Monday, April 16, 2012

a surprise lost to the wind

When turning 30, one should be showered with special love and attention.  Months ago I started saving all my cash tips at work(that sounds naughty.  I do hair people!)  and hiding it in my dresser.  I was going to take David skydiving in Lompoc.  He was going to be so excited and happy I could barley keep the secret!  But, I love surprises so I didn't talk or hint towards anything.  We had to wait a week after his real birthday because of obligations to go out of town for Easter.  I seriously couldn't handle myself.  

Then the week after he turned the big three Oh it rain everyday.  Serious storms.  And where we are that is a crazy rare thing.  I was so upset.  I couldn't believe the great surprise might get ruined.  So all week I prayed it would go away.  Begged that it would go away.  And on Friday it was clearing up and no more rain was predicted.  The skydive place called and said they were on "wind delay" and I was supposed to call at seven the next morning.  Poop.  I went to bed having visions of David flying through the air, and his shoot not opening.  Horrible.  One minute I was pissed about the weather and the other I was kicking myself for sending David up in a plane, only to jump out of it, plummeting to the ground.  Finally I drifted off to sleep and woke to clear skies.  Hallelujah.  

David still didn't know what we were doing.  How exciting!  We started driving south and I was horrified to see that it was the windiest, blustery day.  It took about 45 minutes to get to the Lompoc airport and as we pulled in I yelled" You're going skydiving!!!"  He was shocked.  I was so satisfied.  Then, there was a lot of paperwork to fill out and weird videos to watch.  I sat waiting patiently in the freezing wind inside the hanger.  I had a horrible feeling this wasn't going to go as planned.  The wind was crazy!! 

And sure enough they told us that we were going to have to reschedule.  It was as if I was a balloon and someone took a big needle to my thin latex shell.  I power walked to the car so nobody would see me crying.  I couldn't have been more bummed about anything at that moment.  We started to drive away and I broke down like a three year old.  I couldn't be consoled.  We drove through Lompoc and David commented on all the donut stores there were.  All I wanted was to give him a great present and it wasn't going as planned. 
 Little side note:  I am one of those people who builds things up to an unattainable degree.  The expectations that I create in my head of how things should happen are so beyond normal, making the letdown very extreme.  Resulting in lots of crying and being angry for a moment.  
So, this day not going as planned hurt so bad.  I couldn't stop apologizing.  I felt so sad for David.  I wanted him to have an amazing, unforgettable day and the weather didn't.  Good thing he is the coolest.  He wasn't upset at all and just wanted to spend the day with me.  Gosh I'm lucky.  And come to find out Lompoc is a weird little town.  It's called the Arts and Flower town.  Seriously there were murals and paintings on every wall in the whole town.  Pretty neat if you ask me.  And there were multiple community gardens.  So we explored the town, enjoyed a cappuccino, and antique shopped.  

Here are some pictures of the artwork (and the birthday boy).  There are a million more, these are just some of my favorites...















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