Stop! It’s Party Time!

So, based on the last several posts (excluding the one about my Canada trip), you guys know that I’ve had a rough couple weeks. Both my roommate and I have been feeling the stress of finals looming over our heads. Final projects, presentations, and exams are coming up and it’s been a little daunting. Both of us have been sick lately, too, and Amanda recently sprained her ankle really badly at a Rugby game last week. Our apartment has been a little dreary.

The past week, especially, we’ve just been coming home and moping on the couch. We were just absolutely wiped out and spent our evenings attempting to weed through our homework and maybe get a little less behind in our classes. It was mildly depressing. So when the impromptu opportunity came to release a little steam, we jumped at it like a box of kittens at a laser pointer.

Amanda’s cousin was celebrating his birthday in Brookings, SD with a nice little grill out, and invited us to join. We packed up as soon as possible and got the heck out of Marshall.

The party was really fun, we met David’s coworkers and saw his college friends again. It was so great. We got to just relax and forget about all of the stuff back at school stressing us out. It was a fantastic break, and we didn’t have to stop there. The next night was chalk full of some really great plans.

A few weeks ago, my friends Michaela, Brianna, and Kelsey approached me and told me that they wanted to put on a surprise birthday party for Amanda. They just needed my apartment to do it and for me to distract her the night of so that they could decorate beforehand. This was indeed going to be a surprise seeing as how Amanda’s birthday wasn’t until June. I was so excited. Amanda puts on parties for everyone all the time and never gets one for herself. I was really looking forward to it because I knew she deserved it and I couldn’t wait to see her face when we got to the party.

Michaela had worked out the details with the others, and it was looking like the best party ever. I was going to take Amanda out to Applebee’s while they decorated and when we got back, they would jump out at her and scare the crap out of her. Or so I thought.

Little did I know, Amanda had known about the party all along. Brianna had made a comment about having a party for her birthday before we went home for the summer. Amanda’s crazy, creative, caring party-planning brain mode kicked in. She decided that if they were going to throw a party for her, they would have to throw a party for me, too, seeing as how my birthday was in the summer too. And, best of all, I was not allowed to know that the party was for me. So the entire time that I was planning things for Amanda, everyone was lying to me behind my back and planning it for me.

I cannot stress this enough. My friends are diabolical, lying fiends. The intricacies of this deception are so complex and deep that I doubt I will ever fully trust anyone ever again.

That being said, I was so touched that they care so much about me to even think about doing something like this. It was the biggest surprise, I had had absolutely no idea. When I found out that Amanda had known the whole time, I was shocked…

The party was a hit, though. A lot of people showed up, including the cousins we had just seen the night before. We had tons of food, snacks, juice, and…other…beverages…party beverages the like of which college students often indulge in…you know, like…Mountain Dew and stuff.

AND WE GOT PRESENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, we had a much needed weekend of blowing off steam. My friends are crazy and insanely creative and awesome. If any of them reads this blog, which I actually pray that they don’t, I love you guys! That was fantastic.