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Am I being a miserable old git?

OK, Mr Grumpy, I'm looking at it from your dear wife's point of view. Who does the cooking? If it's Mrs Hay-Char, then she could have been looking forward to a night with no cooking but is too lovely to say anything. Although it's your birthday, could she be doing with a wee break from the kitchen? . . . Or is it just selfish dancers who think like that?
 
My husband never had a birthday party or a cake until he met me. I insisted that he did because I thought it was bizarre! Realised that it was more about what my idea of what a birthday was not his. The kids buy him a card and a token present (cd or DVD) because they love to give him something. I put money into an account and he can buy what he likes when he likes. I thought I was doing the right thing by forcing my ideas on him but he is much happier now. Maybe you could suggest the likes of this to your wife?
 
They only want the day off because (if it's anything like my old office) they don't want to pay out on cream cakes for everyone
 
MikeZ said:
Did she make you type that?

To be honest, I actually enjoy going through the photos of our wedding day. It was a great time. Trying on my wedding suit is a different matter.
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Our son has borrowed his dads' brown velvet, flared trousered sut a couple of time when he's been to 70's themed parties
 
I've never been a great one for parties, though I did get coerced into one on my 50th. We exchange cards, but apart from the big anniversaries (last one was 40th) we don't give anniversary cards (if we don't know how the other feels by now, there would be something wrong) or valentines. It's just a way for card makers to rip us off with overpriced goods. My last birthday was spent scrubbing out the sons' house as he was moving out. I was so shattered by the end of the day, I wouldn't have been bothered about going out anyway. There also comes a point when Mr Chris says what do I want for a present and I have trouble thinking of aything because there's really nothing I particularly want or need (though a bucketful of mucky fivers wouldn't be sneezed at), so unless there's a cd or dvd that I really want I'm stumped.
 
I cook four days a week; Mrs hay-char does the other three. Because I work from home, I also do most of the housework, laundry and other domestic stuff. There is no end to my new mannish virtue; except in relation to my birthday.....
 
jay hay-char said:
I cook four days a week; Mrs hay-char does the other three. Because I work from home, I also do most of the housework, laundry and other domestic stuff. There is no end to my new mannish virtue; except in relation to my birthday.....
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Hmmmm, Can you dance?
 
In my defence, I used to hate Christmas as well (it had various unhappy associations) but when the kids were young, Mrs hay-char (quite rightly) read me the riot act about it being a special time for them, which was emphatically not to be ruined by me being a sourpuss, so I grew to enjoy it and we now do the full nine yards, with stockings for everyone (even though we're all far too old for them) and all the other stuff. Our daughter was most insistent that we couldn't decorate the tree until she got back from uni last Christmas.

I'm perfectly happy to do the cake and present thing - though cake not so much, now - on my birthday, though I am constantly hassled for suggestions from everyone, I just don't want to go out for a meal .....
 
My husband was the same about Christmas and I did the same as your wife because it was special for the kids. But I think you can call it when you are celebrating your day.
You seem to be perfect in every other way (bar the dancing) so she will probably allow you this quirkiness!!!
 
some days I am sure we all feel grumpy I know i do
 
I'm not a fan of Christmas either. I hate that the shops have stuff in the shops earlier and earlier. I don't want to buy christmas pudding in September, I buy cards in January when they're all half price. I get in the mood about a week before. Spend ages on the day cooking, eating, occasional drink then boom! it's all over for another year. Very few decs, just a garland over fireplace and a fibreoptic tree in the bay window. Anyone who mentions the dreaded season too early gets a blast of Bob Dylands' Christmas album. That soon sorts them out
 
No, you're not grumpy and you're not alone. In my family we mark birthdays by the person whose birthday it is getting to choose what we have for dinner. Usually it's either steak or a chinese take-away. And as for wedding anniversaries, my wife and I normally treat ourselves to something to mark the day but have not had a party in the 36 years we've been married. And neither of us is too bothered about this either. Next year is a big birthday for my wife and as a treat I've offered to pay for her and our daughter to spend a few days in New York visiting museums. And no, I'm not going.
 
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