May

May would have probably passed by uneventfully, but it was Justin’s birthday and I’m nothing if not an ambitious gift giver.
It was a last minute decision, but a great one. While brainstorming a good birthday gift for Justin with Mark, I decided to give him what I knew he really wanted. Last year, that was tickets to a UFC fight in Vegas... this year, it was me.
I found some really cheap last-minute tickets online and Mark and Ryan pitched in on the surprise... and we played Justin like a fiddle.
I had been talking to him regularly about his upcoming “Ocho de Mayo” birthday party. He was excited about dressing up, grilling, and beer. I was giving him a headache about the necessity of a birthday cake, which he seemed painfully indifferent toward. I was also driving him crazy with a tease of “I got you THE BEST birthday present EVER.” After last year, he was pretty convinced I couldn’t pull anything better out of my hat (what beats a trip to Vegas, a fancy hotel room, and tickets to your favorite sporting event to see one of your favorite fighters?), but I was adamant and even made a bet (which I don’t recall the terms of). I made him promise he wouldn’t ‘open’ his present without letting me see the look on his face, and from that look I would be able to judge whether I had won the bet or he had.
We were talking nightly on Skype, so the day before his birthday I threw him off the trail by telling him I would be going out that night with some friends so I wouldn’t be calling him... I was also playing ‘disappointed’ that his present hadn’t ‘arrived’ yet and he was on strict orders to let me know when it got there.
Next came ‘The Flight From Hell’... a topic I’ll have to address later.
When I got to San Diego, Ryan picked me up from the airport. He was technically on duty, but he snuck off to play his role. Meanwhile, Mark was at home using every ounce of his creativity to keep Justin there. Justin had asked Mark earlier if he wanted to go to a movie... thinking on his toes, Mark ‘looked up’ the movie that Justin wanted to go to and told him “We just missed a showing and the next one isn’t for a few hours.” Peculiar, yes, but Justin bought it. :)
Justin started to get more restless, and looked up another movie himself. He invited Mark along, but Mark was being as uncooperative as possible. Finally, Mark went and got in the car with Justin to go to the movie and, as they’re about to pull out of the driveway, told Justin they just couldn’t go. He weaved a web about Ryan taking off from duty to come home and that Ryan was bringing Justin’s birthday present with him so they absolutely couldn’t leave.
From Mark’s report, Justin was NOT happy about this.
Meanwhile, Ryan and I are on our way back to the house. We stop by the store for some birthday cake candles and when we arrive I stay out in the garage... ear pressed to the door. Ryan goes in and they pull an ice-cream cake out of the freezer, put in and light the candles, and start singing “Happy Birthday”.
I walk in and join them.

The look on Justin’s face was absolutely priceless... a literal Jaw-Drop. Keith, Mark, and Ryan are laughing and everyone is absolutely delighted... but Justin has crossed over into this gaping state of shock. I walk all the way across the room and hug him... kiss him... and the look on his face STILL hasn’t changed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so surprised in my life. It was perfect.

I was only in town for the extended birthday weekend... and I got to catch up with a lot of friends in the very short time I was there. Justin’s birthday party was tons of fun...

May was a good month.