The Quest for The One Ring
You know, I had about five different ways I wanted to start this entry. Five at the very least. Big things tend to have alot of different sides you can approach them from, and baby, this is a BIG BIG THING. So here I go, in the most direct route possible (faint of heart may want to sit down first (although if you surf the net standing up. .. well. . .um. . . ):
Dave D. and I went and got ourselves engaged.
Some people (VERY FEW people), already know this. Some people probably aren't suprised at all. Some people may be happy, some people may be shocked. Hell, some people may even be sad . . . .But well, all of that matters like, as much as the speed of sound matters in my crazy physics problem about the Mines of Moria (very very little in the grand scheme of things). But when you see me staring away at some thing on my hand, don't worry, it's not a deadly insect. . . . it's my sparkly, sparkly ring. I know I've been shy and not said anything to the handful of you who I've seen today, but that's just because I AM shy occasionally, and I've been so busy this week, I wanted to be relaxed and well-rested so that I could actually revel in this.
Basically, it's something we've talked about for quite awhile. Here's where I get to start opening a couple doors that I kept closed during my journaling!
So technically, I got proposed to a looong waays back. a couple months anyway. The minute the idea came forward, despite all the craziness that came before it, my brain yelped "YEAH!" See, there's bound to be some critics out there who would say "Amber, what the heck are you doing? Don't you remember the spring of hell?" to which I would say, Yeah, I remember it. And I remember what it felt like. But when Dave asked me about getting engaged, I wasn't thinking "Oh god, what do I say?" or "Eh, sure, why not?" It was a big leap of joy in my heart. And that's when I knew it would be a good thing, that my most unadulterated thoughts were good ones.
I left a big TO BE CONTINUED thing after my tarot card reading entry. Why? Because I told the card lady my boyfriend was shopping for a ring. She had laid out a cups card, and said that it represented karmic connections, folks you just meet and instantly find it easy to be around. You know, the crazy stuff like running into other souls from your past lives and saying "HEY I KNOW YOU!"
So anyway, I brought up the pending engagement, and she said "Ok, just draw another card" and so I did. It was the two of cups, and when she saw it she immediately said "Go for it! This is the best card you could possibly draw"
Turns out the two of cups is the engagement card. Hahaha, very funny deities of the world!
So, After a great weekend at Oglebayfest, just as mom and dad were getting back into the van to drive home, Dave stopped them, and asked for their permission to get engaged. This past weekend, Dave and I went ring shopping, what follows is a grand and lengthy account of what REALLY Happened that weekend. So if you feel like reading, go for it. If not. . . .oh well!
The Quest for the One Ring
See, originally, when Dave actually proposed to me over the far spaces of the pacific ocean, I had said what I really wanted was a ring with our birthstones in it. Diamonds just never really fascinated me. They seemed big and colorless and rather cold altogether. I quickly fell in love with the idea of being different and having real symbolism in a ring. I mean, as far as I could tell, getting a diamond was basically to say “hey baby, I’ve got heaps of cash” to everyone. And frankly in the modern era this girl isn’t so impressed by that.
Dave, Dave’s Dad, and I walked to a local jewelry store in Erie to check out some options, and I quickly discovered that just getting a ring with two different stones in it was rather difficult. And to get a nice one was even more difficult. I saw one setting I liked, but I couldn’t see the finished product until the ring was purchased. This bugged me.
It bugged me so much so that Dave called a walk. We roamed about his old neighborhood, while I tried to explain my apprehensions about buying the first ring I liked. For one thing, it wasn’t an expensive ring. . . and this bugged me, I’m ashamed to say. Out of nowhere I was confronting this weird issue of wanting something that cost a good sum of money. I wanted to cost more than an X-Box, I wanted to be WORTH more than one. Which is silly, because all this time I’ve been harping about being sooo modern and not wanting a statement of wealth in carat form.
See, the time had come for me to confront the very first of several girlhood expectations of marriage. Most girls, I think, imagine these scenarios from time to time: getting proposed to, having a ring. . . I had this weird dream in my head I’d be living like some Ally McBeal in some cosmopolitan city. I’d be at a fancy restaurant, and I’d be totally surprised.
And so far, things were going nothing like this.
But you know what? That’s a boring fantasy. That’s a Hollywood/NBC constructed set of “how you get proposed to.” I’ve been a little nervous about all of this, because I have nothing to base it on. Nobody seems to just agree to get engaged mutually. Not many of my few engaged friends went shopping for rings together. Basically, I’m . . . WE are flying blind. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It would never be fair to expect Dave to just pick a ring and have me like it (Even though repeatedly we picked out the same thing).
I discovered the real problem was that Dave and I have opposing philosophies on shopping. He likes to go somewhere, pick something out, and badabing-badaboom: shopping is done. I’m a shopping addict, so I like to extend the shopping process. I tried to use the prom-dress analogy: Even if the first prom dress I tried on was the most perfect, beautiful dress in the world, I’d go try on more dresses first. I wouldn’t feel silly coming back to it later. I’d feel BETTER about it.
So, we came to a resolution: Dave’s mom and I would go shopping on Saturday at the mall, and see what we could find.
Friday was a nice, quiet day, and Friday night we went to Smuggler’s Cove—a local seafood resteraunt—where I gorged myself on all the shrimp I could eat. Coconut shrimp, crab-stuffed shrimp. . mmmmmmmm. We all walked about the bayfront, enjoying the very pretty but slightly ominous darkness of Lake Erie.
So Saturday rolled around. Dave’s mom gave us a card for a free sitting at Sears Photo Center. We were told that we didn’t “have to” get pictures taken, but that she would be so happy if we did. Since neither of us cared much either way, we made an appointment for 2:45PM. Then Mrs. Dembinski and I were off to look for rings. We went to Zales first, where we heard mostly the same information about the difficulty of getting a nice setting with two birthstones just the way I wanted. I peeked at the diamonds beside two young fellows probably shopping for engagement rings as well. There were some very thin, delicate bands that caught my eye. Whoah, diamonds are sparkly! I pointed out a few in particular to Dave’s mom, and then we headed off to J.B. Robinsons, where we received a tremendous amount of help from a sales rep—who had what looked like a 7-carat diamond ring on her hand. Did she buy it for herself? Anyway, she was very helpful.
The next store or two involved fending off pushy salespeople who just wanted us to buy something, anything. I tried to explain what I wanted, but they reacted like I was some sort of picky nut. Hell, maybe I am. But dammit, this is important stuff. Anyway it was time to meet up with the boys again. . .
. . . . Dave and I arrived at Sears Portrait Studio just in time to pick the most neutral backgrounds possible, and wait around while hoards of small children in various stages of dressed-up were ushered in an out. We got to be the “big kids.” When it was finally our turn, I think the photographer lady let out a sigh of relief. I can only imagine what it’s like to try to pose and photograph small children all day. We behaved though! The camera made funny zooming sounds, and I had this uncontrollable urge to exclaim “Oh we’re so beautiful!” after seeing ever take. Frankly, I thought I look scary—being pale means looking rather unhealthy in all photographs. Plus when I smile my eyes get all squinty and I just don’t find it flattering. Thankfully, there was one beautiful picture, which I have titled “The choking picture” (where I have my arm around Dave’s neck). It is the best picture ever.
Where there any rings you liked? Dave asked. Actually. . .there was. That little ring in Zales had kept popping into my head. It was so simple, but so sparkly! So, we made our way back to Zales. I located the ring immediately, and got to try it on. . . .
I looked at Dave, and looked at the ring, and looked at Dave again.
“So do you want to sign up for an account?” the salesperson asked Dave. I looked at him, and looked at the ring again. Dave asked me if I wanted this one. And I yelped
“YES!”
As Dave filled out all the paperwork, I hopped and giggled and smiled and basically acted all goofy. Sam and Mrs. Dembinski retreated to the kiddy rides outside the store. I looked all around the store and outside, and thought about how many times I’d seen folks picking out rings. I wondered if people knew it was happening right here, in this moment. A great moment, in the history of Amber.
You know, some people might think this ring is small. It’s not like heaps of carats or anything. I would not care if it was less than even one. It’s just perfect. Sparkly, but not flashy. The middle diamond is all cozy and snuggled up to two smaller ones. A delicate little band. It’s a bit scary at times. I’m glad it needed sized and so I didn’t have to take it home that minute. But I can hardly wait for it now. I’ve got a picture of it as background on my computer. Baby, I’m ready, for anything.
We wandered around the Millcreek Mall some more. I bought a hotdog with kraut in the food court. and a mocharetto at Gloria Jean’s. Sam bought his own ring made of hematite in the Bazaar Court. We went home, dropped off Sam, and then went to a mum farm in northeast Pennsylvania. There you can pick as many mums as you can hold for 3 bucks. I paraded around with my beautiful bouquet, feeling beautiful and happy happy happy. Came home and smelled delicious turkey roasting in the oven. Dave’s mom made a full turkey dinner with stuffing and mashed potatotes and cranberry sauce. Oooh-ho baby. Later, after the turkey wore off, Dave ran a Vampire: The Masquerade game and Sam and I played recently-sired vampires vacationing in Niagra falls who almost sucked James and Kelly dry. Yeah, we’re geeks :)
Sunday arrived too soon, and before I knew it, we were off to Hiram again. Another week, another heap of physics work. . .oh, and those darn GRE’s on Saturday!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home