The Party Which Wasn't For Me On My Birthday

Sooo... It's my birthday!

Earlier I was feeling rather frustrated because instead of celebrating today, I was making food- I specifically asked that I not have to make dinner tonight- for Branden's friend's going-away party. I told Branden about three weeks ago not to make plans with anyone else today because it's my birthday and I thought we should try to celebrate. Then a little more than two weeks ago he came home and said, "Ok, not this Friday but the next..."
"You mean my birthday?"
"That's your birthday? Your birthday is a Friday?"
"Yes! The 24th. It's written on the calendar in big, blue letters."
"Like I look at the calendar. Anyway, that's Josh's going-away party because he's headed back to Vermont the Monday after."
"I TOLD you not to make plans! That's my birthday!"

Yeah, he was in trouble. And today while I was making the food he'd volunteered to bring- really volunteered me to make- he was in even more trouble, though he didn't know it. I was mostly frustrated because he pretty much took it for granted that I would just do all this and that I wouldn't mind going to this party instead of celebrating. AND he was in trouble because he admitted that he and the guys fully planned to drink as much beer as they could and he'd be drunk on my birthday night. Not something that makes me happy. I don't mind letting him drink and I drive, but... To sound selfish and childish: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I don't think that's very fair! Most likely the only thing that kept me from being in a really foul mood this afternoon was all the great love and birthday wishes I recieved from my friends and family. :)

As it turned out, the evening went ok. The party was at the mechanic shop and lots of people showed up. It was the first time that anyone had used Branden's "new" gas grill that he earned through doing some electrical work. It's a pretty nice grill: professional, six burner, gas grill which folds down to be about a foot tall. All the guys loved it and were completely jealous of him.

*A side note about this grill* When we first knew he was getting it, Branden insisted that we should sell it because we needed the money. I reminded him that this was something he'd really wanted for a long time and it was ok with me to keep it. Forms of this conversation have happened over and over for the past couple of months. Today he told me that he really likes the grill with a kind of hopeful look in his eyes. I informed him that we are keeping it. We will probably never have the chance to get something that nice for that little ever again. Why give up something he really wants when we finally have it? We honestly have about five or six charcoal grills that we will be getting rid of instead. I believe that three of them are spoken for at this point. *Now back to the party that wasn't for me.*

I had made slow cooker BBQ drumsticks which also went over really well. It felt great when I'd see the guys going back for extra helpings and lots of people gave me compliments. Along with that, I also made a cheese dip that was pretty ok and some treats that were essintially PB crispy treats made from honey nut Cheerios with chocolate spread over the entire thing. Those went fairly well. The recipe made more than I thought it would so one foil pan was never cut into. That was ok because one of the other mechanics asked if he could take the whole pan and I was more than willing to let him.

Sasha- the owner of the shop- came up to me and thanked me for doing so much work. It's funny, but by the time he did that it didn't seem like such a big deal anymore. Maybe it was the compliments or maybe it was just the good time that everyone was having. As it turned out, I was glad to add to the success of the evening.

I did tell Branden that he owed me for me giving up my birthday evening and for my having to make dinner on my birthday. He offered to take me out tomorrow night to a restaurant for which we have a gift card. That's acceptable to me.