Engagement Story

So, here's the story for those of you who are interested:

Having obtained her parents' permission I went about planning my attack. My initial plan was to use the mainstage of the Goodman theatre. I had already convinced her that I had an audition there, which I didn't have, for a play whose title I stole from Ira ("Lying Through Your Teeth") which he invented for an audition monologue he'd written back in college. The deal was that she would pick me up from that audition on the way to a real one at collaboraction, and somehow I'd get her inside by calling her cell and saying "oh...dear, you've got to see the stage setup in here," or something ridiculous to that affect. She'd come in, I'd be on the mainstage and I had planned to sing "Absolutely Cuckoo" by the Magnetic Fields (69 Love Songs...buy it). That was the initial plan.

For those who don't know the Goodman is where we met, where we had our first date and has been all around important to our relationship, so I figured it would mean something special to do it there.

Well, it's a good thing I check on my plans. I called my friend Lilly, who works there, and said, "Hey, the Goodman's dark on Mondays. How difficult do you think it'd be for them to walk me in and let me use their stage for maybe five minutes?" To which she replied that it wouldn't be possible due to the load-in and teching of "Return to Bountiful."

Glavin!

To make a long story short, Lilly and I wetn back an forth for a day or so trying to figure out how it could work, before I finally decided I would be just as happy using the roof. That...she said, would not be a problem.

So, Friday afternoon (February 22) I was working downtown in the offices of Mtv Networks, which is about 75-80% less cool that it sounds. And it's not really all that cool to begin with. Blair and I were planning on seeing some Theatre School MFA performance that evening, and somehow, I convinced her with little trouble to drive down and pick me up. She pulls up to where I'm standning. I shuffle around to the driver's side and say, "Switch."

"Ummm...no, I'm driving."

"No, no. Switch."

She does.

I get into the driver's seat, and hand her my scarf, already folded to blindfold width, and say, "Either you're gonna put their around your eyes, or you're going to have to promise to keep them tight shut."

She kept her eyes shut, which she was having much difficulty with.

Now, she's smart enough that she knew both where we were going and what I was going to do, but she was good enough not to say anything until we got there. Had she I would've just said, "Fine, I'll propose in this Burger King drive through." (we didn't eat at Burger King. Don't eat at Burger King)

After I took two wrong turns like a mook, we finally pulled up in front of the Goodman.

"Where are you parking my car?"

"Don't worry about it. The flashers are on"

"Oooooooooooookay."

I steered her through the lobby. Lilly guided us into the elevator and rode with us, which Blair didn't know that anyone was with us in the elevator. I get the high sign from Lilly, and lead Blair out onto the roof. I'm about to get down on my knee, when I see....

some jamoke on the corner of the roof smoking. Boo.

I take Blair's hand and say, "Wait right here and keep your eyes closed."

I run over to this guy, who I know from when I worked here, and say, "Listen, I need you to do me a huge favor."

He looks at me. Looks at Blair, then gives me this look as if to say, "Uh, listen buddy, I don't have a lute stuffed down my pants. I can't accompany you if you're about to serenade."

"No, no. Just finish your smoking at a later time."

"OH! Yeah. Sure thing."

He runs inside and I return to Blair...get down on one knee and say, "Open your eyes."

She says, "......what's my return on this?"

"Well, it's me or the four story drop."

No, no. None of that happened. She said yes and then soon after asked, "Uh, so where'd you park my car?"

And that...as they say...was that.