Oh, you want to know the details about the proposal, huh? Okay fine. Apologies to those who've heard this before......
  I had actually talked with Matt last year about getting a ring (he went through wholesaler), so it's all been in the works for quite awhile now. Anyway, I checked out the wholesaler's website and at first I was a little non-plussed to say the least about Don the diamond guy (for example, check out this picture of Don and his staff from his website). However, I trust Matt's judgment, so I emailed the guy about two months ago. We talked on the phone and then he ended up coming over to the house a couple of times to show me a few diamonds. And although Don looks like a 60's reject, he really knows his shit. I was pretty impressed, actually. After looking at about a dozen stones, I finally decided on a real nice 1-carat beauty (Don said I made a great choice). I made the purchase and last Tuesday the ring arrived by Fed-Ex.
  And then it was time to set up the proposal. Surprisingly, I managed to keep the ring for a couple of days without completely freaking out and giving Beth the ring in a panic. Patience, patience! Since Beth said she wasn't working too late on Thursday, I targeted that night as The Big Moment (plus, Veteran's Day is kinda romantic, isn't it?).
  So, I emailed Beth that day and told her I had a present for her. Now since I had been talking the past couple of days about getting a kitten, she immediately assumed I had a new kitty at home. Mission accomplished. She was pretty excited and told me she'd be home around 7:00. Heh. I spent the rest of the day doing a little pre-proposal shopping: four dozen candles, fresh rose petals, and the nicest bottle of champagne I could find. Well, not $250 nice, but nice enough...
  Then I played the waiting game. And promptly became pretty dang nervous. Beth said she's call when she was leaving work, so I basically paced the house and made myself a couple of stiff Tom Collins. My pal Coco called to shoot the shit and that helped me calm down a bit (I didn't tell him what was up since I was kinda proud of myself that only Matt knew). Finally--finally--Beth called. She'd be home in 30 minutes. Down in the rec room (i.e., Fully Functioning Babe Lair), I laid out and lit all the candles and then spread the rose petals on the floor. I put the ring box on the bookshelf by the doorway and then made myself yet another drink. And chain-smoked.
  When my soon-to-be-betrothed arrived, I made her cover her eyes and I led her downstairs. Once she was in position, I told her she could look. And man was she stunned. Hey! Look! No kitty! Ha! I got down on one knee, opened the box, took out the ring, and asked her if she'd marry me. She said "Definitely!" and I put the ring on her finger. Much merriment ensued! We drank the champagne, called our families, and ordered a pizza (aren't we romantic?). Everything went perfectly and it was a great night.
  And I think she's been smiling ever since......