# Thanks "Team" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 17, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967 "2010-11-17T12:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_of_the_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/21 "2010-11-17T15:12:50Z")
\*\*Cat Whisperer \*\*is probably right, someone probably goofed and forgot to add you and now they’ll always forget you. If I cared about birthday lunches, probably, the Friday before my birthday, I’d head to lunch, casually saying ‘Going to lunch now, see ya! You have a nice lunch too!’ to a work friend in a busy area. They’ll have to reply ‘You too’ or grunt or babble on about their fourth day on their lemon-cayenne detox or something. That’s when you say ‘Yeah! It’s my birthday, hopefully the restaurant will have cake’ or ‘Yeah! It’s my birthday! Martguerita’s, woo!’ or some lie about having friends meeting you at a restaurant or something. \* note I may be projecting on this last one. 😉 The gossip will spread and you’ll probably have a card or a cake or at least SOMEONE wishing you happy birthday that afternoon… Note: But I wouldn’t do this because birthdays at work make me twitch. I’m GLAD they forget me. Granted, adding insult to the situation, I’m usually the one asked to buy a card and cake for everyone else…and get the stupid card signed by everyone…and set up the room for the gathering…bah humbug. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/22 "2010-11-17T15:19:34Z")
> [@Bibliovore](#): > > I’m going for the semi-jokey approach and sending it to my supervisor rather than the whole team. How does this sound? > > "Hi XXX, > > It’s also my 35th birthday this Sunday (21st Nov). I haven’t actually had a cake or a card in the four years that I’ve been here, so this year I’ll be expecting either four cakes and four cards, or a single cake and a single card at quadruple the size. :)" “Eeeeah, Mrs. Simpson, we all have nose-bleeds.” You’ll get a cake, but everyone will think you’re a little bitch. Just write a birthday card to yourself, and leave it prominantly at your desk - if/when someone enquires, tell them it was sent early to you. If they see it and don’t ask - they probably don’t like you. But even if you are the office douche, they probably aren’t purposefully depriving you of a cake - they don’t know each other’s birthdays, a computer tells them - most likely they missed you out on the system. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/23 "2010-11-17T15:23:32Z")
Did my email really sound that bad? How did you get aggressive and whiny from that? It had a \*smiley \*in it! 🙂 Bah! Anyway my supervisor (who to be fair is new and has only been with us a couple of months at most) replied to say that my birthday was noted and that she was shocked at the team neglecting me. So now there’ll be cake and a card after all, but I’m still looking forward to the main event itself with my family. I’ve asked for simple stuff, like sleeping in late, breakfast in bed, a bracing walk outdoors, some great chinese takeout in the evening followed by a tub of good ice cream and a couple of DVDs. Oh, and a book about Venice. Nothing extravagant, just lots of little things that I like. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/24 "2010-11-17T15:26:00Z")
Oops, I just saw your post. YAY! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/25 "2010-11-17T16:08:15Z")
> [@Bibliovore](#): > > Did my email really sound that bad? How did you get aggressive and whiny from that? It had a \*smiley \*in it! 🙂 Yeah, it did. But I’m glad your supervisor took it well and you’ll have cake. Cause…hey, CAKE! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/26 "2010-11-17T16:11:15Z")
Huh. That’ll teach me to email superiors whilst pissed off and/or depressed. Apparently gentle chiding doesn’t come across all that clearly when written. Still. Cake. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/27 "2010-11-17T16:13:08Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Yeah, it did. But I’m glad your supervisor took it well and you’ll have cake. Cause…hey, CAKE! 😃 _Cake?!_ **The cake is a lie.** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/28 "2010-11-17T16:14:34Z")
> [@ricksummon](#): > > _Cake?!_ **The cake is a lie.** 😃 “No, it isn’t!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/29 "2010-11-17T16:19:07Z")
> [@ricksummon](#): > > _Cake?!_ **The cake is a lie.** 😃 Sooo, you’re saying her choice is “or death?” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/30 "2010-11-17T17:05:01Z")
The ratio of cake to people is too small! ---
**Author:** ![Notchimine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bcef8e/32.png) [@Notchimine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Notchimine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/31 "2010-11-17T17:12:41Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > In my office, the Birthday boy or girl is obligated to bring in treats on their own birthday. (With 11 attorneys, and 5 support staff, it would be a ridiculous # of birthday cakes/celebrations). Then, a group will usually go out to said birthday person’s favorite place for lunch, with lunch paid for by the group. > > I actually think it is a great system. The celebrant reminds everyone that it is their birthday (although it is in our calendar), brings in their favorite treat, and gets free lunch. It is a recognition that it is their day, without too much overblown effort. > > ps. Sorry **bibliovore**. That is supremely lame. And I would be much too prideful and spiteful to remind everyone that it was my birthday. “Obligated” to bring in treats on your own birthday seems very odd to me. We have around 25 employees. The company buys a quarter sheet cake, gives the employee a 50 dollar gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant and everyone gets a break to sing and eat cake a couple of times a month. (Birthdays falling on the same week are combined). The staff often decorate their coworker/friends areas but that isn’t done for everyone. However, it is the company that provides the birthday cake and gift. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/32 "2010-11-17T18:04:25Z")
> [@Bibliovore](#): > > If I mention it to my manager I’m sure a card and a cake will be duly provided, but just once I’d like one of them to actually remember and do it themselves as though they actually gave a fuck about another member of their team. Seriously, four years? All this time and none of them even thought to ask when my birthday is? I’m thinking of mentioning it on Monday with a sarcastic thanks, but then again I don’t want to be the asshole here. I should probably just man up and treat it as one of life’s important lessons. I once mentioned to my team (of whom I’m the boss) in a meeting that my birthday is “tomorrow”. Not “next week”, not some date that they would likely forget, but “tomorrow”. Tomorrow comes, and not a single person bothered to wish me a happy birthday. A couple of people remembered the day after, but not on the day. Not surprising, really - I was the only one to give out Christmas cards in 2009 to co-workers, and the bosses didn’t even mail cards out to our _clients_. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/33 "2010-11-17T18:25:03Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > And happy birthday! Mine’s on the 26th. I expect a thread in my honor in MPSIMS. 😉 I’d start it, but as that’s my 27th wedding anniversary, I think I’m going to be enjoined from visiting the Dope that day. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/34 "2010-11-17T18:34:18Z")
P.S. [According to this](http://marriage.about.com/cs/anniversaries/a/wedannivideas_3.htm), there’s no nickname for the 27th, but since the only gift suggestion it mentions is “Sculpture”, I’m going to call it the “Marble” anniversary. I don’t have high expectations from this crowd, but I’ve gone online and registered us with the Louvre’s gift shop, just in case. 😛 😃 ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/35 "2010-11-17T18:41:22Z")
I always feel extremely awkward to have a birthday even noticed by people in ym office. Hell, I hate having them at home. it’s not that I mind being officially a year older. I just get very self concious when people notice me like that. Aside from which, they’d want to take me to lunch at work, and that would be awkward because I would then feel obligated to clock out\* costing me 10-15 bucks. \*My superviser would probably tell me not to, but it’s technically bloody fraud, and even though I know it wouldn’t land me in any trouble, I can’t bring myself to deceive like that for pay. I won’t even do it on business lunches! ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/36 "2010-11-17T18:59:22Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Sooo, you’re saying her choice is “or death?” “I’ll have the chicken, please.” Happy birthday, **Bibliovore!** ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/37 "2010-11-17T20:13:27Z")
Happy Birthday!! to all the Novemberers. My mom’s is this Saturday and mine is next Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/38 "2010-11-17T20:15:50Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > Happy Birthday!! to all the Novemberers. Who need to check out [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=585891). ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/39 "2010-11-17T20:21:16Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > And happy birthday! Mine’s on the 26th. I expect a thread in my honor in MPSIMS. 😉 May I be your ‘and the rest’ if you get a thread? Mine’s the 26th, too. Happy Birthday, Bibliovore! I’d mention it, starting about now. Just casually, as in, "I’m looking forward to doing \_\_\_\_\_\_ for my birthday this weekend. Or, “I need to figure out what to wear for my birthday this weekend.” Think oversight before malice. You’re probably just not on the list because somebody missed it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967/40 "2010-11-17T20:32:15Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > “I need to figure out what to wear for my birthday this weekend.” Are you kidding? I have a special suit for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-team/560967.md?page=3)