Big excitement in the Ryan Hood this weekend - My Mom came to visit, which was spectacular and miraculous (whenever a woman on 24 hour oxygen travels across two states, climbs three flights of stairs, and insists on bringing homemade oatmeal cookies, I call that a miracle). Huge thanks to my cousin, Classics Girl, for making it happen!
And don't worry, we didn't take Mom to Starbucks to reward her for all that effort. We took her here for lunch because she wanted to eat somewhere "quintessentially Cambridge," and drove along the Charles River because it's the most beautiful place in the city right now. Then we went home and ate yummy cookies and talked about how much better life is these days than it used to be :) Yay, Mom!
AND THEN, Saturday night, Steve and I went to the yummiest sushi restaurant to celebrate the birthday of our delightful friend Starbucks Girl. Her intrepid boyfriend (we'll call him Mocha Man) organized the surprise by raiding her cell phone to get the numbers of all her friends, and then organized us to meet at the restaurant. When we arrived, we had no way of identifying each other except via the girly pink gift bags we were all carrying as we lurked by the Koi pond waiting to be seated. But once the maitre de (spelling? is there perhaps a Japanese alternative?) lead us to one of those tatami rooms where you sit on the floor with your bare feet dangling in a pit underneath the table, we became fast friends, bonding over our love of Starbucks Girl and the forced vulnerability that comes with unexpectedly removing your shoes in front of a large group of strangers.
Kudos to Mocha Man for pulling this off, and to Starbucks Girl for having the the coolest friends ever. I'm honored to be on her call list now that I've seen the high caliber of people she hangs out with!
This whole thing got me thinking about my own phone book (because I finally got a new phone - hooray!!!) and who Steve would find if he wandered in there to organize a surprise party for me. The gathering would be fabulously random, as I don't really identify people on my phone; I mostly just have names and numbers. So my good friends Accountant Girl, Brilliant Harvard Girl and Pilates Girl would be there, along with Starbucks Girl. But they'd be mingling with a somewhat baffled I Cut Trish's Hair Girl and I Think I Groomed Trish's Dog Once In 2003 Girl. I'm not sure if he'd be brave enough to call the Midwest exchange and say, "Hello, may I please speak with Swishy Girl?" but if he did, I like to think she'd fly in for the occasion. And who knows, there might even be a sheepish appearance by Now Ex Husband of Trish's College Roommate, whose name I need to delete ASAP, and/or Random Law School Friend Trish Once Thought She'd Call For Directions To Vermont. It would be quite a party, indeed!
So all that to say... Happy Birthday Starbucks Girl! Here's to coffee, sushi, girl talks, not entirely random musings about God and the meaning of life, and your very cool friends who adore you - I'm happy to be one of them!
7 comments:
Kudos to Mocha Man! My husband recently had my phone and decided to flip thru my contacts. boy, did I have some 'splainin to do... 3 football dads phone numbers! I only plugged them in because our son is friends with theirs and I thought the names might come in handy in a pinch. Well....he still looked at me funny while I gave the lengthy dissertation.
Oatmeal cookies and Mom. With my mom, it's date cookies and I still put them on my Christmas wish list!
If Steve called, not only would I be impressed, but I would SO be there!
The S&S!!! Oh you really know how to torture "Recent Texan Transplant from Boston Girl" in your blog musings. Wright would be able to pretty much create a "This is Your Life" extravaganza from my cell phone. He'd even find my wonderful Lord & Taylor lady in there! Speaking of which, he better be doing something of the kind because my 41st b-day is FRIDAY. Feel free to send cash.
Nice use of the word intrepid. Once people are no longer worthy of my phone, such as an ex b/f, but I still need their number so I know not to answer the phone, I just change their name to "don't answer". I'm a giver.
Yes, I have SO many phone numbers in my phone... including one Governor! (I keep hoping i don't actually call him, when I mean to call me sister.)
I also have my hair lady, the BBQ place near my house, etc. What a funny idea -- to have them all at a party!
Nancy
Loved all the nicknames! Sounds like you had a great time at the party and with your mom.
I was actually wondering the other day what my husband would do if he ever tried to throw a surprise party for me. Never thought about the cell phone...very clever!
Maybe I should leave a casual hint...
thanks for commenting with your suggestions! i appreciate it.
Post a Comment