Surprise?! Surprise!!

The hardest thing about surprise parties is keeping secrets. And surreptitiously cleaning the house.  And thawing frozen meat for people who aren't suppose to arrive till many days later.

Okay, there are plenty of hard things about surprises.  But as Hannibal Smith will say, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

For a someone who works in the programming and software industry, he doesn't notice much when folks around him are posting pictures and writing blog entries.  Those comments and messages that you all left gave him that early morning smile.

It helps that the birthday boy was oblivious to outside noises--car door slamming, shrieking kids.  The arrival of out-of-state visitors gave the next smile of the day.

Going to his favorite café would have given him a smile but the presence of more friends (who set up the spread so beautifully) brought about this bigger smile.

Yup, here's a toast to the birthday boy, who probably needed that cup of wine after this suprise-filled day.