Once In A Lifetime Chance To Say Yes

Eleven years ago today, Joe and I went down to our little Fish Lake cabin for the weekend. It started to snow and the closer we got to the cabin the deeper it got. This was back when Joe’s truck was a Toyota T100. By the time we made it up the road to the cabin the snow was above the headlights. We were plowing or pushing through the powdery light snow.

It was nerve racking! Even with a couple of road-trip drinks in my system, the mountain by the cabin looked extra treacherous. The thought of rolling down the steep mountain and wondering how long it would take people to find us or even know we were missing!

As Joe prepped the cabin, turning on the power, propane and lighting the fire, I completely unpacked the truck and put things in their place.

Everything indoors, I took off my soaked jeans and I put on my dry red thermals. I was wearing a seafoam green sweater. I stirred the fire, wiped my hair out of my eyes. Joe finally came in. He laughed, “What is all over your face?” I ran to the mirror and wiped off the fireplace soot.

Sitting in front of the fire, Joe bent down on his knee. He said a lot of sweet and mushy stuff I wish I could remember. I do not know if that it is time that has made me forget the words or if it was that I was in such an excited state of shock then those they didn’t stick.

As I glanced at his pants pocket with a square box he brought it out in to view. A gorgeous princess cut diamond ring bigger than I could have imagined him buying for me. Now mind you, we had looked several weeks before at this stone and some others but I had no idea that he was serious. I thought we went in for a watch battery. It seemed so ridiculous at the time.

I used his cell phone back when an analog cell phone could be used in the Fish Lake valley. I had to stand on a chair to get reception. I called my Mom and told her, I handed him the phone to talk to her and he said, “she hasn’t answered yet so I am not sure”. We made some other calls too like my Dad.

The other surprise was that in the truck he had somehow smuggled a bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne and two Mikasa crystal glasses…I unloaded the truck, how-huh-uhh?

I am so lucky to have such a romantic guy. He has been so wonderful and great to me. We have seen and done so many things together. Each time we would go do something we would just say to ourselves, “this is a once in a lifetime chance”, I can’t believe we get to do this, people only dream of doing these things”. Times have slowed down and our Rock-n-Roll lifestyle is not as jet set or funded nearly as well, but on the other hand, we are still having fun and I would still say yes.

Side note:
The next weekend we had a Halloween bash to celebrate which was a wild and crazy party. In addition, two weeks later we decided to go back to the cabin to celebrate. We brought Susie, Barry and Tyler. We brought cross-country skis and Tyler was going to hunt with Joe. When we got there – ZERO snow. It was fun anyway!
I also still have and wear those red thermals.