In which our heroine pulls a surprise

TGF has been in the dumps a bit of late and was very much not in the spirit of things birthday-ish. A few days before the actual birthday (which was on Thursday) she spoke about how she didn't even want to celebrate. Can you imagine how that pulled at our heroine's heart strings? Given my "in debt up to my eyeballs and no work on the horizon" graduate student reality I had no funds to whisk her off to the Bellagio, or even up to a cabin on the Mendocino coast. So what's a sweetie to do? Evidently throw together a surprise gathering on four days notice, that's what!

An email was sent to a pile of people who, oh my god have lives and thus, were not available, but fortunately some were. Whew number one.

Many emails then went back and forth deciding when and where. Together we came up with a potluck at our place, great for my budget. Whew number two.

On the premise that the house was getting to me, especially if I was to be finally taking my vacation from the neverending thoughts of "I ought to be doing school work RIGHT NOW" I cleaned the house on Saturday. However not manically (though TGF kept checking if I were feeling alright. Sheesh, one would think I never clean. So not true. I even took random breaks to check email (needing to check on my peeps!) and winding yarn which was totally not related to cleaning with the vain hope it would throw her off track. House got rather tidy. Whew number three.

While checking emails it becomes clear that our friends would be coming through with awesome eats meaning I didn't have to also profess to get caught by the cooking bug as well. Whew number four.

Before leaving to do the dog walk thing she mentions something about having a "date" when we return. I reply enthusiastically but wonder how I will wiggle this out - the timing has to be just so! During our duskish walk with Ruth and Piccolo (who were both in on this plan), Ruth begged off a little early. Excellent, as TGF wanted to stop for pet food on the way home. However she also wanted to stop for a Mt. Dew and a pack of cigs. Obsessively through these adventures I am checking the time. Okay if we finish now we will get home in time for her to go out back for her sin stick before Wyatt (who always goes out with her) might smell or spy Piccolo. On the way home her stomach growls prompting her to ask about dinner options. Casually I say, Oh I'll come up with something, and now I can say if pressed let's eat before "retiring to the bedroom". Whew number five.

While biding my time at the house, after the errands my cell rings. As I rush to grab it I am trying to figure where she is, hoping she didn't hear it. Sue and Sarah checking in to say they will be a little late. I push Sarah off the phone quickly with a series of "it's fine. no problem. alright then" comments. Shortly after we are both on the couch when I get a text message. Dammit all to hell! It's Jennie asking if they can come in early because her son needs the bathroom. Quickly I punch in "yes". For some odd reason TGF doesn't really acknowledge this activity. Whew number six.

A few short minutes later there is a knock at the door. I pull out the "Oh, are you stopping on your way through" line (since this happened while TGF was out of town I figured it might work to divert attention). "Oh, yes. G really needs to use the bathroom, if you don't mind." TGF hasn't seen our Ms. Jennie is quite sometime and is surprised to see her but happy. So taken aback in fact that she doesn't realize that Jennie has put two bags of junk food on the dining table. We all stand around talking in the living room. When there is another knock on the door, I tell TGF to get it. It's Ruth, with Piccolo bearing cake and bbq. At was at this point that she figured out something was going on. Sue and Sarah arrived a bit later with KFC (another favorite of TGF - her friends really do know her!), an enormous bouquet of balloons, and themed party things (plates, table cloth, party hats and more!). The theme? Elmo of course! Fabulous. On the even later side (hey these are our friends and it's how they roll!) Liz and Andrea came bearing a box of Kr*spy Kremes. Totally awesome.

TGF seems very pleased. Whew number seven.

This morning as I walked into the dining room the sight of the Elmo table cloth brought quite the smile to my face. However, I will never again...wait, never say never is the rule isn't it? I am unlikely to try to pull off a surprise party on such short notice again.