SURPRISE

As we departed the Olive Garden, I took my mother and told her she was going with me for a minute. I had something to show her and that dad new we would be to the house in a bit. At the same time, dad back in the restaurant was getting told that he was not going back to the house but instead he was to go to the KC Hall for a surprise.

Once in the car, I pulled out a blindfold and made sure mom was nicely blindfolded in the passenger seat. This was CT's idea and it work out wonderfully. Except for the fact that my mother has a great sense of direction.

We departed the Olive Garden parking lot and headed back to the house. She continued to tell me exactly where I was and I got a bit flustered unsure of how to get her lost. We first were going to my brother's new place which was interesting because I had no clue where he lived. Then after a few more turns, we were off to Kay's. Another turn, we were in front of the mall and headed to Earline's. I gave and decided to get on the interstate so that I could get to an area that I wouldn't get lost and hopefully could get her lost. On the interstate, we were then headed to Matt and Renee's new house. I got off the interstate and we had bought funeral plots, then it was a new house, then she decided I was buying time and we would eventually head back to the house.

Finally, I hit Lone Oak Rd at the hospital and got her lost. There was a couple spots we could have turned and she wasn't sure which one. I thought I was caught though as I went under the railroad tracks on Jackson a train was just getting ready to go over the tracks. I think I escaped that find though barely. When I finally turned again, she was lost enough and so was I that she didn't know for sure where she was.

After a few twists and turns, trying to remember myself where the KC Hall was. I made it to the Hall and parked on the street because everything else looked full and I wanted no more chances of her figuring out where I was. I got her out of the car still blindfolded and had her walk towards the door.

Well the train that I narrowly escaped earlier was now outside the KC Hall. She was still confused enough that she didn't pick up on where we were. She was greatly terrified after a decent walk that I was going to leave her at the train tracks or take her over them. I didn't quite understand that since there was a train going by.

We got about 5 feet from the door. I pulled her glasses off her head and tried to get the blindfold off, but she backed away from the door and so everyone inside could hear her said "I'm not going in there" and backed away from the door. Everyone inside started singing Happy Birthday and I got the blindfold off so that she could see the party waiting her inside.

She was 100% shocked and the place was full of people from her brothers and sisters to my dad's sisters, HS friends, friends from the telephone company, church friends, nieces and nephews, and even a few grand-nieces. My dad's sister from St Louis was in as well. (Which was another item that luckily did not register for my mom, as they saw her car when they went to dinner. Apparently they wondered why she was in town again after just being in town last weekend for father's day, but luckily nothing was put together in terms of a celebration for mom, so we escaped that one.)