I’m going out to dinner tonight with neighbor “friends” to celebrate my 40th birthday. Initially, I was excited about a girls’ night out. Until the planning became my problem. I’m the planner in the group. If I don’t plan it, it doesn’t happen. So when a friend brought up the idea of going out for my birthday, my one neighbor started stressing out about planning it, bombarding me with questions about where to go and who to invite, and making it clear that she doesn’t “do this”. You know, plan things.
This group of women (a mix of stay-at-home mom’s and working) generally don’t respond well on email, or to texts. THIS I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. So yesterday when my email about taking the train went unanswered, I felt a little hurt. Well, maybe more than a little. More like, what the fuck is wrong with these rude fucking people. HOW DO YOU NOT RESPOND TO AN EMAIL WITH A DIRECT QUESTION IN IT? How?! Yeah, my feelings were hurt. Especially since no one has mentioned how we were getting there and no one has suggested picking me up. I’ve been left to figure it out on my own. You know what that says to me? “We’ll plan a dinner for your birthday, but you have to get yourself there.” Yeah, not a great feeling.
Then an email came through today from one woman, one of the other neighbors offered last week to drive her. Uh, hello? Isn’t this dinner supposed to be a “birthday celebration”? I mean, what the fuck?
The restaurant itself has had horrible reviews. Do you think anyone took the time to do a little research before they picked it? If I were planning, I would have done the research, but I’m also into restaurants. These are suburban women after all. So I can overlook this.
If I was still living in the city, it would never go down this way. We’d be going to an amazing restaurant, because we would be in the know. Plus, we’d all meet up somewhere fun for pre-game drinks and we’d be taking cabs.
Maybe I’m just being selfish, or something. But right now, I’m not feeling any love. My whole night has already been ruined and it’s only 12:30 in the afternoon. I don’t even want to go. I’m also taking bets on the fact that at least one person will bail.
Just another verification that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
