Ok, this is a slight misnomer. Really, I helped in
a surprise that was for someone I love a lot.
Her name is Shannon. Here’s a blurry shot of the
two of us a couple of years ago on a trip with her family for her dad's 75th:
(note to Shannon: we
need some more pictures of just the two of us… it took some digging to find even
this! We’re always so damn social and in photos with 8,000 other people!)
I have known Shannon for as long as I can remember… well
actually, longer that I remember. We’ve known each
other since we were about a year and a half old. Shannon is one of
my best and closest friends in the whole world. One of those really
true friends where, even though there have been periods in our lives where we
were less close, we always managed to find a way back to each
other, and we pick up right where we left off. We’ve had some incredible times together, we’ve had our fair
share of fights (like the timeless “who knocked over the block tower” feud
of ’87). I would say that we’re probably closer now than we’ve
ever been, and it’s awesome.
But anyways, the point of this isn’t to go over all the lovey
friendship crap, it’s about the surprise, right?! So let’s continue.
This is Erin:
Erin is also one of my very closest friends who I also love very
much and who I’ve known for slightly less than Shanny (Erin and I met in
kindergarten and solidified our friendship in Mme. Sutherland’s 3/4 split class
in ’92). Erin is Shannon’s best friend and is also key to this
story.
But the most important person in the story is Derek:
Derek is Shannon’s boyfriend. And Derek is
amazing. This blog entry is all about the fateful day (and all the
planning that went into it!) that Derek went from being Shannon’s boyfriend to
her fiancé.
Several months ago, I got an excited phone call from
Erin. Derek wanted to propose to Shannon, but he wanted our help….
Because this was no ordinary proposal. Derek wanted to plan a
day-long scavenger hunt during which Erin and I would parade Shannon around
making her solve clues and complete challenges. The hunt would end
at her parents’ house and culminate in a proposal (and then of course, a
party)!
Erin and I were probably talking faster and more excitedly than
when we were 14 years old and gossiping about boys. We were both so
pumped to be involved.
What followed were weeks of secret meetings, emails, and phone
calls. Derek worked a lot of “overtime” which was actually spent at
my condo, plotting with Sean and me about logistics. He did an
amazing job and planned out 10 stops, complete with a “challenge” for each stop
and a clue for the next stop.
Here are some until now top secret pictures of Sean & Derek planning!
Erin (who lives three hours away) and I also spent a lot of time
on the phone planning our part in the day: the diversion. Our plan
was to convince Shannon that the scavenger hunt was actually for
her birthday, and to try to drop hints that the “surprise” at the end was a
birthday party.
The timing was slightly off; Shannon’s birthday was a month before
the proposal, but Erin’s cover was perfect: she wasn’t able to come home for
the weekend of Shannon’s & my birthday (Shannon and I are just two days
apart), so she was planning something special for Shannon upon her next visit
home.
The planning part was so fun, but it was also stressful! If Derek
was over at our place and told us a funny story, I couldn’t bring it up the
next time I saw or talked to Shannon. When Shannon told me Erin was
coming up for a visit, I had to make up some story about how I couldn’t hang
out because my dad was in town (sorry Dad, for making you a pawn in the web of
lies).
Finally the day came! Despite the fact that it was the middle of
April, there was a snow storm and it was freezing. Erin picked
Shannon up promptly at 8:30, and handed Shannon the first clue. This
took her to her hair salon for a trim. When they arrived at the
salon, I was waiting, along with Derek’s lovely sister Alana.
At this point, we only added to the web of lies: we
told Shannon that in fact, Erin and I had planned a birthday scavenger hunt
along with Derek. Derek ended up getting called into work, and so he
sent Alana as his proxy to capture the day in photos (which, I unfortunately
don't have yet, so you're stuck with my crappy iPhone photos!). We
told her that since Derek had planned a lot of the clues, many of the clues were
about them as a couple.
In reality, Derek was one step ahead of us, setting up envelopes
with clues and challenges all over the city with his helpers Sean &
Leanne. MUAHAHAHA…..
So there we were, at the salon. Shannon’s first
challenge was a series of trivia questions prepared by her sister,
Tamara. Like a champ, she got them all right (including correctly
determining the combined age of all four of the children in her family, without
a calculator, on the first try!).
After grabbing some delicious breakfast, we headed off to the next
location: the mall to find Shannon an outfit for the “surprise”
later. The challenge here was simple in theory, but sometimes
difficult for Shannon: let someone else pay for something!
After that, the clues started to become more and more about
Shannon and Derek. To quell suspicion, Erin and I had made some
trivia questions of our own… a lot of them!! Questions about
elementary school, teachers, grade 5 camp, the cost of a BK chicken sandwich in
the early 2000s, boys (of course). It was awesome, and a perfect
complement to the Shannon-inspired playlist I made (featuring the likes of Bone
Thugs ‘N Harmony and Starship).
We stopped at Shannon & Derek’s favourite sushi restaurant and
made Shannon drink a cup of sake (she hates it, but downed it like a champ).
Next we stopped at the place Shannon and Derek had their first
date (and even sat at the same table they were at). On their first
date, Derek was so nervous that his hands were shaking and he was afraid to
lift his beer for fear he’d spill it all over. Shannon, in her
charming (but slightly smart-assed) way asked Derek if he needed a
straw. So, at this stop, Shannon’s challenge was to drink her beer
through a straw:
The next stop was a crowd favourite. Shannon and
Derek’s second date was to a hockey game. We were able to get access
to Rexall Place on a game day (thanks, Mom!!!), and on the seats where Shannon
& Derek sat was Shannon’s Oilers jersey, along with her next
clue. By Shannon’s account, this was the only time during the day
where she thought that she thought something was up. But, after
making Shannon list all 30 NHL teams, and touring around wherever we could go,
we went on to the next clue.
A note about this clue: while it was really cool for us girls, it
was even better for Derek, Leanne, and Sean. When they dropped off
the clue, the Oilers were practicing, so they got to go right up to the ice,
look into the Oilers’ dressing room, and they even met Devan Dubnyk!
The next clue took us to a billiard club downtown (following an
impromptu stop at the Old Spaghetti factory to eat cheesecake and watch Full
House on my iPad. Full House was our favourite show
growing up). There, waiting for us was the lovely Leanne, who had
been placing clues with Sean & Derek earlier in the day.
Shannon
had to beat us at a game of pool. She did, eventually, but I’m pretty sure it’s
because I sunk the 8 ball! I’m sure she let us win, though –
Shannon’s a pool shark!!
Another game Shannon loves is blackjack, and since we couldn’t
take her to Vegas and back in a day, we had her go to a local casino, gave her
$50, and made her stay until she lost it all or double it. In true
Shannon fashion, she doubled her cash in no time! This stop was
special, as we had Shannon’s parents and her sister, Tamara, waiting for her at
the casino. Much like Shannon’s skills at pool, you can likely give
credit for Shannon’s gambling skillz to her dad, John. He’s an
incredible poker player. And you can give credit for Shannon’s
natural luck to her mom, Jeannie. Growing up, it wasn’t unusual for
Jeannie to win a trip or a car… you name it, she won it!
I don’t really have any pictures from inside the casino; we tried, but security shut that down preeeetty fast!
We celebrated Shannon’s blackjack win at the next stop, a huge
wine store, where we had Shannon pick out the Malbec, a task easily (and
deliciously) completed.
The next clue directed Shannon to go to the tastiest winery in
town – Cheeky Monkey (i.e. her parents’ wine). First, we stopped at
her house to get dressed up for the unnamed forthcoming surprise. We
told her there were only “a couple of clues left”, but in reality we were off
to the final clue!!
On the way to John & Jeannie’s house, us girls in the back
seat were practically vibrating!! Erin, who was in the front seat
with Shannon, was even chattier than usual, but somehow, Shannon did not catch
on!
We pulled up to the house, and my heart was pounding. We
all tried to get into the house first, and have Shannon come in
last. It almost worked, and after I squeezed around Shannon, I
scurried into the living room.
When Shannon came into the house, waiting for her was Derek,
looking very handsome in his suit (if not a bit nervous!). He handed
Shannon her last challenge: a GIANT card covered with pictures of the two of
them and this wonderful Dr. Seuss quote:
We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we
find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and
fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love.
The last challenge was hidden under a tab I the card, and it was
simple: “say yes”. (Damn… I’m tearing up just writing
this!!). When Shannon put the card down, Derek was waiting for her
on one knee. The question was asked and answered (she passed the challenge, of
course!), and then through the closed doors to the family room, burst all of
Shannon’s family and Derek’s family!
Unfortunately, the only photo I have is a still frame from a video
I took. If I get my paws on Alana's photos, I'll edit this post and add
some of the lovelier shots!
The rest of the day was spent laughing, going over the minutia of
the scavenger hunt, and then celebrating at a local bar with a wider circle of
friends (many of whom, while they had been invited to “a party for Shannon”,
were also unaware that it was a proposal in disguise!). Of course, some
shenanigans (Shannon-igans?!) ensued. It was fantastic.
The day actually ended early the next morning, with some well-deserved
and incredibly delicious middle-of-the-night triple-batch of KD at Shannon and
Derek’s house.
All in all, I couldn’t have imagined a better way to help surprise
someone I love! I know that this incredible couple will have a great
engagement, a fantastic wedding, and above all else, an incredible marriage!
