The Day We Got Engaged

Vin and I got engaged three weeks ago so this post is old news, but I thought I'd check in on this old blog of mine and share a few details about the day we got engaged. Also, I figured this might actually be pretty handy to have around in case anyone asks how the poor sucker did it; I can just send them an email link rather than explain the story over again. Not that I mind telling the story. It's among my favorites.

It was a Saturday, and we had plans to take a long walk through Central Park. I liked this plan, and I felt committed to it. That's why I was so bummed out when, in the course of getting dressed for the day, he announced that he'd just received a call from his job and would have to work all day. He's the technical director for a theater and it's not terribly unusual to have to work a weekend every now and then so I wasn't suspicious at this point, just kinda sad.

So I hopped on the train and went to Central Park by myself. It was a cloudy, chilly, crummy day and I was feeling crabby and cranky. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and if you know me personally you know how upsetting that is for me. I love sleep. Like, really, really love sleep. I love sleep the way Ice loves Coco. I love it the way bloggers love cupcakes and Chelsea Handler loves vodka. Anyway, you get the point. I have a deep love for sleep, and when that love goes unrequited, I get a bit moopy. And by moopy, I really mean bitchy.

I was hoping a nice walk in the fresh air would cheer my cranky ass up, so I just kept walking. 

and walking...

...and walking. For 2 1/2 hours. Vin had suggested I meet him at his job at 7, and we'd go out for dinner, so I just kept trying to kill time until then. I stopped in a coffee shop to read for two hours before walking again. I need to give my aching tootsies a rest.

I was wearing my new boots, the ones that got rave reviews on Zappo's as "the most comfortable shoes I'd ever own". The ones 500 women promised would stretch out at the calves and cradle softly through the toes. The boots they told me I'd be able to walk around in for up to eight hours and still feel like dancing. They promised. They lied.

But I would not take the subway. I wanted to walk. I was still trying to perk myself up and walking has always done the trick. So I hoofed it from 86th down to 23rd, where Vin works, and arrived there an hour early. I called, and he asked me to please wait at the coffee shop across the street as his theater was showing a private performance and I would be interrupting. Fine. My feet were crying, I was starving and it had just started to rain. Let me tell you, I was thrilled to wait another hour.

When I was finally called to meet him at the theater, he was energetic and cheery, which I found odd for having worked a full day. Geez, I was crankier than him and I'd had the whole day off. Anyway, he was fumbling around and shutting things off and locking doors and it was all taking forever. When we finally got outside, he kept finding reasons for me to look at the electronic marquee out front. I was all, "Dude. I'm starving, my feet hurt and I'm exhausted. Feed me, or lose me forever." But then, I saw the efforts of his day's work.

He'd been tinkering around on his computer all day, and made a movie preview starring Jennifer "The Beautiful" and Vincent "15-Time Winner of the World's Sexiest Man Contest". The last clip of the movie (titled "Love and a Swiss Roll"--he's very into baked goods) was this: 

That's right. The world's sexiest man is faceless with long brown hair, and he asked me to marry him on a NYC theater marquee. I turned around, he pulled me down to sit on his knee and I apparently said yes (I have no recollection of this). Then we went back inside the theater where our song "You're My Best Friend" by Queen was playing on the speaker system. 

I was significantly less cranky after that. But I was still hungry, so we headed out to dinner.

When we returned outside, a few girls who'd witnessed the event from their car rolled down the windows and asked what my answer was.

"I said yes!" I exclaimed.

"Good," said the front passenger. "Girl, that was cute."

I know, right?!

I came home that night with a beautiful ring and a corn the size of Rhode Island between my toes. I'm aching to get it removed, but Vin thinks I should keep it around a little longer for sentimental reasons.

After all, every marriage will have a few rough patches.