posted August 22, 2011 01:10 AM            

I love a good love story!

I'm so excited for you! How's the synastry? Have you done a composite?

awwwwww, Love is in the air.

posted August 22, 2011 03:22 PM            

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Submit to Love without thinking, as the sun rose this morning recklessly, extinguishing our star-candled minds.

posted August 22, 2011 06:23 PM            

Well, I'm lucky to be on the straight-forward side sometimes. The options when looking for an engagement ring are staggering and overwhelming. When I got the chance to broach the subject with her I did, and that was fortunate. She didn't want a Hawaiian-themed ring like I was initially looking at. No, she suggested a claddaugh ring.

So I searched, and eventually found a really cool place where I could get a custom one made using whatever gem combination I wanted. They didn't have diamond as a center stone option, though, so then my indecision kicked in over color. I considered the fact that diamonds are conveniently neutral color-wise making them a good match for whatever clothes the woman is wearing. My only neutral choices were black. Aquamarine is pale enough to be neutral, but it seemed like an odd choice. In the end, I went with red garnet as the heart in the claddaugh, and flanked it with tanzanite and diamonds.

I got an additional simpler claddaugh with a tiny diamond in the center that would serve two functions. One, it would be more neutral (if that's desireable), and, two, it met her criteria of not wanting to have something that would be likely to catch on things. She didn't initially warm to that one very much. Now she considers it an option as I intended. I wonder if maybe it will be handed down to a daughter or something one day.

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The Proposal

I had started writing a song. Lyrics only. I wondered if I'd ever get a chance to sit and work out the music as we're together most of the time. After the rings came (Aug. 16th), I found that they had tags only to be removed if the ring wasn't to be sent back for sizing. They also had a 30 day deadline. That put some pressure on me to get my act together.

I decided to be practical, and ...if a moment presented itself I would move to take advantage of it; song or no song.

Saturday afternoon we headed into San Francisco with the intention of going to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (Picasso exhibit), and then to a show featuring Andy Richter, whom she likes a lot. Traffic was hellish. It took us forever to get over there, so we didn't end up having time to hit the museum. Instead, we decided to have dinner. I asked if there was any new place she wanted to take me (I'm not super familiar with the restaurant life of S.F.). She thought the House of Prime Rib would be good. That would definitely suit me. We got there, and paid $7 to park only to find there would be a two hour wait without a reservation. We were referred to a steak house a couple blocks up, though. This place was called Harris', and it's apparently associated with Harris Ranch, a famous ranch you pass while driving between here and Southern California (I've never been). It was a nice place, and the menu was very expensive. As a walk-in, we were invited to use the lounge where a three piece (piano, bass, and drums) jazz group was set to start at 7:00. We split a salad and the most expensive steak on the menu (a wagyu kobe beef steak). Also, jen bought us a nice bottle of wine. The food was very good. The jazz band started up, and a few songs in they played a favorite of Jen's called Brazil. I figured this must be my opportunity: a nice, dim restaurant; great music; great food. So after that song was done I got up. Jen says I almost knocked someone over behind me. The chairs were unweildy. She said, "Smell ya later," figuring I was going to the restroom, but instead I got down on my knee, and quietly told her what I was doing. I did get a bit choked up as I asked her, but I figured that was alright. She said, "Okay." That's a "yes;" I'll take it.

I had miraculously forgotten my cell phone that night (something that occurs very rarely), so [mostly] as we were waiting in line for the comedy show she was on her phone communicating with her family via text. She also put it on Facebook. Her dad, whom she hasn't allowed me to meet yet expressed disappointment at not having been asked (though the next morning there was a congratulatory message from him)(he's an Aries).

posted August 23, 2011 09:24 AM            

So very happy for you, J!! What a lovely ring, too! Oh, love is certainly in the air lately!

posted August 23, 2011 01:31 PM            

Congrats!

posted August 23, 2011 05:51 PM            

The ring is stunning!

Thank you for sharing the special moment

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Submit to Love without thinking, as the sun rose this morning recklessly, extinguishing our star-candled minds.

posted August 24, 2011 02:48 PM            

Ghani, wanna be my date!

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Submit to Love without thinking, as the sun rose this morning recklessly, extinguishing our star-candled minds.

posted August 24, 2011 02:50 PM            

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Submit to Love without thinking, as the sun rose this morning recklessly, extinguishing our star-candled minds.

posted August 25, 2011 06:50 PM            

First Jen, then my girlfriend, onto fiancee and none too soon, "my wife"

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Submit to Love without thinking, as the sun rose this morning recklessly, extinguishing our star-candled minds.

posted August 25, 2011 11:58 PM            

haha- I am imagining how the conversation would work in my house, you know- before we were a house- just fiances.
"Honey, there are some people I know online that may want to come, cool?"
"Er....people....er...on the internet? That you've never met? Er....um... really?"
" It means a lot to me, these people are very close, if not physically, they are close in my heart. Yes. I'd like to invite them"
"Er.... yes dear."

The end.

(Just kidding, it probably wouldn't really be like that- Aries/Scorpio- there'd be rash judgements, tempers thrown and then some sex. But I'd win.)

posted August 26, 2011 02:22 PM            

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Submit to Love without thinking, as the sun rose this morning recklessly, extinguishing our star-candled minds.

posted August 29, 2011 08:41 AM            

I think mating up later is nice b/c your past alot of the illusionary bull that while may be romantic, can also be a very fleeting sort of thing..
The wisdom with having a few years on us affords us a unique ability to actually focus on the person, the real person..