Next Coupla Months

So we started dating on December 19th 2004. As Jennifer said, the end of our date was me dropping her off at the airport for Christmas break. Of course we talked for like two hours every night and while I enjoyed that vacation I couldn’t wait till it was over.

After a rather harrowing drive in the snow back to KC from Kentucky I went to pick up Jennifer from the airport and our first date after she had arrived was Gates BBQ. I thought it was great but Jennifer thought it lacked a little something she calls “Romance.”

Anyway, that’s how our relationship started. I knew from day one that she was the one for me.  We spent the next few months getting to know each other. I still marvel at how much we have in common and how different we are. For instance, we like a lot of the same music but there’s a lot I like that she doesn’t and vice versa. I like some rather hard rock and smooth jazz (aka elevator music) and she likes country. She is an organizer and me, well some would use the term “slob” but I prefer “Unsystematic American.” While our list of differences is long we just “get” one another. We have a very similar sense of humor. We can look at something or a situation and both laugh for the same reason without ever talking about it.

So, as far as the time line goes, I left staff and got a job with Andy Golden. We did small repair in malls like Dillard’s, J. C. Penny and the like. I worked to save up for a ring. Jennifer and I talked about getting hitched so it was no secret. I did a ton of research and learned the ins and outs of diamonds. We went to jewelry stores and talked about what she wanted. This one time we went into Tiffany Co. on the Plaza and went in talking as if I were a rich young computer programmer (it was the only occupation we could think of that would be believable and still allow me to wander in wearing jeans and a t-shirt). The salesman gave us his full attention and made sure we walked out with his card. Man, that place is pricey.

To get an affordable ring I ended up going through this couple my parents know in Kentucky. They are jewelers and found me a great ring at a great price. It was exactly what I wanted and it was exactly in my price range. For those of you who know something about diamonds it has good color, good quality, is a little more than half a carat and is a PERFECT cut. It’s great. For all those young men who are thinking about getting engaged my advice to you is: Do your homework!

My folks went and checked out the diamond and ring to make sure it was nice and my sister helped too. The Jeweler offered to engrave it if I wanted but I couldn’t think of anything cool. Aubrey (my sister) came up with having a single line engraved longwise. I thought it was brilliant and so there is a line that starts out pretty deep by the diamond setting and fades out as it goes either way around the ring ans disappears before it meets on the bottom.

Next is our actual engagement. That requires an entirely separate post because it was a big deal and was that cool.