Surprise!

Several times in my lifetime I have tried to throw surprise parties for people, and never had much success. This Saturday, however, I was part of the best surprise party ever, at the coffee shop.

It didn’t start out as a surprise party… quite the opposite.

A few weeks ago, we found out that several of the “regulars’ were having birthdays in mid-September. We frequently celebrate birthdays at the coffee shop, and decided to have one BIG party for all the September birthday folk. Karen (Coastal Coffee Co-Owner), Barbara, Martha, “Teacher” Tim, and my brother-in-law, Eric, were those we designated to celebrate their recent free trip around the Sun. Eric lives in the Washington DC area, so we planned the party for a Saturday when he would be visiting us.

I was in charge of the cake, so I went to Tozier’s, our local supermarket bakery and ordered something appropriate. Karen was in charge of getting cards for everyone to sign, and we spread the announcement through word-of-mouth. Nine-thirty in the morning was tabbed as the “bewitching” hour.

I brought the cake in a few minutes before nine, and the crowd of well-wishers began to gather. The “birthday people” wandered in as well…

Just after I brought in the cake, Jim, from Monkton, MD, and his partner, Karen, came in. They were sightseeing and decided to make a pit-stop for breakfast and coffee. He was wearing a Baltimore Orioles t-shirt, so we chatted with him a bit about the plight of his favorite baseball team. 

Well, just before the bewitching hour arrived, in the course of our talking with Jim and his partner, we learned that it was Jim’s birthday. What a surprise he got when we came out with a birthday cake and headed straight toward him. We yucked it up with him about how his partner loved him so much she arranged this whole party JUST for him… and we were all actors… and well paid, at that…. LOL...  She had spared no expense…

When Jim got sufficiently red-faced from humility, we told him he had the good fortune of walking into a “planned” party. We apologized for not having a birthday card to give him, and that’s when he finally believed us, and that we were genuinely delighted to welcome him into our pre-planned event.

Everyone enjoyed cake (and coffee, of course), and well wishes were spread around easily. As the old saying goes, “A good time was had by all”.

For Jim, I’m pretty sure it made his day.

It sure did make ours!