It's my birthday, and I'll bitch if I want to. Suck it.

December 4, 2007 11:40 PM

What should I do on my birthday on Saturday?

This is the only time I will ever type out my age on the net, so fave this question:

On Saturday, December 8th, I will be 28. *cringe*

This is the first birthday I've had that I've dreaded. Not really because of the actual age (although, didn't i JUST get out of high school?) but because I'm in such a transitional period right now. I'm not on great terms with my parents, but we're civil and getting better. I live between my apartment and my boyfriend's house. I was recently unemployed and finding a job is actually proving to be difficult. Funds are low and getting exceptionally lower. Thanks, Christmas.

I just thought I'd be more accomplished at 28. I'm not being all "well I wanted to have $20k in savings and own a car and be married and have a kid and a great career and be UBER WOMAN!".... but yeah, it's kinda like that. When I was a kid, I did that stupid thing where you think you'll be so much awesomer than when you were in high school.

Look, here's my thing: I know that alot of my life is very flotsamy right now, and I'm working on it. But actually dreading my birthday because of the number of candles going on my cake? FAIL. Ok, I know I haven't had alot of great birthdays - probably less than a handful were. But I really think that I NEED a great birthday right now.

So. Here's where you come in. I want you to make me have fun for my birthday. I want to have fun, yeah, but I have no fucking clue what I want to do. The usual thing is have dinner with a friend, but I do that shit every year. I want to do something different.

Help me pick and I'll attempt to supply evidence of what I did.

posted by damnjezebel to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total)

Do you have room in your apartment to invite four or five friends over? For my 27th birthday, it occured to me that I'd never really had a typical birthday party as a kid. So sort of on the spur of the moment I called some friends and invited them to a party. Instead of presents I asked each person to bring either a package of party hats, or a bag of favors, balloons, or some sort of "prize" from the Dollar Store. I made Sloppy Joes and served it with potato chips, and we had Neapolitan ice cream for desert. Someone did bring a birthday cake (complete with a clown on the icing), so we had that later. We played musical chairs, charades, sit-on-the-balloon-and-break-it, carry water on a soon and similar games, handing out Dollar Store prizes to the winner. It was an evening of mindless fun, with so much laughter that I didn't have time to ponder that I didn't have a boyfriend and I hated my job and "where do I go from here."
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:51 PM on December 4, 2007 [4 favorites]

borrow wii sports or mario party or rock band, invite a few good fun friends over, provide a few snacks, have them bring beer. instant awesome party on the cheap!
posted by lia at 12:38 AM on December 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Make a list of things you would like to do, but don't do because of whatever excuse ("oh I don't have time, I can't afford it, I'm no good at it, it's frivolous" etc).

Then do them.
posted by divabat at 12:46 AM on December 5, 2007

I was going to reply with:
I suggest getting completely smashed by yourself. When you get really depressed, call everyone you know and curse them for not wishing you a happy birthday or being there for you. At about 6 am, while praying to the porcelain god, realize that the reason you are not where you want to be in your life is because you stay drunk all the time. Lather, rinse, repeat for as many birthdays as it takes to make you a broken person.

Then I decided I better not, because it might not be received well. So, I have changed my reply to:
Do whatever you would like to do for the day. Whether that's going to the park, sneaking in to the movies, going tagging, trespassing on other peoples property just to pet their puppy, whatever, just do it. Invite your friends. Make a day out of it. Enjoy yourself. Have a good time. Guilt your friends into buying everything for you. Just be warned, they may not be your friend next year.

Seriously though, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Don't worry about turning 28. I've been there, it wasn't so bad.
posted by robtf3 at 1:21 AM on December 5, 2007

Aww, I really like Oriole Adams' idea. I once attended a classic McDonald's birthday party with a bunch of twenty-somethings and had a ridiculously good time of it. I think it probably took a bit of cajoling to get them to let us do it, though.
posted by adiabat at 3:23 AM on December 5, 2007

I like a tradition. It's good to have something that you do every year to mark the occasion. I vote that you start a tradition this year by doing things you intend to do every year until the end of time.

1. Go to a movie that has a theme (romantic comedy) (christmas) (explosions) that can be repeated every year at this time.

2. Eat pizza.

3. Open gifts only on the day.

4. Invent stuff with an eye to repeating it.
posted by ewkpates at 3:47 AM on December 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

When my sister turned 25, she did 25 things she'd never done before. In the days up to her birthday, she had made a list of interesting and/or silly ideas. Then she watched the sun rise from the park by our house, kissed a stranger, applied fake eyelashes, dropped parachute-men toys off the roof. She ate just one potato chip from a whole bag. It was a day long affair, and it was great.

Anyhow, seems a good way to symbolize that fact that there are always tons of new things to try. That each day can be filled with little accomplishments. /sappy
posted by unknowncommand at 5:35 AM on December 5, 2007 [3 favorites]

My 25th was last week, and I had the same idea as Oriole (essentially). We went bowling, and I put together goody-bags for my guests.

So, if you don't hate bowling (I love it), check your local bowling alley(s). On Saturday night, they'll probably be doing some sort of rock-and-bowl special where they turn down the lights and turn up the music. Generally you pay a flat fee per person for a few hours.

And happy birthday!
posted by natabat at 8:43 AM on December 5, 2007

If you're genuinely worried at reaching the pathetically young age of 28, spend the day this way:

1. Watch a Harrison Ford movie. (He was still working as a carpenter at 28.)
2. Watch the Oprah Winfrey show. (She was unknown at 28.)
3. Read a Jane Austen novel. (Ditto.)
4. Watch a Harry Potter movie. (JK Rowling: unknown and the author of no books at age 28.)
(Source)

Of course, I'd far rather go bowling, or drinking, myself.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 9:28 AM on December 5, 2007 [3 favorites]

You are in the Dallas area... go to the Nasher. Go with a good friend who will appreciate it. Then, walk across to the Trammell Crow Asian Arts Center and look at that stuff (it's free). Ask a friend who loves you to cook your favorite meal for dinner, then afterwards, have fun playing at the I-30 bingo and win some money.

You will get the most bang for your buck; a brisk walk outside while the weather's nice, sit and wonder at the slow color changes of the Blue Room, take time to reflect on gorgeous art both modern and ancient, have comfort food, and kitschy fun with the chance of winning some money!

The whole day won't cost you more than $25. Invite as many friends as you want to go with you.

Last time I played bingo there, I won $225. It was my first time playing Bingo in Dallas.

It's BYOB, so bring a bottle of cheap pink champagne ($3.99) to drink while playing.

Also, come to the Dallas meetup on the 16th and we will all toast you with a round of shots at the Meridian Room.

And cheer up: I'm 35, and I feel really, really young. 28 is a great year; every 7 years, every single cell in your body is regenerated. This means you are embarking on your 4th "version" of yourself, completely new. Look it as a time of rebirth. You're only on your fourth cycle! You're four!!!!! : )
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:14 AM on December 5, 2007

Sorry, I think maybe I just realized you don't drink? If that is true, I rescind the offer of shots and offer instead a plate of tantalizing fish and chips. Ok? And for the bingo, take a nice bottle of Italian soda (blood orange, lemon, etc.) from Central Market. That stuff is nice.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:17 AM on December 5, 2007

Maybe catch a show or something?

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Dallas Observer
Guidelive
posted by erikgrande at 11:23 AM on December 5, 2007

Every year on my birthday, I take the day off and do a solo walk through a neighborhood I'm not familiar with.

But your question has so many potential answers. Are you looking to go wild, are you looking for something weird, are you looking for adventure, do you want some great food? Do you care what your budget is? Most of the good answers won't make you feel better about your life - is that what you want?
posted by Caviar at 12:36 PM on December 5, 2007