SURPRISE

1) to strike or occur to with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment, as through unexpectedness
2) to come upon or discover suddenly and unexpectedly
3) to make an unexpected assault on
4) to elicit or bring out suddenly and without warning
5) to lead or bring unawares, as into doing something not intended

One of my favorite birthday gifts this year (other than the Seahawks winning the Superbowl!!!!) was a surprise from my sister Colleen -- tickets to see Lorde! 

I knew Lorde was coming to WAMU Theater so I asked my sister if she wanted to go with me. Of course she said yes (there are few things she loves more than live music), she offered to buy the tickets and we planned that I would pay her back. Well, the day that tickets went on sale my sister texted that she accidentally missed her alarm and by the time she logged in to buy tickets it was sold out! What?! Nooooo...

Now, imagine my surprise when I am opening presents on my birthday and my sister hands me a very heavy box. I open it to find empty wine bottles(?!) and then I see the Lorde tickets! She did miss her alarm the day that tickets went on sale, but Lorde had not yet sold out.

Fast forward to the day of the show. Colleen and I decide we should grab dinner somewhere after I am off work and before the concert starts. Surprise! As luck would have it, Dine Around Seattle was going on -- which means we got to eat a thee-course meal, at a restaurant that would normally be too expensive for us, for only $28! Talk about serendipity! We enjoyed a delectable dinner by the canal at Ponti Seafood Grill, complete with sunny, gorgeous blue skies.

After we were stuffed full of salad, salmon, and dessert and took a short walk along the canal in the sun -- it was off to the show. Now, in full disclosure, my sister and I had braced ourselves for a less than stellar show. Lorde may be an extremely talented songwriter and singer -- but that does not mean her performance quality is on point yet. We heard less than awesome reviews from her past shows and knew she had just enough material to fill out a set. But we excited anyways!

Perhaps my sincere fondness for Lorde blinded me or maybe since we prepared ourselves to be underwhelmed worked in our favor -- but we were both pleasantly surprised by her performance! Her opener set the stage for a relaxed and fun atmosphere and then it was time for the main event! Lorde delicately commanded the stage, and stayed true to herself with her sharp/quirky dance moves. She may not be the most talkative nor is she anywhere near the performer that Macklemore is -- but she held her own up there!

Thank you again to my sister for such a wonderful birthday SURPRISE!