We've been together for more than five years now, (223497554 seconds, to be a little more precise) have been happily creating a home for ourselves in Kitchener, and decided it was time that we make things official. Our engagement story was more eventful than either of us expected, so we thought it would be fun to share it here.
One sunny Thursday in April we planned to go ring shopping together. Ryan had told me he was having trouble finding the right ring, so we made plans to visit a jeweler after work that day. Little did I know, he was actually setting me up to recreate our first date and propose. Our first date involved dinner at Mel's Diner in Waterloo, followed by a movie at the local Galaxy theater, and then our first kiss in the driveway when I dropped him off at his student house. Seems like a easy enough plan...
When I got to work that morning, I learned that Mel's Diner burned to the ground in a blaze that started only hours before, and was still smoldering. Completely unaware of his proposal plan, I sent Ryan a message over Google Talk: "Mel's Diner burnt down today!!!!!!!!!!!!!" His response: " I don't think you realize how sad I am." I thought it was a little strange for him to be so upset over a diner, but I chalked it up to sentimentality about all the memories from university days.
Fortunately, Ryan can roll with the punches, and decided to continue his plan. So we walked by the *burnt wreckage* of Mel's Diner, then we had dinner at another nearby diner we've come to enjoy. By the time we were done eating, Ryan claimed that the ring store was closed, and offered to take me to a movie instead. I went along with it, thinking I might as well get a nice date out of the evening if I couldn't go ring shopping. After the movie, Ryan offered to drive home. I was surprised that he didn't take the expressway entrance near the theater which would zip us home in 7 minutes, but he said he was going to drive by Mel's again. He detoured again on the way to Mel's and drove up towards his old neighborhood. At this point I knew something was up, and started to get butterflies. He stopped in front of his old student house, got me out of the car, and stood with me in the driveway. And that's when he popped the question. (No, he didn't get on one knee, but that's perfectly fine by me! I should also mention that mid-proposal a resident walked past us and went into the house. Fortunately he didn't interrupt our moment.) I tearfully said yes, and put on the beautiful ring.
When I told the engagement story to some friends, I got a few nice perspectives on the unfortunate demise of Mel's. One friend mentioned that this is a good example to prove that you have to put away the past and start to make new memories. Another friend compared our engagement to a phoenix rising from the ashes of the Mel's wreckage. Another friend observed that now that we're engaged, nobody else can have a first date at Mel's! As tragic as that fire was (nobody was hurt, thank goodness) we just find it plain old funny that such a coincidence could punctuate our engagement story.
All told, we couldn't be happier to have found one another and to be celebrating that fact through our marriage. And we can't wait to party on the big day!