My birthday is coming up, and it’s close to the 4th of July. Thus being the case, no one is EVER freaking home on my birthday. They’re out doing all kinds of fun stuff, instead of celebrating my birthday like they should be. Oh well.
Anyway, we went to my dad’s on Father’s Day, and my dad noticed that the brakes on my car were squealing. Loudly. I had to go back down to see him this past weekend, to drop off my stepson, who stayed with my dad & his wife while we had the Dopefest here. One day during the week in between Father’s Day and the Dopefest, my dad called and said “hey, how long do you think you’ll be here Sunday, when you come down to pick up Timi?”
Me: Oh, not long. Why?
Dad: Well, if you’ve got a little time, how 'bout I fix those brakes for you?
Me: Well, it might have to wait until payday. I’ll have to get the parts and everything.
Dad: No, I’ll get the parts, and I’ll put them on, too.
Me: Really?
Dad: Sure. If you don’t mind, maybe that could be your birthday present?
Me: (thinking for the one second it took me to realize that turning down a free brake job would be really, really stupid) Um…YEAH! That’s a GREAT birthday present!
Dad: You sure?
Me: OH yeah! Not a problem!
So, I got a brake job for my birthday. My dad bought the parts, put them on, and rotated the tires while he was down there, too. They did need it.
Anyone else get something not-quite-standard but really, really cool for a birthday gift?
Would sex count? Anyway, never met your dad but his doing that for you is a guy thing to show you how much he cares, I like him.
What is a “normal” birthday gift any how? My little sister sent me ballons to my work when I turned thirty. Fourteen years and I smile when I think of it.
This past April my Mom gave me the world’s coolest birthday present.
She told me, back in February, to be ready before 5 on my birthday, to bring a jacket and some spending money, and get some extra sleep beforehand if possible.
So I spend the next two months wondering what was up.
I picked her up at 5, and we headed to the airport. Then to Vegas. To the Bellagio, to see Cirque du Soleil. I’ve loved their performances on tape for years, and had no idea when I’d get a chance to see them live.
What an amazing, awe-inspiring show.
Then after that, since no planes leave the Vegas airport after midnight, we wandered around town gambling. Blew a few bucks, at at a good cafe in the MGM Grand, saw a few sights.
Then, at the airport, Mom had to blow her last single on a slot machine. Which promptly coughed up $1200.
My birthday fell on a Friday and I was planning to go out with a few friends.
My best friend Robin picks me up and blindfolds me. She would not say what was up.
We get to our destination-she leads me inside and takes off the blindfold…
[sub] Sorry it’s nothing sexual [/sub]
She had gotten together almost ALL of my best friends. People who had to work the next day ( and who were hurting that day hehehe ), my friend Brian all the way from Milwaukee, friends from my previous jobs…she had gotten my phone list off my cell phone and managed to get almost 50 people there.
Amazing night. We closed the bar, I FINALLY got to introduce all my friends to one another,much drinking, dancing and debauchery. Apparently the was " grope hardygrrl night."
[sub] and no, “grope hardygrrl night” isn’t EVERY night. [/sub]
Jesus, Arden. I want my next life to be yours. <shakes head and mutters, “A threesome for a birthday present…And me, I get socks.”>
Medea’s Child, I’ve been there, too. My birthday is in the middle of summer, and one year at college I stayed in town to work while everybody else went home. I spent my twenty-first birthday alone in my apartment with some beer and a pizza.
Not a birthday gift, but t’other week I did get a great father-to-be Father’s Day gift - my very first fishing pole. Given to me by my brother in law who promised to take me out and teach me how to drown a worm. Very cool.
I envy all of you. I can’t remember the last ‘good’ gift I got. And I don’t mean good in a money kind of way. In the thoughtful way. It might have been 1990. In '90 all I wanted to do was go to this cat show. (I’m an animal freak, used to be a vet tech) my ex-husband said he had a headache and layed on the couch all day. My best friend and her now husband took me to the show. The ex’s birthday is in April and mine in May. For his, I cleaned the house within an inch of its life, invited every single one of his friends over, boarded our two HUGE black labs so they wouldn’t bother the guests, and picked up a keg. Also had a basketball net installed on the garage while he was at work
(he said he had always wanted one) I recieved…bupkus. Oh and what my friend calls the divorce watch. He asked me what I wanted, I said a watch with a square face. Square face, square face, square face. I got one with a round face.
I have been (essentially) alone for every birthday since.
One year, my sister’s gift to me was that I didn’t have to pay her back for Mom’s birthday gift (mom’s is two weeks before mine)
The closest I can get to a good one after my friends took me to the cat show, was going to Vegas for my 30th birthday and getting carded. 'Course on the downside, I didn’t even get a free beer.
Sorry, just feeling like a complete, sad, pathetic loser.
Sewing and I don’t get along. Really. For some reason, I just can’t bring myself to do it. One year, a friend of mine gave me a sewing kit. Big tin. Lots of needles, thread, little scissors etc. I said ‘thanks’ and quietly wondered ‘what the hell am I gonna do with this?’
well. Turns out they’re really handy things when a button falls off. Or a seam rips. or another button falls off.
Of course, I can’t find it anymore, and hence, lots of missing buttons, repair by safety pin/stapler going on again. sigh.
I know the “being alone for the B-Day” well! Today is my birthday and the Mrs and our two children are in Maryland visiting family. Not only do I NOT get a threesome; I don’t even get a twosome, I guess I’ll have to call up Rosie and see if her five sisters are available.
But to address the OP. Sn-woman gave me the best B-Day present last year. I have been a MC rider for years. The Mrs and I used to ride my Harley all the time: Sturgis, Red River, and any Poker Run going. When our daughter was born, we decided to sell the bike and buy a house. The bike covered the down payment and closing costs. Anyway 9 years later I still had not bought another bike, sad I know! To make this story short, she rented a Harley for the entire day and had one of my best friends show up with his bike, and wife and we all went riding in the mountains for the day. It was a great day!
Medea: Since our birthdays are so close together, wanna do lunch or dinner or something? Maybe a little shopping? I promise I won’t try and debauch you the way Una debauched pepperlandgirl. Unless that’s what you want, of course.
For fifteen of the last seventeen years, (obviously we didn’t go this year) we have gone camping the last week of June and first week of July. My birthday is at the end of the first week of July, my “not-quite-standard but really, really cool birthday gift” has been that we have to leave in time for me to get home and have a “real bath” bubbles and all on my birthday.
My very non-standard birthday gift was given to me this past March, when I turned 18, by my immediate family and friends.
We had just gotten the cast list for Annie Get Your Gun, and I was cast as Annie Oakley. Our first cast meeting happened to be on March 19th (my birthday). I thought it was odd, but we got the cast list first thing that morning, and we usually have our cast meeting the very first night.
We have a normal, but short meeting, sing through a few songs…then the director announces, “Now that your voices are warmed up, let’s sing Happy Birthday to our Annie Oakley.”
I turned so red…my mom walked in with a bunch of pizza boxes for the 60+ member cast.
(I actually got other presents, that just happened to be the best one. Most of my best friends in the whole world and my family were there. It was awesome.)
Not only do I NOT get a threesome; I don’t even get a twosome, I guess I’ll have to call up Rosie and see if her five sisters are available.