the number of the Corrupter, (that's fitting..bwahaha) the Anti-Christ in Christianity, and is formed from the numbers 18+1+6+6+9. This also spells Raffi with correct numero-alphabetic translation.

In other fields
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Forty is also:

- the caliber of the bullet in the .40 S&W handgun cartridge

- in the expression "forty winks", meaning a short sleep

- A song by Dave Matthews Band

- the code for direct dial international phone calls to Romania

- the number in the designation of: Interstate 40, a freeway that runs from California to North Carolina

- "40", a 1983 song by U2 from their album War

- the designated number of hours in a standard workweek in some Western countries