Engaged!

The boat was floating in perfect position directly in front of the Magic Kingdom.  The fireworks display started going off directly over Cinderella’s castle.  After weeks of planning the moment was ready.

“It’s been a perfect day” theGirlfriend said. 
“The only thing to make it more perfect would be if you would be my wife,” I said. 

Her mouth gaped open and she put her hand over her heart.  For the first, and probably last time ever, theGirlfriend was speechless.   5 seconds seemed like an eternity. I realized I had no idea if I had actually asked her, and if so what her answer was, so I then managed to ask her to marry me and she now is known as theFiancee.

In hindsight if I proposed once or twice, if I got on one knee, any pertinent details at all - I can’t tell you, I think I had an out of the body experience.  The journey from Neighbor to Girlfriend to Fiancee has shown me that following your intuition and feelings as a guide can open up entire new worlds beyond what you think is possible.

I crafted a pretty sweet proposal plan a few weeks ago.  However, once I knew the date and the plan, I started getting antsy and was worried I would propose to her without everything being “perfect”.  So I had the ring shipped down to my grandmother in Florida, if I didn’t have it, I couldn’t give it.  Plus, theFiancee would have no chance of snooping around and finding it in my stuff.  I plotted with my family to ensure she would have no idea the proposal was coming and we set off for the best weekend I’ve ever had.

Friday my brother got married in a small intimate ceremony at my mother’s.  Everything went off perfectly and I am sold on a small intimate ceremony for our wedding.  Andy was thrilled and much more calm than he would usually be in a pressure situation.  I delivered a shockingly appropriate toast, casting off my plans to discuss how he got his nickname RoniBreath as a young Andrew and sticking to how happy his new bride makes him.  Then we were off to Orlando to see Cirque du Soleil.

Or at least I thought we were. When I got up to the ticket window the seller looked at the tickets, typed on his computer, and told me I was all set for Saturday’s show.  Oh shit!  I explained to him this was the start of a honeymoon weekend and is there anyway we could see tonight’s show in exchange?  Especially since I would be proposing the next night during the same time!  The ticket seller, in one of many things that would go my way this weekend, exchanged the tickets for dead-center seats about 10 rows up, the premium seats for the show.  Bonus!

The La Nouba show at Cirque du Soleil, how does someone describe this?  The show manages to almost overwhelm your senses with music, lights, and performers doing incredible things.  There is so much going on the panoramic view from your two eyes can’t take it all in, you have to constantly keep darting your eyes across the stage, up in the air, looking towards the ceiling, and at each eye’s gaze target you see something that makes you exclaim out loud.  My mother must have exclaimed “Jesus!” every half minute or so, especially when there were high-wire acts involved, it was hysterical.

Saturday I awoke and felt calm and excited.  Unlike in the movies or popular culture where the bachelor wakes up filled with dread, I could not wait for the big moment.   We spent the day at Epcot.  Disney has a new innovation at Epcot since I had last been there, called FastTrack, which allows you to get a cut the line pass during a designated time period.  This is golden.  I was continually shocked at the people that did not take advantage of this as we raced past them in line repeatedly.  Around 11am the Epcot rides seemed less desirable because the world showcase was open.  The Epcot World Showcase recreates a number of countries across the globe, you literally walk from country to country.  We had the great idea to have our own around the world drinking party, having a beverage in each country.  I was a little concerned this could lead to a disaster in the engagement plans, but fortunately the rules of our around the world party were that SOMEONE had to drink in each country, not everyone. 

After Epcot we had dinner at Citrico’s in the Grand Floridian hotel.  This is the elegant hotel on the lake in between Disney World and Epcot.  The big moment was approaching.  The master plan called for both my mother and brother to claim they were too tired to go on the boat ride I had arranged for the fireworks that night.  If I had told theGirlfriend that we were going on a private romantic boat cruise, she would’ve been all hawk-eyed about an impending proposal.  During dinner I left the table to go check out the boat and make sure it was adequately prepared.  I received a frantic call from theGirlfriend.  “Your family is insisting they don’t want to go on the boat! What are we going to do!”  I told her the boat was non-refundable so I guess we’d have to go on it alone.  But while that was the master plan and it was working out perfectly, I had a change of heart.  I felt it would be better if my parents and brother were on the boat during the proposal, especially after seeing the boat’s layout and ensuring we’d have privacy.

I stopped at a Disney convenience store to get some beverages we could toast the engagement to.  The checkout clerk told me I could only purchase 2 items.  “Get me the manager!” I sternly commanded.  The manager showed up and I told her “Listen, I’m proposing in 15 minutes.  And I intend to have a toast afterwards.  I understand you have this 2 item rule and I want more than that.  Make it happen!”  She smiled and did so.  I felt like Teen Wolf when he is buying a keg of beer in the store, and his eyes start to glow and he gets wolf-like.  I am not sure what happened to my appearance but I got the store to sell me what I wanted.

The last part of the plan was getting everyone on the boat.  My mother had already passed me the ring under the table so as far as she knew, the plan was to stay off the boat under all circumstances.  We walk towards the boat and I get Melissa on it first.  I turn to my mom and tell her to get on the boat, it’s fine.  She and Dan get on it.  My brother is unaware of the change in itinerary, he is telling me that his bride is seasick and can’t go on.  I walk up to him laughing and whisper that it’s cool, get on the boat, so they do.  The boat ride is perfect.  We are treated to a light show and then the boat maneuvers dead center in front of the Magic Kingdom.  I am trying not to make it obvious, but I can’t help keeping a death lock grip on the ring through my pants.  I’m afraid it could be lost at sea – funny story for everyone but me if that happened.  The fireworks start up and if you’ve been reading this from the beginning, you know what happened next.

It is my brother and my understanding that females will wear black on December 8th next year to mourn us both being taken off the market on the same day.

Comments

[Katie Hahn]

I work with Melissa and I just wanted to say congrats on your engagement. The ring is beautiful. I know you must make her very happy because everytime I see her and I ask about you her face lights up. Melissa is a very sweet girl so you better take care of her. Congrats to the both of you.

Katie
P.S you are very handsome. Melissa said you were but I have never seen your picture before today. I do agree with her that you look just like your mom.

[melanie]

Hi Melissa and Scott,
Congratulations! I FINALLY had time to read your long-ass blog!! but it was great..entertaining...romantic..and i have to admit i'm a bit envious...but extremely happy for you two...Melissa you deserve a great man...i look forward to meeting scott..and hopefully visiting chicago. love, melanie

[Dan]

Kinda miss you both. looking forward to the next rendez-vous.
love you both Dan and Mom