I Got Engaged

I don't really know if I have to say much more than that, but yeah, I asked Megan to marry me two weeks ago. I took her up to Napa for a fun filled weekend of wine tasting. I took a half day on Friday and we got to the bed and breakfast a little after 8. We didn't lounge around for long at the b&b as we were hungry, so we went in search of a decent place to eat. We wanted to go some hip/awesome little cafe, but the host blew us off and seated people that came in after us before us. We left and opted to eat at an Italian restaurant. Not knowing how good the first place was, I can't say the Italian joint was better, but I can say it was fricking awesome and I had the best pork chops I have ever had in my life. I wish I could say Friday night was much more exciting, but after driving for over 7 hours, we didn't feel like doing much more than eating and going to bed.

We awoke Saturday morning, refreshed and ready to face a full day of drinking wine. As the name implies, the b&b served breakfast. They started us with gingered pears and muffins, which were awesome, and I wish I knew what the main course was, but it was really good too. Part of our package with the b&b was a wine shuttle that would drive us around all day and we would hit at least 5 wineries in Napa Valley. There was another couple staying at the b&b that went on the tour with us. They were a young couple from Nevada that were on a weekend vacation like us. The shuttle, being driving by Tom (Tom), arrived at 10 a.m. We picked up 4 more couples, one of which was from Baltimore and had just gotten together a few months ago.

The highlights:

1. As I sipped some wine at the first winery, some of the red liquid went down the wrong pipe and I started coughing in to the glass. Everyone thought I sneezed, so I just went with that excuse rather than tell them I don't know how to drink wine. The taste...y? threatened to cut me off, which was entertaining because it was 10:30 in the morning.

2. The Andretti winery tastey guy got pissed at us because we bought mustard that they didn't even make instead of wine.

3. A tastey guy telling Megan to try a flavor of wine she didn't even ask for because he knew she'd like it. As it turns out, she did and we bought a bottle of it.

4. Calling our driver Tom Tom all day because of the GPS commercials. "Home Tom Tom!"

5. A couple that was on our shuttle that bought like 10 bottles of wine at every winery. They were dropping some serious scratch all day.

6. Seeing OSU beat Michigan.

7. Taking a tour of the Alpha/Omega winery in addition to the tasting. Apparently Tom Tom has some connections that get his tours free tastings and cool shit like that.

8. Getting drunk and not having to drive.

We got back to the b&b at 5 p.m., right when it was time for the complimentary wine tasting. I have no idea whether or not the b&b people meant for this to happen, but everyone staying at the inn came down and hung out in the "living room" area for an hour. Megan and I were the youngest couple there, which was cool because I think some of the older couples were a little surprised we were hanging out with them AND carrying on intelligent conversation with them. Of course, being the youngest couple there was also really fucking weird because it was like, "This is weird." We could only take an hour of it, so we bailed and took a nap before we had to get ready for dinner.

Now, here's the good part of the story; the part I'm sure you've really been waiting for. Unfortunately, you're going to have to suffer through some back story before we get there.

When Megan and I started dating 78 years ago, she wanted to ask me to a winter dance, but she was so nervous to ask that she wrote out on a napkin what she wanted to actually say to me. It was cute because we had previously talked about how it's easier to write what you want to say rather than actually say it, mainly because it seems that people communicate through email and IM more than they do face to face these days. Anyway, that's the basis of what I did when I proposed. While she was not paying attention to me (as she usually does not) while reading the wine menu, I began scribbling on a napkin about how much I love her, how I want to spend my life with her, blah blah blah. I ended my writing with, "I think we're past asking each other questions through napkins, so I hope you don't mind when I ask..." When she looked up at me, I had the ring in my hand. In her excitement, she said yes before I actually asked her, but after reminding her I hadn't asked yet, she promptly told me to ask. I asked and she said yes.

The rest of dinner was fun since most of the wait staff came by the table to see the ring and say congratulations. They gave us the wrong food, but we didn't care since it was good and fairly close to what we actually ordered. I would say it was a great night and hopefully it lived up to her expectation of how she wanted to get engaged.

After another amazing breakfast the next morning, where everyone already knew we had gotten engaged (Apparently the staff talked to some of the other patrons about my plans), we left for home. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, but I couldn't have asked for a better 3 days.

It's official, Megan and I are engaged.