The Proposal: September 3rd 2009

by Flickr user cheekster

So on September 3rd around sunset on the side of the Temple facing a giant Rubik-like cube, that stood suspended in mid air, I bent on one knee and asked Katie to be my wife. She said yes of course, but even as I knew she wanted to be my wife. This was a moment of truth. A momentous decision. The task did not feel easy or rushed.

So I am now engaged. I proposed to my Fiance during our visit to the ephemeral Black Rock City in Nevada (say it with a smile). This was my second visit to Black Rock City and I saw it only fitting since we had a Playa Marrage (yes that is how it is spelled on the certificate) during our last visit to the city we should become engaged in the default word during my second visit there.

I did have a few frustrating moments leading up to our arrival and that left me stranded in BRC without a ring, but with a plan. This was plan b as plan a was deemed by the ninja proposal planning committee (thanks lynn!) as too movie like to actually work and plan b became viable because some of the playadipity that I normally experience on the playa started happening a few weeks before I actually arrived there. My friend, Calamity Joe, mentioned that he had crafted some wooden rings to give away as gifts this year. I had asked him if he could provide me a suitable alternative and he stated that he already had make a pair of rings one for the each of us. Excellent, Plan b might actually work! Plan B had to work.

So I remembered the bottle of whiskey for the Whiskey & Whores saloon and set out to find my carpenter with my soon-to-be Fiance in tow shortly after we had settled in after arriving through the gate. I made a special effort to track the place down the first night using the guise of my whiskey delivery as an excuse. We arrive at the saloon and Joe is not about. This is why I started wandering over here early in the week. Drats! now I would have to start using my bromance with Joe as a excuse to want to constantly visit. I accepted that it wasn’t the time and continued our visit to BRC.

Our first night there we ended up visiting the temple and I was able to plan out where I wanted the proposal to take place. All I needed was for Joe to come through. I was finally able to meet up with Joe as his camp, but the rings that he created for us had been misplaced so he provided me with an alternative one that he happened to have on hand. It was actually perfect, but Joe then admitted that he knew nothing about ring sizes and wished me the best. Okay … well I hope it fits was all I thought as I claimed the ring in front my love. I was trying to be sneaky, but I was not sure if it worked. Finally, I was armed with my magical wooden engagement ring. Now all we needed was to be at the temple at the perfect time and the perfect place. Part of me knew it would happen and part of me was worried about how it would go down.

The perfect place and time happened, Sledge, one of our camp mates, offered us a short ride in his Tiki Art Car. We had been wanting to ride in a Art Car and I was dressed as I wanted to be dressed when I proposed. I didn’t try to commandeer the trip, but I knew that the moment was upon us. Sledge eventually drove out to the temple without any prompting from me. This was the moment I was waiting for. I was extremely nervous as we approached the temple and I was trying very hard not to show it. Playing up how awestruck I was with the marvelous views that we were seeing all around us. We began to wander around the temple. I ,barely, paid attention to the marvelous work that adorned the panels that made up the majority of the temple. We traveled through the throng cooing at each other until we reach the top of the temple and looked out over the playa towards the man. There was a wedding taking place at the foot of the temple. We spoke more about life and wanting to be with each other forever. The wedding completed and hoots and hollering came from all around the temple. I let out a cheer and then ushered her over to another side of the temple that was quieter and had less activity. All through this time I was trying to remain calm and keep myself to the task at hand. This was the moment and this was when it was supposed to happen. I told her that I wanted to be with her forever and she replied in kine as we have done many times before. However, after she finished speaking I stated lets make this official. I bent down to one knee, looked her in the eye, stated her full name and asked Will you marry me and for the second it took her to reply my world shook as I looked into her eyes. After she said yes though her surprised covered mouth I could stand again. We came together and kissed and she shed joyous tears.

One of our friends even took pictures of us moments after it happened completely by accident. So the moment happened and I have never been happier. Everything happened as playadipidtyly planned as possible.

Whew done stressing…

I haz fiance now.