It's Claire's 30th birthday this Saturday, and I have dutifully been invited to a joint party for her and her friend. I'd previously decided to stop inviting her to do anything, since my last two invites had been refused -- she wouldn't go to the Sex Pistols, but her reasons why seemed very vague. I'd have appreciated blunt honesty more. Then I asked her if she wanted to go ice skating sometime, and she said that she didn't like skating but either way she had a boyfriend now and would be going with him and his niece. Like I say, I figured she could invite me out sometime if she wanted to see me -- I'm not so desperate for her attentions.
Officially, it was her birthday a couple of days ago but either way the party is this weekend -- and since I wasn't able to go to her Halowe'en party, I want to make this one. Even if I do have to work this Sunday.
A thought suddenly struck me today, however. No, not the "how the hell am I going to get home" thought, that has not yet quite been worked out. But instead what might seem glaringly obvious to everyone else: I should take a birthday present!
What the hell do I get her? What do you get a girl you met randomly at a punk gig, thought there might be something between you, got exceedingly drunk with, tried to kiss and were rejected by? Do they have special cards for that kind of relationship?
Working in a bookshop, naturally that was my first thought. But I hardly know her, and have no idea if she even likes to read. What would a girl like her enjoy? Fiction? True crime? Would she enjoy The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rand, about how she knew and worked with Ted Bundy? Maybe not, some girls get funny if you buy them books about serial killers. Maybe she'd like a book on Estuary English, explaining phrases like "nart" -- as in "Have a nart, Trace, I only been out of prison a week" -- and "narra", as in "We had a narra escape there, Gary, I thought Mum was gonna come round on the way back from Budgens".
I thought I had a brilliant idea, of buying her the book Punk 365, which I'd written a recommendation for in store sometime last week -- but I figured it was more money than I wanted to spend on her, and besides she turned down a chance to see the Sex Pistols, what kind of a punk fan is she?
I know she likes cats -- or, at least, her cat -- so I considered books like What Pets Do When You're At Work, or Pets With Tourette's, but it just seemed too novelty. I tried to think of books I love and mean something to me, but again I return to not knowing her that well -- and not really caring that much.
It might be too late, but I'm hitting Etsy this evening to try and get her something unique and handmade. It would be too vain to give anyone one of my own prints as a gift, but I know some sellers with fantastic items that I just want an excuse to buy...
No comments:
Post a Comment