Engagement Story

This is Christine's story of how Dave asked Christine to marry him.
Please note the running stream of consciousness typing....

I had an Ultimate frisbee league game on Saturday. Dave said he'd meet me afterwards to go to the pub together and have a beer with my league-mates. I didn't think much of it - Dave knows most of them and couldn't play because of his recent ACL injury. I thought he just wanted some social time with everyone.

On the way to the pub, I got a text message that said:

Ten Things I Love About You - An interactive Saturday afternoon. :) NextMsg@1:35

It was from "Dave@Telaeris.com". I didn't recognize the email address and thought, gosh, is this spam? Is this some sort of advertisement, what are they trying to sell me? Then, before I could get out of the car, another one came and this one said: 

10. You are always up for an adventure. Here begins an adventure. Important - follow all instructions!!! NextMsg@1:37

So I thought hmmm...this looks like something Dave would send, I bet it's him.
I went inside and met Dave at the pub. The first thing he said to me was, "Where's your phone?" I said "In the car?" He said "Go get it!" I complained "What? But I just came from my car, I don't want to get it, I'll get it after lunch." Dave said "No, you have to go get it." So I said "Fine" and went to my car and got my phone. I'd just gotten back when I got another text message that read

9. You like diving after frisbees. After all that hard work, you should go have a beer. NextMsg@2:30

I was already at the pub, and Dave was reminding me that I had to follow all instructions, so I said, hey, don't mind if I do. But I started to suspect that something was up...this all seemed to be an intricate plan...

After having a sandwich and beer and chatting with friends, it was getting to be time to go and I received another text message that read

8. You are athletic. And Boy does it smell....I mean show! Head home and take a shower. NextMsg@3:10

So I said, hmm, I guess I'll go home and take a shower, but Dave, what are you doing? To which he replied, I'm going to your house too. Highly amused by all this, I drove to my house and hopped in the shower. Upon getting out of the shower and getting dressed, the next message promptly arrived and read

7. You hate my car, but will still drive in it with me. Time for Dave to drive you to his house. NextMsg@3:20

'Gosh, I wonder what's happening next?' I thought to myself. But I got my stuff together, hopped in Dave's car, and we'd only made it to the corner when I realized I'd left my phone on my bed. So back we went so I could dig my phone out from under my clothes. By the time I got it and back in the car the next message had arrived and it read

6. You are cute when you are grumpy. I hope this is fun for you and you are not grumpy now. NextMsg@3:25

I barely had time to laugh and assure him that I was not grumpy when the next message came and read

5. You love to garden and beam when I garden with you. Time to plant some blueberries!! NextMsg@3:45

Unfortunately by the time we got to his house it was clear we didn't have time to plant the blueberry plants I had gotten him the week before, but we picked out a nice spot. 

4. You have wonderful dreams of biking across the country.
   Head out on your bike to 754 W. Washington St. for a snack. NextMsg@4:00

So we hopped on our bikes and started biking out. Now, mind you, Dave's was still recovering from his knee surgery and was only just okayed to walk without crutches the day before. His physical therapist allowed him to bike on flat terrain, though, and it's actually easier for him to bike than walk. I had no idea where 754 W Washington is, but he led me to it and it was Venissimo cheese shop! Just as we arrive, the next message arrived:

3. You like smelly cheeses just like me. No - I'm not a smelly cheese. Sheesh.
   Continue biking to the Balboa Park Aquatic Pool. NextMsg@4:01

So we get to taste test all these wonderful cheeses and pick a couple out. In the middle of this, the next message comes and reads 

I ordered sunshine for the afternoon. Hope God is cooperating. :) NextMsg@4:30

So we get our bread and cheeses and got back on the bikes and biked for about 10 minutes to Balboa Park. I'd been thinking to myself "Aquatic Pool? Where is there a YMCA or something at Balboa Park?". Then I realize that he probably means the reflection pond in front of the botanical gardens, the site of one of our first study dates. So I now know something is definitely up! And it's not Valentines Day, and it's not my birthday...

We arrive at the reflection pond, and look in on the lily pads and the koi. Then the next message arrives and reads:

2. You are rigorous in making sure I follow doctor's orders.
   Time to make Dave do his exercises. NextMsg@5:30

I thought, huh, that's a bit odd, but I guess he really appreciates my keeping him on track with his Physical Therapy, that's kind of neat. So I said "Should we sit down and open up the bread and cheese while you do your exercises?" He said "Sure." So I sat down and got the cheese out and turned around to find Dave's down on one knee pulling this box out of his pocket!

I knew it was coming and yet I was still surprised! He asked me to marry him and I said yes. But then I said...but what was #1?  He asked what I thought it was and I said "Well...I think it's 'I love you because you said yes' ". And sure enough, on our bike ride home the last message came in and said:

1. You said yes. At least I hope you did. I can only imagine how happy I am.

So that's the proposal story. We had already planned on trying to check out a California Grunion run that night, so we called up more friends and had about 20 people show up impromptu to the beach that night so we shared our news amidst a wonderful grunion run. It's all been sort of a blur ever since, and a flurry of wedding planning activity is beginning.