K's Aunt A
K has an elderly aunt who is a thoughtful, if strong-tempered little old Irish lady. We'll call her Aunt A. She goes to Mass faithfully twice a week, donates to the church and the Republican Party, and listens to Rush Limbaugh every day. Yet, this is still someone who defied her Irish Catholic parents, fell in love with and married a Jewish man and kept the marriage secret for 3 years from everyone. In fact, both of her parents ended up dying before she ever told them she was ever married. Her husband died about 15 years ago and every year, she still lights a menorah at Hanukkah in memory of her husband.

Aunt A has been nothing but kind and generous to me, and as long as we don't talk about politics, we get along just fine. In fact we share a love of old Cary Grant movies.

In two weeks, Aunt A is going to to turn 80. She's the kind of person who would be insulted if you gave her money, and hates it when you give her useless gifts, and would turn around and walk out of the room if you threw her a surprise party because she hates large crowds of people.

So for her 80th birthday (in about 2 weeks) K's mom and assorted relatives are going to just take her out for lunch after a routine visit to the cemetery where her husband is buried.

Except they're going to bring along one thing she's always admired but would never buy for herself.

A brand new shiny red Jaguar.*

Now that is an awesome present for an 80th birthday.

*which they are renting for the day, not buying :)