Comming up in December I will be turning 30. While this obviously isn't an extremely old age, nor is it over the hill, it does make me wonder what to do about it, as it's at least a slightly significant number (being an incriment of 10 and all). I honestly don't know what to do for my birthday. As of right now, I know that my BF is getting me a desk chair for birthday / christmas This may sound like a cheap cop-out for a present and for two celebrations no less, but it's actually a very high quality and highly adjustable super-chair-of-awesomeness…. that and I seriously need one as mine was cobbled togehter from two older chairs, the cushion in the seat is as flat as a board now, the backing has a hole in that lets a screw poke me in the back if I'm not careful, and it's also ripped from the frame a little.
The hard part is: Christmas. Like every year that I've grown up, I never get any wiggle room around that holiday. As a child, I spent my birthday visiting relatives and giving them presents for christmas. Even my 16th birthday was spent with my father's entire side of the family, but no one was allowed to talk of my birthday because it was my uncle's graduation party. I'd even gotten shorted on gifts. While my brothers would get bikes on their birthdays and video games on Christmas, I'd receives just the bike for a birthday/christmas present.
When I was a young adult and teen, I'd try to make "wishlists" for presents. Often, they'd be lists of books that I want (listed by name, then author, then publisher, then genre). A list of which would never get looked at until printed on my birthday and being told "ok we'll go to the bookstore today."
As years passed, the presents became more and more obscure, to the point of last year when I'd received a gift of two things, one I'd explicitely stated I did not want and could not make use of (a 3 month pass to the local gym when I alreadyhave FREE Tai Chi classes and a weight set in the basement), while the other was completely… well, out of left field (a random purse with a pattern I of a football team's logo on it). All I wanted was a few new pants for work. 🙁
Today, I really don't know what to do about my birthday coming up. I want to have some nice gifts, really. I'm getting tired of the Tiger Games "stockingstuffers" (I'm 30, come on!), and other items that I don't really have a use for. How can I politely tell my family "pick anything off this list, or please don't buy me anything, just gift me a visit from you that day instead." Heck, I'd be happy if they made me dinner or something, too! Though, the local fancy restaraunt gives free birthday dinners, so I guess that's out.
I'd like to have a birthday worth celebrating. I don't want a big fancy party, unless it's somehting like going out with a few friends for bowling, or maybe a night of playing games like "Apples to Apples" or a Minecraft LAN party. Something where I'm with a few close people, and we're doing some sort of social game / activity.
Truth of it is, I don't have many friends my age. Both my BF and I are quiet, stay-at-home people. The only relatives either of us have nearby are my parents. I've already learned my lesson about inviting coworkers over (they never come. Ever.), so what now? Even worse is that my BF will be leaving, likely the next day to go see his relatives, so whatever I do for my birhtdya, it can't stretch into the night too late. He needs his sleep.
