Our friend Rob's 30th birthday was coming up, and we decided it would be fun to show up at his house one night and surprise him. Trouble is, he lives in LA and most of us live here in the SF Bay Area. So, his girlfriend Renee arranged it so that he would go out for a few drinks with the guys on Friday night, and we'd all come down from the Bay Area and be waiting in the house to surprise him as he arrived home. A horde of people - me, Wendy, Mike, Brian, Jen, Tuan, Kevin, Jennie, Zuad, Mike, Monnia and Steve - got down there about Midnight and met Renee and Tim, who had flown in from Germany for the surprise. Not long afterwards, Rob returned home, accompanied by accomplices Bob, Don and Galen, and was thoroughly surprised! We had pulled it off! Since Rob's actual birthday was on Saturday, we of course needed to go out that night to celebrate! Rob and Renee ran off to satisfy family obligations and planned to meet up with us in a couple of hours. The balance of us went to Miyagi's on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood; by day it's a mild-mannered sushi restaurant, but the first time someone stood up and yelled "Saki Bomb" as our entire table (and possibly other tables as well) gulped down drinks, I realized that was soon to change...

(Click on any link below to open the corresponding photo in a separate window.)

Ah, a nice, quiet dinner at the mild-mannered sushi restaurant.

Jennie, Tuan, Kevin and Wendy.

Tim and Mike B.

Wendy, Gina and Don.

Monnia, Bob, Galen, the guy whose name I can't remember, and Poolak.

Monnia, two more non-remembered names, and Steve.

Mike C. and Jen. Notice the hat. Things are starting to happen.

Zuad and Mike C.

Bob and Gina and more hats. Sake bombs are starting to kick in.

Okay, by this time not only are most of us wearing the hats, but people from other tables are coming over, wearing hats, and hanging out with us.

A lot of photos like this were taken that night.

Even the sushi chefs were getting into it.

Rob finally decided to show up for his own party, along with Renee.

When Rob did show up, the waitress walked up to him with a tray of drinks and told him, "You're gonna get fucked up tonight!"

Mike B., Mike's finger, Gina & Tim.

Brian, Rob, Mike B. and the evil onlooker.

Yup, another photo like that.

Bob. I can't remember if this was before or after he gave $20 to each girl in our group to flash him.

Each face tells a different story.

Gina and Zuad.

The girls (mostly), their hats and effects of alcohol consumption.

Galen, Don, and Wendy.

Gina and Wendy.

Oh yeah, another photo like that.

Don and Rob.

Yup, Jen and Tim are dancing up on the bar.

One more picture like that.

Okay, now we've made it back to the hotel across the street from the resturant.

But we're still taking pictures like this.

People getting comfy.

The next morning. We tried to see how many people we could cram into an elevator.

Okay, now we've gotten to the very insane and terribly fun ride home. And Brian decided to stuff a package of Red Vines into his mouth.

They're in there.

See?

I said it was an insane (five hour!) ride home!

Passenger Tuan & driver Kevin in the non-insane car driving home with us.

The guy in the Hybrid car. We kept chasing him up I-5, and he kept trying to get away. I think he thought we were insane.

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