The man of the weekend
Back in February 2006, Operation: Borpborp was born. It was decided by the matriarchs that the whole of my maternal family would rally together all at once, all in once place, all for Gramps 70th Birthday.
This was to be a BIG surprise, hence our unsuspecting code word. And we had to keep it a secret while in planning for 5 months.
In the beauty of late June 2006, Operation Borpborp was underway as we all began heading to Durango, CO, incognito.
Cousin Michelle, Aunt Sandy, Grams and Gramps headed down to Albuquerque first.
Here, Aunt Dee and Michelle (the tall one) re-unite in familial hugs.
My Aunts peeking over the fence at Mom's house.
This is the concrete slab that will hold the house on the lot that Dee and Mike bought.
Here is the pre-house house party. Nice view, eh?
D, Mic, Sandy G & G headed up to Durango early. Apparently, no one told the flatlanders that alcohol consumption is affected by altitude. Not only do you need more water, but one beer = two beers. Once evening in the Durango Condo, Michelle turned around to this (above). Yes, those are baby carrots. Yes, this is called playing with your food. Yes, I was adopted.
Ah, Durango. This is the view from the condo.
"Quick, everyone pretend you haven't been eating all week...and SMILE!"
Dee, Michelle and Grams by the poolside.
Grams, Gramps, Mic & D hungry and waiting for lunch .. and the other part of the plan.
SURPRISE! Part 1, along the shops on Main St., Downtown Durango.
On a late June Thursday, we all found ourselves in Durango in the cameraderie of family brought together in the name of a weekend of surprise and celebration, wearing colorful shirts pronouncing our association with Operation: Borpborp, raising eyebrows from onlookers, being faced with questions like: "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice, / We were all wondering, / I just had to ask, / What is Operation: Borpborp...?"
On the way to lunch with his traveling entourage, Gramps met additional family members one-by-one along the streets of downtown Durango. The grandkids waited at the restaurant for the aunts/uncles/rents to arrive and deflected inquiries about our stylish frocks. Needless to say, Gramps was wholly shocked / surprised / blown away.
Some of the group (here: John, Randy and Gramps) were daring enough to endure the painfully long trainride from Durango to Silverton.
I always thought that with Kevin's Stout build he'd look great in a kilt, but ...um, yeah... This pic is difficult to explain. It's not what it looks like (or, is it?), and if the K-dawg finds that I put this pic online, my blog may be taken away from me (again). Just for the record, Kevin doesn't have that much hair. And the only tights he wears are bike shorts (as you can tell from the tan lines through the fishnets). Incriminating picture though, overall. Oh, come on people, where is your funny bone? Aunt Sandy has a big funny bone and a lot of creative time on her hands, 'cause she found Kevin a cute little ensemble to wear for their pre-dinner-at-the-condo cocktail waitress duties on Saturday night and she found one for herself (Savers, baby). Who knew that this trip would involve costuming?
Memorable Kevin-quote from the evening: "Hey, where's the pants?"
Kevin, Mic and Smalls at the Jenga table at Game Night, which was after cocktail hour.
As if the cocktail waitress cross-dressing stint wasn't enough: Here our Special K maneuvers into all 3 rings of the floatie-caterpiller's belly and lives to tell about it.
Speaking of Special...
Just kidding, Smalls! Put the permanent marker away...
Here, Paradise Smalls preps for a rowdy game of BullShit, followed by an equally rowdy and brutal game of SPOONS.
Aunt Sandy and Ali pose after an evening walk around the resort.