Saturday, September 29, 2007

what would you like to do?

My birthday is fast approaching and I normally go away for the weekend so I can avoid my family. Terrible, I know. This year, for a variety of reasons, I will be around this weekend.

My father insists on taking me out for dinner every year and always asks where I want to go. When I give him a suggestion, it is always met with some sort of objection. 'I don't feel like going there, what about this place?' It's much easier not to argue, believe me. Why ask me where I would like to go if that's not where we are going to go? I have no idea.

The other annoyance is that he asks me every single year what kind of cake I want and every single year I say the exact same thing. I bet you know where this is going. Every single year, I get some sort of cake I didn't ask for. Most of the time, it's a kind I don't like. The important thing is that someone likes it. One year, it was ice cream cake (hate) because my niece likes it. One year it was black forest (double yuck) because my step-brother likes it. One year it was chocolate fudge because my father loves it. Whether I like or don't like the cake is irrelevant to this conversation. Again, why ask me?

I used to really let this bother me but now I treat it like a game of guess the restaurant/cake. When I think about it this way, it ends up being quite amusing.

Now, I just go out and buy my own cake and bring it home. The cake ladies are amused when I tell them it's for me and no writing needed. Happy birthday to me.

SunnyShine

1 comment:

The CDM said...

First, Happy Birthday! Now, I can relate to this because I had the exact same problem. It's all in the wording, period. Never suggest, be firm. Say, "I really would enjoy going to _______ and it just wouldn't be a great birthday without it. If you get objections even after saying that, repeat the following phrase, "Well, personal opinion = Time." If you STILL get objections, then say you miss them. I addressed the cake issue to the family this way; I told them flat out that I DO NOT LIKE CAKE! Brownies are the answer! So now I get a batch of awesome brownies every year. If brownies aren't your thing, demand your favorite dessert, this is your day, not theirs'. I also told them that I hate greeting cards, put the extra 5 bucks on that gift card instead.