The Proposal
Okay, okay... Things have been INSANE.
So, Saturday, June 23, boyfriend had planned a nice day for us. I didn't think anything of it because he's more or less on vacation right now until he starts his new job. I thought we were just trying to do some of those things that we always SAY we're going to do and then never actually GET to do.
So we started off the day at the beautiful Tarara Winery. It was a gorgeous day, and the temperature was unbelievably mild. Tarara was packed, but we finally made our way to the tasting area. Next to us at the bar was an elderly man, although his vibrato made him seem much younger and full of life, with a Peruvian woman. I asked boyfriend if he thought the man was a politician because he just had "that voice." We all got to talking during the tasting, and we found out that he used to co-own a restaurant we used to frequent in Richmond. The man was thrilled to learn about this connection, and he loved talking even more after that. At the end of the tasting he said he was going to get a bottle of wine and that he wanted us to go sit with him and his.. umm.. mistress? and talk. Boyfriend said we'd love to but that we didn't have enough time before our dinner reservation. It was probably for the best, he was one of those people that just makes an awesome story and an uncomfortable encounter... maybe too much would have been too much.
We left Tarara and continued over to Old Town Alexandria for our dinner reservations. Old Town is just wonderful... small streets of lively restaurants and all kinds of neat little shops, lamp posts lit with actual fire instead of electricity, historical things, cute homes with lovely gardens, walking tours, and it's all on the water! We showed up to dinner a little early, so we just walked the park area on the water for a little bit.
We saw a sign that said 'anal center' and we giggled and snorted and took pictures near it. Then we realized it had said 'canal center,' but someone stole the 'c.' Best vandalism ever.
Dinner was at a neat Italian restaurant. The food was definitely great but maybe a bit much on my stomach. After dinner we walked down some of the shop/restaurant streets and then back towards the water. At the water, we sat down on a bench by a trail. We sat there for a little while just not saying too much... enjoying the weather and each other.
I was getting a little curious. All day I felt like maybe he'd been walking on one side of me just a little too much, maybe when I moved to the other side he held my hand a little too stiffly, maybe when I wrapped my ringer around his belt loops or on his pocket's edge he got a little too squirrely, maybe he kept putting his hand into one pocket a little too frequently... was he guarding something? Once when he got up at the dinner table to use the restroom I felt almost certain something was going on. As soon as he'd gotten up he'd plunged his hand into that same pocket! I called a friend on my cell phone, eager to tell her that something was up with him. But when I got her on the line I just felt silly. Was this me overreacting? Am I being crazy-ass girlfriend? I'd better just chill. So I didn't mention anything about it to her, I she was probably a little confused why I called at all.
After a little while on the bench, he suggested we go sit on a gazebo over the water. Sure, no problem. We sat there for another while as boyfriend kept looking over his shoulder and looking around. It was all starting to feel so surreal. I noticed something was bulging in his pocket. Was this it?? Was he about to propose? Is one of us just being totally bizarre?
He suggested we move back to the first bench. My stomach was killing me at this point... I don't know if it was the heavy Italian food or all the uncertainty and anticipation that was mounting.
He suggested we go over to a different gazebo. It was beginning to get a little more dark, the number of people walking around was lessening, but we did have a man standing not too far away who was trying to communicate with the ducks. "wah wah wah wah wah wah," he called to ducks over and over again as boyfriend muttered, "it's time for this guy to go the f*ck away" under his breath.
Things seemed to settle. Boyfriend fiddled with my fingers sweetly. I told him it reminded me of the night of our first kiss. Halloween... high school... on a nice bus heading back from a marching band competition. Boyfriend and I had been flirting for weeks, and on this bus ride in the dark we made sure we sat next to one another. I remember my head was on his shoulder and we were holding hands and playing with fingers. Boyfriend (then, NOT boyfriend) sweetly kissed the top of my head. Me, like a bull in a china closet, took this cue and lifted my head to kiss his mouth... but I think the gesture must have been lost in translation because our first 'kiss' landed quite a bit off.
I guess that was a good intro, because then he began to tell me how he felt about me.
He reached into that curious pocket to pull out a square box. Inside the box was a gorgeous, old-fashioned silver ring box, and inside that was a spectacularly beautiful platinum banded ideal cut diamond.
"Will you marry me?"
Crying, laughing, and a mess of human emotions followed. I wish I could rewind and replay the day so that I wouldn't miss a second of it and so that I could always remember how he looked and the movements he made. But I guess it's those awesome moments that go by so quickly! It was all like a dream. I could not believe it had actually happened. (Oh, and apparently all the changing of benches and gazebos was because he was afraid I'd drop the ring in the water!)
I don't know how we made it back to the apartment, but calling friends and relatives didn't stop for a while. Lots of people didn't answer the phone (curses!), but we got through to most.
So now we're engaged! And if we want a summer 2008 wedding, unfortunately we have to get a move on! Neither of us know what the hell we're doing, but it will fall into place I'm sure. We put our names into the lottery drawing to be married at our Alma
Mater's chapel... the drawing is July 2, so wish us luck!
This weekend we're getting on the road for DISNEY WORLD! He fooled me... I figured if he was going to propose soon he'd probably do it while on vacation. Now instead, we get to celebrate all week! I'm basically so excited that I barely sleep or eat anymore, I just walk around quivering with glee.
So, I'll be out next week... I doubt I'll have internet access. But I wanted to make sure I got this story in before we left. And when I get back, I'll try not to turn this blog into a wedding planning blog! Happy weekend and happy week to all!
So, Saturday, June 23, boyfriend had planned a nice day for us. I didn't think anything of it because he's more or less on vacation right now until he starts his new job. I thought we were just trying to do some of those things that we always SAY we're going to do and then never actually GET to do.
So we started off the day at the beautiful Tarara Winery. It was a gorgeous day, and the temperature was unbelievably mild. Tarara was packed, but we finally made our way to the tasting area. Next to us at the bar was an elderly man, although his vibrato made him seem much younger and full of life, with a Peruvian woman. I asked boyfriend if he thought the man was a politician because he just had "that voice." We all got to talking during the tasting, and we found out that he used to co-own a restaurant we used to frequent in Richmond. The man was thrilled to learn about this connection, and he loved talking even more after that. At the end of the tasting he said he was going to get a bottle of wine and that he wanted us to go sit with him and his.. umm.. mistress? and talk. Boyfriend said we'd love to but that we didn't have enough time before our dinner reservation. It was probably for the best, he was one of those people that just makes an awesome story and an uncomfortable encounter... maybe too much would have been too much.
We left Tarara and continued over to Old Town Alexandria for our dinner reservations. Old Town is just wonderful... small streets of lively restaurants and all kinds of neat little shops, lamp posts lit with actual fire instead of electricity, historical things, cute homes with lovely gardens, walking tours, and it's all on the water! We showed up to dinner a little early, so we just walked the park area on the water for a little bit.
We saw a sign that said 'anal center' and we giggled and snorted and took pictures near it. Then we realized it had said 'canal center,' but someone stole the 'c.' Best vandalism ever.
Dinner was at a neat Italian restaurant. The food was definitely great but maybe a bit much on my stomach. After dinner we walked down some of the shop/restaurant streets and then back towards the water. At the water, we sat down on a bench by a trail. We sat there for a little while just not saying too much... enjoying the weather and each other.
I was getting a little curious. All day I felt like maybe he'd been walking on one side of me just a little too much, maybe when I moved to the other side he held my hand a little too stiffly, maybe when I wrapped my ringer around his belt loops or on his pocket's edge he got a little too squirrely, maybe he kept putting his hand into one pocket a little too frequently... was he guarding something? Once when he got up at the dinner table to use the restroom I felt almost certain something was going on. As soon as he'd gotten up he'd plunged his hand into that same pocket! I called a friend on my cell phone, eager to tell her that something was up with him. But when I got her on the line I just felt silly. Was this me overreacting? Am I being crazy-ass girlfriend? I'd better just chill. So I didn't mention anything about it to her, I she was probably a little confused why I called at all.
After a little while on the bench, he suggested we go sit on a gazebo over the water. Sure, no problem. We sat there for another while as boyfriend kept looking over his shoulder and looking around. It was all starting to feel so surreal. I noticed something was bulging in his pocket. Was this it?? Was he about to propose? Is one of us just being totally bizarre?
He suggested we move back to the first bench. My stomach was killing me at this point... I don't know if it was the heavy Italian food or all the uncertainty and anticipation that was mounting.
He suggested we go over to a different gazebo. It was beginning to get a little more dark, the number of people walking around was lessening, but we did have a man standing not too far away who was trying to communicate with the ducks. "wah wah wah wah wah wah," he called to ducks over and over again as boyfriend muttered, "it's time for this guy to go the f*ck away" under his breath.
Things seemed to settle. Boyfriend fiddled with my fingers sweetly. I told him it reminded me of the night of our first kiss. Halloween... high school... on a nice bus heading back from a marching band competition. Boyfriend and I had been flirting for weeks, and on this bus ride in the dark we made sure we sat next to one another. I remember my head was on his shoulder and we were holding hands and playing with fingers. Boyfriend (then, NOT boyfriend) sweetly kissed the top of my head. Me, like a bull in a china closet, took this cue and lifted my head to kiss his mouth... but I think the gesture must have been lost in translation because our first 'kiss' landed quite a bit off.
I guess that was a good intro, because then he began to tell me how he felt about me.
He reached into that curious pocket to pull out a square box. Inside the box was a gorgeous, old-fashioned silver ring box, and inside that was a spectacularly beautiful platinum banded ideal cut diamond.
"Will you marry me?"
Crying, laughing, and a mess of human emotions followed. I wish I could rewind and replay the day so that I wouldn't miss a second of it and so that I could always remember how he looked and the movements he made. But I guess it's those awesome moments that go by so quickly! It was all like a dream. I could not believe it had actually happened. (Oh, and apparently all the changing of benches and gazebos was because he was afraid I'd drop the ring in the water!)
I don't know how we made it back to the apartment, but calling friends and relatives didn't stop for a while. Lots of people didn't answer the phone (curses!), but we got through to most.
So now we're engaged! And if we want a summer 2008 wedding, unfortunately we have to get a move on! Neither of us know what the hell we're doing, but it will fall into place I'm sure. We put our names into the lottery drawing to be married at our Alma
Mater's chapel... the drawing is July 2, so wish us luck!
This weekend we're getting on the road for DISNEY WORLD! He fooled me... I figured if he was going to propose soon he'd probably do it while on vacation. Now instead, we get to celebrate all week! I'm basically so excited that I barely sleep or eat anymore, I just walk around quivering with glee.
So, I'll be out next week... I doubt I'll have internet access. But I wanted to make sure I got this story in before we left. And when I get back, I'll try not to turn this blog into a wedding planning blog! Happy weekend and happy week to all!
1 Comments:
I'm SO FREAKING HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH!!!!!!
I cannot wait to hear all the wedding details (And you will need to write, cry, complain and shout out the triumphs that all come from planning a wedding!)
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