Even the Best Plans Can Go Wrong

As Laurie's Birthday season of 2010 was rapidly approaching I was truly a sly Fox. I had put together a most elaborate scheme to keep my true plans from her. This year was really going to be special. In the years that we have been married I've always tried to figure some way to keep a part of any gift she received away from her. Laurie always wants to know what she is getting for her birthday and the challenge for me is to keep a part of it secret.

For the longest time Laurie has wanted to go to Paula Deens Restaurant in Savannah called, "the lady and son's" but whenever we visited Savannah it was for something else. That January one of the ladies that works in my office began telling everyone she took her mother to Paula Dean's for her birthday and the food was fabulous. It was at this time I began to launch my scheme. On the first of February I went to Lady and Son's web site to gather information and to my surprise I saw that they did not take reservation for parties of less than 8 to 10 people. That to be placed on their reservation list I would have to be at the restaurant, in Savannah, by 9:30 that morning just to have my name put on a list.

I was not about to let this deter me. I phoned "lady and sons" to plead my case. I told them I was coming from out of town and the dinner was to be a surprise for my wife's birthday. That if I drove there at 9:30 in the morning just to have my name placed on a list the surprise would be over. The young lady I spoke to must have realized I was a rare breed of the "hopeless romantic" or maybe it was the desperation in my voice but she put me on hold. After a few moment she returned to say, if I would be at the restaurant by 4:45 pm Saturday the 13th I would be seated at 5.

Once I received approval for the most important part of my scheme I began to plot the rest. I would use the excuse of going to one of Laurie's favorite Tea Rooms as a birthday gift as the reason for going to Savannah. We would get there in time for a light lunch, some hot tea, then walk around Savannah for the afternoon just to spend the time together. Maybe even go to Tybee Island for a few hours. I would earn at least two points for this but the real plan was to walk around so we would built up an appetite for Paula Deens place. I even printed up an elegant invitation to give her around 4 o'clock to let her know what the real plan was. My sister even suggested I purchase a Paula Deen magazine, which I did, and placed the invitation in the magazine so when she opened the magazine the invitation would fall out.

I was so proud of myself as I began telling others of this elaborate scheme weeks before hand. I had visions of the ladies telling their husbands to listen and learn as I would describe how the tea room was a ruse to get Laurie to Savannah. Instead of 2 points I would earn at least 4. But, just like the "Fog of War" even the best laid plains can fall apart.

To find out what happened wait for the next installment of...Even the Best Plans Can Go Wrong.