Birthdays at Work

I hate them.

Absolutely hate them.

Here's how it goes. I'm the one who has to organize them, and of course not everyone tells me when their birthday is, so sometimes we'll have a big thing for one person and somebody complains later that they didn't have a celebration on their birthday.

Usually it's a chaotic dash to whatever bakery is closest or cheapest or takes Amex. Then it's all about the planning, what time should we do it? When everyone is not working? That will never happen! So someone is always left out of that.

Luckily we have two offices so we can hide the cake in one while we distract the unsuspecting victim. But the gathering of two offices is so ridiculous!

Today was an independent editor's birthday, who has been editing for a good 3 months straight, coming in at noonish working til 5 in the morning. He spent his summer shooting in Lithuania and Poland. He has a deadline for the end of this month and said he wasn't doing anything for his birthday. Boo hoo, any excuse for office cake, we'll take it!

I had an anxiety attack trying to get the two offices together (no one from the other office ever gets there on time even though it's one floor away and I give them several reminders: We're celebrating a birthday in an hour! Festivities in 20! Everyone be down here in 10 min! Cake in 5 people!)

Then it's the timing. And the editor today was pushing it! He kept coming out at random times and I didn't want him to ruin his own surprise! The guys were watching the Phillies game and he kept looking out to see the score, so I had to motion to people what to do, and everyone just stood there like "wah?"

Finally, got everyone rounded up, and had to make something up to tell the editor. "Hey, there are leftovers in the fridge, I don't know whose they are, can you come check?" He totally knew what was going on because he just smiled when I said this (I've said it many times before and he's given me attitude about them not being his leftovers).

There's always the awkward "Happy Birthday to Youuuuuu!" Anyone watch The Office? Hilarious! And then who cuts the cake? In this case, it was me. I'm not kidding, it was too much excitement for me! I was shaking! And flushed! Seems a bit dramatic, I know. But I hate being responsible for surprises, birthdays, or anything fun that later if it turns bad, people can blame on me! "We ruined the good surprise on YOU!" Anyone? Name that movie!

The good thing I've learned, if everything else sucks, you better have some damn good cake that trumps it all. Luckily I did! It was a Peanut Butter Cup cheesecake pie thing with bits of peanuts and caramel in hard crumb shell. Amazing! And people were thanking me more than saying Happy Birthday. Boo yeah!

I need to lie down.