Will You Marry me? − 1 May, 2006

Chris and I took a trip to Las Vegas, her first time, my third. We planned to meet for the first time in Las Vegas in 2004 but we couldn't wait that long, but it was nice to go with her and walk around a city I love.

The last time I went to Vegas I rode the Big Shot on the Stratosphere Hotel Tower. It was intense and I never forgot it. As I was thinking of how to ask Chris to marry me, I thought it would be perfect to do so at the top of Vegas' highest point.

I was trying to figure when the best time to do this would be and I thought it had to be in May because of our birthdays. The plan was to get to the top and ride the Big Shot and then ask her. I hadn't really thought of anything else. I asked her kids beforehand what they thought of us possibly getting married there but I didn't really think it would happen.

On this night, the Mexican workers were striking so it was crazy on the strip with a parade of protestors to the immigration laws and everything. We walked the entire way from the Bellagio to the Stratosphere. We weren't dressed for the restaurant so getting a nice meal was out of the question. Probably for the best since the Big Shot is the tallest amusement ride in the world.

Chris went to the bathroom and I got us V.I.P. passes so that we could pass the line because I wasn't sure we'd get a chance to go up before it closed. I had the ring box clutched in my hand and didn't even think there might be security. I'm not sure why I forgot about it the first time I went on the ride.

The guy at the security checkpoint was clutch for me. I let Chris go first and I showed him the ring box and pleaded silently for him to take it for me and not let her see it. He was smooth and took it and my other metal stuff and passed it around the detector and said to Chris, "Ma'am, can you please step over behind the wall?" Chris did as he said and was very obedient and he gave me the ring back. I was shaking and thought for sure that she saw it.

Aside: To this day, we believe the security guy notified his supervisor because of the following:

We got in the elevator and it started taking us up. The elevator operator stopped at floor 50 or something and picked up an asian guy. He got off at floor 70 or whatever and checked some elevator motors and got back in and we went to the top. He was asking some questions of us like, "How do you like Vegas?" But I can't remember what they were exactly because I was too busy shaking, but trying to hide my nervousness from Chris.

At the top, we walked around for a while and then rode the Big Shot that didn't have a line because it was late evening. After getting off, Chris was shaking from fear of heights and the cold, so she wanted to leave and I said, "Nah, wait, look at the view though, it's beautiful." All of the sudden the asian dude from the elevator ran up past us and said, "hold it, don't load it, Don't load it!" Chris got scared and thought the ride was broken and was freaking out. She started walking down the small steps and I stopped her at the landing 2 steps down from the ride and said, "I love you so much for taking that wild ride with me. Now, I ask you to take another with me and be my wife." All the tourists began looking and talking softly, with "look, look" and stuff and it took about 10 minutes in my head for her to do anything. I said, "Say Yes, or something please." She laughed and said, "Of Course!" I got up and kissed her and then the asian dude said, "Go ahead, load it." I called my mom from the top, at what turned out to be 2:00 a.m. in Pa, and told the answering machine that she said, "Yes."

We got to the bottom of the Stratosphere and I gave the security guy a ten spot for being clutch for me. Then we went back to the hotel.

She had no idea whatsoever that I was going to ask her. I had her believing I didn't want to get engaged until our parents met each other which is in August so she got completely blinsided. I also used a credit card that we never use to pay for the ring just 4 weeks before the trip to Vegas.

I've talked about it with others, but never wanted to actually pop the question until Chris. She's my world and I'll never love anyone else as much as I love her.