The proposal (part three)

Here is the conclusion of my long tale. If you’re just now joining in, you may want to read part one and part two.

When Jeff jogged up to join me, I had yet to make it into Starbucks, or even within ten feet of the door. Knowing there would still be a significant wait (much of it in the rapidly descending temperatures) and that there was no chance of finding a seat, we decided to leave without hot beverages.

Like all other parts of the day, Jeff had made a plan for how the late afternoon and evening was to progress. His original plan involved a sleigh ride (provided there was snow) or a carriage ride (provided there was not enough snow) upon arrival back in Leavenworth. If the proposal didn’t materialize at the winery, he thought this would be the perfect place to pop the question. After that, he had early dinner reservations at a great Italian restaurant–the same restaurant in which he had asked my dad for my hand in marriage. We would celebrate our engagement with good food, and then head to a theatrical production of “It’s a wonderful life.” The plan was perfect. Only this plan began to unravel before the day even began.

Earlier in the week Jeff announced the fact that due to our date on Saturday we would miss watching his Gonzaga bulldogs lose to a superior big ten team. Just making conversation, oblivious to the ramifications of the comment, I asked, “You know what else we’ll miss?” “What?” he inquired. “The first ever big ten championship game.” He apologized and said maybe we could work something out to see it. I told him, “no, it’s fine” and figured that was the end of it. While I love college football, and love the big ten, there was no way I cared about seeing a championship game Ohio State wasn’t even playing in on the day I was getting proposed to–even if it was the first ever.

And here is where I insert a little fact about Jeff. He’s probably the most generous and selfless person I’ve ever met. And he will bend over backwards to make sure I…and pretty much anyone else he encounters…have their wishes fulfilled. It’s one of the many traits that made me fall madly in love with him. Only in this particular instance, this marvelous trait doomed the engagement plan to even more mishaps. Jeff figured I was just being nice when I said it was fine to miss the game. And so he was determined to find some way for me to see at least part of the game. Consequently he shuffled the late afternoon plans. The sleigh/carriage ride would remain in its slot, but the dinner reservation would be pushed back to seven and the play tickets were switched for a Sunday matinee. He found a pub in Leavenworth that would be showing the game, and planned to go there for drinks and appetizers in between the sleigh/carriage ride and dinner.

And so as we left the line for Starbucks, Jeff had his eyes peeled for the carriages. He had attempted to make reservations, but the carriage people refused to take them and simply told him the area they would be in. Earlier in the day, we had seen multiple carriages (that I unwittingly happened to capture a picture of while documenting the crazy snow globe hats).

However, now that he actually wanted a carriage they were nowhere to be found. All that was to be found were massive crowds. People, people and more people. And a shivering girlfriend none too pleased to be kept out in the cold longer than necessary. So after stopping in a couple stores, he decided we’d make our way to the bar. Kickoff for the big ten championship was still a bit aways, but at least we could warm up and get some food as we waited.

And so we found ourselves on a couch that looked to belong more to a college boys’ frat house than a food service establishment in front of a TV playing the end of the very un-exciting LSU game. We ordered our drinks and appetizer. The drinks finally came, but forty five minutes later the simple appetizer of pita and hummus had yet to show up. By this time the bar was quite full of patrons wishing to chase the cold away with booze, and the atmosphere, though not particularly great to start with, was rapidly becoming less romantic by the minute. My mood was decidedly taking a hit as well, and quite attune to this fact Jeff graciously tracked down the bill and we left without ever getting our food (or seeing any of the game). We attempted once more to locate the elusive carriages, and my teeth began to violently chatter. You see, I knew I was getting engaged that day. So I chose what I knew was Jeff’s favorite sweater and then paired it with the coat that most suited it in style…not in warmth. Needless to say, walking circles around the downtown was not my idea of a fun time at this moment.

With no carriages to be found, we decided to search out a coffee shop to chase away my shivers. But alas, every single coffee shop was packed with nary an empty seat. Intent on doing anything to get out of the cold, we settled on a wine tasting room. At this point, waiting for the tasting to begin, both of us just broke out in laughter. Immediately the tension and stress of plans gone awry melted away as we giggled and chuckled at how disastrously the day had gone. And in that moment it simply didn’t matter that all had gone wrong. All that mattered was we were together, and there’s simply no place either of us would rather be. And so we enjoyed our tasting and then decided to head over to the restaurant to see if we could get in early.

Of course they couldn’t get us in until the seven o’clock reservation, and so we hit the streets again. With nothing else to do, we headed in for a second wine tasting at a different winery. And then a third wine tasting in yet another tasting room. The third took longer than expected, and so we ran to make it back for our dinner reservations. As if to mock us, we ran right past a carriage. When we arrived at our table, that bottle of wine that the winemaker had given us the day we started dating was waiting open on the table. And in that crowded restaurant Jeff immediately came over to my side of the table. Getting down on one knee he announced, “Everything has gone wrong today, but this is the one thing I know will go right.” And with sweet words he asked me to spend the rest of my days with him. I, of course, said yes. He slipped the ring on my finger, and befitting of the day, we realized (despite being correctly sized for it in the summer) the ring was too big.

Due to the fact that we had consumed half a bottle of wine and done three wine tastings with no food in between, I was quite sleepy during dinner and slightly concerned I’d faceplant into my plate of pasta. I managed to make it through, but slept on the car ride back to our city. The night ended with me half dozing on the couch as Jeff read me Alice in Wonderland.

In the fairy tales and all the girlhood dreams, the weather is perfect, events roll out in perfect succession, clothes are sufficiently warm and free of grease stains, the carriage arrives at exactly the right moment, and the ring definitely fits. But the simple fact is that in real life plans go awry and life twists and turns in the most unexpected of ways. And on that crazy journey, there’s no one I’d rather laugh and cry with in the unanticipated moments than this man.

And so, on June 16, 2012 I will pledge myself to him for all my days.

In Leavenworth of all places.

Here’s hoping the wedding day goes a bit smoother than the proposal day.

{Next post will be the ring. I promise. I had to part with it for fitting shortly after receiving it. It’s supposed to be returned today. If I’ve had to wait, you get to wait with me.}