Kidnapped…and Very Surprised!

Right on cue, the doorbell rang at 6:00 pm on January 3^rd. I opened the door and five attractive, well-dressed ladies marched inside, all wearing Mardi Gras masks. Immediately they assembled at the bottom of the steps and began at once to sing.  January 4^th is Helen’s birthday (one of those “zero” birthdays). She had no idea this was coming and that’s what makes our friends such a delight.

Last week I posted about our annual meatloaf dinner which was a fun-filled evening as usual.  The next day I got a call from a member of the group and learned that plans were well underway for the ladies to kidnap Helen and whisk her away to dinner at a downtown restaurant. I was so thrilled for her that I could barely contain myself.  January 4^th is a horrible date for a birthday.  It falls too close to Christmas when no one wants to shop and everyone is partied out…except this bunch.

When the singing began, Helen came out from her she-shed study with a smile so large, I was afraid her face would crack.  Hurriedly, I grabbed my camera to capture the moment, but the flash didn’t sync very well and things came out a bit blurred.  Nevertheless, I posted it anyway thinking that the moment, and the masks, gave out an artsy feel.

The masks have been around for a while.  I think they found them on one of their annual girl’s trips to Hilton Head and seem to come out on rare special occasions. I thought this was a place for them, especially since this occasion featured a kidnapping. Those masks are very realistic, and it is sometimes difficult to determine where the masks end and faces begin.  Here is a group shot.  The honoree is somewhere in the middle. Cuteness reigns supreme!

Champagne from a bottle with screw-off cork (loved it) flowed, with birthday cards read aloud.  I retired to the man cave but kept creeping back to the center of activity as the champagne helped bring the laughter to increasing levels of volume with each humorous card reading. Helen received a gift of a handful of quarters. It seems that her reputation as a casino aficionado has spread. I’m sure they will be a source of good luck.

The doorbell rang again. I opened it to greet Roy, a sharply-dressed young man who owns and operates The Southern Gentleman, a personal concierge service.  Roy was the designated driver for this evening, but he also provides a variety of services to numerous clients around our city. Click here for a link to The Southern Gentleman website.

Roy gathered the champagne and helped the entire birthday party into his impressive SUV.  Everyone gave out a smile to the camera and before I could ask what was for dinner, the doors closed and everyone was off. I think Helen gave me a “Goodbye, Honey”, but I couldn’t be sure. Oh, well…it’s her night, I’ll find a baked potato somewhere and basketball on the tube.

Pictures from the evening began arriving by text. One showed Helen checking out a pair of ice skates beside the downtown ice rink. I hoped they were just props, we had enough knee trouble last year.  Another picture arrived showing the partygoers gathered around the bar at Emelia’s, a favorite downtown restaurant.  Everyone appeared to be in good shape.  The last picture I received featured Helen in front of a menu.  I’m not certain if it came from Emelia, but I agree with the sentiment.

Late in the evening, Roy returned with Helen and one of the celebrants who came to pick up her car. Roy had completed his assignment well and said he had almost as much fun as they did. By that time, I was ready for bed, but not Helen.  She was wound pretty tight so I got to hear about each course of the dinner and a thorough discussion of each dessert. It all sounded lovely, and certainly better than a plain baked potato. I managed to slip away as she counted her quarters.

The next day is her actual birthday: happy birthday and all my best to you, Love.  I doubt that I will top this event so I’ll simply close with a big thank you to our friends once again.

We look forward to 2019 with each of them as, together, we go Easin’ Along.

Footnote: On her actual birthday, it was my turn to kidnap her and take her to our favorite Mexican restaurant.  She was treated to a great dessert, a huge hat, and “Happy Birthday” in Spanish.  Ole!