Also, don’t forget to comment in order to be entered into the drawing for my ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey Jill’s readers! I’m Brooke, and I blog over at www.ramblingbrooke.com. I’m new at this guest posting business, and I’ve been totally racking my brain in order to come up with something to occupy Jill’s website over her anniversary trip! It’s intimidating. She’s hilarious! So, without further ado, here’s my own love/engagement story:

My fiance, V, is anything but romantic. He has his sweet moments, but I’m pretty sure that those are unnecessarily magnified by his very unromantic moments. He tries, but most of his attempts turn out unintentionally hilarious. Take my birthday during our first year together. He bought me a fish. A FISH. Not only did he buy me a fish, but he named the fish David…after a guy who gave us a condom for our first “rendezvous” together (Long story, and TMI?). My “present” looked like this, and yes, he wrote on the fish bowl:

So, after 5 years of dating, frolicking across 2 different continents, and living in 4 European countries, I guess he decided that it was time to pop the question. We had been talking about it for awhile and had looked at various rings. At one point, he even asked a jeweler, “Why is cut glass so expensive?” His excuse? He grew up in Lithuania, when it was occupied by the Soviet Union. The Communists weren’t much into jewelry, or anything, for that matter. Anyway, he bought a ring, packed it away somewhere, and made no plans for a proposal. I’m sure that would have taken him another 5 years, but… Flash forward a couple of weeks: V was offered a job in Latvia, and a plane ticket was purchased for later that same day. He quickly packed up, and I drove him to the airport. I kissed him goodbye near the escalator leading up to security and started walking back to my car. All of a sudden, I heard, “BROOKE! WAIT!” I turned around to see V running down the escalator the wrong way, knocking out random people on the way down.

V: Sorry, but can I take valuables through customs?

Me: What? You own nothing valuable.

V: Well, um, uh huh…Okay then.

Me: What? Just give it to me. I’ll watch it.

V: Hmmm…Okay, here. {Hands me a ring.}

Me: WTF? Shit……Yes?

V: Great! I’m going to miss my flight. See you in a couple of weeks.

We went to Las Vegas a couple of months later and reenacted the proposal in a much classier way. Vegas is totally known for its class, you know. But, whatever, I like my first “proposal” better. So, Jill, I hope your anniversary involves more romance than my engagement. However, I think you still win in the “crazy engagement story” category. You bought your wedding dress before the proposal!