How Not To React to A Wedding Proposal

I love hearing stories of how couples got engaged! As I sit (Ha! Sit? What's that?) here whining and fretting about having nothing to blog about, I realized that I never recorded the story of our engagement.  So, sit back, relax and if you're anticipating your special someone popping the question, don't do what I did.

It was April, 1998 (yes, I know how long ago that was) and we had been dating for about a year and a half.  Jay and I had talked about getting engaged and married...we just knew, ya know?  I may or may not have hounded him to tell me when he was going to propose and he would sigh heavily, tell me to be patient (uh, I don't even know what that means) and maybe, just maybe, when we were at the beach that summer all my wishes would come true.  But, the summer was so faaa---aaa---rrrr awaaaaa---yyyy.  I knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon because we hadn't even gone to any jewelery stores to pick out any styles.  I had just told Jay very specifically what I didn't want.  He wasn't even sneaking around trying to measure my finger when I wasn't looking or having covert convo's with the besties.  How am I supposed to be surprised if I'm not suspicious?

On Friday, Jay called me at work to talk about our evening plans.  He had a gift certificate to Monterey Bay Fish Grotto on the top of Mount Washington.  Very fancy and very fishy.  I don't eat fish.  But, I'm always up for fancy, so I left on my purple pants suit and off we went!  We had a table right next to the window over looking our beautiful city!  After we ordered, that's when things changed...

We have a favorite song that we would listen to and get all googly eyed over by Bebo Norman called A Page Has Turned.  It's about a little boy and a little girl who grow up and find each other because that's the way it's supposed to be.  We had talked about having it be the song we danced to at our wedding...someday.  "High upon the mountain, he asked her for her hand." As we were looking out over the city, pointing out different sights, Jay quoted a line from song when the boy proposes to the girl.  Me, being clueless and hungry, didn't pick up on the subtle nuance.  Here's the conversation...

Jay: We're high up on a mountain...huh, honey?  (If he'd been next to me he would have been jabbing his elbow into my ribs)
Me: Uhhhh, yeah, I guess.
Jay: Honey, can I have your hand?
Me: No!  I do not want your gum!  This is a fancy place.  Find a napkin or a piece of paper!
Jay, a little more forcefully: Honey!  Give me your hand.
Me: No!  Seriously!  Do NOT give me your gum...swallow it if you have to!
Jay, through gritted teeth: Honey! Give. Me. Your. Hand!

I turned my head, closed my eyes and stuck my hand out across the table so Jay could put his gum in my palm.  Whatever he put in my hand was not gum...not slimy enough.  When I peeked, it was ring box with a beautiful ring in it!

Me: WHAT??  ( I tend to have volume problems when I get excited)
Jay: Will you marry me?
Me: ARE YOU SERIOUS? (people we're looking now...Jay didn't get down on one knee because he didn't want me to be embarrassed by all the attention.  I went ahead and solved that problem.)
Jay: Well, if this was a joke, it's not a very funny one.
I can only assume that I said "Yes!" as that very ring is still on my hand 14 years later.  

Jay was able to relax and eat all the food in the restaurant.  I, on the other hand, had to take my entire dinner home because I simply couldn't eat...I just kept staring at the ring!  Other diners stopped at our table to give us well wishes after somehow hearing about the proposal and a priest even blessed the ring!

So, ladies, if you're seriously dating someone, anticipating that moment, and your mate asks for your hand during a romantic dinner, DO NOT start yelling about gum.

Any other fun engagement stories out there?  I think Crafty P should share her engagement story...it's a good one!

Here's a linky loo to "our" song...