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A local radio station had a contest for the best engagement story. Well, as they said, "Well, you didn't win..." But they did like it enough to give us runner-up and a nice DVD set !! Have a seat, its kinda long...

We had been planning a trip to a friend's wedding in New Orleans, and I decided that this trip would be THE ONE. I had written a poem, and planned to read it over the loud speaker of the plane, taking a knee in the aisle. Some things just don't go the way you plan 'em...
I had gotten the engagement ring, unbeknownst to Debbie, but it was sized too large. We live in Philly, but are getting married in Kansas City, where she is from originally. I had to FedEx it back to the jeweler, and they were to do the same when they were finished. We were leaving on Friday, and I was to have the ring on Tuesday or Wednesday. Both days came and went, as did Thursday. I couldn't get in touch with the jeweler, and I didn't know who they were shipping through. It was know Fridayaround 2PM (our flight was at 5PM). I was in a panic !

I contacted FedEx, and they managed to track down the ring. They said it was not shipped overnight, and should arrive at our house on Monday. I explained the entire travel and engagement situation. They said it had arrived at their Spring Garden St. facility, but they had to locate it out of all of the other packages on the docks. I told them that I would come down and pick it up if they could find it.

At 3:30 PM I left work and headed to Center City. I still had not heard back from FedEx as to whether or not they located the ring. As I sat on the highway in early rush hour traffic, I can't even explain my emotions. I called Debbie to make sure she would be ready to go, and told her I was stuck in traffic. She hadn't even packed yet ! I pulled into FedEx around 4PM. As I rolled into their lot, they phoned to say they had found the box. It looked like this would happen after all ! I raced home (30 minutes with traffic). It was roughly 4:30PM when I got home, and Debbie still was not packed for our 5:30 flight. We argued back and forth about why she was not packed, and why I didn't get home until 4:30. Well, I couldn't tell her !

We finally left for the airport at 4:50PM, for a 5:30 flight, during rush hour on the highways of Philadelphia. Not a lot of nice things were said on the trip to the airport ! Remember that poem I had written? You guessed it... In all of the haste and confusion, I had left it at home. Anyway, I dropped her off, hoping she could find some way to stall the plane, while I parked the car. As I was searching for a spot, she called to tell me the flight had been delayed. A good sign, and a huge sigh of relief.
We finally boarded the plane about an hour later, but due to our own late arrival, we were seven rows apart. Luckily, I remembered part of the poem, so I took to rewriting it. A barf bag was all I could find to write on, how fitting, because that's exactly how I was starting to feel. Soon we landed in Cinncinnati to meet our connecting flight.

As we were checking in at the gate, the attendant noticed the black suit over my shoulder. "Oh ! Are you two getting married?' she asked. We told her we were just heading to a friend's wedding. As we were boarding the plane, we were greeted by the captain and another flight attendant, who again asked us if we were getting married. I chuckled back at them, and the captain commented, "That sounds like a nervous laugh to me." Could they see my heart pounded through my clothes? I was starting to feel like a basketcase.
Everyone was taking their seats. Now was the time ! I told Debbie that I had to put our bags up front, as there was no room for them overhead. My heart was like a jackhammer ! I stood in front of the plane for what seemed like 10 minutes (actual time 30 seconds) before I had the nerves to talk to the flight attendant. Debbie, meanwhile, couldn't see me because our seats were directly behind the First Class wall. I pointed to the microphone and muttered to the flight attendant, "So, can anyone use this thing?" She asked what I wanted to say, probably to make sure I wasn't hijacking the plane. Unable to really form any words, I pulled out the ring and the poem. She got so excited, you'd think I was proposing to her ! She knocked on the cockpit and OK'd it with the captain.

I stood up in front of a plane full of people and read the following poem (don't laugh, its been a while since my last Shakespeare class):

I've moved half a dozen times
but you always seem to find me.
I leave a trail of dirty clothes,
you clean a path behind me.
Of all my little quirks, you rarely do complain.
I think I've found the love of my life
(that or I'm insane).
I know we're meant to be together,
that's why I'm down on one knee
with just one question, "Debbie,
will you marry me?"

I waited and waited. Did she somehow get off the plane when I wasn't looking? I started to get up to look for her, and then she peaked around the divider. It was like the slow-motion-in-the-daisy-field scene, as she came down the aisle. All of a sudden, the plane erupted in cheers and applause as she siad "Yes."
Needless to say, they moved us into the only two open seats in First Class and proceeded to get us (well, at least me) hammered. I was drinking rum and coke, and Debbie had a few glasses of Chardonnay. As we landed, the flight attendant brought a little care package... a bag with a bottle of wine, an opener, 2 cans of coke and 5 mini bottles of rum.
In all of the confusion, we forgot that we started the trip mad at each other. Isn't that what love is all about?