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The Proposal

His Version

I guess it all began when Jessie's parents (and sister) came to visit her here in Louisville in January. I had been waiting for a time that I could ask for her father's blessing in person. I asked him and of course he eagerly approved. I guess I was not too nervous about asking him, because I knew he likes me and that he was bound to say yes, but I practiced my speech for days beforehand anyway. Once he agreed, I had to get the ring and cook up a plan. My grandparents graciously gave me a diamond that had belonged originally to my great-grandmother and it was absolutely beautiful. Once I had gotten it set in the new ring there was only one more (very large) step in the process. I had to come up with a creative, cute, and personal way to propose. Jessie and I had been building a movie theatre in my basement for several months, and it was almost complete. I saw this as a great opportunity since we were both very excited about the theatre being almost finished, and had both worked so hard on it. We got to the point that it was finished enough for an "opening night" and that was my cue. I cleverly asked her a few weeks before what her current favorite movie was (it turns out to be Dirty Dancing). I bought a copy and edited the DVD on my computer so that part way through it would appear to start skipping and then display an error. I hoped to go to Blockbuster with her on that Friday and rent Dirty Dancing and then do a quick switch up while she wasn't looking. When I went to Blockbuster about a week early to check everything and make sure that part of the plan would work, I discovered that my branch does not even stock that movie! Fortunately the manager was very friendly (and a hopeless romantic who loved the plan), so he gave me a blockbuster 2-disk case and printed out a real blockbuster insert for the case as if it really was the movie. I told Jessie that I had decided that we should watch that as the "Opening Night" movie a few days before the actual evening, so that there would be no room for suspicion. As I put in the movie that I had "picked up from Blockbuster on the way home from work" I commented on having a choice between widescreen and standard formats (2 discs). I dimmed the lights and we started watching the movie. I got more nervous as the selected moment in the movie approached, but I knew it was going to all work according to plan from that point forward. It began skipping and then displayed a message to "check the disc" so I got up and turned on the lights and ejected the disc which I reported was "badly scratched." I asked Jessie to hand me to other DVD out of the case which was sitting next to her on the floor. When she opened the case, the ring was in there and I got on my knee and proposed. Fortunately she said "yes!"

Her Version

(Transcript of an Instant Message Conversation)

Katie: So explain how the engagement worked

Katie: I want you to give details

Jessie: well, for the last 5 months or so, walker and I have been building a movie theatre in the basement

Jessie: We have been doing the dry wall, the painting, Walker did the electrical, I sewed curtains

Jessie: It has been a pretty huge project

Jessie: Our opening night was that Friday

Katie: yeah

Katie: sounds like a big fun project

Jessie: Yep, so walker asked me what movie was my favorite movie…

Jessie: I said dirty dancing - although it is a toss-up with pretty woman

Jessie: I thought he was just being very nice not making us watch an action movie

Jessie: but - he had other intentions in mind.

Jessie: He got a copy of dirty dancing ahead of time, and edited one of the two disks (wide/full screen set) so that it would mess up part way through

Jessie: And when it messed up, he asked me to grab the other disk out of the case. I did, and the ring was inside the case. Then he got down on one knee and proposed.

Jessie: and I said yes - obviously :)

Katie: ooh

Katie: that is so great

Jessie: definitely cute!

Katie: so inventive

Katie: good job walker



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