The Worst Birthday Ever.


Little One turned seventeen on Friday, and I do believe it was probably the worst birthday she ever had. She’s been fighting a nasty case of the flu for the past week. She came home early from school and charged into the bathroom to vomit for fully ten minutes.  Ten minutes. At the end, I think she was bringing up toenails.

We planned to go to one of her favorite restaurants, a fondue place, along with First Born and FB’s roomie Kim, who we’ve unofficially adopted. But by the time we pulled out of the driveway, LO was already concerned that she wouldn’t be able to handle the 30-minute drive. She said that instead she wanted to go to the Olive Garden (yawn) up at the corner.

Unfortunately, about halfway through her stuffed mushroom appetizer, she felt the need to go home immediately. I drove her home and she slept for a while. I don’t even think she was very thrilled by presents. However, after a little rest she was able to go catch the grand opening of “Saw 4″, which she was thrilled to do because now she is old enough to get into R-rated movies. Oh the privileges of 17.

I wondered whether the 17th birthday is a big enough milestone birthday that it will be forever engraved in her mind. What was I doing on my 17th?

I spent most of my 17th alone at our little farm in Michigan. My parents and baby sister had moved to Illinois to take over my Grandma’s business, and my older sister and I were in charge of the house. I don’t exactly remember what I did that day, but I am sure it involved sleeping late and listening to Def Leppard while sneaking cigarettes. When big sister Sheryl got home from her job at Burger King, she and her boyfriend took me out to see one of the Star Wars movies. It was the one with the cute little Ewoks, and then of course we had to listen to the Ewok song on the radio all summer long. Not a bad birthday, and certainly one of the best summers of my life.

What’s your 17 story?


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Reader Comments

Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Sue
Posted on:
October 28, 2007 at 11:54 pm

Oh, poor Little One. Vomiting is not fun on an birthday. I don’t remember what I was doing on my 17th. It would have been the February of my senior year in high school, so most likely I was miserable. I probably had a small family party and that was it.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Swishy
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 12:36 am

Ohhhh that’s horrible!

OK, I have no idea what I did on my 17th. I know I was a senior in high school … and that’s about all I know. I feel so old.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Leian
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 9:30 am

I don’t remember what I did on my 17th birthday, but if I was throwing up, I’d probably remember that. Yuck.

I’m really surprised that your parents left you alone in another state all summer. I would have gotten into so much trouble. Which is why my parents never left me home alone!

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
angelawd
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 10:40 am

Why miserable, Sue? Is it just because you were in high school, or is it being 17 in February that made you miserable.

Swishy, I sure feel old, too. Especially now that I have a 17-year-old.

Leian, I can’t believe my parents left us home alone, too. I think they were in the midst of desperate times, otherwise they’d never consider it. I think.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
galadriel
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 11:24 am

I sure hope she’s feeling better now!

My 17th birthday found me living in a tiny town in Southeastern Oklahoma with my aunt and uncle. I had previously been a homeless runaway and they so kindly took me in sometime after my 15th b-day. We celebrated my 17th b-day indoors all bundled up with a pizza from the only place in town that made pizza, the gas station. My presents were inexpensive but extremely thoughtful. A bag of jalapeño Krunchers & books. My gramps was there too which made it two bags of Krunchers. I had read maybe only about two books before I moved in with them. They are avid readers with an incredible library and I found myself becoming completely smitten with books.
My birthday is January 2nd, so I spent my 17th one curled up on the couch, dressed from head to toe in long-underwear and sweaters, watching a movie on a TV that couldn’t pick up any channels, with a TV tray in front of me piled high with gas station pizza, then moved on to finish the day with new books and one entire bag of chips.

Mine was incredibly tame compared to Def Leppard and cigarettes!

Comment Number:
6
Written by:
Beth
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 1:13 pm

Poor LO!! I don’t really remember my 17th either, but I do remember my 18th, and it was extra special cause I spent it with you!

Comment Number:
7
Written by:
angelawd
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 1:31 pm

Galadriel, sounds like you really had a loving family - what a gift! Tho gas station pizza sounds pretty gross. Hurray for them bringing you into the world of readers!

Comment Number:
8
Written by:
angelawd
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 at 1:32 pm

Hi Bethie! Your 18th was fun, but I remember you had a bad case of carsickness. Let’s go mall hopping again soon!

Comment Number:
9
Written by:
Kathleen
Posted on:
November 23, 2007 at 7:21 am

I don’t remember much about my 17th birthday. It was too long ago. I do remember I had just begun my senir year in high school and probably it was a family dinner with a cake. We never went out to dinner in those days. But I had such an active life in mind that the life on earth made little difference!

Comment Number:
10
Written by:
sam
Posted on:
July 2, 2008 at 8:04 pm

i dont know..its my birthday today. my friends cant do anything..im alone in front on the computer and my moms at work, my sisters far away in a different state, i wished she woulda came…, i wish i had a big family, or some cousins or somtehing,,i wish my dad was here. im grateful im 17 though.