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Valentine
Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it.... It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
-- Erica Jong
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
One year ago: St. Valentine's Day
Two years ago: Valentine
I really like the Jong quote -- I've used it on previous Valentines days, too.
* * * * * * * *
Even before I was laid off, Jack and I had planned on me going up to Bellingham and spending the night tonight. Now, there's no problem at all about staying up there for a few days! So I got things ready this morning, packing for a trip to RadCon also.
I made Jack a nice valentine, using my rubber stamps and writing a romantic note. To go with this, I dug out some heart-shaped tins I've been saving, and filled them with Dove chocolate hearts, and Hershey Nuggets that taste like Symphony Bars.
But this wasn't the main valentine's day treat I had in mind -- I'd done some searching on the web (I even made a phone call to San Francisco!) to find out where I could buy Joseph Schmidt truffles. These were the really good ones I'd given Jack on our first Valentine's Day, but I'd had to skip them last year -- the chocolate store at the mall had closed without telling me, and it was too late to find another source!
But this year I could get to the Red Balloon store downtown, before getting on the highway. The box wasn't heart-shaped, but it was very attractive and stylish, with modern, abstract hearts all over it. Could it really have been hand-painted? It looked it.
* * * * * * * *
On the way up to Bellingham, I stopped at Cascade Mall, north of Mount Vernon. I think this is the only major shopping center that I hadn't visited before, between Seattle and Bellingham. I stopped because I didn't want to get to Jack's place way before he'd get home from work, and I figured I needed a snack if we weren't going out to dinner until after eight o'clock.
I was lucky enough to find a new book by Candice Hern, Miss Lacey's Last Fling. Hern is a regency author that I think had talked about getting out of the genre, due to the small amounts of money made in it. I'd be willing to read her if she did the historical romance thing.
I also browsed through two accessories stores (I think they are the same company with different marketing targets) but found nothing worth buying. I'm really pretty well stocked with hair bows, snoods, and other gadgets these days.
I didn't have to wait too long in front Jack's house for him to come home.
* * * * * * * *
Jack and I exchanged valentines gifts -- he gave me a nice card, a heart-shaped tin of Mrs. Fields chocolates, a heart-shaped basket of bath goodies from Garden Botanika, and a giant Hershey's Kiss. He was pleased with what I gave him, too! I was amused that he hunted around for good hiding places for the candy. Apparently A----- was likely to eat it all if it wasn't hidden.
We got A----- off to her NA meeting, then headed over to Stuart Anderson's Black Angus steak house for a nice dinner. Jack had thought about going to the tallest building in Bellingham tonight (it's ten stories tall!) but we didn't get it arranged in time, so eating here was just fine.
We hung out at the bar for a while, sitting right next to the service bar area, so we had a good view of how hard she was working. Jack speculated about how a gun, like the soda gun, could dispense pure alcohol with added flavorings to change to whisky, rum, and so on.
Dinner was great, but we shouldn't have been tempted by the prime rib dinner for two -- it's just too much food, especially including the "tray of all things fried" as an appetizer.
* * * * * * * *
When we left the restuarant, Jack suggested that he'd like to go "watch the submarines" at the viewpoint between downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven, and I was agreeable. Of course, the drive wouldn't be complete without someone driving in such a way as to irk Jack. He restrained his road rage, though, for the sake of a romantic evening.
We parked, and enjoyed the view. We've admired the sunsets here before, though it was already dark tonight. Jack started talking about how there was one more Valentine's Day gift. "But you'll have to help pick it out -- I just couldn't decide."
He was silent for a few moments. "I'm having trouble coming up with the right words here. This is scary!"
I knew something was up, by this point. Finally he was able to speak. "Will you marry me?"
Wow! I said yes, right away, and we kissed and hugged. I was so happy! I'd been thinking about us getting married, and had decided to bring the subject up myself after the third anniversary of our first meeting, so I thanked Jack for not making me wait that long, which made him laugh.
I asked why it had been so tough to speak, since I'm sure he knew I was willing. The difficult ending of Jack's first marriage was the cause, of course. He'd been thinking about asking me for the past few months.
We'll be engaged for at least a year, and maybe a bit more. Aggh, so many questions -- where to live, my unemployment...leave all that for another time. We are engaged! What a great Valentine's day!
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