argh!

Some of you may know that I'm about to become 39 for the 11th time shortly. I'm not upset about it but it is a big deal to me, for a variety of reasons. I have been thinking of dragging hobbitt off to some nice cushy vacation home (think: privacy and hot tub) on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands for a long weekend, but have been hemming and hawing about the expense, the dates (he's on a hot project for work), and the other obligations (like my fiddle class and his photography class) that we've taken on.

I found out yesterday that my siblings, all of them, had been trying to plan a surprise visit - from the east coast - since December, for my birthday weekend, but after talking to Mike and hearing about my tentative plans, thought it couldn't be done.

I was devastated. There's no other word for it. I would never have imagined that they'd even attempt such a thing - only one of them has been out here to visit at all since we've moved. It never occurred to me that such a thing was even a vague possibility - which is to say, it would have been a stupendous surprise. There is nothing, not a single better way that I could begin to imagine spending my birthday than with all of us together. Last March was the last time, since both Nancy and I were in New Joy Sea for my cousin's funeral.

Not long after Nancy told me this news, I called her back to say, "I'll forget you told me you were coming if you'll still come..." and I know I sounded truly pathetic. I spent the rest of the day in a dark, dark funk. I began to imagine that someday I'll be too old to travel, and the prospect of not being able to reach my siblings again made for some tearful - and hidden - moments. Hidden because I knew that hobbitt felt bad for not attempting to deceive me, steer my plans away from a romantic weekend away from home, for the sake of a visit with my siblings. He couldn't have known how wonderful an idea it was for me.

Now, I could have pulled something like this off, but I don't think he could lie to me to save his life. It would have been no problem for me, making up perfectly reasonable fictions. But that's me - what a rush to accomplish something like that for him!

So Nancy and John can come. Terry is waiting to hear about time off. She works for the railroad and as a transportation employee, she doesn't quite have the ability to tell the powers-that-be to screw off. But she does have considerable seniority, so it's still a possibility.

They won't do it if they can't all do it. Nancy and John have never been here, but I guess I can understand their thinking. It's as much about the adventure of the journey as it is being here for the day I turn fif-, uh, that number.

So here's hoping! Cross your fingers for the best birthday present I could have ever wished for!