So I got engaged last night.

A little background is in order. You've probably read mention of Sarah, my girfriend (now fiancee) here before. We've been dating for 2 1/2 years, and have pretty much gotten to the point where we knew we wanted to get married. It was mostly a question of when and how rather than if.

Back around Christmas, I was able to make the ring purchase. Sarah was very clear as to what she wanted (you may remember a past trip to gawk at rings), and I was able to find something of the proper size, quality, and price at the Jewelry Exchange in Sudbury. Kind of an interesting process, as they sell loose diamonds and then put them in the setting, etc. I had Shawn DeVeau along as my ride/second/moral support, and his experience with this sort of thing was an added plus.

So the ring was bought and ready to go as 2002 commenced. The issue: how am I going to ask her?

I worked through a number of scenarios in my mind, some better than others, but none particularly satisfying. I'm not sufficiently sappy to do it with flowers and a poem. I'm not comfortable with the public spectacle of a restaurant, sporting event, or similar venue (Sarah said she worried that I'd do it during a college bowl trip!). So my options were limited.

As it turns out, popping the question may have been the most spontaneous thing I've ever done.

For most of the time since I bought the ring, I kept it at work as I mulled how to do this. About a week ago, I brought it home, thinking that it was about time I came up with a plan, and having the ring handy would facilitate things. I left the ring in my backpack, which is kind of funny considering that, for this entire time, Sarah could have come across the ring by accident.

So we're on the couch, watching the news, killing time before going out to dinner for a friend's birthday. The last few days we've been joking about breaking up, doing so for five minute stretches, that sort of thing. So Sarah says to me that she's going to break up with me unless I pop the question. I respond as expected, and ask her to marry me. She says yes.

But she then adds that it's only valid if I give her the ring. Call it karma, serendipity, or an easy out to a problem I'd been wrestling with, but I responded to her by asking if she really wanted the ring. She said yes. So I got up, went to the backpack, and pulled it out.

Needless to say, Sarah was surprised.

She did add the proviso that I had to get down on one knee and ask, which I did. That pretty much made it official.

We didn't want to tell folks until we'd told our families first, which we finally finished doing this afternoon (needed to track down my sister). So there it is. Sarah and I are officially betrothed, engaged to be married, taking the plunge, what have you.

No date set, probably later rather than sooner. You'll read about it here, to be sure.