A Better Than Pleasant Surprise
[12:22] [Thursday, September 06, 2007]
I turned 21 on August 27. I've always had anxieties about planning for birthdays; I'm just not a party planner. I'd much rather tell everybody who I think cares, get together and decide at that point what everybody feels like doing. Of course, milestones are a little different! I told Brady I'd like to do something special, but I wasn't entirely sure what ... And as things fell into place (so I thought), this is what we planned: happy hour at Bruno's with Ana and Nate of Altair, followed by dinner at Cookie's Cutter, our slip neighbors.
We drank enough cuba libres during happy hour to get happily buzzed and motored home to have dinner with Ana, Nate, Janet and Russ. Janet met us at the dock and told me because there were so many of us, we were going to eat at the Ranchito. Believing this entirely, because 6 people is a lot to gather around a table in a 36-foot boat, I excused myself to the potty and let everybody else go to dinner.
Janet escorted me from the restroom to the boat (retrieving bug spray) and then to the Ranchito. It took my being beneath the little palapa ... And everybody leaping out at me! Ohmigosh!! I just about fell over, I was so blown away.
Balloons, pendants, a pinata, FOOD, even presents -- everybody I've come to consider a friend -- Roy and Debi on Lyric (former slip neighbors in Rockport), Jim on SeaYeti, Curtis and Sandy on Cattleya, Gary and Susan on Pacifico, Daphne and Mike of Tortugal, Paul and Sue on Moeranga (I'm sure I spelled that wrong), Mike and Sue on Infini, Janet and Russel on Cookie's Cutter, Ana and Nate on Altair, and of course, Brady -- here milled around, beaming, having just yelled, "Happy Birthday!" at unsuspecting me.
I had to laugh as I hugged everybody, spun around a few times in the Ranchito, accepted my scepter and tiara (oh, God) ... And then I had to cry!
I had a GREAT time on my birthday, and I owe a big big thanks to everybody who made that possible. If you want to view photos of the ensuing fun, I've uploaded print-resolution photos to the site here: http://www.sol-searcher.net/21
Thanks again, Everybody! See you around the Rio :)
