Engagement

When I was over visiting Sue's this morning, she was doing this meme all about her relationship with her "Hubs".

I was wondering if I had ever posted about how Mrs A and I got engaged. I thought I had, but couldn't find it , so I thought"What the heck, it's a good story." So if I have and you already know the story, forgive me and go about your way.

Mrs A and I had been dating about six months, and things were getting pretty serious. Early on in the relationship we had talked about what we each wanted out of the relationship. We both wanted a stable lifelong commitment.

We had been down at her place cleaning up, and had loaded her dresser in the back of my Blazer. We were unloading it, and when we got in the house, I glanced around.

Holy shit! I had been burglarized. The game system and all the games. My laptop. Anything that was small, light and hockable.

The week before, I had spent my entire week of free time shopping for an engagement ring. I had looked at every ring in the south end of Latteland, and found one that was perfect. It cost a little over $5,000.

It was gone.

Unless you have a special rider on your insurance, no single item of jewelry will be repaid for more than $1500. I was just screwed.

I called the cops, and they came. We were sitting there on the leather couch, listing the things that had been taken. At last I listed "An engagement ring, just purchased, worth $5,000.

Mrs A. had no idea I had gone and purchased the ring. Her eyes got real big and she said "You didn't?"

"Oh yes I did."

A couple of hours later my daughter R. called. She said she had come home, seen what had happened, so she grabbed the ring and left. What followed had several different versions, and I have never been sure exactly what went on. I suspect it was some of R's "Friends" that ripped me off.

Because of the evidence, we knew that whoever burgarized up was around long enough to play CD's on the CD player, drink all the liquor in the house, and smoke several cigarettes. I figure R had a party while we were gone, and things got out of hand.

At any rate I got the ring back. The police grilled her, and were sure she knew something, but she would never admit complicity.

Mrs A. was there when R got home, and delivered the ring.

I asked her if she wanted to see it. She said yes, so I showed it to her, then went and put it upstairs.

After the police left, she disappeared. My house is big enough that you can disappear. So I wandered around looking for her.

She was in the Master bedroom, and she was sitting there with the ring on her finger, crying her eyes out.

I told her that this was certainly not the way I wanted her to find out about the ring.

I told her "I think the safest place in the world for that ring right now is on your hand. I don't think anyone is going to be able to get it away from you without knocking you out first. Just keep it on for now."

We had already made plans to go to the Lake Quinault Lodge for Valentines Day. I had planned to ask her then, and I did. On one knee and everything. Room 110 in the main lodge.

And the rest is history.