One ring goes in, two come out

Two months ago I began organizing a plan.  The plan came with me verifying that my girlfriend was going to be available for Valentine’s Day.  As you probably don’t know, my girlfriend had every intention to be in Colorado by 2/12, which definitely would not have provided her availability to go on a ‘date night’ on Valentine’s Day.  Fast forward a few days, when asked about what we would be doing for Valentine’s Day, I told her it would be a surprise, but there would be several parts.  As time when on and I thought more about it, several parts turned into many parts which turned into 12 different parts at 4 different locations.

Knowing her as I do, I understand that it was horribly torturous for her to endure not knowing; she questioned me continuously.  Not know where we were going, not knowing (aside from a few minor details) what we were doing, and more importantly not knowing why many of my cryptic statements were being made (i.e. “convertible season” and “desert will be amazing, but will happen hours after dinner”).  Through many progressions, I made sure that she knew there was no way we were going to become engaged on Valentine’s Day; so at least there was something of which she was aware.

Another piece of information for which she was informed was that I had planned a night that followed the progression of our relationship:

• We met almost 8 years ago.  We became instant friends.  We both felt great about our friendship and had nothing but a desire for continued friendship.  We also, thought that time, both had several individual relationships and didn’t think anything of it and most certainly our individual relationships did nothing to affect our friendship (eventually, the failures in our past relationships certainly enhanced our appreciation of each other and made sure that we would not repeat our individual mistakes, but I digress).
• As our friendship grew we would socialize with others and interact more often with friends.
• About seven years after our friendship began, we behaved as a fledging deer toward a romantic relationship with each other.  Neither one of us were willing to expose ourselves to the thought that both of us wanted to end our friendship.  Not willing to verbalize the growing romantic feelings toward each other, the bucking knees of our young deer on ice, we each figured that if we ignored what most around us saw as obvious, the obvious wouldn’t progress.
• By early winter, we each needed to admit our feelings and move toward the progression of emotions toward each other and made commitments for our future together; ending a friendship and starting a romance.

Presenting the chronology of our relationship is important so there will be an understanding of the plans I put into play.

We began with a couple of frames of bowling (casual and an activity that friends do all the time).  I won the first game, she won the second, and overall, she dropped more pins than did I.

Dinner followed bowling at, a sushi/hibachi restaurant in Northampton, MA; as the dinner was more formal than bowling, and the community feel of a hibachi followed along with the arc of our relationship.  As we walked from the car to dinner, I informed her that I have an important question, but it was going to annoy her and make no sense; this cryptic statement was met by her eyes rolling down the road and should not have been a shock, since I had set so many things in the play regarding this night all organized to add to the suspense.  The question was: left 2 or right 7.  Her response was a nervous chuckle and, “What?”  My reply was, “Come on.  You need to choose, left 2 or right 7?”  Of course, the illusion of choice was in play, but I organized her response of right 7 accurately.  Out of my right pocket I handed her a black velvet covered jewelry box; she opened it and discovered 7 different colored silicon rings for the potential of protecting an engagement ring during her active lifestyle as well as being able to match with a myriad of her different outfits.  After a margarita and splitting a scorpion bowl with dinner we were off to the next stop in our date night.

“Okay, what is this place?!?”  “East Heaven Hot Tubs.”  “Hot tubs!  I don’t have a baiting suit or towel, how are we doing hot tubs?”  “Awe, that’s cute.  Don’t worry about it Hun, like I’ve said before, all I need is for you to be here, everything is all set for us to have an amazing night, and there was no hesitation about organizing everything, for us.”  As we were led to our private outdoor tub she observed the exclusion and privacy of the tub, the ambiance of the area, and the magnificence of the execution.  Once we were in the warm tub looking up at the clear starry sky she identified, “This is the best night of my life.”  After some more time, I informed her that she needed to receive “left 2” soon.  She asked, “Can’t you give that to me later, or even on a different day?” “Not a chance!  If you don’t receive left 2 here, I can promise you that you will not be getting it at all.  Left 2 will show you how much I love you and want to commit to your toward how much I want you to be involved in my life and that of Rachelle (my daughter).”  Shortly after, she accepted left 2; an identical jewelry box to right 7 with a pre-engagement ring and under the ring was a key to my house carved on a beach ‘fun-key’.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

I needed her to be presented the pre-engagement ring to her in the dimness of the outdoor hot tub to sell the illusion of its value.  I paid about $17 for it on Amazon, it is depreciated in value to $13.59.  It was all part of how I needed to have the evening set up.

When we returned to the hotel, I had her get ice while I set up the room.  I organized the chocolate covered strawberries I made the night before, the champagne, the flower-covered bed,and my cell phone set up to record the most important instance yet in our relationship.  As we each shared bites of strawberries and sips of perfectly complimented bubbly I approached her with a hooded sweatshirt.

About 2 months ago she gave me a hooded sweatshirt to her alma-matter, Michigan State.  I told her I would reciprocate with a hoodie of my alma-matter UMass; I asked her to tell me if it fits.  “Yeah, it fits. Wait what size is this?” “Large” With a perplexed laugh and incredulous look, “Why would you get me a large?” “It was what was available.” “It’s too big,” she said. the sleeves extending about a foot past her hands.  I then pointed at the pouch on the front, try on the ski gloves.”  “These fit,” but as she was taking the left glove off, “oh no, the ring (remember the pre-engagement ring) fell off!”  As she pulled her finger from the glove she saw the pre-engagement ring still firmly conditioned on her finger, but another ring, the perfect engagement ring, the one that she wanted was balanced on the tip of her finger.

Now that you are aware of the back story to this video; enjoy the video.