In 2002 I planned a surprise birthday gathering for Paul down in Boston. I invited a bunch of our friends to join us on a whale watch through the New England Aquarium. On this day, unlike every other day in our lives, Paul and I managed to get ready on time and sit down to breakfast before heading over to John and Sara's where we would car-pool to the big event. As soon as we sat down to breakfast, however, the phone rang. It was John. He had just received a call from our friend Reza who was about to get on the T to head into Boston. "Why are you leaving two hours early?" John asked him. "Early?" Reza responded. "We have to be there in an hour." This is when it all came crashing together. Paul's birthday is also the morning after Daylight Savings. We were all officially 1 hour late.
Paul and I left breakfast on the table and jumped in our car. We raced to John and Sara's and then on into the city. The whale watch was leaving at 9:00 am and we had 45 minutes to drive to the heart of Boston. Somehow we made the trip in 35 minutes. With bare minutes to spare we parked the car, ran to the aquarium, and went to get our tickets. Friends from out of town met us by the ticket booth. It was then that I learned the true nature of Murphy's Law. The whale watch had been cancelled, they told us. The boat was broken. There would be no whale watch today.
Hysterical giggling ensued.
So, in true generation X, live for the moment style, we (a motley crew that had come in from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire) headed to Dunkin' Donuts. With the wonderful sensation that occurs when your belly is full of sugar and caffeine we made the most of the day. We explored the Aquarium, had lunch in Quincy Market and strolled the shops. Around 4:00 we all decided to go home, crawl into bed, and sleep until Paul's next birthday.
We did wake up before Paul's next birthday, and Paul made me promise that for that next birthday he would not be required to step out of his house. I happily agreed.
Paul's Birthday 2003:
In 2003 I planned a non-surprise birthday gathering for Paul in our home. I invited a bunch of our friends to come hang out with Paul and not go anywhere near a boat. The event was a success, though Paul and the boys did choose to go out and play some ultimate frisbee, in the snow, for about an hour. But I'll stress that I had nothing to do with that.
Aside from the many wonderful gifts Paul received from family and friends came a large envelope from the Whale Center of New England.
Since I could not seem to bring Paul to the whales, I had brought a whale to Paul. Paul is now the proud adoptive parent to Colt, a 22 year old male humpback whale that lives in the coastal waters of New England.
And here is Colt: