But right now, I have to write about Valentine's Day. Well, actually, the Thursday before.
Carol and I had been talking about getting married and she asked, "Have you asked me?" I said, "In today's world, I thought you were going to ask me." When she said that wasn't what she had in mind, I laughed and said I'd have to think about that.
I had picked a pretty 1920's European cut solitaire ring and planned a Valentine's Day dinner complete with proposal. But I couldn't stand to wait. As my mother used to say, "The ring was burning a hole in my pocket."
So Saturday's dinner was a celebration of our engagement.
She and the kids and I are going to Gatlinburg, TN the week after Easter. If everything goes according to plans, we'll get married there. Then we'll come back home and have a BIG PARTY in May or June. Details still to be worked out.
The trip to Anaheim to the Helicopter Association International's annual convention was really to see my wonderful friends in the Whirly Girls. It's the international association of female helicopter pilots that I've blogged about before. I'll have lots more to say about the trip, with pictures later. But one story needs telling in this blog.
The speaker at a morning session was sitting at my table at the awards banquet, along with his wife. She asked how I became involved with the WG's, was my wife a helicopter pilot? I told her, "No" but that she and I had partied with these wonderful ladies for many years before she passed away. After the dinner, she came over to me, took my arm and said, "I want to hear more of your story because you're obviously a very, very happy man." So I told her about Carol and the kids and that I had just gotten engaged the week before. Several WG's had commented about the "sparkle in my eye" but they're all friends - and helicopter pilots - so I took that as all BS.
But this was from a total stranger.
When I told Carol on the phone that night, she said, "Oh, so YOU'RE glowing, too."
I guess I must be.
And here's why -
