So, yeah...
... I went and got engaged, then.
That's us on a boat home, something like about an hour or so after I proposed to Jo last night. I like the fact that the UK's Tallest Ever Building Ever is in the background of what spontaneously became my official engagement announcement pic. I also like the fact that I can take a boat home along the Thames after proposing to my girlfriend, but that's another story.
Anyway, the story, in the form of answering questions:
Why now? Because we probably can't afford, for one reason and another, to move in together until much later this year (like, towards the end of it). And we probably can't afford, for one reason and another, a wedding until maybe around eighteen months to two years from now. But this is a way of confirming that yes, we are planning to do it at some point. Why wouldn't I want to, after all? Jo is great. Jo is more than great, but this is a public entry so I'm not going to go into too much in the way of mush right now.
But why specifically now? Like, on Valentines Day? Ugh. Well, because I knew I was going to do it at some point in the first few months of this year (so did Jo, she just didn't know where or when or anything). I've known for a long time exactly where and how I wanted to do it - while sitting on a stone bench on the South Bank at night, looking out at the river and the boats and multiple lit up sights of London while sitting close and sipping hot chocolates - because it's something that's special to the both of us (based on a past experience of doing exactly that). And then I found The Perfect Ring in January - it fitted just about every criterion that she'd specified for what she might want in a hypothetical ring some hypothetical day - and managed to get hold of it thanks to the logistical help of the utterly wonderful more_musings. So when Jo suggested that we go to the South Bank for a hot chocolate on Valentines Day... well, I knew it would be a horrendous cliché to do it on that day, but I also knew that for that very reason she probably wouldn't be expecting it.
So what happened? Well, it's not a massively exciting story, but for the sake of posterity: we met at Wagamama for dinner (during which I ate uncharacteristically little due to nerves - not nervous about being turned down, it would have had to have been the practical joke of the century had Jo turned out to say "no" after everything; but more nerves about whether or not the right moment would actually present itself or not), we had a bit of a wander around the Festival Hall and the shops and stuff (like we normally do), and then went to EAT for our hot chocolates (well, lukewarm chocolates). But eventually, after the people stood directly in front of us having a quite loud conversation had gone, and everything had gone a bit quiet (I didn't want to do it with loads of people around and make a show of it)... I reached in my bag, taking out the box and telling Jo that contrary to what I'd said earlier, I didn't have her Valentines present at home after all (incidentally, a good job the right moment did come up, as otherwise we'd have got home and my BLUFF would have been exposed. Should have thought that one through a bit better and had a backup plan, really). So I handed her the box, she opened it in a mixture of astonishment and amusement, and then I asked her. And she said yes. And now she's my fiancée.
And yes, it'll be a while before we can actually have a big exciting wedding and stuff, but we're definitely going to do it, and we're already talking ideas even though it's a way off. But it'll be very very ace.
So, that's my news, then.
That's us on a boat home, something like about an hour or so after I proposed to Jo last night. I like the fact that the UK's Tallest Ever Building Ever is in the background of what spontaneously became my official engagement announcement pic. I also like the fact that I can take a boat home along the Thames after proposing to my girlfriend, but that's another story.
Anyway, the story, in the form of answering questions:
Why now? Because we probably can't afford, for one reason and another, to move in together until much later this year (like, towards the end of it). And we probably can't afford, for one reason and another, a wedding until maybe around eighteen months to two years from now. But this is a way of confirming that yes, we are planning to do it at some point. Why wouldn't I want to, after all? Jo is great. Jo is more than great, but this is a public entry so I'm not going to go into too much in the way of mush right now.
But why specifically now? Like, on Valentines Day? Ugh. Well, because I knew I was going to do it at some point in the first few months of this year (so did Jo, she just didn't know where or when or anything). I've known for a long time exactly where and how I wanted to do it - while sitting on a stone bench on the South Bank at night, looking out at the river and the boats and multiple lit up sights of London while sitting close and sipping hot chocolates - because it's something that's special to the both of us (based on a past experience of doing exactly that). And then I found The Perfect Ring in January - it fitted just about every criterion that she'd specified for what she might want in a hypothetical ring some hypothetical day - and managed to get hold of it thanks to the logistical help of the utterly wonderful more_musings. So when Jo suggested that we go to the South Bank for a hot chocolate on Valentines Day... well, I knew it would be a horrendous cliché to do it on that day, but I also knew that for that very reason she probably wouldn't be expecting it.
So what happened? Well, it's not a massively exciting story, but for the sake of posterity: we met at Wagamama for dinner (during which I ate uncharacteristically little due to nerves - not nervous about being turned down, it would have had to have been the practical joke of the century had Jo turned out to say "no" after everything; but more nerves about whether or not the right moment would actually present itself or not), we had a bit of a wander around the Festival Hall and the shops and stuff (like we normally do), and then went to EAT for our hot chocolates (well, lukewarm chocolates). But eventually, after the people stood directly in front of us having a quite loud conversation had gone, and everything had gone a bit quiet (I didn't want to do it with loads of people around and make a show of it)... I reached in my bag, taking out the box and telling Jo that contrary to what I'd said earlier, I didn't have her Valentines present at home after all (incidentally, a good job the right moment did come up, as otherwise we'd have got home and my BLUFF would have been exposed. Should have thought that one through a bit better and had a backup plan, really). So I handed her the box, she opened it in a mixture of astonishment and amusement, and then I asked her. And she said yes. And now she's my fiancée.
And yes, it'll be a while before we can actually have a big exciting wedding and stuff, but we're definitely going to do it, and we're already talking ideas even though it's a way off. But it'll be very very ace.
So, that's my news, then.