She said YES!

Yesterday, I got done with work around 4. I got impatient with hailing a cab, so I walked back to my hotel, 11 blocks downtown, 3.5 block crosstown. It took me 20 minutes. I got to the room and quickly changed into jeans and sweater. I moved the ring box that had been in my computer bag since Saturday to my jacket pocket while Leah was in the bathroom.

The plan was simple. I took her Rockefeller Plaza, 25 blocks uptown. I had to remove my scarf and gloves because we were walking so fast. Yesterday was the warmest day here all week, with a high of 44. Unfortunately, it was also the windiest. We walked up 6th street (The Avenue of the Americas). I made a bee line to the skating rink once we found Rockefeller Plaza. It was busy and crowded, but not impossible. It took us around 15 minutes to get through the line, buy tickets, get our skates and get on the ice.

I had been planning this moment since I found out that I was going to New York. The original plan was for Savannah, a planned vacation at the end of the month. When I found out that IBM was sending me to New York, I though that would be so much better than Savannah. The problem is that I had to move plans up a month. The previous two weeks has been crazy. I had to talk to both set of parents, get the ring moved up, and talk with Audrey. I got everything done, except the ring that I wanted. No time to make the ring I wanted. I got the diamond I wanted and the jeweler put it a tiffany setting. I can bring it back next week for them to make the correct setting.

I had never been to Rockefeller Plaza before, only seen pictures. It was gorgeous. The rink was not very crowded at all. We started skating around and I started getting super nervous. We circle once, twice, and then a third time. I couldn't find the right words to start. Leah joked, saying, "Are you purposely skating away from the edge so I will fall down?" I thought to myself, "Yes and No", but just laughed it off. I unzipped my jacket and the zippered inside pocked that held the ring.

Finally I pulled her to the middle of the ice. I told her that I wanted to be there for her for the rest of our lives. That I would love her and protect her forever. She seem to note the difference in my tone. I got down on one knee. I continued to talk, but I couldn't tell you exactly what I said. The rink started spinning as my nervousness manifested itself into dizziness. Dizziness + Tearing up + Ice + trying to put my love into words + being on one knee was hard, but thankfully I didn't fall down.

At this point I tried to remove the ring from my jacket. I didn't unzip enough, and my nervousness made it challenging to remove the box. It finally popped out. I opened it and asked her to marry me. Unfortunately, I opened the box upside down. She gracefully turned it for me and said yes. At this point I was reminded that we had an audience of a few hundred people. They cheered. Leah removed her glove and I put the ring on her finger. We hugged and held each other for a few minutes.

We started to skate again. I couldn't feel my legs, since all the blood had rushed to my head. I tried very hard to make the moment perfect. I had also tried very hard to make it a surprise. Leah told me that I was successful on both counts. You can read her blog entry about last night here. We might have video available. With the flood of "Congratulations" from everyone, a pair of women filmed the whole thing. I gave her my email address. Hopefully that will work out.

We continued the night with the Saks Fifths Avenue window displays, a scroll down Fifth Avenue, dinner at Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro, and a climb up the Empire State Building. The winds were brutal up top, but it made for a wonderful memory. Someone recognized us from the skating rink for one more "Congratulations".

Leah has brought me such happiness, I wanted to make her feel as special as I am happy. We made a night full of wonderful memories. And now I am engaged.