A day in the life of an Ohioan turned New Yorker
here it is...
Published on December 14, 2004 By alison watkins In Blogging
Saturday, July 18, 2004; My twenty third birthday. It may not have been the greatest, but it was definatley the most memorable. That Friday, Hardin decided to cook me birthday dinner. It was really sweet. He made chicken fettucini alfredo and we had ben and jerry's for dessert. I thought to myself, "Wow...I'm such a lucky girl to have such a thoughtful man." Just wait....the story gets better.

So that Saturday, I had planned on getting together with a big group of friends and hitting the Kent bar scene. a couple hours before that, Hardin had dropped me off at my apartment to get ready. He also said he had a few loose ends to tie up before we went out. This was a bit before we became engaged, so I thought this was going to be the big moment. I even told my roomate I thought that's what it was going to be. She was all excited.

Exactly two hours later there was a knock at the door. It was Hardin.

He said, "shut your eyes and open your hands."

I got all excited.

"Here you go baby! Thank you for being an awesome girlfriend."

When I opened my eyes there was no ring. There was just a tube of African American Hair Relaxer. Now, mind you..I may have wavy hair, but i am a WHITE girl with WHITE girl hair...and I have no use for african american hair relaxer. I must have had the strangest look on my face. He then proceeded to say...

"It smells great Alison! like peaches! I think you'll love it!"

I was silent.

I then proceeded to say, "Wow...I'm glad you know me so well."

Of course we fought about it. I just drank and drank and tried to forget about it. There were guys, girls, small freaks....etc...buying me whatever drink my little heart desired. Once they heard my sob story, there was no going back....they just spent all of their money on buying me drinks and keeping me liquored that evening. There was this one guy who insisted that he wanted my number and said he could treat me better.

After 5 shots and 7 drinks I ended up getting really sick.....REALLY SICK. In my sick state, Hardin ended up cursing at me and told me to grow up and take it like a woman. I then shouted about his shitty gift and kicked him out of my apartment.

We broke up that day.

24 voicemails on my cell later, I decided to go and see him. We ended up patching things up and he gave me an even better present that evening. A conducting baton for my student teaching. It really meant a lot.

two weeks later we were engaged....hehe

Life works in the strangest ways.....

Comments
on Dec 14, 2004
Good on you! Man that's one of the most incredible stories i've ever heard i love it!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for you; wish it was me hahah!

So when's the wedding birhtday girl?
on Dec 15, 2004
hehe--it's this saturday--dec 18
on Dec 15, 2004
It stories like this that make me afraid to buy gifts for women...

Glad it worked out so well for you!
on Dec 15, 2004
well the funny thing is i do not even have african american hair...you think that would have tipped him off! lol...guess not!
on Dec 15, 2004
sorry...i want to keep this in the forum because i think it's hilarious....
on Dec 15, 2004
So what was the explanation for the hair relaxer gift? He thought it smelled good? As a hairdresser I know this is NOT the case. Did I miss something? Hair relaxer for a birthday gift...where's the punch line? "Take it like a woman" - ??? Are you sure you want to marry this guy? Will you be getting him jock itch ointment for his birthday? (Assuming he has as little use for this as you did for hair relaxer.) Please tell him to take it like a man!

Sorry, I really don't mean to be rude, but I feel like I'm missing something. Clearly he's redeemed himself, and I'm SURE he really is a good guy, it just didn't come across in this story. The rest of the story is cute, with the sympathetic strangers getting you liquored up, and the eventual reconcilliation. I do like a happy ending. I just don't understand how you got passed hair relaxer as a birthday gift.
on Dec 15, 2004
I'm trying to figure it out too, but I'm glad your story ended well for you. Maybe he thought your hair too curly? Or heard you say you wanted to have straight hair? Being a guy he doesn't know the process is different? Ah well, I'm going to stop trying to figure it out. Congrats!
on Dec 15, 2004
lol--it smelled like peaches...and he thought that was lovely. That's his story and he's sticking to it. He's appologized multiple times for it. He's a wonderful guy...I swear....I wouldn't have taken him back if not.
on Dec 15, 2004
ahhh...alison's birthday! what a memorable evening..haha! i will forever remember the ethnic hair product, rivers ("small freaks..lol!) and the other unmentionable events of that evening. *bangs head repeatedly on table*
on Dec 15, 2004
haha...and the events that came after at chrissy's yay recital is over party! lol now there's a juicy article!
on Dec 15, 2004
Well at least i went home to my own bed that night!! eeek!
on Dec 15, 2004
hehe! very true