Monday, February 23, 2009

The Grooviest Girl in the World said "Yes!"


Time once again to get all personal here on GlenMullaly.com... The Blog!!! But this go-round I've got a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good reason for my trip to Heartfeltland. On February 15th I became engaged to (with all due respect to every other woman on Earth) the most awesomest, kickin'est, grooviest girl in the world! I've never been happier and more content in my life and I have one amazing woman named Joanne to thank (or blame!) for it.

Regular readers of this bulogue will have noticed an increasing amount of thinly veiled romantic posts over the last few months as I've had a difficult time holdin' back the overflowing amazingness I've been feeling lately. Disguised as references to the GUSW group's success, the recent Obama visit to Canada, or just a general hopefulness for 2009, this wonderful feeling I've been feeling finally gets shared with the world today under no hidden allusions or false topics!

You have been warned.
So... on the day after Valentine's Day my sweetie and I were partaking in one of our favourite pastimes, browsing (apparently randomly) in the top floor comics section of a well-loved, local used bookstore when I pointed out ('cause she didn't find it on her own!) a copy of a 1979 Ripley's Believe It or Not! comic book that she had posted a picture of herself holding on the photo-sharing site Flickr (through which we met. But that's ANOTHER story!) a few months ago. She had commented that she wished she still owned that particular funny-book - so one would expect her to flip out when she stumbled across it. You would think...
Using this ultra low-res image I tracked down a copy of the same vintage comic, purchased it online, and created a false first page in the style of the newspaper version of the Ripley's daily panel cartoon - that included both real Ripley's entries as well as a customized, illustrated piece on my love and the proposal that was about to occur. I planted the comic in the bookstore's stacks (shortly before), and, after having to encourage her a couple of times to check out the issue ("um... I don't think that's the one I had. Mine had a shrunken head on it." "Well... why don't you take a look at the date? It should be on the first page." HINT, HINT!!!) she finally looked at the customized page.

AND THEN PROCEEDED TO PUT IT AWAY!!!

Once again I suggested, with my back turned pretending to look at something else a few feet away, but in fact with my heart in my throat, that she examine the first page more closely. It took what seemed like 837 years, but finally you could see a glint of something in her gorgeous eyes. First amusement ("Hey, this girl has the same name as me...!") then confusion turning to disbelief, morphing to shock, and finally... full-on lightheadedness-slash-nausea.

THAT'S the reaction I had been looking for!!!
And so, with the girl of my dreams in that state of mind I proceeded to propose to her - the love of my life, the only woman I can imagine wanting to spend my every living minute with. I held out the 1938 engagement ring with which my Great Uncle proposed to my Great Aunt (before 50 plus years of loving marriage), and asked her, bended knee-style, to marry me.
At this point a Hitchcockian plot twist involving that WAY too curious onlooker (who kept poking his head around the corner of the bookshelves to the sound of Joanne's "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!) calling the cops on my geeky butt, or both of us getting thrown out of the bookstore for reverse shoplifting would have added some well-needed entertainment value. But the absolutely amazing, wonderfully, breathtakingly fantabulous truth is that she said... YES!

After a frantic search for a stool to prevent her passing out on the floor, a brief rest, the quick concealment in my messenger bag once again of the aforementioned smuggled-in comic book, and a wobbly-legged (both of us!) trip down a long flight of stairs we barely managed to make it to the nearest coffee shop to get our bearings and begin planning our new life together.
And so now (with respect this time to the other 50% of Terra Firma's population) I'm the happiest man in the world.

23 comments:

Allan Lorde said...

That proposal ruled like nothing ever ruled before. Congrats to the both of you!

Todd Franklin said...

Believe it or Not this is one of the coolest proposal stories I’ve ever read. Just look at all the happiness coming out your pictures. May you have a wonderful and blessed life together. Congratulations!!!!

Jason Chalker said...

My hat is off to you sir. That is one of the cleverest and thoughtful proposals I've ever heard of. Congratulations! I hope you have a long and happy life together. Cheers!

K0dama said...

I am still grinning like that today!
Thanks for your good wishes Allan, Todd and Jason.

Unknown said...

Wow! How romantic can you get - she is one lucky girl.
Wishing you both every happiness and a long and very wonderful life together.

Pavel Jakubec said...

Beautiful blog,Glenn!

F. S. Poesy said...

Congrats! What a great proposal! Best wishes for an unbelievably happy life together!

Glen Mullaly said...

Thanks so much for everyone's kind thoughts and wishes!

Kitsch and Curious said...

Congratulations to you both! Wow, Glen that was so amazing, and so funny that you had to keep 'suggesting' she looked more closely!! So sweet!

Kirk D. said...

That is phenomenal! Beautiful concept and execution. I've never been so excited about a proposal story. (Well, except my own engagement of course.) Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

That is simply tremendously cool. Congratulations!

Scott said...

Congratulations!! That was highly creative but I wouldn't expect anything less from you. I hope you both have a lifetime of happiness together.

Elizabeth said...

What an absolutely perfect story! And they say the friends we meet in cyberspace aren't "real" friends! I'm so happy for you both.

My husband and I have been married for 24 years and love each other more with each passing year. Happiness abounding to you both!

Glen Mullaly said...

Once again thanks for all the very sweet comments! Joanne and I truly appreciate the overwhelmingly positive responses and kind thoughts from everyone to our announcement.

K0dama said...

Hi Ripley's!
Thanks everybody :D

Glen Mullaly said...

I'm glad I didn't go with my first proposal idea...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1159151/Oops-Fianc-e-swallows-engagement-ring-boyfriend-hid-milkshake.html

Bear said...

The greatest idea ever. Congratulations to you both!

Ward Jenkins said...

DUDE! I had no idea! I'm so far behind in my Flickr peeps--I'm so sorry for just now finding out about this.

A BIG BIG CONGRATS to you and Joanne, Glen! Yay! Andrea & I wish you two the best!

Waffle Whiffer [Brandon] said...

What an incredible proposal! Congratulations and best wishes to both of you!

Glen Mullaly said...

We really appreciate the wonderful words Ward, Brandon and Bear!

Anonymous said...

Greetings from across the pond and congratulations to you and cousin Joanne :D...A little chirrupy bird in Florida informed my folks who informed me ;-)

Lovely proposal too..Well done the pair of you!

K0dama said...

Aww, thanks Colin! Please tell everyone over there I say hi :)

Anonymous said...

Your most welcome! Thoroughly chuffed...and no worries I'll yell Hi to everyone here! :D