zOMG -- Birthday Surprise Party!

January 30th, 2009. I turned 29. Best birthday weekend ever!
It was a snowy day, and all afternoon long I held out the hopes that my birthday night plans of going swing dancing at Glen Echo with Sara & Stevo would not get dashed. However, the snow continued to the early evening, and the roads were terrible.

[Note: one of the saddest situations I could ever be in would be to be all alone on major holidays: my birthday, Christmas, Halloween, NYE, etc...]

I jumped at the chance when Sara offered to have me come over anyway ~6pm, just to hang out; which meant I would at least have Sara & Steve (the other Steve) to be with and we would drink & have a grand old time.
The trip to Sara's in normal traffic takes me ~20 minutes, almost all highway so it feels faster. It takes closer to 15 min without traffic. 795 > 695 > 83. That night it took about an hour. Crawling at 20mph on 695 -- the roads were BAD. The only reason I drove was because I couldn't stand being alone on my birthday.

I got to Sara's safe & sound. When walking up the driveway I saw a mostly snow-covered black station wagon with NC plates. I had the brief thought of "Huh, my coz Joe has a black station wagon with NC plates," but that thought passed because Steve has many random friends from many places, so it was likely to be one of them I haven't met yet.
Besides, I talked to Joe just a couple of hours prior, he was in NC: he was telling me about the snow in NC.
I came in and Sara gave me a big hug (typical) and I said hi to Steve who was on the couch playing Dr. Mario on the Wii (typical).
Then around the corner walks my cousin Joe!!!!
I was nearly knocked off my feet. My jaw hung open for 30 seconds easily as time seemed to hold still with my disbelief, then I gave him a huge hug (pretty typical actually, heh). Best birthday surprise ever. [Well, until Sunday.]
Joe had come up to MD Friday night, staying at my parents' house Fri night.

Sara had decorated the house with various swing/jazz pictures I had in my old bedroom which I hadn't yet retrieved from home. She had been planning a surprise party for that night for 2-3 weeks, and the previous Sunday was at my house planning with my Mom. Of course the terrible snow canceled the party, but I was 100% fine with that -- the surprise of Joe being there was certainly enough.
We hung out all evening, played some Rock Band (Joe's first time), drank a bit, watched the latest Star Trek movie. Joe was so tired there was no way he could drive back to my apt, so we both crashed at Sara's.

Sunday late morning we get up and Joe & I drove to my apartment. I thought the plan was to head there, chill for a bit, take showers, then go to my parent's and then meet my sis & bro-in-law at Applebee's in Columbia.
Heh.
Wrong.
So I had offered to have Sara either come back with us, or we'd come back to pick her up if she wanted to come along with my family birthday dinner. It was the least I could do to offer; and also a fairly big deal in my world. She accepted. So Joe & I headed back to "pick up" Sara ~2:30pm.
We walked in the door and a deafening "SURPRISE!" nearly knocked me off my feet -- again.
Most of my friends, and all of my MD family were there! I was absolutely shocked, a second time.

I don't even need to type any more details: it was awesome. Best birthday ever.
I would never had made such a big deal of my own birthday, I don't need copious presents; I just simply don't want to be alone on it.
But wow. Just wow.
Sara wins.


Also:
Stevo's txts both Saturday and again Sunday were so perfect and natural that it helped contribute greatly to the surprises. Good job!

Also also:
Pictures can be found at my sister's Facebook album of the event.