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What do I want for my birthday?

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Jedeye Sniv

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
OK GAF, here's the problem: it's my birthday in about two weeks my wife (been together 12 years now, for reference) is finding it increasingly hard to get me anything for my birthday without me explicitly saying "buy this, here's the link".

I'll be 29 this year, and as I've gotten older I've become increasingly disillusioned with the whole thing. Birthdays are just this massive anticlimax and I rarely finish one without feeling a little more depressed than when I started. And this 'presents' back and forth isn't helping any. She is out of ideas for what to get me, and there's nothing I can think of that I want. I have enough money to buy the crap that I want through the year like games and comics and shit, so I've said thanks, but no more media please.

I am a fairly normal geek. I like comics and nerd shit. I play in a band. I like reading but I have too many books. I like games but I've played everything I want. Don't particularly like clothes, I'm an odd shape (read: fat enough to have lots of things not fit me, slim enough to not be catered for by the fatman shops), and buying clothes invariably ends in disappointment and body-hatred.

So I've said to her not to sweat it. If she can't find me anything, then don't worry. And I honestly mean it. At this point I'd rather nothing than just telling her the name of a book and getting that.

And to top it off, all this back and forth is making me feel like an entitled arsehole as well. I really don't think I can win this one.

So what do you reckon, o wise and generous NeoGAF. What would you buy yourself for your birthday? Limited budget, maybe £50.

Help!
 
E

Escape Goat

Member
You've turned a birthday into a chore. You're thinking about it way too hard and you ought to let your wife have fun with your gift.
 
Jedeye Sniv

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
Teh Hamburglar said:
You've turned a birthday into a chore. You're thinking about it way too hard and you ought to let your wife have fun with your gift.
Click to expand...

But she's not having fun at all because she's stuck. Her first idea was a massive comic book but I told her (as nice as possible) that I already have a stack of 10 trades I've not read left over from christmas, I just have too many.

I feel bad because she really just wants to get me something nice, but I'm just so hard to buy for...!
 
S

sgossard

Member
First world problems, but it's your party, so I guess you can cry if you want to.

Now seriously...

Go on a short trip together.
 
R

replicashooter

Banned
Jedeye Sniv said:
But she's not having fun at all because she's stuck. Her first idea was a massive comic book but I told her (as nice as possible) that I already have a stack of 10 trades I've not read left over from christmas, I just have too many.

I feel bad because she really just wants to get me something nice, but I'm just so hard to buy for...!
Click to expand...

Why don't you take the money she would have spent on presents, buy food and go and hook up some homeless people with your "birthday presence".
 
W

wormstrangler

Banned
All the equipment necessary to get you started in some sort of physical hobby/sport that you've always wanted to try.

Skiing? Dirt bike riding? Ice Hockey? Football? Road Riding? Rock climbing?

Etc etc.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Obviously, you have 3 choices. Chocolate cake, a Gameboy, or...

game_boy_01.gif
 
I

Invisible_Insane

Member
Your comments about your body make this a pretty straightforward one: tell her to find you a tailor. You can probably get one or two nice shirts for 50 pounds.
 
W

wormstrangler

Banned
Tandem sky-dive

Or some other 'extreme' activity.

OR put the money in to a holiday fund. Or have the old girl book a hotel for a month away that will force you both to get out of your area.

Plenty of ideas!
 
Jedeye Sniv

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
GK86 said:
How much is 50 euros in dollars?
Click to expand...

It's quid and it's maybe about $75 I think.

sgossard said:
First world problems, but it's your party, so I guess you can cry if you want to.

Now seriously...

Go on a short trip together.
Click to expand...

Very true, which is why I feel like an entitled scumbag. Trip is a nice idea but we don't have that much money. We usually go to London too, but getting tired out in the big city leads to an argument about 50% of the time :p

wormstrangler said:
All the equipment necessary to get you started in some sort of physical hobby/sport that you've always wanted to try.

Skiing? Dirt bike riding? Ice Hockey? Football? Road Riding? Rock climbing?

Etc etc.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea. I recently took up cycling, so some bike shit could be fun.

As to other ideas:

Birthday dinner isn't a bad idea, but it's our wedding anniversary a month later, so we'll probably do the whole romantic day thing then.

Definitely going for the sex though, that's a given :p
 
Jedeye Sniv

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
Invisible_Insane said:
Your comments about your body make this a pretty straightforward one: tell her to find you a tailor. You can probably get one or two nice shirts for 50 pounds.
Click to expand...

Dude you can barely get two Marks and Spencer shirts for £50 :p plus I have about 10 dress shirts in my rotation.

But it isn't a bad idea really. I could definitely use some new jeans I know that much.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Jedeye Sniv

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
kr2t0s said:
Sounds like you want a new body.

Get yourself a birthday present and go on a diet and start exercising.
Click to expand...

Eh, fuck that. I can't open that on my birthday, fool!

But I am exercising (cycling every day) and I don't eat too bad. It's going down.
 
Jedeye Sniv

Jedeye Sniv

Banned
Actually! One thing I would really like is a nice poster for my PC wall. Do any of comics gaf know where I could score a decent Frank Quitely poster or some JHW3?

Hey, this brainstorm session is paying dividends!
 
S

SmokyDave

Member
An original Gameboy, Tetris, and 40 'AA' batteries.

Alternatively, go on eBay drunk and buy something bizarre like a stuffed dog or a tankard from Bullseye.
 
A

alphaNoid

Banned
I just like to hang out with my friends and family. I usually get some gifts too, just simple stuff I want like camera gear or games.
 
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