Sunday, 01.29.2012 - 1:39 pm.
I had something else in mind to write about, but see...
I finished my second semester yesterday. It was a bittersweet ending. My friend and classmate Anita and I were working on an assignment in class, grading a psychopath, but we were too tired and yes, too inexperienced, to do it properly. We'd been in class friday and saturday all day long, and I (everyone in my class, really) had had two or three overwhelming weeks.
We didn't do it that well, and I was so distracted that I didn't notice that the lid of my water bottle was open and it spilled water all over my chair and inside my backpack, where I had just put my laptop and kindle. I freaked out, but fortunately both things were dry. I was so tired and frustrated that I wanted to cry. I just wanted it to end and go home.
But I couldn't. It was 7:20 pm. Another friend and classmate, Catalina, had written me a couple of days ago, asking me to help her translate a document for her thesis. I knew I'd be exhausted after class, but how could I say no to her? I told her to come to my apartment but she said she needed to be at her house because there were construction workers and she needed to supervise, so she'd give me a ride. Sure, yeah, ok.
Catalina was waiting for me after class, and said she'd found someone else to do the translation, but we could go grab a bite with Anita. They seemed to have been talking before, and perhaps it was her who kept calling Anita when we were finishing class.
I had a wonderful time with them. I'd been so inmersed in work that I longed to go out with friends. We went downtown to a nice restaurant and had pizza. We talked for a couple of hours and I so enjoyed myself. We made plans like going bowling and playing miniature golf.
Anita's boyfriend is friends with Andrew, and his mom lives in the same apartment building as ours. So when I was going home, Anita called him and it turned out the boys had gotten together at our apartment to play their online game. So she was coming with me. Catalina also would come to my apartment, because she needed some papers about Andrew's workplace in the university (because her boyfriend works at the university too and needed some information). He'd come to pick her up later.
They both called their guys on their way home, a few times. We were laughing at how silly they get when they play their online game and they said I shouldn't use my key to enter the apartment, just ring to bell to make one of them interrupt the game and open the door. We'd see who'd do it and their funny reaction. I didn't want to, because I like to leave Andrew alone when he's playing but they insisted.
I gave in to their idea. I rang the doorbell and the three of us stood waiting. I rang again. Andrew opened the door, strangely groomed for being the whole day at home, and the apartment was dark. At the back I could see a table with food, and I thought he was preparing dinner for our friends and I. I walked in and the lights went on and...
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!"
I was SHOCKED!!! A surprise birthday party for ME?! Most of my closest friends, from my master's and that I met through Andrew, were there. I couldn't believe it! They were there for me, and Andrew had made all this for me!
There was a lot of food and the tables had pretty napkins. Beatles music was playing in the background. I got chocolates and a beautiful sketchbook (and in retrospect, everyone in the room had given me either books or chocolates, yum at both!), plus one of Andrew's best friends made me a cake, a whole cake!!!
I played back the whole evening in my mind several times and there were suspicious things, like Anita and Catalina agreeing on a plan when they supposedly hadn't even talked, or them talking constantly on the phone (at the restaurant, I went to the restroom but it wasn't working, so I came back quicker than expected; I found them both talking on the phone and they seemed caught in the act). But that's about it. Andrew planned this for two weeks and everyone played well their part. Even the translation I was asked to do was just an excuse to meet up with the girls and keep me distracted. Unbelievable.
It was fun! Good music, great conversations with friends, delicious food (though I didn't eat much, we'd just had pizza). Consistent with my and Andrew's style, it wasn't anything crazy, just a small party with closest friends. I couldn't get over my surprise. I still can't. I fell for it, well played.
This morning, Andrew told me we'd go out for breakfast but there was plenty of food in the house. We just showered together, then I, say, thanked him the best way I could for last night's surprise (I did benefit from this, too), and then he made me breakfast. He's pampered me the whole month. He always does, he treats me well and takes care of me all the time, but these weeks in particular he's made sure we don't stop celebrating my birthday. I am so blessed to have him with me, and my life is so much brighter because he's in it. I hope I can make it the same for him.
I'm done with the semester so now all I have to work on is my thesis. That, I can't believe either, after being so overwhelmed with work for months. February is all vacation and Andrew and I are planning a trip to an island in two weeks, aside from other minor activities. I'm so excited.
And also, I have to write thank-you messages for everyone who came to the party last night, I was so...yes, absolutely surprised. Ten days after my birthday and still celebrating, thanks to Andrew and my friends. It was amazing!
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