Well, this turned out to be an interesting weekend.
Saturday night, Judy had invited my mom over for dinner. Her excuse (not that one was needed) was because she was leaving for Florida on Wednesday. When I saw her on Thursday, she had asked me to pick her up, because she wasn't comfortable driving to our house in the dark anymore. I said no problem, either I or one of the kids would pick her up. Comes Saturday, Seth is at a frisbee tournament and both girls conveniently had places to go, so it was up to me to pick her up. Judy is putting a ziti in the oven and tells me to go get her so I'll be back in time before the ziti burns. I get to my mom's house and honk the horn. When she doesn't come out, I call her from my cell and she tells me to come in cause she has something to show me. Now I'm getting suspicious.
Back track two years. When I turned 50, it was right after my dad died. Judy told me she had intended to throw me a surprise 50th, but since when in a year of mourning, Jews cannot go to parties, she promised she would do it for my 51st. Well, then her dad died, so the 51st was out. Ever since my birthday earlier this month, I started being highly aware of any social plans as a set up for the surprise.
So back to Saturday. As I got out of the car, I looked up the street to see if I saw any cars I'd recognize. No cars on the street at all. I walked into the house expecting people to jump out and yell "Surprise!", but the house was quiet. My mother shows me a picture of my father's grandparents taken in Turkey circa 1925 that I had never seen before. She knows that I'm very into the family history. She's also talking to her sister in Virginia and puts me on the phone while she finishes getting ready. I'm rushing her, because Judy had pushed me to get back quickly AND we had bought tickets for
Casino Royale for later.
So we finally leave and drive back to the house. As I turn into the driveway, I see some people walking up my block in the dark. Now I live in a dead end and NOBODY walks on my street during the day, much less at night, unless they're selling something. So I say something to my mother and she suggests that it's my neighbors, which I know is ridiculous. I pull into the driveway and see a man walking up the driveway. I ask him where he's going and he says into the house. I say "excuse me?" and start walking to cut him off. All of a sudden, I realize it's my BIL's voice and I know the jig is up. I woke into the house and say "Chris blew it" as everyone yell's surprise
So, Judy finally pulls it off and it almost worked, because letting me buy the tickets for the movie turned out to be a perfect ploy. Btw, as I was ordering through Fandango, she was upstairs in the bathroom calling the theater to make arrangements to allow us to use the tickets another night. It was a sweet surprise and a great night. I'll let Judy tell her side of the story about the stress she went to trying to get everything set up.
Yesterday, we had to go to an unveiling for my other BIL's father grave stone and then we took Elana to the airport for her trip back to DC, What blew my mind was how empty the terminal was and even traffic was not bad for the end of the Thanksgiving Day weekend. Then we went to the mall to return some things that needed returning and get dinner and finally see the movie I had wanted to see the night before
) 
