Girlfriend's birthday? A guide on how to do it for the everyman.

So okay, we've all been in the same situation, it's your girl's birthday, you want to impress her and prove to her how much you care but how to go about it?

The main ingredients are always the same, teddy bears, chocolates, flowers but as with cooking the preparation is the important thing. My girlfriend lives a good half hours drive away so as a result we only really get to see each other at weekends. This can be difficult at times because, and I'm not going to be all macho and lie here, I do miss her. Problems arise when things like birthdays or aniversaries crop up in the middle of the week. Such as happened recently.

So I left her house early on the Monday morning wishing her well and that we'd speak on Wednesday so I could wish her a happy birthday and that the following weekend we'd meet up as usual and have a... shall we say erm... well, we'd drink and be merry... and that, as far as she was concerned, was that.

In my mind i was already planning to go over on the Wednesday evening to surprise her and this is how it started. The following day (thats Tuesday, for those of you still reading) I spoke to a friend of hers asking about eateries in and around the Dudley area that he recommended since I was coming down to surprise her. A place picked out and reservations made part two of the plan got under way. Between us we arranged for me to be at his house while he went to fetch her with the promise of some beer, a takeaway and some friends round to celebrate. Things were running smoothly thus far.

Wednesday rolls around and I, armed with a credit card and a vague idea, head to town straight from work. An hour later, presents purchased, and I'm home wrapping. Except I'm not, because I forgot to buy paper so I'm using tin foil for the smaller presents and hoping to come up with something for the biggest teddy in christendom.

Cards written, presents 'wrapped' and flowers purchased I'm sitting in waiting in Dudley expectantly and this is when I make the phone call. I ring the lovely lady, just to 'check in' (I'd already wished her a happy birthday in the morning) and find out what she was up to. I relayed a story about how my shift had been changed for the following day and if I'd known I could have come down to see her. She was, understandably upset and cursed my employers. I wish her all the best for the evenign and hope she has a good night and hang up. Meanwhile, Teddy is upstairs on the bed in the room she will soon be renting with two dozen red roses cupped in his paws and my foil wrapped gifts are in a carrier bag next to me when I hear the car pull up.

So to summarise:

• Supersize teddy bear from Clinton's :- £Undisclosed (she reads this)


• Box of chocs from Woolies :- £4.99


• Roses from the supermarket :- £10


• The look on your girlfriends face when you open the door to her and she realises you have turned up after all when she was least expecting you :- Priceless.

So there you have it I am, officially (according to her) the best boyfriend in the world ever. I'm so happy to be with her, she gets me so big headed I might even start believing her one day. Happy birthday again, sexy. Big kiss.