I said my goodbyes & clocked out at Best Western for the very last time that Friday afternoon. I biked home to celebrate with Kate, in the best way we knew how: with a few drinks before dinner & a show.
On the way home from her last day of work, she grabbed us some Mickey D's. Later, we'd take public transit downtown to the House of Blues to see Richard Cheese perform.
If you don't know Dick Cheese, he puts a special lounge spin on Top 40 Alternative Hits from the '90s & '00s. I had a copy of one of his CDs, but neither of us had seen him perform.
Sometimes things just line up perfect.
"I got a surprise for you," Kate said before we headed to the bus stop across the street from our house. She handed me a cardboard mailer that had to be a record.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Well, since we quit & gotta cut back on expenses I figured I give you your birthday present now," she said. "Come April, who knows where we'll be at moneywise."
If I know one way to start off any party on the right foot, it's by playing this album at high volume. License to Ill - Beastie Boys (1986)
The next day, we went out to eat at the Waffle Spot. If you've drove through Mission Valley on the 8 you've probably passed by this place many times. And let me tell you it doesn't disappoint. I'm a sucker for a boothy breakfast joint with pancakes & waffles- the more kitschy the better.
The excitement of the weekend & our new era as self-made bosses could barely be contained. Kate had been planning her annual bar-crawl for months & the night was now only only hours away. And I was equally excited for how well I kept a secret.
We were at home later that afternoon, relaxing & waiting for the big night when I got the text.
Get her to come down to the beach, it read.
Ok, I'll see what I can do, I texted back.
"Hey babe, let's go down to the beach. It's so nice out," I asked.
"What? Maybe later, I'm about to vacuum," she said.
"No, c'mon. You can do that later," I said. "Let's just take a walk."
She gave a look & then laughed. "No, I got a bunch of stuff to do before the bra crawl. You can go if you want."
I knew she'd figure something was up if I persisted, so I went outside & texted back: I can't get her to leave, come here instead. Abort! Abort!
And that's where Kate first noticed her good friend from college, sitting on the couch, as she turned to vacuum the living room.
"Oh hey? Wait...what the hell are you doing here? Oh my God!" Kate wailed.
"Happy Birthday! I'm here for the bar crawl," Lindsey said. "Surprise!"
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