Well I started this eons ago, so I might as well finish it. I only have two days left to go on my 30 day blogging challenge.
Today’s topic is: The Night of Your 21st Birthday.
I’d like to point out this list also states, “If you’re not yet 21, the last birthday you had.”
Not yet 21. How fucking adorable.
My 21st birthday was less than steller. I was dating this guy who had anger issues. No-no-no, he never got rough with me, but he was certainly a grumpy asshole about everything else. He decided he wanted to make me dinner and bake me a cake on my birthday. At the time, one of my favorite things to do was go out to eat . . . but hey – the year before on my birthday, he took me to HIS favorite restaurant (a mediocre buffet), so maybe this would be an improvement.
I arrived at his house and he was in the kitchen, throwing things and screaming. I sat in the living room, listening to the temper tantrum, and wondering what on earth had him so upset. Apparently, nothing went right, he ruined dinner and screwed up the cake, and I spent my birthday dinner with him fuming about how horrible his experience was, and listening to him bitch about how terrible the dinner was.
It was pretty terrible. I remember some sort of tough chicken and rubber cake.
We retired to the living room, and still bitchy about dinner, he grumpily presented me with my present. He’d gotten me a Sega Genesis with the game The Lion King. (Yes, I know I’m dating myself here. We’ve already established this was a few years ago.)
I was ecstatic! I loved video games, and had never owned a gaming console. More grumping and griping commenced as he hooked up the Sega for me, digging around behind the television and finding an extension cord so we could plug it in.
Finally. Bliss. I could play my . . . no. No. He wanted to try the thing out and make sure it worked.
Fine.
An hour later, I FINALLY get to play my present. And I was having fun. But it was my 21st birthday. I really wanted to go out and have a drink. He hadn’t bought me any alcohol to with dinner – and he was 21, so he totally could have. I turned around and said, “Hey! Let’s go to the bar!” He looked strange, and said, “Uh, after MIDNIGHT!?!” like I was an idiot.
I sat back, surprised. “Um,” I answered. “My birthday is today. I’m 21 right now. We don’t have to wait . . .”
But he had fallen asleep.
I got up, unplugged my Sega, and went back to my dorm room.
The next day, I walked across the street to the convince store and bought a pack of wine coolers. The guy didn’t even card me.
Do people even still drink wine coolers?
I just googled “wine cooler” and got a string of links to buy refrigerators specifically for wine, so I’m gonna guess no.
That’s sad.
They weren’t half bad.
I guess they’re part of a bygone era.
Like that relationship. I finally dropped the guy a year or so later.
I never thought the stuff I once loved would become “retro” and cool. Last night a college kid told me he loved my Baja Hoodie. I grinned and told him it was vintage – and that made him all the more impressed. It was a weird moment – I was his age when I bought the hoodie at a garage sale.
Speaking of retro, I now have a Retron that allows me to play all sorts of retro games. I haven’t found Lion King yet, but I do have 7Up Cool Spot. That was so cute. And for my birthday this year? My fabulous husband bought me Call of Duty Infinite Warfare for Xbox One.
And I got to play it first. 🙂
Marti Kole 