birthday surprise

I haven't blogged in ages. I've been so busy that I hardly even get to reply to half of the text messages I get (well, except for work-related messages). Every time I go online, the only thing I get to do is check email, and briefly browse through other friends' blogs. I never got to update mine in such a long time. Dogeaters had already closed and Avenue Q's repeat is ongoing.

Ever since we had booked Avenue Q's repeat for this month, I had already expected that I won't be celebrating my birthday like the usual, as my birthday falls on one of the showdates. And like every other special show, it's a Sunday that doesn't just have a matinee, but also an evening performance. So every time anyone would ask how I would celebrate that day, I would just say that I'd be working.

I was still on my way home from the previous evening's show on the first hour of the 16th. I had resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be able to attend the first morning of simbang gabi, as I was so tired and will be working until an hour before midnight. Wow, talk about maximizing the day. And when I mentioned this to my dad when I got home, he got mad because I wouldn't be hearing mass. I was so upset at his reaction that I just went straight to my room and cried because he didn't even greet me. After Tad (who had said that he was in Lucena for some workshop thing) had texted me a birthday greeting, I called him up and told him about the whole thing to calm myself down before I went to sleep.

Nothing extraordinary at the office that morning, as we continued to bag the Avenue Q T-shirts we were to sell. I had complained to Lawyn about my dad's reaction, which had happened again before I left for work so I just briskly walked out of the house. I bought lunch for Law and Kuya Boni (the usual barbecue, pancit and laing, yum) before we left for the theater.

The lobby was pretty quiet when we got there, then Chari emerged from inside the theater with a little birthday present plus a box of yummy brownies from her and Bobby. Wheee, thanks for the headband, Chari! We were then left alone when she went back inside, and suddenly I got a phone call from Ate Sally in Dubai! Hahaha, telebabad over the phone as I updated her on everything that had happened, then my phone got passed from ear to ear as everyone wanted to talk to Ate Sally as they suddenly started appearing and greeted me.

After the matinee show, we had the usual Tender Roast dinner... plus Krispy Kreme from GR! Man, was the front-of-house so pumped up with sugar, as Mia had also appeared with a tin of Mrs. Fields' cookies.

While we were just hanging out in the lobby after eating, I got a text from Tad, asking if I had received a package that he had sent via courier. What? I kept on the lookout for anything the whole time as we waited for the people to arrive. When the show had began and the crowd had just thinned out, I suddenly saw Tad right in front of me with a his birthday present for me, a cake, and a huge bouquet of flowers! I was so surprised and so speechless that I just sat there with my hands covering half my face and kept saying "OH MY GOD!" as I felt my face turning red. Lawyn, Ms. Berns, Chari and Abi were there with me at the lobby to witness the whole thing to their delight as they laughed at me. Holy kamote, that was some surprise. But then again, who had ever heard of a 3-day workshop in Lucena? So anyway, while the entire Act 1 progressed inside the theater, I sat next to Tad outside and I suddenly burst into tears because I was so overwhelmed with joy at what he did. When I turned my head, I caught Ms. Berns with her phone up, taking a photo of me, HAHAHA! I want that photo! Hehehe, when I went back inside, Chari even did a little interview on my lovelife. Holy kamote, let's not go back to the past, please, ahehehe. But during that conversation, she was right about one thing, nyahahaha.

I had a goofy smile on my face during the whole duration of the play until it ended. I didn't even mind that I had to bring a whole lot of stuff back, including a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Tad went home with me and we had a little midnight snack of cake and coffee with my mom. After Mom had went to bed, that was when I opened Tad's present. It was a glass bottle filled potpourri, blue glitter... and birthday messages from friends that he had gathered! Santa banana. Even though I had a hard time opening all the rolled up paper (he had the mistake of gluing the paper after he had rolled them up), I was so touched at all the messages. After I had finished reading all of them, I found myself crying again. Yeah, I'm such a sucker for things like these.

Thank you to those who had greeted me through text, email, and especially those who had put their messages in that bottle.

The bottle that contained those messages are now sitting on a high shelf in my room, next to a box where I had put the messages.

So far, this year is one of the best birthdays I had ever. I can't thank you enough, love.