Lord Of The Ring

Well,

I took the plunge and asked my better half for her hand in marriage.

Because she said yes I thought I'd share it here.

We've known each other the better part of ten years and about a year and half ago started dating again after doing so in our early 20's for a little while. She's the most beautiful, wonderful women I've ever had the chance to know and will make for a wonderful partner the rest of days.

Of course it wouldn't be a blog post here without a story about the ring and how it happened.

About three weeks ago I decided to do this pretty much out of the blue. She had no idea this was coming and since I love surprises (when they aren't played on me) I thought I could make this one as well.

I called my mother in Las Vegas and had this conversation....

ME: Ma, remember that diamond ring you said I could have?

MOM: Yes... You're great grandmother's.

ME: I'd like it please.

My mother loses her breath and says she will send it out ASAP. First, she has to go the bank and get it out of the safe deposit box.

We hang up and I assume it will be in the mail in the next day or two. This was a Friday night.

It's now the following Wednesday and my mother calls to tell me she got it out and went to get it appraised and cleaned. It should be in the mail, Fed Ex, the next day of so...

Another two days goes by and my mother calls to tell me the women at the jewelry store talked her out of Fed Ex and has convinced her to send it through the Post Office.

I say, I don't like this idea but my mother assures me they have the best tracking system and that's how she's decided to send it. The next day is Saturday, eight days from the first phone call, and the ring will be in the mail tomorrow.

Monday I get a call and my mother says she just mailed it. Apparently she didn't have the right postage when she went the day before.... Love my mom!

She emails me the tracking number and says the guy at the post office told her it should be there no later than Thursday. We had it sent to my girlfriend's mother's house because it needed to be signed for and she's home during the day.

I'm working 19 hour days and am on the phone with her mother half of them. It wasn't showing. I get home on Thursday night and "track" the package. The USPS SUCKS!!!! They only thing they track is where it left from and at what time it left. This helps me tons since I already have this information!

I get up Friday and call the post office and get some mutant on the phone.

Mutant: Well, sir we track when it leaves and when it arrives.

Me: What kind of useless service is that? I know when it left and when it arrives I would know that too! Since I'd be holding it! So, every where in between is anyone's guess?

Mutant: It should have been there yesterday. If you don't have it by Monday call back and we'll start looking.

Me: If it's not here by Monday we're going to have a serious problem.

Friday, no ring.

Saturday, we have to go to her mother's for her grandmother's 83rd birthday surprise party. I hatch a plan the night before if the thing shows up while we are there.

Her mother, father, grandmother and her best friend are all going to be there so if the thing shows I'm going to do it right there in front of everyone.

For four hours I sat in the window like a anxious house cat! Waiting and waiting. Went outside to smoke about 10 cigarettes and then around 4:30 I spotted the mail truck down the block. I run over and scare the shit out of the postman.

"WHERE"S MY PACKAGE!!!!"

To which he replies.... "Who the hell are you?"

A fair question.

I tell him and he digs it out... He had it!

I head back inside with it... It's important to note because of my girlfriend's and my work schedules, it's not uncommon we have things mailed to her mother's house.

I walk back in with the package and my girlfriend asks what I've got and I tell her my mother sent me something in the mail to which she just shrugs and goes back to helping her grandmother open her gifts.

After a moment I say, "Babe, actually, I think she sent this for you"

"For me"

"Yeah, I think this is for you"

I hand her the package and she digs out the ring box, still clueless to what's going on.... She looks at it confused and then opens it up.

BLING, BLING!

That thing was shiny!

I say, "I was just wondering if you'd marry me"

Everyone is starting to freak out.... My girlfriend is BEGINNING to understand what's happening. The wheels are turning.

I'm next to her on my knee at this point and she just freaks the fuck out and starts yelling and crying and freaking out.

This goes on for about two minutes, although it felt like 30 because she never said yes... Finally her mother asked her "what are you going to tell him?"

And she screams out "yes, yes, yes!"

The neighbors must have thought there was a wild sex thing happening and more importantly that I was good!

Anyway, that my side of it.

No, we don't have a date yet.

No, that isn't a picture of the real ring. Perhaps she will post it on her blog with her version of this story. The real ring is over 80 years old... It was my great grandmother's and is very pretty.

There! That's my big news... Rose guessed it!

You're all invited! It will be an open bar and we will have watermelon at desert!

That should be enough for most of you!