March 23, 2003

Note: I had NOT seen "Sleepless in Seattle" at that time...
Ticket OK, I lied a little that day....  Well maybe a lot!

Lie #1 I told Nancy that I was meeting my friend DJ from Boston in Worcester and we were going to head down to the computer fair in Warwick.
Truth I went to New York City,  to pay off and pick up the ring that we had selected  in December .
Both DJ and I are geeky enough that this sounded like something we'd do.  Given where he lives, I live, the location of the fair and the fact that Nancy lived in Springfield, it sounded believable enough.  It also bought me the time I needed to sneak into the City.

Lie #2:  DJ  was going to NYC after the fair
Truth I never picked DJ and I never went to the fair.  The fair in Warwick is about the only thing that was real.  This is to setup for item #3

Lie #3  DJ lost his wallet and is waiting for us on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building
Truth     He was at home in the Boston area, but made a phone call to my answering machine and sounded really desperate.

    Anyway we dropped my daughter off at her mother's house together and afterwards I told Nancy about DJ's plight.
   
    We stopped at my house then drove to Stamford, and caught Metro North and went to GCT (Grand Central)
    
    At Grand Central, Nancy asked why DJ just didn't meet us there.  I said that DJ probably felt that Grand Central was too big a place to find anyone...  We'd much more quickly find each other at Empire..  Besides I had not talked to DJ nor could I reach him...
   
    From GCT we walked to Empire as taking a subway would have taken too long,  the weather was OK and I was too cheap to spring for a cab.  Don't forget money was tight and we were there to bail DJ out, so...  we hurried walking from Lexington & 42nd to 35th & 5th I bought two tickets and we waited in line.  I did not realize how much Nancy believed me until she said "I hope that DJ pays us back as this is getting expensive!" I do not know how I held my poker face.....

    When we got to the 86th floor Nancy started to look for DJ.  We went outside, but he was still not to be found.  We got to the south side and I diverted her attention to Ground Zero while I fumbled with the box containing the ring....  Got down on on knee and she said "Yes"

Us at ESB