There is nothing so annoying as the computer when suddenly things go wrong. This was the case when I was compiling my post two weeks back. It wasn’t saving my writing, or images, and despite the best intentions, and help, the problem continued. I did manage to get a limited post out, that you may have seen, by closing and opening WordPress, writing one sentence and pressing save. Sound OK? You might want to think about doing that again and again, and still find the whole post, plus images still wasn’t saved. To top this IT mess off, I accidentally dropped my phone in the bath! I said @#$#@%** and a lot of other four-letter words. 

My nostrils were flaring, my blood pressure was rising, and my husband was sick of my shouting, so off I went down to the waterfront rain jacket zipped to the chin and stomped my annoyance into the path. You see, I was stressed enough before this computer bit, as I had been steadily (and secretively) organising a surprise event for my husband’s 80th birthday. He is very active and young-looking for his age, and the thought of changing decades was weighing on him. It was weighing heavily on me too, as I organised a venue near home, located a catering company and set about contacting his family friends and colleagues about the birthday surprise, and having to keep my furtive activities away from his sight and hearing!

This was no simple feat, as that involved contacting his six siblings, four children, their children and past and present university colleagues. Then there was the committee from the Organic Community Garden I needed to invite, and our apartment committee he chairs, plus old and new academic colleagues … Then there was the buying of champagne and coloured lights, arranging music through the wonderful help from Stephen the hall manager. I had planned the party two months before, even made an on-line invite with limited ability, as you might note. And just to bump everyone’s memory I sent out reminders of the party a few days out.

Everyone invited came. And as Kerry and I walked into the hall (arranged that we arrive ten minutes late) everyone clapped and sang birthday greetings. Glasses were filled with champagne and I gave the first wee speech, to set the tone and encouraged others to add their personal tributes. Kerry’s three sisters sang a version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, with their own wonderful lyrics, telling lots about my husband’s young life. I might have been exhausted with the secrecy required to make this a true surprise, but it couldn’t have turned out better!