So generally, I just don't even attempt surprises. They'll just end up being a miserable failure, so why bother? Well, this year I decided I wanted to attempt a little surprise anyway. Bill's office had a few elements of personality hidden in it if you really looked. But it for the most part it pretty much said, "non-descript IT Manager's office...put your name here." So I decided I wanted to try to decorate his office a bit. Add some art, some pictures of the girls, some fun little distractions. I wanted it to be decorated so that when he entered his office on his birthday, it would be all set up.
I looked through his Blackberry and found a phone number of one of his co-workers. I arranged to have her let me into the office the night before when I knew Bill would be gone to take Reagan to swimming lessons. This required my lie. I told Bill that I wouldn't be home because I had to go pick up a laptop from a woman rolling off at my client. I told him this as I was busy dealing with bottles so I had an excuse not to look at him and keep my chesire grin turned away. Whew, he bought it! I was all set.
So the day came to decorate and his co-worker got me signed in and the security lady was nice enough to give me the key to unlock his office (thanks security lady!). His co-worker gave me a photo that his team had photoshopped that they wanted me to include in the decorating. Perfect! I started hanging things and putting out little gadgets and blowing up the moose head. Then it happened. My phone rang, it was Bill! Oh noes! I answered the phone and Bill asks me to get the truck emissions test done while I am out. "Ok" I eeked out, and we hung up. Whew, he bought it! Had he asked me a single question, it would have been all over with. All he had to do was say, "So what are you doing?" or "Where are you?" and I would have blurted out, "Standing on the desk in your office trying to hang a giant inflatible moose head. What are you doing?"
Ok, I realize that I shouldn't be whining about wanting to be an interior designer in one post and then talking about installing a giant inflatible moose head in the next. The irony isn't lost on me. But remember I was talking about wanting to add some personality to his office too, making it more non-descript. I can't explain it, but when I saw the moose head, it screamed Bill's office. That and I probably don't have any business being an interior designer, but we can analyze that in another post.
I finished the decorating, locked his office, and then couldn't wait to tell Bill what a clever girl I was. Oh, wait. I couldn't do that. Then it wouldn't be a surprise. I was dying to tell him and couldn't wait for him to see his office the next day. I actually managed to keep my mouth shut and act normal (for me) until he walked out to go to work the next day.
Woo hoo! I did it! I pulled off a SURPRISE! Hmmm...this opens a whole new world of possibilities for me. Watch out Bill! You don't know what I might think of next!
Bill took these pictures on his camera phone since I couldn't take pictures with my camera (I'll explain that fiasco in another post). You don't really see a lot of the desk accessories I added, but you can see the pictures of the girls, the Kandinksy print, and the infamous moose head I hung.
I'll be adding a few more things for him on Father's Day. No, it won't be a surprise.
