Snazzy orange belt....

Okay, I know that last time I blogged it was about the new belt for tae kwon do, but today was our first class with the new belt. I must say that the orange color is quite nice against the white uniform. I know it may sound lame to you, but after having the plain white belt and being considered "the beginner" in class, it's nice to have some color to the uniform. It's also nice to be able to learn new things.

Right, so on the way home from class I had an interesting conversation with Chris. Some of you may know that I have had some stress and unhappiness recently as I tried to figure out if Chris is EVER going to get me a ring. If you didn't know this- well I have. We've been together for almost six years and I am going to be 28 this coming March. The man just bought a $3000 computer, but I still have no ring. It was cause for much grumpiness. Forget the fact that he actually had money to buy the ring a year ago in July. I ruined that little plan by getting the job down here and we needed to use that money to move. Sometimes I forget the fact that, when I got the job, he was seriously apprehensive about moving so far from everyone he knows, but he did it any way for me. Yeah, I probably shouldn't forget that fact, but I do.

At any rate, I got a little grumpy about the whole thing shortly after the computer was bought. Why can he get a business credit card to buy the darn computer and not get a ring for me so we can at least show to everyone that things are (slowly) moving toward marriage in the nearer (but still distant) future? What the heck is going on here anyway? Why do I always say goodnight to him, but he never says goodnight to me if he goes to bed first? GRR.....I know, I know- it sounds like I'm a little touched in the head, but I know I am not. :) I was grumpy, I was mad. I was disappointed, really. That and I keep thinking that if we really do plan on having three kids some day- well, I'm certainly not getting younger and I won't be fertile forever! So yeah....

The conversation in the car was about Christmas presents. We're going shopping tomorrow to finish up for his family so he can send presents out. Chris wants me to be there to help out, which I have no problem with. So I told him that I still haven't figured out what I am getting him for the large part of his present. He starts giving me clues about mine and one of them is that it is coming in the mail, he had to special order it and it is relatively small. Now, I am not so naive as to think it is actually a ring. Things have been tight and I know that there is no way that is what I am getting for Christmas. Just to make sure I know this, Chris says: "And I'm sorry, hon, but it's not a ring. Not this year, at least." This actually made me laugh because as he said this, I was thinking it. I know that isn't what he got for me. He can't use a business credit card to buy the ring and I know he doesn't have the $850 to get me the lovely sapphire ring I want.

Chris actually launches into the whole story of what his original plan was, though. This is the most interesting part. I commented that I KNOW he isn't getting me that lovely ring because 1) he doesn't have the money (that I know of) and 2) A Christmas proposal is almost too traditional for him. Chris is a traditional guy, but not that much. HOWEVER, much to my surprise he was planning on asking me last year right around Christmas! The boy actually had the whole thing planned from December of 2001! As he tells the story, we saw The Two Towers and he thought: "Hmm....It's time to get things squared away with this broad." So he set the goal that he would finish the website for the MI Court Reporters and bank that hefty check and start shopping for a ring. Well, the check came in around July1, 2002. Unfortunately, so did my job hire down here in Raleigh. As soon as that news hit and the cost of moving was calculated, he realized that all my first check and the "ring money" would go towards moving us down here.

Okay- this is how you know that you are two of the biggest geeks on earth: Chris was planning on proposing the night that we would see Return of the King on opening night. He was going to take me to a nice restaurant and pop the question and then we would top off the evening with seeing ROTK, because we both think those movies rule. Not only was this the plan (that, obviously never came to be), but when he was telling me this on the way home from TKD tonight, my first thought was: "That would have rocked!" Alas, it just wasn't meant to be, I guess.

Just when I think I could be at my wit's end, the man surprised the heck out of me. According to the rumor (as told from him) he's got a new plan, but it may take the next year to get the money. So long as I know (and he remembers to tell me from time to time) the money is being saved and that IS the plan, well I guess I can live with it.