A Happy Girl...

A suspicious package arrived at the office for me this afternoon. It was wrapped in festive, striped paper, and it made little clinking noises when the receptionist handed it to me. Immediately I was on guard...who is sending me a package I don't know about?

I looked at the label right away, and it was from Brooke (who regretfully does not live in Chicago, otherwise we'd get in trouble all the time). Sneaky, I thought. Brooke and I email constantly, especially when things are slow at work. She didn't say anything about any package coming my way. Being that the box was indeed wrapped in festive paper, I felt compelled to rip it open. It was kind of exciting, cause that's something the hubby does at Christmas. Me, I get a little paper cutter, and cut the edges where things are taped. But what the hey, it's Hump Day.

So the box is open, and there is a cutely decorated envelope where the picture is colored inside the lines and everything. And in the envelope is a sassy card that says, "Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere." So true, so true. Anyway, there's a note from Brooke about my 30th birthday, which is coming at a rapid pace. She says I'm going to enjoy it and all that good stuff, and gives me some hints about what she has sent me. In the box, amidst all the fun curly cues and crinkling gift wrap, there is a small clear corked bottle with some colorful mini shells and a piece of paper all rolled up inside. I decork said bottle and reach in to pull the paper out. No luck. Apparently I am fallangially challenged. More reaching w/ my skinniest finger. I email Brooke a big thank you, but that I am having problems.

Minutes go by, more reaching... Then I break out the scissors at my desk to fish the paper out. Nada. So then I just start assaulting this bottle w/ the scissors, to try and puncture a hole in the body. Again, nothing. This is what happens when you start child-safety proofing everything. Finally, after a few more attempts, I go to the office kitchen and dig out the cake knife cut the bottle open. Success!! Who says violence doesn't solve problems?

I unroll the thick pieces of paper...2 tickets to the New Kids on the Block show at the end of October. Joy!!! Or to quote Dionne from Clueless, "I am totally cavelling!" Given how much crap I got from Brooke for sending out a group email asking if anyone was interested in reliving part of my childhood with me a few months ago, this a big surprise. I like how she teed me up for this a few days earlier, with an email link about the Kids' shows in Canada (http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/30/music.new.kids.ap/index.html), then made fun of me some more for saying that I was jealous that Marina was going to tag along with one of her friends this Saturday. I also like how my hubby was in on this secret, telling me that we had plans for the 24th, but wouldn't say what. I have been harassing him for days! So I call Christian right away and tell him I know where I am going to be that evening, and he says that while he is more than happy to be my wingman, he would not be offended in the slightest if I wanted to take another friend instead of him. Translation: please put me out of my misery and find someone else to torture!

Anyway, this gift was wonderful and it is a sign of a true friend to set aside her personal beliefs about boybands to get me tickets to the show. I am super excited to see Jordan, and may have to go home and listen to some old tunes on the iPod.

Love you Brooke!