Looking forward to my first holiday in 20 years

[johnnyb47]

Hi,
It's been around 20 years since I've had a proper holiday, and I'm really looking forward to it.
My dad came over Christmas just gone and whilst we were out enjoying a Christmas pint he started talking about wanting to go on holiday with me abroad.
He's getting on a bit in years (in his 80s) but he's got the mindset of a youngster and kept on talking about wanting to have a holiday with me, as will probably be the last opportunity we will ever get.
At the time I thought it was just the "drink talking" but his better half has said he's was still talking about it weeks later after Christmas.
So behind his back (me and his wife) have secretly booked a week for him and me a week in Tenerife this coming October.
Trying to do this without him getting suspicious was a challenge but it's now all sorted.
I chose Tenerife as I know the island very well and know where the most suitable places are to stay and visit.
Come September we have devised a plan on how to break the surprise to him.
We've found a web site that makes spoof scratch cards , to which you can put your own message underneath the scratch part of the card.
We've put the message "your going to Tenerife with your son" under it.
I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with him as we don't get to see each other as much as I would like to with him living a few hours away from me.
He does like his beer though and I think I may come home a raving alcoholic after spending a week with him under the Sun 🤣🤣

 

[Psamathe]

Without knowing individuals (which is important), some would enjoy looking forward to the trip, telling friends what they are going to do, etc. Worth telling him (or doing the surprise) sooner so he can spend time looking forward?

Ian

 

[richardfm]

Is the scratch card really going to say "your going to Tenerife with your son"?

You have plenty of time to get a replacement saying "You're going to Tenerife with your son".

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Have a good one with your old Paw @johnnyb47

 

[johnnyb47]

Is the scratch card really going to say "your going to Tenerife with your son"?

You have plenty of time to get a replacement saying "You're going to Tenerife with your son".

Very sorry for my grammar @richardfm.
My bottle of wine has started to kick in ,and my sausage fingers don't work so well on the small key pad on my phone ,,😲

 

[biggs682]

Enjoy your break

 

[johnnyb47]

I applied for my new passport last week and it came back yesterday sporting a picture of me more reminiscent to Shrek on the photo.
I was impressed at how quick and efficient the passport office was as well as the Royal Mail delivering it.
I managed to get the whole process and delivery of it from start to finish.
The passport office sent me an email from receiving my old passport to accepting my application to then sending it out to me.
The post office then took over updating me of its journey to me ,and it came through my letterbox yesterday evening just when they estimated it to.
It was quite impressive compared to the endless issues I have at work constantly chasing deliveries from the likes of other couriers.

 

[ColinJ]

I applied for my new passport last week and it came back yesterday sporting a picture of me more reminiscent to Shrek on the photo.
I was impressed at how quick and efficient the passport office was as well as the Royal Mail delivering it.
I managed to get the whole process and delivery of it from start to finish.
The passport office sent me an email from receiving my old passport to accepting my application to then sending it out to me.
The post office then took over updating me of its journey to me ,and it came through my letterbox yesterday evening just when they estimated it to.
It was quite impressive compared to the endless issues I have at work constantly chasing deliveries from the likes of other couriers.

Make sure that your dad's passport is valid for the holiday too!

 

[johnnyb47]

That's all sorted.
He had a week late last summer in Spain and by all accounts he got caught up in the horrendous flooding they suffered.
He said the reception to there hotel was completely flooded out by the heavy rain.
He's also off to Turkey in a few weeks.
On the opposite end of the scale I've been absolutely nowhere for years and I'm really looking forward to getting out there again

 

[ColinJ]

That's all sorted.

That's good .

On the opposite end of the scale I've been absolutely nowhere for years and I'm really looking forward to getting out there again

Have fun.

Don't forget to take a few hours off dad-minding to attack Teide on a rental bike!

 

[johnnyb47]

Thread resurrection 😂
These last few months have been really difficult keeping the secret from him but last weekend all was revealed.I popped over for the weekend ,and on Saturday afternoon we went out for an afternoon pint.
In the pub he started talking again about wanting to have one last holiday together sometime next year (just me and him) and I had to sit there tight lipped knowing that we were going to reveal the surprise to him in a couple of hours.
When we got back home he randomly mentioned in conversation that he never wins anything anymore on those scratch cards,to which we thought now was the perfect time to give him that "spoof" scratch card.
The card in question was not the best quality in that the foil was a bugger to scratch off.
He was sat down at the table gouging away at it with a penny as it slowly revealed the message underneath.
I was standing up by his side and when he managed to read it ,he just went quiet and I could see his tears dropping onto the inside of his glasses.
He was totally speechless for around ten minutes, especially when we told him it's only three weeks away.
A moment I will never forget..
Trying to keep a lid on this surprise holiday has been hard.
Everyone one knew and every time I visited I would drop vague hints ,without him twigging on.
He's now put all the little hints together and realised that I've been playing him for the last few months.
All the best,
Johnny