blah blah blah my visit home

This weekend,

I went home to Oklahoma to surprise my mother for her 50th birthday.

I became a cog in an elaborate plan to take a woman by surprise
who does not really like surprises so much and who
can tell when there is a scheme brewing,
long before you've even put the water on to boil.

So, my father bought my mother a red convertible as her gift.

My mother was distracted all day at a day spa where she had every flake of dry skin sluffed off and every fingernail, toe nail trimmed buffed, and polished. I was later told by my sister, that this day was one of the most stressful days she had ever experience, trying to keep my mother busy and unaware of the secret birthday plans. I only added to my poor sister's stress when I called her from the Minneapolis airport to find out who was going to pick me up when my plane landed. She of course handed the phone to my mother. I sang her happy birthday as overhead flight announcements bled into the phone.

When my mother hung up, she told my sister that I was in an airport or a train station. I have been known to take off on a whim, whether it's a trip to Scotland or California or Montreal. My mother didn't realize that I was on my way to see her, luckily. She thought that I was blowing off her birthday to jet set. haha.

I landed in Oklahoma and was picked up by my brother-in-law, Chris and driven to an undisclosed location where I sat in my mother's new car, awaiting my marching orders.

My mother, fresh from her multiple face and body treatments was escorted into the house where her friends and coworkers waited to jump out and yell "happy birthday." At that point, I was down the road, sitting in the convertible awaiting the word to bring the car around front. So, I received the call and drove the car into the driveway and then proceeded to hide behind my father's car.

My mother came out screaming and running towards the car, at which point I ran up behind her. She turned around and started screaming so loud that I think I may have permanent hearing damage. I was also seriously worried that she might have a heart attack. haha. Well, not funny, but seriously, she was that surprised.

All in all it was a great weekend. It was good to see the family and to joyride with the top down.