It all started in January 2009 when I decided to give Rob a surprise 65th birthday party at Lake Norman. After getting everything started and in place, I had to come up with a scheme so that he wouldn't know the party was for him. Well, I decided to use his best friend as my scape goat. His birthday is 5 days before Rob′s and to me that seemed like a perfect plan. Instead of going to Rob′s birthday party, we were going to Uly′s surprise birthday party. With the solicitation of Uly and Harriet′s help, letters were sent to Rob and I regarding Uly′s birthday party in Lake Norman.
On Saturday, July 18th, everyone checked into the Candlewood Suites for the beginning of a wonderful weekend. My partner in crime, Meghan, made sure that as many guests as possible were on the same floor with only a few on the 2nd floor. She is a great coordinator and even assited in our visit to Lake Norman to check things out for "Uly′s" birthday party. HA!HA!
The surprise was a success. I had t-shirts made up for everyone but I only had one made up with Uly′s name on it. Uly, Harriett, Beverly & Bobby came to the room and he was telling Uly that we got him again. So Uly asked him to read his shirt and then to read his. It took a minute but that′s when it hit him. Right after that guests started to knock on the door and each time it was a big surprise to see who was walking in. The biggest surprise to him and the NJ family was that "DJ JJ" from the Private Place Lounge, Orange, NJ, was going to DJ for us. One person knew from NJ and that was my Auntie Lex. After 20+ years I still can't keep anything from her. HA!HA! While everyone was socializing, my brother, Vincent, pulled out his sax and played a song that Rob had asked him about approximately 3–4 years ago. He had never played the song for anyone else before now. So we were the first to hear it. It is called "If Ever I Should Leave You".
That evening we dined at the Blue Restaurant and Bar. The staff and food was excellent. My many thanks to Amanda who helped assist me with planning dinner. Whether you have a big event you're planning or just a night out, it is a wonderful place to dine and listen to some jazz in downtown Charlotte on College Street.
On Sunday, July 19th, we relaxed during the day before heading out to Lake Norman to board our yacht provided by Luxury Yacht Charters. Our Captain, barmaid, server and additional staff provided us with a great tour of Lake Norman and wonderful sunset views. I wish to thank Krista for helping me to set up this part of birthday weekend. If you're looking for a romantic evening on the lake or hosting a large party of any sort, this is the way to go. They can also provide you with transportation by Ragin′ Uptown party bus charters. Their charters are not only for events of this nature but if you have a group of friends that want to go a club or club hopping and don't want the responsibility of driving, just give them a call and they will take care of you. We had the pleasure of riding on the White Tuxedo Bus.
Thank you everyone for making his 65th birthday party a success. I owe you guys big time. There were tons of pictures taken and mountains of video recorded. Do to the volume of pictures taken, when viewing the slide shows below, please allows yourself some time, they are a little lengthy.