Sorry to hear about the birthday party situation. I have a friend whose bday is New Year's Eve. She must feel ripped off, too. Kind of like having your birthday on Christmas and not getting an extra set of presents...
As for Starbucks, I give them a wide berth. I actually like the taste of good coffee. Starbucks likes to sell coffee to people who will do anything to avoid tasting it. My brother dislikes coffee but he loves Starbucks sweetened coffee drinks. Why? Because they taste like anything but coffee.