The Courtship of Kendra Rushing Part Deux

Have you ever looked back over the chapters of your life and asked yourself, "how did I ever get here?" That's exactly how I feel now as I am reflecting our Kendra's and my 12th anniversary. How did I get her to say yes? I really don't know what I did or didn't do to get her to say yes--if for sure wasn't drugs--FOR SURE!
I knew Kendra was the girl for me (even though she was the only girl I ever dated--except for one ill-fated failed attempt at a date) and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her and no one else. She was the girl for me. I don't really remember us shopping around for rings as we were getting more and more serious in our relationship. We spent every possible minute together and really couldn't think of doing anything else, but just hang out. She came over to my condo for dinner at least three times a week and after dinner we would listen to a Vince Gill CD on my boom box and just be together.
Through our limited conversations about rings and such IF we were to get married, I had a pretty good idea about what kind of ring she wanted. I wanted to pick the ring out for her on my own since it was my symbol to her of my pledge to her for our union. I landed on wanting to purchase the ring set from Bailey Banks and Biddle which is the place I had purchased my first gift of jewelry. I really liked that store and especially the guy that worked there named Doc. Doc was a straight talking New Yorker who didn't cut any punches and was free to tell me how every other Jewelry store in the mall was "*%$^%&$" DELUXE. Of course I believed him. I found this pear shaped diamond engagement ring which was set into a ring guard. The ring guard had 1/2 carats of baguette diamonds which gave the total diamond weight of the ring 1 carat. It wasn't too big, she didn't want something gaudy, and it wasn't too plain, it was just like my gal--simple, beautiful, timeless, and elegant. I had one credit card with enough credit to buy the ring. $5,500 was a lot of money to spend on the ring, but she was going to wear it her whole life and I wanted it to be nice. I really wanted to spend more, but just couldn't.
With the ring in hand I had to hide it until the big day of..."the question!" Most guys I know use the top drawer of their dresser for hiding valuables. It just so happens to be my underwear drawer and my safe! I stashed the ring into the very back corner under my shorts and felt safe in knowing she would never find it there. That brings us to the big controversy of our relationship. Since this is my blog and I'm the one typing I'm going to tell my version of what I think happened and you must believe me you simply must. It's true, exact, non-fiction, real time accounting from my mind which is like a steel colander!
Kendra was coming over to my condo and cleaning up my place and doing laundry to help me out and I think to show me how awesome she would be as my wife, taking care of me as any madly in love wife would do fer her man. I was loving it, the clothes on my floor around my full hamper would magically be removed and placed back in the drawer or closet clean and I wasn't doing a thing about it! That was awesome!
Kendra's and my friend, Karen, was a stick tight and hung out with Kendra all the time. She was also one of the people who kept pushing us to date and "hook up." Karen was a hoot and we did have a good time when we were together. Well...Karen was constantly asking us when we were going to get married. "For Pete's sake Karen we just started dating!" "[please read with a heavy west Texas drawl]Karen...he's not gonna ask me to marry him this soon...it took him three months to kiss me." That was true, what they both didn't know was I had a ring in my underwear drawer and was waiting for just the right time to pop the question.
What I didn't know is that Karen and Kendra were tearing my house apart looking for a ring. A ring which they say was happened upon as Kendra was putting away my clothes. A ring which they spun around in a circle screaming over when they found it. A ring which they did tell me they knew was in my underwear drawer until a year after we were married. Women are tricky. I contend, and hold to being a fact. That this CSI search was going on all the time. The neatly folded and stacked pile of underwear which hid the ring was underwear I didn't wear so It would never have to be disrupted or disturbed. I contend that there was mashing and poking going on in ALL of my drawers in search of the ring.
I wanted the big day...the big question to be a special time and a special occasion. Something memorable and meaningful that we would both love to tell our friends. That's where the problem comes in--I hate and can't keep presents in stow for more than a month because I would implode. The big question came on a night after Vince Gill had finished singing to us and she was about to go home, the part I hated--going home. She was about to go, we were saying goodbye and talking about our plans for tomorrow when, "wait right there. I'll be right back." "Where are you going?" "Hang on!" I ran into my room (it was three steps into my room from the living room) opened the safe and retrieved the box. Opened the lid and got onto my knees. As I crawled into the living room on my knees Kendra just looked at me with that look that I still get today, "What in the sam hill are you doing!" "Kendra...before you leave I just want you to know that I love you more than anything. I can't really imagine how I could live my life without you because I love you so much." "Awww...I love you to." "Well...hang on....Kendra I was wondering if you would be willing to spend the rest of your life with me as my wife?" That's when the ring was presented (which she knew was in the safe). She's not a very good shock faker, "Of course...oh I love it....it's beautiful." Needless to say, we didn't say goodbye for little bit longer. She kept looking at her finger and staring at that ring.
Next stop...Des Moines, Iowa