Surprise Party Guest--now it can be told

Well, we're going to back up about a week and a half.

The avid reader will know that I have been in the Boston and New York areas since the 19th of October.

I planned my arrival to coincide with a surprise party for the Head Cat at the Knitten Kitten, MaryAnn. She had been told by the other knitters that this was an Oktoberfest party, while they were secretly planning to surprise her. When she learned that I might be in town, she asked if I could change my arrival date and be a surprise guest at the party. Thinking that keeping our own secret might distract her from what the rest of the crew was up to, I agreed.
She picked me up at Logan airport in Boston on the afternoon of the party, dropped me off at my Hostess Dr. Erica's to freshen up, and collected me at 4 pm (9 pm body-clock time).

We hatched a plan to hide my presence in her vehicle. While still on the highway, I reclined the front seat in which I was located, and wound up almost completely supine. I was wearing a long, hooded raincoat, so turned my head to the side and pulled the hood completely over my face.
It was a good thing, because while we were nearing our final destination, we overtook EllenL, who was hopelessly lost. She got out of her car and approached ours, had a brief conversation with MaryAnn and her son Walter (there supposedly to help with folding chairs, but he was in on the surprise birthday aspect of it). EllenL was so distracted by her being lost that she didn't even notice the body-shaped raincoat "draped" across the front seat.

We arrived at our destination with me still hidden. MaryAnn and Walter unloaded the folding chairs, and headed into the house. I gave them a few minutes to get settled, then slunk out of the car, ducking down behind it to get the lay of the land. I didn't even know which house was the party house, but MaryAnn had wisely informed me that there was a balloon on its mailbox. As I was approaching the target house, I was ducking down behind the parked cars. A man came by and looked at me strangely. I asked for Susan's house, and he led me in. Apparently he was Susan's husband Ray, of the Running Elvises fame in the Las Vegas Marathon. I didn't recognize him, because he didn't look anything like Elvis. I was trying to tell him that I was a surprise guest and he shouldn't announce me, but I'm not sure he heard me.

I entered the house hellooooing and waving royally, and found that my presence was indeed a surprise.

Wine and munchies were much in evidence, and somebody handed me a bongo drum during the silly song honoring the Birthday Kitten. The accompanying pictures illustrate the dangers of combining wine, jet lag, and bongo drums.... A good time was had by all, even Toby the dog.