Oren's birthday surprise

So...many people have asked me the details of Oren's birthday surprise and I ended up just summarizing so I thought I would go into detail here, along with some fun photos.

He turned 27 on March 15, but we celebrated the night before on the 14th. Oren once told me that he had never been in a limo (other than when he was 3, and it doesn't count because he can't remember it). I stored that little fact in the back of my brain knowing I would do something to change that one day. :)

So, I rented an 8-passenger limo (it ended up being a Dodge Magnum limo, which isn't quite what I was told I would get but it was still nice) and invited his sister and 6 good friends to come along for the ride. I had everyone meet at his apartment complex but stay outside in their cars until the limo arrived. Then, they all hopped in there to wait for us. I blind-folded Oren and slowly led him down the stairs. He kept saying he heard an engine and I kept saying "well, it is a parking lot!" So finally I took his blind fold off and he got to see his long-awaited surprise. He was very shocked and thanked me immediately. Then we had the driver take this picture:



He saw heads inside so he knew it wasn't just us. As soon as he opened the door they all yelled, "Surprise!" Our first (and only) stop was at the wonderful and delicious Melting Pot fondue restaurant. Oren had also been wanting to try that for almost as long as I have known him. I kept telling him it was much more fun to go with a big group so that we should wait until we can arrange that. This was the perfect occasion to go!



The only downside to the awesome meal, was the amount of time it took. I believe we were there for nearly three hours! We only had the limo for 5 and had spent a little while in there before dinner so time was whittling away. The original plan was to go to Midtown and do a little bit of bar hopping, but with an hour and change to go with the limo, we all decided to stay inside the fun vehicle and party it up in there. We shared a bottle of champagne and another bottle of wine (Yaniv was the professional limo wine pourer), listened and danced to music and had a really good time.







After our time was up in the limo, everyone went back to Oren's apartment and played Guitar Hero for another hour or so. Oren was very happy with the evening and said it was his most memorable birthday yet! So I did good. :)

please let me win a trip to Hawaii

Dear Ellen DeGeneres,
I know you are going to get tens of thousands, if not millions, of submissions from fans trying to win that glorious trip to Hawaii. But if you ever got to know me, which oh my God that would be so great if you did because I think we could be best friends, then you would know just how much I am aching to go! Here is my very short story you requested of why I deserve to go to Hawaii:

To be surrounded by beauty. That is all I wanted after my world turned upside down one day almost exactly two years ago. I came home to my boyfriend of three years to find him sitting on the bed and telling me our relationship was over. The man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with completely broke my heart and left me there to pick up the pieces. After quitting my job and moving back home to live with my parents (and after lots of crying) I knew I wanted to travel. I had always wanted to go to Hawaii. It was just so beautiful in every TV show and movie that I ever saw. My mom reminded me that I was once there...in her womb. She was about six months pregnant with me and my twin brother when she went on vacation with my dad. I remember asking her when I was little, "Mom, why didn't you make a window in your belly so I could have at least looked out at the beautiful scenery?" She would just grin and tell me I would get back there one day. After buying the Fodor's guide to Hawaii and lots of research, I decided that I simply could not afford to go. Also, I was told by many people that it's not really a place to go as a single, depressed girl. It would hurt to see all the happy honeymooners there. So I decided to do a six-month work/study program in Spain instead. I had the time of my life there, but I have never let go of my desire to go to Hawaii. Now with an awesome new man in tow, I think it's about time I see that beautiful state. Without any windows.

*The deadline for submission was today and the winner will be chosen next week.

Writer's block

I'm having trouble following up the Hanna Montanashevitz post. Nothing is nearly as captivating that I can currently think of at the top of my head. In case you don't know, I rarely have this problem...