Anatomy of a Surprise Party
27 February 2005, 19:14
McG wouldn’t let me go camping this weekend, so instead, I thought I’d throw him a (last minute) Bikkuri (it’s japanese for “SURPRISE!”) Birthday Party at our local bar…..
It started on Tuesday when I emailed McG’s friends to alert them to upcoming birthday drinks but provided no details due to dastardly disorganisation. Talked to our local bar on Wednesday and confirmed venue + time by Thursday.
The biggest problem with organising these things, in fact any party, is that people just don’t RSVP. I don’t know why that is and it shits me no end. There were a few tentative “should be able to come but have something else on but don’t know what’s happening there either”s. I think people must live in a perpetual state of not knowing where their next meal is coming from, just in case Nigella Lawson pops in for a cup of tea and a nice sit-down.
[contemplation: I’m now resigned to the fact that some friends don’t respond to invites but it took me a long while to realise that just because they were vague, didn’t mean they cared for us any less than our “reliable” friends. In fact, we had the same problem with RSVPs for our wedding. Our frikkin’ wedding, and my own brother couldn’t be arsed RSVPing. When I asked my mum and dad whether bro+partner+offspring were actually coming (after countless emails and phone calls to aforementioned sibling), they acted like I was the one who was crazy. “Well, of course they’re coming dear. He’s your brother.” YES! Correct! My brother, so perhaps he could pick up the damn phone for 5 minutes, or flip me an email to confirm his attendance. Pfrttht, family.]
Anyway, it was also going to be a bikkuri for me, too as I had no clue who would actually show up.
Can I smell cake?
Planned a secret squirrel plan of attack for getting the cake to our local bar by 3pm, (the time they open) without McG knowing.
We went off house-hunting in the moring, returned home by 2pm and had to leave again for an auction at 4pm. In that 2 hour gap, I went “grocery shopping”, picked up Birthday Cheesecake and passed by the bar around 3.25. Closed. A little sign out the front stated they wouldn’t open until 4pm that day. Fuckit. Had to put Cheesecake in the boot while we went to the auction, a great house that McG was very proud to put in an opening bid for. The place was passed in, but all I could think about was Cheesecake melting in the back of the car.
Drove home, accidentally “left my purse in the car”, went out to get it and decided to “buy a magazine” up the road. Grabbed the cake from the boot and started to hot-foot it to the bar (about a 3 minute walk). I had walked only a few steps when McG, bless him, came outside to see where I’d gotten to. I was on the other side of the road and luckily behind another car. I dropped the cheesecake and stood there, frozen, waiting for him to see me. He didn’t.
Ran to the bar, dropped off Cheesecake and bought crap magazine. Crisis averted.
Had a nana nap with McG, and at around 5pm my phone rang. McG was asleep so I left the room to take the call. It was one of the guests - “You can’t talk can you? What’s going on tonight?” asks he. I thought it would be OK as McG was in the bedroom, but just as I blurted out the details, who should appear in the kitchen, but Husband who heard everything. Shit fuck fuckityfuckfuck.
Ah, the best laid plans. If I’d have been bright I would have had a continuity plan for such a crisis, but alas, did not. So the puppy was out of the kennel and happily chomping on (not-so) Secret Squirrel.
But suddenly I went from being annoying Wife who buys crap magazines & watches too much crap reality TV to “BEST WIFE IN THE WORLD!” I was happy with that.
As it turned out, 14 of our good buddies came at pretty short notice to show Husband a good time. Some who said they “probably couldn’t” come, showed up and others who were dead certs, didn’t. It didn’t matter. Husband was happy, stuffed full of birthday cheesecake (which remained a surprise until its appearance), flanked by good friends and beer, and seeing both that giddy smile on his face & the friends that put it there, was the best. Good party.
Permanent Link | Comments [3]Photo Friday "Ghostly"
26 February 2005, 05:45
Permanent Link | Comments [1]Grape Grazing on Saturday
22 February 2005, 07:01
Not too feral. Enough said.
More Grape Grazing photos here…
Nuns in Fitzroy
20 February 2005, 07:01
Had my first belly-dancing class last Thursday. I used to do bellydancing back in ‘Nam - only for a couple of terms, but I loved it. True to the spirit that is Kinki, however, I got bored soon enough and wandered onto something else.
Am determined to give it a good go this time. First off, it’s extremely sensual. Even the hoofiest heathens can look graceful in a bling-bling skirt tied low on the hips and a vague attempt at a shimmie. It’s fantastic for the tightening of one’s butt and tum-tum and it’s an awesome cardio workout - you’re completely knackered by the end of the hour, and don’t even notice the time go by (quite contrare to 5 minutes of aerobics which feels like an eternity).
And it’s a non-threatening, accepting environment - we even had a guy in our class in Brissie all those years ago. That was pretty funny, actually. Guys can’t shimmie. They. just can’t (prove me wrong, it’s happened before)...
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