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Covid

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Original poster

Sharing shit 2020 birthdays

93 replies

Cluelessat32 · 26/01/2022 20:20

In the spirit of the times, let share our shitty 2020 birthdays. Just for the fun of it.

On my birthday in 2020 I was with my sister after leaving my abusive husband. However I suppose I had a nice cake.

OP posts:

Buzzinwithbez · 26/01/2022 20:29

We went to pick up takeaway as a treat less than 5 miles away. There was a police car outside and I was worried we were going to be questioned for picking up takeaway. It was the furthest we'd been the whole time.

Bearsbearsbears40 · 26/01/2022 20:34

OP… 2020 was my 40th birthday year but most people didn’t remember. I know it was a pandemic and everything but a text or two on the big day might have been nice.

MargaretThursday · 26/01/2022 20:38

I've just looked at what I was doing on my birthday in 2020. I kept a diary over the time, so I can see exactly.

Things were just becoming... interesting. My job lost most of their income that day and the building was taken over to become a support centre for the local area.
I worked all school day (my normal hours) then returned after picking the children up from school to try and get more done. I have in my notes from that day that we were preparing for "at least 18 months of pandemic".
We were clearing the place so there could be nothing that would pick up infection. I took off my engagement ring as an infection risk, and it hasn't gone back on. There was a definite feeling of waiting and knowing it was about to hit.

The children were told school was going into partial closure from that day, one day in, one day at home because they had so many staff off.

Dh was sent home to work-he's still (grr!) working at the dining room table as they now don't have an office.
He went to collect the shopping from Sainsbury's and we were surprised to get almost all the order, although hadn't ordered anything really short like toilet roll.

I arrived home at about 8pm (which was the earliest I got home for the next month) and dh ran out to get a takeaway. I was so tired I didn't really care as long as I got something to eat.
We had a restaurant booked for the Saturday, which never happened as it was closed by then.

Very odd birthday.

Mindymomo · 26/01/2022 20:40

My DH had a triple heart bypass operation on my DS’s birthday on 3 May, we had pizza delivered, although I couldn’t stomach any. He came home in time for my birthday on the 13 May, we had pizza delivered then as well, which I did manage to eat.

CuteOrangeElephant · 26/01/2022 20:40

I had planned a great 30th birthday with my husband, siblings and friends. Instead I ordered 50 quids worth of cheese from a fancy cheese shop and had fondue and a cheeseboard for after

JayAlfredPrufrock · 26/01/2022 20:42

I ordered an afternoon tea recommended on Facebook.

It was shite.

DH, DD and I sat at the kitchen table and ate it pretending it was nice.

MoonBat · 26/01/2022 20:46

I was alone with three children because support bubbles hadn't been introduced yet, and I had what I suspect to be covid, but will never know as testing wasn't a thing then unless you were in hospital. It was utterly and completely shit.

Unescorted · 26/01/2022 20:47

A friend pushed a card through the door as they did their daily exercise & that felt as if we were pushing the rules. It was quite warm so I had an ice cream with my family and went back to working from my kitchen table. It was my 50th.

FelicityBeedle · 26/01/2022 20:48

Late April. DP secretly organised my by friends who were living together to knock on the door and give me very distanced presents and a quick sing while on their daily exercise together. I cried. We ordered a Lebanese takeaway as I love the one in my home city. It was expensive and quite small but tasty. My parents sent me a hamper which I know they couldn’t really afford, it said perishable on the box and I didn’t know it was coming, I opened it early.

TonkinLenkicks · 26/01/2022 20:51

I was heavily pregnant and desperately trying not to kill myself. I can’t really remember much from that time, self preservation I suppose.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 26/01/2022 20:52

On my DDs actual birthday, DH was away. So we arranged her party for the week after.
It never happened. Instead she turned 7 and suddenly her school closed, her clubs stopped, her party was cancelled... she didn't even get a cake as we couldn't get ingredients. I managed a few fairy cakes. Her elder sister hugged her and said she could share her summer party instead.
Her sister never got her party in June either. They hadn't seen any other children in several months by then.
The next March... no party as schools had just reopened and no one was risking it.

She will get a party this year. I'll do anything to make it happen.

Begonias · 26/01/2022 20:52

April 2020 and DD turned 13, no party as family were obeying covid rules. I did bake a cake and made her favourite dishes .I decided to put 'happy birthday' banners on the front door and round the fence in the garden to make things more exciting for her. It was a lovely sunny day, so we had a picnic in the garden. 8pm in the evening we went out in the garden ( clap for NHS) and the whole lane stood outside and were singing happy birthday to her, they had seen the banners.
She's nearly 15 and says it was one of the most memorable and emotional birthdays she's ever had. The neighbours made up for the lack of family, it still makes me feel all emotional thinking about it.

Unescorted · 26/01/2022 20:52

What annoys me more than my birthday been shite is that my DD cancelled her 18th. Not because we were in lockdown (that happened 2 weeks later), but because it felt like the right thing to do. She did not want to risk passing on an illness that could kill.

MrsBertBibby · 26/01/2022 20:52

Mine was after National Trust places reopened, so we went to one in search of water. Took my old Dad, coz support bubbles had started too. Hadn't realised how desperately I would miss water, we live in a dry valley. The willows moving over the water, and scattering the sunlight made me quite tearful.

rookiemere · 26/01/2022 20:53

April 2020, DH and I were both recovering from what I presume was Covid but we weren't able to get tested. It was my 50th. We got a Chinese takeaway which I couldn't really taste properly and DS refused to eat as DH had forgotten to order the sauce for the sweet and sour chicken to be on the side. On the upside my work had all made banners for their backgrounds on our teams meeting and DH decorated my office/back bedroom.

2021 was actually worse. We were allowed to eat outside and garden centres were open, so a couple of friends and I shivered away as we ate our quite nice lunch and it started snowing.

I am irrationally peed off about contributing to friends 50th presents and parties as I missed my own.

whatkatydid2013 · 26/01/2022 20:53

I was in February so pre lockdown but was travelling with work and spent my 40th travelling. The planned celebration with My OH for a child free night away in Paris was cancelled as that was happening in April. Could be much worse

SellFridges · 26/01/2022 20:54

Also my 40th. Celebrated by drinking in the park like a 15 year old. I had such grand plans.

FelicityBeedle · 26/01/2022 20:54

@Unescorted
Your DD sounds incredibly mature and kindhearted for her age. Can she have a 21st this year?

SugarMiceInTheRain · 26/01/2022 20:55

My 2020 birthday was during the height of lockdown, so only allowed to leave the house for essential reasons. Highlight of my day was queuing outside the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. It felt like a huge risk somehow. I made my own cake and ordered Chinese. I spent that evening sobbing. 2021 birthday was my 40th and we were back in lockdown but allowed 6 people in the garden so we sat outside freezing around the firepit. Lots of people remembered though, for which I was very grateful... even though I still haven't had my 40th birthday present from DH

MrsWidgerysLodger · 26/01/2022 20:58

Another one with a 40th... DH firstly tried to organise a surprise holiday, then downgraded to a family meal, then downgraded to afternoon tea with my best friend. Full lockdown then occurred so couldn't even do that so he ordered a lovely cake and arranged a group zoom. He was going to take me away for my 41st to make up for it then we got bloody COVID so it was cancelled (despite still limiting contact and only really going shopping nwven when lockdown was lifted!) Roll on 42 I guess?!

TokyoSushi · 26/01/2022 20:59

My 40th too, in March 2020, lovely big surprise party cancelled, meal out cancelled, lovely dinner cooked by DH in our kitchen and we tried to get to grips with this fancy new thing called Zoom. The way that our birthdays fall in our house nobody has ever had a 'normal' birthday since. Maybe this year!

Unescorted · 26/01/2022 20:59

[quote FelicityBeedle]@Unescorted
Your DD sounds incredibly mature and kindhearted for her age. Can she have a 21st this year?[/quote]
Her college has their ball on her birthday this year. She is going to party like it is 1999.... although not her 21st. I think she will use 2020 as an excuse to have a wild party every year until she is 326.

TheFishWillSeeYouNow · 26/01/2022 21:01

My friend broke the rules and came into my garden for a glass of wine. We dutifully sat a bit further apart than we usually would have done.

Drivingbuttercup · 26/01/2022 21:01

dh and i had just finished 14 days of self isolation after being so ill which we suspected was covid. There was no testing at the time. We both still felt so ill that we were too scared to go out. My children wanted to do something nice for me so raided the cupboards and found some chocolate mini rolls and stuck candles in them and sang happy birthday. We did get somebody to drop some food off and we had a barbecue in the afternoon. I remember lying in bed all day the next day.

FrangipaniBlue · 26/01/2022 21:03

My birthday in 2020 was 3 days after we went into the first lockdown when literally everywhere closed overnight.

My 40th birthday in 2021 was 3 days before they lifted the last lockdown.

Yeah, shit birthday 2 years running.

But Bojo got cake so it's all fine.

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