Caught by surprise!

It turns out, Bob, Michelle and my friends and family are a sneaky, (and secretive,) bunch! A couple of days ago, Patty asked me if I wanted to go shopping in Detroit. Hello? Stuff at half the price it is here, only one 6% tax and using a dollar worth $1.07... of course I wanted to go. One problem, Robin was making me work Saturday. I started bugging him, (nagging, whinging and meanly demanding according to him,) to let me go home at about 1pm. I finally left at 1:30. I was worried about keeping Patty waiting. I come home, Patty comes to get me and off we go to the USA.

Three hours later, we're coming home, I'm hungry, I offer to buy her dinner. Nope, she wants a glass of wine. I tell her Sam's is just up ahead, we can have pasta and a glass of wine. She just keeps driving.

We get to my house. There's a giant wooden duck on my lawn that says "happy 50th birthday Pat." I am confused. My birthday is the 10th, there's a party on the 10th. I ask Patty why there is a birthday duck on my lawn. I wonder if someone got confused. I tell her I hope not everyone is confused otherwise a slew of people are going to show up tonight and I won't be ready. We grab some bags and go to the door.
(Oh, I should mention that Patty had been texting and told me it was to Dan.)

I ring the bell, Michelle opens the door, I walk in and hear people yelling surprise! OMG... I had no clue, none.

I look around, My brother-in-law Mike and my nephews David and Danny from London, My sister Sandra from Sturgeon Falls, My sister Sarah, brother-in-law Claude and nephew Patrick from Montreal, my friends Ann, Joey and Tyler from Toronto, my friends from here on Elm, The whole Anber clan including a sick, but adorable Aryanna and Nanny are all here. My sister Barb had a business trip in Halifax and couldn't come but hey, she got to enjoy the hurricane that hit there yesterday. Now, Mario, Sandra's spouse, had to be elsewhere too and I find that highly suspicious and think maybe he and Barb...? hehehe Erin, my niece had to work, but she called. My Auntie Kay in Calgary sent me a card earlier in the week, Auntie Lorraine in Montreal and Auntie Sheila in Calgary sent cards with Sarah.

I was gobsmacked. I cried. As I looked around and saw one by one who was here, I was more and more surprised.

Debbie made all my favourites, her famous spinach dip and humus. Chinese food was delivered, much wine/rum/beer was imbibed and fireworks may have been involved. (unless you reading this are a Windsor Fire Department Inspector then of course there were no fireworks, that would be wrong!)

This morning, Robin and Debbie made us their famous Christmas breakfast of eggs Benedict, asparagus, fresh pineapple, bacon, sausage and my cheesy potatoes.

Maybe turning 50 isn't so bad if this is how it starts!

I just wish my Dad had been here.