Our Engagement
Nobody believes me when I tell them this.
Brian proposed to me nine days after our first date, and therefore had no ring with him when he popped the question. But that's not why everyone freaks out (well, not usually).
Everyone freaks out over this:
When Brian asked me if we should "go looking for rocks" (diamonds,) I told him I'd never really cared for diamonds so why didn't we look for something else? He found this eminently reasonable and so we went on a shopping trip with much broader scope. I settled upon:
A computer.
That's right, a computer. A Compaq Pentium 75, seventeen-inch monitor and a full complement of toys. (Don't sneer. This was 1995.)
This is what happens when I tell people about my "engagement ring":
Sadly, the women are now on guard for this. They take deliberate, immediate (and sometimes violent) steps to drive that idea right out of his head. Then they drag the men off, muttering something about my being a bad influence. As if that were something new.
Brian did give me a beautiful garnet ring at a later date but I'm not sorry I opted for a computer instead of a diamond. It's not only horribly useful, but I've been able to take on contract work as a web site developer. Plus, we're going to update (read: replace) my machine shortly. How many people get bigger and better engagement rings every two years?
Return to our Santa Barbara wedding.
The Wacky Seester