9.26.2006

Birthday Present Quandry


Help me out here, kids.

My biggest problem right now is figuring out what the hell to get my friend La Ria for her birthday this Friday night. She's going to be 27. Which, for me, was a great fucking year. Turning 28 hasn't been that spectacular (had my heart broken...twice), but 27 was pretty damn good.

When my birthday comes around, I make it easy for everyone. Of course, no one has been able to procure me a Greek manservant with flowing black hair, broad shoulders, strong arms, with a penchant for walking around in nothing but white linen pants and catering to my every whim. But I'm holding out hope.

La Ria, on the other hand, is a bit tricky.

She actually stated that she can't think of a single thing she wants. And she certainly doesn't need anything. Except a clone and about 24 more hours in a day (the girl works too hard, but she loves her job).

Really, what do you give the girl who has everything and needs nothing?

Several of us are in this boat together. Ladies, I would say lets pool our resources and just take her to a strip club. Except she doesn't have a free night between now and the end of October, so that sucks. We could all go to a UCLA football game, but the only one that matters is already sold out and, again, that's not till December. Showing up empty-handed is really lame, though.

So, what to do???

First person with a decent idea gets my undying love. For about an hour. If I can fit it into my schedule.

***UPDATE 9.27.06 8:00 am***

I realize I didn't give you any background info on this girl to make intelligent suggestions. So here goes: has a degree in English; runs a local theater; loves punk and 80s metal (we've gone to so many punk shows, that I lost count somewhere around 832), dolphins, Last Comic Standing, Rockstar (both seasons), 24; has more arcane musical knowledge than anyone I know (except Will); and is very close to her extended family. Who all live in Glendale.

Okay, go!

***UPDATE 9.27.06 6:30 pm***

The Bouncing Souls are playing at the House of Blues on November 3rd, so I bought us tickets, printed them, and will put them in a card to give her on Friday. And we're taking her out for live comedy, which she loves probably more than the Souls themselves. So yay, we're done!

Thanks everyone. Y'all had good ideas. You are invited to my next birthday party.

8 comments:

David N. Scott said...

I always like gift cards to restaraunts, especially places I'm too cheap to go to myself. That may be a bit random, though.

Ed & Jeanne said...

I'm a guy...I'd recommend the Super Bowl chia pet. Oh wait, this is for a girl...hmmm. Ok, get the stiletto chia pet.

BurgandySkies said...

Try to think of something she does all the time or something she uses all the time. If someone gave me a year's supply of John Frieda Sheer Blonde products or pay for me to get my hair professionally bleached I would so love them. So something like that. Or get her "The Birthday Set" of Philosophy Bubble Bath (Sephora.com), I find that's a good default girly present. Or if she has a good sense of humor get her something totally cheesy (but useful!) like a Target gift card with a Kid's birthday card. OR find out if there's a concert or event she'd like to go to so far from now she can't be schedualed yet (alot of theater things you have to buy way ahead of time anyway), then give her a card and the tix. Or buy out an ad on some website she frequents and have a picture of her that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY up for a month (David did that for one of our anniversaries and it's still my favorite present!)

BurgandySkies said...

Actually, if you can give me a time frame, a budget, the first three things you think of when you think of her, and the thing you most have in common or the thing you most tease her about I could come up with something more personalized.

Anonymous said...

Don't know what your budget is, but you can't go wrong with a gift certificate to a day spa, especially when she works so hard, or something cool from Amoeba.

Ghetto Photo Girl said...

More hints: one year I made her a photo album. It was a year that was particularly full of rock stars and debauchery, from which we had a trillion pictures, so I put together a little yearbook of our lives for the year. That was probably the coolest thing I've ever done for anyone.

I'm trying to keep it personal, but have really run dry on ideas. Other things I've given her in the past: the entire collection of her favorite scent from Victoria's Secret, Kurt Cobain's published diary, tickets to The Offspring when The Living End opened for them (LOOOOOOONG time ago).

Oy. My head hurts.

exile said...

massaging shower head

she will love it and this will be used, whether her thoughts are clean or dirty

DrinkJack said...

Do they have any companies in town where they sell pre-made gourmet dinners? Something where she could pull a great meal out of the freezer and save some time? There is a Culinary School in Kansas City that does this, but I am sure there are other places too.