Laughs. Tears. And A Ring Was Involved.

Tonight was a rather important night.

The day itself proceeded without too much fanfare, but as evening approached.... well, that's when things started happening.

We had tickets for the ballet tonight.

The evening's performance was four short pieces titled "PNB Broadway Festival".

Each one was a bit more modern than your typical "classical" ballet and based on more contemporary works from the stage and screen.

Normally I'd give you a review of each piece, but I have to say that they were ALL fantastic and very enjoyable. (Well, at least the three pieces we stayed for that is. We cut out after the second intermission and left early)

If you're interested in attending the ballet, but don't want to go to some 'stuffy, old performance' this was very entertaining and well worth the price of admission.

I highly recommend seeing this the next time they present it.

As I mentioned, we left early after the second intermission.

Hotness was getting hungry, so we left before the show got out to head over to Pomodoro and have something to eat.

Mmmm... Calamares a la Plancha and Ravioli de Hummus y Truffa. Muy Bueno!

While we ate, we sat and talked about the performance and just things in general.

Our original plan was to go for appetizers and dessert, but after the appetizers Hotness was quite full so she passed on the dessert while I had their Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse Cake.

She had a few bites (even though she said she was full), and waited for me to finish.

I had been planning on this evening for quite some time, and so far everything was going according to plan.

First the ballet, then a late dinner, followed by... well hang on. I'm getting to that part.

After I finished the cake, we were ready to pay the bill and go home.

Hotness excused herself to the restroom before we got in the car for our drive back.

While she was in there, I placed a card on the table in front of where she had been sitting.

When she came back and gathered her stuff together, she didn't notice the card as it kind of blended with the tablecloth. (Uh-oh. Not going so well)

As she picked up her things, that's when she saw the card was there. (Whew! Back on schedule!)

"What's this?" she asked.

"What's what?" I said, all innocent like.

"It's a card," she replied.

"Well, I guess you'd better open then," I answered.

So she did.

It was a mushy kind of card. Filled with lots of words that you want to say, but never can get out right. Thank goodness for people who know what you want to say and can do it much better than yourself.

It was about love and finding the person you want to spend your life with.

She got a little teary-eyed and said "Aw, thank you."

"But wait," I said, "That's just the first part. This is the second part", and I pulled a small box out of my coat pocket.

It was a box about... oh, 2 inches square by an inch-and-a-half tall.

Just big enough to hold a ring.

I opened it up in front of her at the table.

She looked at it, then looked at me, looked back at it and her eyes started to get all teary.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yes," I said, "Will you marry me?"

By then we were both getting sort of weepy-eyed.

She grabbed the napkin and blotted her eyes and said "Yes!"

"I-I-I..... I don't know what finger I'm supposed to put it on!" she said.

I told her it belongs on her left hand next to her heart on her third finger.

It went on and fit just perfectly.

She is very anxious to show it off, so when you see her, be sure to ask about it.

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We've been together for 11 years.

It's not that I wanted to drag it out forever and see how long I could string her along.

I just had some issues that I needed to work through before I could bring myself to make that decision for the second time. (My first one was a disaster and left me very bitter for a long time)

But we've been through a lot and we've put up with each other despite all of it.

Recently things had just come to the point where I either needed to make the final step or just never move on.

Only a very small handful of friends knew about this ahead of time. And if you are a friend that I didn't tell in advance, please don't take it personally. I had to keep from having it being revealed to Hotness before I asked.

I had the fortune of getting her dad's blessing year's ago before he died and her mom and I discussed this not long ago, so I had her's as well.

Most recently I received her brother's blessing, so her family approves.

(My mom has been bugging me about it for a while, so I didn't bother to check with her!)

I will keep you updated on when the wedding will be and all that stuff, so stay tuned for further developments......