As Per Request...

A friend requested I tell the ring-picking story. It's really not all that exciting...but here goes:

Some people have commented, wondering what took Jim so long. Many were expecting an engagement even before we were dating. But just to clear things up, it was ME who took so long. We were going to go ring shopping at the beginning of January, but I panicked and asked if we could wait a little while. It was just a week and a half later than planned, but my nerves appreciated it.

The night before we went I tossed and turned in anticipation. I couldn't stop thinking about what the heck I was doing the next day. That night's snow storm had also made the roads very slick and the news reported many accidents, and I hadn't heard from Jim since before he left work so my mind went crazy with worry, 'I agreed to marry someone that I'm not going to get the chance to. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!' But that was all in vain, he was perfectly warm in his own bed.

My Mom offered to pay for my nails, so she and I went just before Jim came to get me to have manicures. "Gotta have pretty hands for a pretty ring!" she said.

So, with great feeling hands we headed to Shane Co. Then to a custom place that we ran from pretty quickly, then to Williams Jewelers. At Williams, we were chatting with the jeweler, and another woman walked into the shop. I glanced behind my shoulder and my eyes went wide. I nudged Jim and his eyes went wide. I said "Denise!" and she turned around in surprise. This woman is the mother of a childhood friend of mine, my voice teacher and was also played Mrs. Fairfax in Jane Eyre, where Jim stared as Mr. Rochester and I played Lady Ingram. She gasped and said "WHAT HAVE I CAUGHT YOU TWO DOING?!" .... "ooooh....nothing...... blush." During the play she would come to me and say, "Have you thought about dating Jim?" And she would go to Jim and say, "Have you thought about dating Erin?" At that time we were not yet dating, but had been close friends for over two years. So, needless to say, she was ecstatic.

We stopped at Fred Meyer Jeweler and found another choice there also. We decided to call it a day. Jim asked me several times over the next few days, "Have you thought about the rings any more?" I decided on the one at Shane Co, but we went back a few times to make sure it's what we wanted. It was, but it needed to be re-sized. The jeweler told us it wouldn't be ready until February 1st. I was sent away for a moment so Jim could talk to her about his plans. We went back to purchase the ring, and our jeweler followed, handed the tag to the clerk, then said "I need that back," and ran away with it. Over the next few days he would say to me "It won't be ready until February 1st" and I would just nod and say "ok." But since you've read the preceding story, we all know he didn't want to wait that long. ;)