How to Win Points With Your Wife by Sneaking Around With Her Friends

This weekend I learned some things and I thought I would share it with the blogosphere. From the title you may be a little skeptical that this will actually end well. Never fear, what follows is sound advice. This is a step by step guide and I can assure you that following each step verbatim will help you win success. Now down to business.

Step 1: Ensure your wife has excellent friends

Step 2: Be contacted by those excellent friends about your wife's birthday which is still more than 2-1/2 months away.

(At this point, you may be saying to yourself, "Tom, I don't have any control over these two steps. How can this guide apply to me?" I don't really have an answer for you.)

Step 3: Set up the weekend with those friends.

Step 4: Tell your wife you've decided to take her to an undisclosed vacation house for her birthday. Remember, this is only a cover story.

Step 5: Plan some activities that you think everyone will enjoy. I went with snowshoeing, but that will have to depend on the people involved in your group.

Step 6: Decide that the vacation house idea is actually  a great idea and not just as a cover story.

Step 7: Book the vacation house via homeaway.com.

Step 8: Wait. (The weekend didn't get here yet.)

Step 9: Maintain the deception by saying "All you need to know is places and things" when asked by your wife about where you're going.

Step 10: Take advantage of your day off (just prior to the weekend) to get the house ready for guests. This must be done on your day off while the wife is at work so that she doesn't know it's happening and become suspicious.

Step 11: On that same day off, while your wife is at work, go get the friends from the airport. Stop at Costco etc. to get the stuff you need for the weekend.

Step 12: Wait quietly in the living room while your wife pulls into the garage.

Step 13: Sit nonchalantly in the living room while your wife comes home after a typical stressful day.

Step 14: Enjoy the surprise.

Step 15: Execute the weekend plan. Have a great time.