Happiness is....
...having your OTP throw you the best surprise party ever!
On Saturday Sheryl threw me the best surprise party ever. She always goes all out when she entertains, but I think she outdid herself this time. She had been planning my 30th birthday surprise since April, unbeknownst to me. And I only became suspicious in the last few days.
The theme was a luau. We went to Hawaii in March 2004 for 17 glorious days. So, she knew what to do. She got authentic recipes from the places we visited. She had a whole binder full of preparations. She took three days off from work (I had no idea) to prepare. She had her whole family helping. My sister took me out shopping to a huge mall an hour away while they set up the yard. Tiki torches. Large tables covered decorations--bamboo mats, leis, umbrellas. Other decorations hung from the house. And my gift--a new Trek bicycle decorated with leis under a shade beach umbrella. 30 guests.
Sadly, I didn't get to see it in all its glory, because it started to storm a half hour before I got home. (And would you believe it rained *only* in our town--not the surrounding towns--for hours! But I'll get to that...) I had no clue all this prep was going on. Sheryl called a couple of times to find out when I'd be home and told me she broke the door handle and that we would have to go to Home Depot when I got home.
I didn't suspect anything at this point. I had in the past 24 hours, because I happened to come home on Friday at lunch to get something I forgot--and SHE WAS HOME. I was out to lunch with a coworker, who drove me to my house. We pull in the driveway, see her truck and her sister, and see they are inflating something....They see me and look totally panicked. The funny thing, which I found out later, is that my coworker was in on the surprise, but she didn't think Sheryl would be home--or else she wouldn't have brought me to my house! As I didn't see what they were doing really, they had some totally plausible story about her sister's friend's little sister's party, and that Sheryl got home early from work and didn't tell me because she was going to come to my library and surprise me with an ice cream cake. I thought this was plausible, but when I got back to work I voiced my suspicions to friends. But as I thought something was going to happen Friday night and didn't (whole other story), I thought I could be wrong.
But I did suspect that my sister taking me away for most of the day could be a ploy, but knowing she had other plans that evening seriously lessened the possiblity for a party, as did other factors such as knowing a few friends were going to be out of town. Well, it was all lies. Lies I tell you! But I forgive them! *grins* There were so many things happened that were planned and that I didn't know. It's too funny and too long to recount.
So, it's pouring when I pull up in front of the house. I learned later that my sister was not supposed to pull in the driveway but park in the street so I wouldn't see the garage and just go in the front door. (We usually use the side door, which is why Sheryl made up the story about the door knob on that door being broken. "Use the front door," she instructed me.) Well, how could she not park in the driveway when it was pouring so hard? I still didn't supsect because Sheryl had all the guests park on another street. It wasn't until we pulled into the driveway that I saw a tiki poster hanging from the garage and an inflatable palm tree (aha!). "I knew it!" I said, but it was all so fast. "Go in the house!" my sister yelled. I ran in and announced, "I'm home!" knowing something was up, BUT I was completely surprised at all the people crammed into the dining room to yell "Surprise." People with leis and drinks in coconut shells; my dear friend who had just gotten back from China. Gifts on the table. I was so emotional, especially when I walked through the back of the house and saw through the French doors into the backyard: Sheryl's beautiful set-up being poured on and poured on. Soaked tablecloths and decorations, umbrellas blown over. I just wanted to cry with sadness and happiness at the same time.
They had moved the party inside to the house and the garage, and we didn't let it hampers us. What an extraordinary time. The rain and the blowing wind just made it funnier and more memorable in a way. Especially when we found out it was only our town that got rained on and for more than two hours! How strange....My new bike was stowed away safely in the garage. My mother says she took lots of pictures of the yard before the rain, so at least I can see what the original plan was.
I was so happy to have my family and good friends there to celebrate with me. Sheryl went through so much work, all for me. I am teary eyed just thinking about how good she is to me. I am truly blessed.
...the wishes of my wonderful LJ friends. Thank you--you have warmed my heart and made me smile!
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the great authors and artists out there who have opened up this whole fandom world to my imagination and have fed my hunger for the past year and a half. Thank you, thank you!
ETA: Sheryl ordered poi and had it shipped frozen from Hawaii. She spent $40 on something she doesn't like--and told everyone else that they wouldn't like it, either--just to have authentic luau foods!!!! We had just about the same amount of poi when we ended as when we started, as one taste is quite enough.
On Saturday Sheryl threw me the best surprise party ever. She always goes all out when she entertains, but I think she outdid herself this time. She had been planning my 30th birthday surprise since April, unbeknownst to me. And I only became suspicious in the last few days.
The theme was a luau. We went to Hawaii in March 2004 for 17 glorious days. So, she knew what to do. She got authentic recipes from the places we visited. She had a whole binder full of preparations. She took three days off from work (I had no idea) to prepare. She had her whole family helping. My sister took me out shopping to a huge mall an hour away while they set up the yard. Tiki torches. Large tables covered decorations--bamboo mats, leis, umbrellas. Other decorations hung from the house. And my gift--a new Trek bicycle decorated with leis under a shade beach umbrella. 30 guests.
Sadly, I didn't get to see it in all its glory, because it started to storm a half hour before I got home. (And would you believe it rained *only* in our town--not the surrounding towns--for hours! But I'll get to that...) I had no clue all this prep was going on. Sheryl called a couple of times to find out when I'd be home and told me she broke the door handle and that we would have to go to Home Depot when I got home.
I didn't suspect anything at this point. I had in the past 24 hours, because I happened to come home on Friday at lunch to get something I forgot--and SHE WAS HOME. I was out to lunch with a coworker, who drove me to my house. We pull in the driveway, see her truck and her sister, and see they are inflating something....They see me and look totally panicked. The funny thing, which I found out later, is that my coworker was in on the surprise, but she didn't think Sheryl would be home--or else she wouldn't have brought me to my house! As I didn't see what they were doing really, they had some totally plausible story about her sister's friend's little sister's party, and that Sheryl got home early from work and didn't tell me because she was going to come to my library and surprise me with an ice cream cake. I thought this was plausible, but when I got back to work I voiced my suspicions to friends. But as I thought something was going to happen Friday night and didn't (whole other story), I thought I could be wrong.
But I did suspect that my sister taking me away for most of the day could be a ploy, but knowing she had other plans that evening seriously lessened the possiblity for a party, as did other factors such as knowing a few friends were going to be out of town. Well, it was all lies. Lies I tell you! But I forgive them! *grins* There were so many things happened that were planned and that I didn't know. It's too funny and too long to recount.
So, it's pouring when I pull up in front of the house. I learned later that my sister was not supposed to pull in the driveway but park in the street so I wouldn't see the garage and just go in the front door. (We usually use the side door, which is why Sheryl made up the story about the door knob on that door being broken. "Use the front door," she instructed me.) Well, how could she not park in the driveway when it was pouring so hard? I still didn't supsect because Sheryl had all the guests park on another street. It wasn't until we pulled into the driveway that I saw a tiki poster hanging from the garage and an inflatable palm tree (aha!). "I knew it!" I said, but it was all so fast. "Go in the house!" my sister yelled. I ran in and announced, "I'm home!" knowing something was up, BUT I was completely surprised at all the people crammed into the dining room to yell "Surprise." People with leis and drinks in coconut shells; my dear friend who had just gotten back from China. Gifts on the table. I was so emotional, especially when I walked through the back of the house and saw through the French doors into the backyard: Sheryl's beautiful set-up being poured on and poured on. Soaked tablecloths and decorations, umbrellas blown over. I just wanted to cry with sadness and happiness at the same time.
They had moved the party inside to the house and the garage, and we didn't let it hampers us. What an extraordinary time. The rain and the blowing wind just made it funnier and more memorable in a way. Especially when we found out it was only our town that got rained on and for more than two hours! How strange....My new bike was stowed away safely in the garage. My mother says she took lots of pictures of the yard before the rain, so at least I can see what the original plan was.
I was so happy to have my family and good friends there to celebrate with me. Sheryl went through so much work, all for me. I am teary eyed just thinking about how good she is to me. I am truly blessed.
...the wishes of my wonderful LJ friends. Thank you--you have warmed my heart and made me smile!
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the great authors and artists out there who have opened up this whole fandom world to my imagination and have fed my hunger for the past year and a half. Thank you, thank you!
ETA: Sheryl ordered poi and had it shipped frozen from Hawaii. She spent $40 on something she doesn't like--and told everyone else that they wouldn't like it, either--just to have authentic luau foods!!!! We had just about the same amount of poi when we ended as when we started, as one taste is quite enough.