The Catastrophe of 2011

Let me set the scene…

It’s my 26th birthday and I’m scheduled for the first day of training for my new position.

– Point of note: Birthdays are a big thing for me.

I plan cool new things for myself every year and try to do something I’ve never done before. Last year was skiing…didn’t work out so well (torn ligament in knee)…but it was soooo worth it. And I always make a big deal out of my boyfriend’s birthday too. Last November, I saved for months in advance…because I’m constantly broke…and planned a "bar crawl" for us and a bunch of our friends.

This year since I was starting my new job on my birthday I didn’t get to plan anything for myself…

The bf and I talked about going to dinner the weekend before to a restaurant that I have been DYING to go to…but he said he didn’t have enough money to take me unless I wanted to help pay..uumm, no thanks...remember the whole broke thing...so I conceded to wait and combine it with Valentine’s Day. Even though I still don’t understand why he had not been saving ahead of time…my birthday’s on THE SAME DAY EVERY YEAR…and I talk about it for at least a month in advance…sorry, off topic…back to the story…

And that leads me to the terrible chain of events that had me raging by the end of the day:

I get to work at 6am and my work crew has gone above and beyond to make sure I have an awesome day. They decorated my office, bought balloons, brought in an “everything” bagel for me (my FAVORITE) and made all kinds of delicious goodies for me...…good start right?

So, I work 12 hours on my feet…and it’s been a while since I’ve done that so it was a little rough on me…then head home. I drag myself in the door, throw on some pj’s and piece together a meal for myself as quickly as possible because I really just want to sit down. I settle into the couch…where I eat all of my meals…with my mediocre plate of food and turn on the TV to veg out.

Then the boyfriend calls…and it’s 1 ½ hours earlier than I had expected. Woo hoo!! He got out of class early and is on his way home. I am PUMPED because I thought I would be passed out or at least on the way there by the time he made it home. I continue eating my food and then realize that it has been 45 minutes since he called and we only live 10-15 minutes from his school. I start getting excited thinking that he might be stopping on the way home to pick up a romantic surprise for me (cards, flower, etc…). What else would take him so long, right?

Finally, he walks in the door with Taco Bell…and a 4-pack of beers for me to SHARE WITH HIM. We both love beer and yes, he did pick out ones that we had never tried before…but really? He got me a 4-pack of beers to SHARE…not a 6-pack of my favorites…but a 4-pack to share with him for MY BIRTHDAY.

I am nice about it and try to be positive…I don’t want to be a diva. I start telling him about my day and how many hours I’m going to be working over the next couple weeks and that it’s going to be super hectic and stressful for me. He then suggests that I should WORK MORE so that I CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. And then the diva came out…

Are you freaking kidding me?!? He can’t even afford me to take me out to dinner and his “birthday present” was an afterthought that I had to SHARE WITH HIM!!...and I should make more money?! Puh-lease!

CHOKE SLAM.

**Redeeming note: He made it up for it big time on Valentine's Day...or he at least tried.**