Saturday, February 28, 2009

Rise-n-Shine, Sleepyhead!

WARNING:
The following images contain people woken up between 4 and 5 in the morning. There was no time for coffee (at least, not immediately), and no time for make-up (at all!). To get their permission to post the following photos, I promised to convey this information up front.

Obligation fulfilled.


The limo picked up my brother and his girlfriend first, then my wife and I hopped in a half-hour later. At around 4:50 a.m., we quietly let ourselves into a house in which all the lights were still off. We crept down the hallway and stopped beside a door. Beyond the door came harmonious snoring. They were still asleep. Success!

We knocked once. They stirred. The four of us blew hard into our noisemakers. Then we instructed, "Get up! Put on your pjs...you're being kidnapped!"

Yesterday was my dad's final day as a workingman, but today was not going to be his first day to sleep in (not that he would have anyway). And he was a good sport, getting into the limo without too many questions.


Knowing they wouldn't get a chance to brush their teeth, we had a tin of BreathSavers waiting. Wasn't that sweet of us?

(Sweet...yet spearminty!)


First stop: Denny's (it was either that or a donut shop). Since I promised not to post any photos classified as Too Embarrassing, here's a shot to at least prove we were there.


Then we were chauffeured to the beach and walked to the end of the pier and back. While it was just a wee-bit chilly, we were still having fun and bundled up close together for this pier group shot.

Get it? Pier group? Peer group?

Ahem. Moving on...

(JoanMarie, me, Mom, Dad, Nate, Sarah)

On our next stop, we just happened to find some strong coffee to get us through the rest of the day. That guy on the left really seemed to like my duckie pajamas. But can you blame him?


It was a great morning, celebrating a wonderful milestone.

Congratulations, Dad!
We're proud of ya!


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aww.That's so sweet.Minus the waking up early part.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, I LOVE that!

Danette

K. M. Walton said...

What a creative adventure for your dad. Very cool.

Lisa Yee said...

That is just too cool! However, if you EVER wake me up that early then I will make your life miserable.

Jay Asher said...

'Twas a lot fun, and a very special day.

Here's the deal, Lisa. If you ever announce that you're going to retire from writing, I will gather a huge mob of authors at your house in the wee hours of the mornin'. So I guess your best option is to never stop writing!

Anonymous said...

Your dad has probably not gotten up that early for years. What's going to happen to postal deliveries now that he has retired. See they are even increasing the postal rate to cover his retirement.

Jay (the Big Brother) and Nate (the Little Brother) - WOW what a plan - you must have worked for months on this - and keeping it silent - even coming in the door.

Jeff - Enjoy your retirement (I have a volunteer job for you to do in San Francisco)

Uncle Aaron and Susie

Anonymous said...

What a hoot!

Anonymous said...

Woken up from a total deep sleep on my first day of retirement was not quite what I had in mind.
However, all of you(my family)made it one of the best days of my life.
It was perfect!!!

Thank you..
all my love,

DAD

Clementine said...

What an INCREDIBLE memory!!! I love that! That's something he'll laugh about for the rest of his life.

rh3a said...

congrats mr.asher!!!

Anonymous said...

That was great! Your parents were good though, I'd have broken my daughters arm before she got me out the house without letting me brush my teeth.

Don, Devas T.

Natalie said...

Congratulations, Jeff! I think you and Sue deserve a trip to Italy to celebrate, don't you think?? Oh, say between the dates of June and 24 and August 5? When a certain someone else will be there? Just sayin'. :-)