I have been planning to propose to Heather for several months. Last week that plan came to fruition when the setting for the ring I had chosen came back from the manufacturer. I purchased the lovely Lucere diamond ring from Lundquist Jewelers last Thursday. It features a square Lucere-cut diamond with two trilliant-cut pink sapphires on either side in a platinum setting.
Friday it was a bit chilly, so my original plan of a romantic picnic was out. That morning I spoke to Heather. She had made plans to have lunch with her dad. This was great news! My boss graciously gave me the afternoon off. This was also an excellent thing because with the proposal on my mind and the ring already 24 hours in my possession—it’s likely I wouldn’t have done much anyway.
I left work at about 12:20 Friday in a whirlwind of speed. My Turbo PT Cruiser GT and I were on a mission! You see, I had promised to bring Aunt Bonnie a CD with the schedule I had updated for her daughter’s wedding. This would still work because we had agreed to meet at O’Gara’s in St. Paul. I drove straight to 38th Street Flower’s off Minnehaha Ave. in Minneapolis. I found out after I arrived at the shop that you should call ahead when purchasing rose petals. She said she could come up with one bag but it would take some time. Crap! I’m on a schedule here people! I politely accepted her terms. Heather phoned me while I was at the flower shop. She was done with lunch and heading back! Gah! Well, I told her I was on my way to Aunt Bonnie and asked where she was. She was still quite far away. Yes! I explained that I might stop by later. She had no clue what I was up to. I purchased a bag of rose petals and one dozen medium stemmed roses and drove straight to O’Gara’s. After a brief meeting with Aunt Bon (and an explanation of what I was up to) I headed back toward the liquor store and home. I called Heather again. It is a good thing I am unpredictable. Heather still suspected nothing as I asked her location again. She had told me she was going to stop off at the bank and possibly her mother’s house. She was in St. Paul heading back via 94. Doh! Now I really needed to step on it. I bought ice and a bottle of Mondoro Asti. She doesn’t care for champagne. She likes her bubbly a little sweeter. This ‘champagne’ came highly recommended—and it’s in a unique bottle to boot!
I entered our home arms full. I stepped into our room and panicked! The room was a mess! There was clear evidence that she’d been in a hurry as many of our things were strewn about the room. Not only was the room still in disarray, the Nintendo was still on! She’d been playing Tetris 2 again. I made a mad dash to clean the room and stuff things into closets and drawers! I carefully pushed the NES out of sight but left it on so she could finish her game. I made the bed and began spreading rose petals from our bedroom down the bottom of the stairs. I unpacked the flowers and placed them on the vanity. I then dashed to the basement, grabbed my ice bucket (circa 1969) and filled it with the ice. I stuffed the bottle into the bucket, turned on a version of Elton John’s “Your Song” from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and placed it on ‘repeat’. “Your Song” was the song I sang to her on our first ‘date’. Oh no! I forgot to get the glasses out! I zipped back downstairs and grabbed two flutes (from a set I rarely use and purchased in 1994) and ran back upstairs. On my way upstairs, I looked out the front window and discovered HEATHER’S CAR WAS OUT FRONT! AHHH! I placed the glasses next to the ice bucket and hid in the closet. I waited and watched through the door which I had slightly cracked open. Everything was going according to my master ‘plan-B’!
Heather entered the house and followed the rose petals upstairs right passed the ring (which I had prominently placed in the middle of the room.) She was looking around for me! She went right into the bedroom, right past the ring and out onto our deck. Blast! Well, that’s ok she came in and I stepped out of the closet so as not to scare her. (Please, refrain from your jokes my friends) She still didn’t know why I was home until I gestured to the ring. Her jaw dropped. Not only was she NOT expecting me to be home, she was not expecting flowers, champagne and most certainly she was not suspecting a proposal today. The ring stunned her. I got down on one knee and officially proposed.