C. and I met while working on our senior design project here at Purdue, and began going out soon after. After graduation, we each wound up going to separate grad schools but maintained a very active long-distance relationship with only one interruption. By this spring, we'd been going out for two years, and had spoken together often of becoming engaged. The "whether" was not in doubt, simply the "when". When spring break came around, I finally had the chance to pop the question, and the time to do it the way I wanted to.
I was able to purchase a modest ring that week, and on Friday I laid my plans. I packed a folding table and a couple chairs in my trunk, picked up some miscellaneous items on errands, and then in the early afternoon drove down to Cincinnati, where C. goes to school.
I knew the parking garage where she parks, and the usual spot where she leaves her car. Unfortunately, it wasn't there that day, as a basketball tournament was going on and the garage was providing parking for many of the visitors. I found an empty space on the roof, left the car, and walked the double helix of the garage until I finally discovered her car. I knew she could be in any number of places, doing labwork, studying in the library, or eating lunch, and I might not be able to find her, but at the end of the day she obviously had to come back to her car. So I left a big note on her windshield under the wiper:
"Hi C.! Come to the top of the garage, one floor up, see
you! Love, Alan."
I knew I had some time to wait, so I walked around the campus for
a while, then returned to the car to do some reading. Finally, the
shadows were lengthening and evening was coming, and it was time to
prepare. I was parked in the corner of the roof of the garage, with a
roughly square free area in the corner beside the car. I got the
table and chairs out of the trunk and set them up there. Then I added
a nice tablecloth and a candle in a glass setting to shield it from
the wind. In the snow beside the table, I put the cooler I'd brought
with sub sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and wine glasses. I also
buried a bottle of Gewuertztraminer wine in the snow beside the
cooler, and left out a bag of goodies I'd brought along, with the most
important item in the bottom.I sat down to wait, reading a few pages of a book now and then. As I sat, I enjoyed the reactions of the drivers of passing cars leaving the garage. They'd first glance over, then do a double take at the sight of a small dining room set up on the top of the parking garage, and gawk as they drove past. One person took a second pass around to see what was happening!
Finally, when my feet had gotten pretty soggy and the sun was almost over the horizon, C. popped out of the stairwell and ran up to give me a hug, surprised and excited and a bit taken aback by the all the props. I showed her her bag of goodies, a little squirt gun, a cd holder, and some other fun stuff. Finally, there was just one thing left...and it was time. With the hand I still had in the bag, I flipped open the box of the ring, pulled it out, knelt down on the one dry spot available and asked her to marry me! She said yes! and we hugged and rejoiced. I lead her over to the table, pulled the wine from the snow and brought out the glasses, and poured us each a little for our celebration (just a little, still had to drive!) We toasted our future together, and with the orange sunset giving way to the lights of Cincinnati at night, we munched on subs and cheese and talked and laughed.
The cold began to get the better of us, so I packed up all my things and we headed to her home to see her parents. I presented her mother with a bouquet I'd brought, and asked for their blessing, which they joyfully gave! We spent the evening celebrating with the rest of the wine, and had a very memorable evening.