I never posted this mini comic I made as an apology for a friend whose birthday party I missed. It is very ADHD and very Brain Fog of me because I had literally every part of the invitation wrong. The time, the address (which I'd been to before), the day of the week, the date. #oopsie

Transcript:

8 is not the same as 1, or, How I Missed your Birthday

by Sarah Steinberg

A sketch of me from behind, working, overlaid by a calendar of days (feb 27-Mar5)
"Deadline Friday, Party Saturday!"

March 7: I stretch and yell SUBMIT! as rainbows go from my email icon. "I've been looking forward to __'s Party all week!"

March 8: I sit on a stool at the stove stirring a pot. My kid says "Why are you cooking?" I say "going to a party!"

In the next panel, I am dressed. My husband says "Are you wearing... a bra?"
"Also Pants with Buttons!"

I tell them, "I'm going out from 6-8."

Husband, off panel, "Calendar says 4-6?"

Me: "no, 6-8. "

I look at my phone (double checks). "4-6".

CHANGE OF PLANS! Electrolytes! Immediate nap! Go!

Glug glug

zzzzz

3:30 alarm blares

Taste / Garnish / Yum over my food

Doubel check address (map)

43-7, 43-3, where's 43-5? No, this isn't the house!

Hmmm. I look at my phone. Calendar says 43-5.

DANG IT! Email says 34-5.

VROOM (I hate being late! and drawing cars!)

Ah, this is it. Lots of parked cars, too. Yes!

I skip down the sidewalk with my pan of food. La, la, la.

Standing at the doorway. Ding Dong.

I stand. Quiet...

The shades are closed. Hmmm.

I look at my phone. Tap.

Tap.

I've looked at this invite 3+ times today.

Date on the phone: Mar 8.

Date on the invite. March 1st

March 1st.

MARCH 1st.

I look up with blank eyes and pink cheeks.

I look down and my cheeks get pinker.

I look up horrified as my whole face gets pink and hot.

I grab the food. Shame pouring of of me, I speed-walk to the car. Please don't see me. I'm too Embarrassed.

I put my forehead on the steering wheel. HOW?!?!

a flashback: several weeks earlier

My phone rings. I'm sitting in my kitchen with my dog at my feet. "--, what a nice surprise! 1st weekend in march? I'll put it on my calendar!"

Caption: my beloved doggo had had a stroke and wasn't doing well. I answered the phone hoping to distract myself.

"February, march, saturday 8 march, click!"

Near me, dog whines.

"Gotta go, bye!"

One of the worst parts of long covid is that my short term memory and numbers brain is trashed. The 8th could not be the first weekend in march. And I should have checked it against the invite later. I hadn't internalized the impariment yet and still trusted my unreliable memory. Ugh.

I stand angrily in cloud of rage holding the food pan. My husband: "at least dinner is made?"

I make a red angry face. An arrow labels me "Crabby"

My sports bra flies and splats. (THROWS BRA)

SULKS: I sit holding my knees sadly.

Dear --,

I am so sad and sorry I missed your party. I was really looking forward to it and wanted to give you my best wishes. I hope mysilly comic at least gives you a chuckle. How many errors can a girl make?!

I hope you'll forgive my stupitidty and let me make it up to you with a brthday tea or lunch soon. I promise I won't mix up literally every part of my calendar this time. I would love to catch up.

Your very embarrassed friend,
Sarah

The bottom of the page has a sad manga-eyes portrait of me

End.

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About Sarah

Illustrator, writer, chronically ill parent - working on picture books, comics (I want to color for you!), and... probably a lot more (because ADHD). Comic-Journaling about low-spoon parenting.

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