SURPRISE!

Last week, I took off some extra time for my birthday and gave myself two long weekends in a row. It's been glorious. And Summer Fridays start this week - meaning every Friday we get out at one. And I couldn't be a happier woman.

So -- at work, I don't really have a department. I'm the Office Manager, so I'm technically part of HR, but not really. I report to the HR Manager - but I'm sort of on my own island. It's kind of nice.

On people's birthdays, each department will usually do a little something. Like when it was Roberto's birthday, the Creative department had their own little cake party. So, I took my birthday off and I was all back to the grindstone on Tuesday, sad the celebrations were over! Not thinking anything would happen for me.

Then around 4 o'clock I heard the jingling keys of a tall man walking down the hallway, which is always cause for alert for Patty here. He said, "I need your help moving some stuff out of the North End (a conference room name)" and I thought, "OK. I'm being lured into a conference room by the strongest man in the office and he needs *my* help to move stuff? Weird."

We go to the conference room and there's a big cake and plates. My first thought was, "OK, I'll bring those plates to the kitchen."

And he said, "It's ... a surprise... birthday..."

Except nobody was there to yell surprise.

Nobody.

It was just Jason and I in the conference room.

Then everyone ran in. And people sang happy birthday, and I felt weird. Then someone put one candle in the cake after everyone sang, and then I had to blow it out, and it was weird.

Then we ate cake.

And it was weird.

And that was my surprise birthday party that nobody showed up for. Luckily, people showed up for the birthday party I threw myself! Or I would be the saddest clown right now.