I love surprises!

Giving them... receiving them... being part of them... whatever! :)

Last night myself, Conan, Jen, Mike (Hrycyk) and Jenny (Morrison) had a surprise birthday dinner for Derek (sorry to have left out anyone not in town or sick right now). We had a blast at Cactus Club (down on Broadway at Ash). My goal was to try and send Derek to work with a hangover this morning but it didn't quite work (though he did enjoy _several_ martinis).

In order to get Derek there without letting him know it was his surprise birthday dinner I had to tell him that Mike, and his wife, Jessica, wanted to go for dinner with us to a little place that Mike knew about somewhere near Broadway and Ash.
Derek (being the Derek that he is) came home and started asking: "So what is this place called?" "What kind of food do they serve?" "Where is it?" "How are we going to meet them if you don't know where we are going?" etc. etc.

Now, Derek has told me the story of how, when he was young he _constantly_ peppered his parents with questions about everything (you know, the "Why is the sky blue?" kind of question) and the only response (short of a plausible answer) that the young Derek would accept was, "I don't know." Derek is STILL that delightful info junkie (it really makes him squirm when I don't give him answers right away to his questions so sometimes, just to make trouble, I tease him that way... teehee... I am soooo evil!) At least, having heard this story before (and having personal experience of the same), I am now prepared to answer this sort of question. So my answers were: "I don't know what it's called, Mike knows it." "I don't know what kind of food they serve." "I don't know where it is, other than that it is in the vicinity of Broadway and Ash." "We are meeting Mike and Jessica at the corner of Broadway and Ash and going to the restaurant from there."

So we left the house and got to the meeting place (by which point Derek was glancing around, trying to figure out where the elusive Mike and Jessica were) when I drag him into the Cactus Club (which he kind of smirked/smiled at - it's his favorite restaurant of that type). He didn't figure out that it was _his_ dinner until he saw Conan and Jen sitting in the waiting area and then you could see the light of knowledge as it broke across his face and Jen cheerily waved at him.

Dinner was a LOT of fun and included booth hopping (they didn't have a table big enough for eight but since we were only six they consolidated from two booths (for four each) into one booth for six. We then proceeded to play "spot the Buddist" and "Your team", two mildly cruel (but amusing) games based on people watching and generally making snide comments (ask Mike... they are HIS games).
Food was good, we had hot wings and calamari appies, and then some very tasty dinner (which was also so spicy I ended up stealing Jenny's water thinking it was Derek's and then apologising profusely).
After doing some serious math (splitting the bill up at the end) we all headed home. Derek was one happy clam...

But my night wasn't over yet. When I got home I finished loading my massage table and stuff into the car and drove out to Kits to do a massage for one of my clients' girlfriend. It is great doing late night massage because for once, when you are finished the massage, it is _exactly_ the right time to climb into bed and fall asleep.
It was a really good day. I came home and Derek and I watched the end of an episode of 24 (which we have just started the first season of) and then it was sleepy time.

Today is more preparing for our week away from home. I also need to get my place spic and span so that it is ready for my moms visit next week the day after we get back from Williams Lake. Also I get to do some birthday shopping today which is always fun! I have one more lesson with Russell, my new(ish) student today and then I'm off! Should be another good day!

(Picture at top is of me and Derek at Cloud 9 restaurant in downtown Vancouver where I took him for breakfast on Saturday morning just before my harp recital in North Vancouver. The food was okay... not great... but the view was spectacular and we both had a really good time.)