Shay And Gordon

I think the title of this post would be an excellent band name, and I'm using it now because it's about a half hour until we leave for the airport.  Bad news is that we're flying American Airlines, an airline i dislike because of their decision to bend you over the ticket counter and charge you for a second piece of luggage, and soon, even one peice of luggage.  Good news is that we made our reservations a few months back before the initial announcement, so we get both pieces of luggage free.  Bad news is we each packed and only ended up needing one bag each.

Of course, we're not going to waste the two bag freedom momentum, so I threw a rolled up army duffel bag into Shannon's suitcase when she wasn't looking in case we get souvenirs or if we just get tired of trying to pack things up neatly on our way back.

I’d like to take this time to announce that I officially Do Not Care.  For the next few hours, all I am concerned with is getting on a plane, and after that my only worry is having a superbly excellent time.

We are officially Married!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday June 7th 2008 we were married at my parents house, By the honorable Judge Jenny Walker Jasper. Everything went beautifully even my uncles adorable little girl was just perfect as the flower girl.

THANK YOU everyone that helped it was greatly appreciated!!!!

We will post some pictures later (most likely not until after our honeymoon)!

Normally me and Shannon would alternate on these posts, but nothing worthwhile happened between me coming up and me proposing.  Perhaps that means I waited too long.  Or maybe we just enjoyed being able to be together finally, or maybe I just needed to get to a place where I could finally not leave over the course of the summer.

In either case, three years passed between the events of the last post and my decision to pop the question.  But how to go about it?  I didn’t want to just do a plain proposal, simply dropping to one knee and saying, “so, you busy this weekend?”

 My ingenious creation of an idea, was that on Valentine’s  day I would present Shannon with a wrapped box.  She would open it to find … a video card.  A pretty decent upgrade on her computer, too.  Later on, when she opened it, she would find an engagement ring embedded in the styraphoam.  I thought it was pretty smooth.

 My sister in law caught wind of this, and had to patiently sit down and explain to me that the idea was full of dumb.  She then laid out a plan for me, that I decided to follow.  It broke down like this:  I’d go to one of those build-a-bear places, and make a stuffed animal.  Inside, I’d place a device that would play a pre-recorded message when squeezed; this pre recorded message would be the actual proposal.

 The plan started off well; I went to the mall with Shannon, told her I had to go pick something up and that I’d be back in a few minutes.  When she asked what I was getting, I said that it was a surprise for her.  I went to the workshop, and picked out a monkey, since that had been part of an inside joke for quite some time.  I also picked up a rather dapper tux for the monkey, whom I dubbed Nodrog, to wear for the special occasion. 

On my way back to the table with the bag of items stuffed in my coat, Shannon managed to catch a glimpse of the bag underneath the hem.  That was her first clue.  Her next several clues have to deal with the fact that I am incapable of keeping a secret from her.  I was able to lie successfully to her once, in the first month that we dated, when we were chatting online.  After that, she’s been able to see through me every time.  So when we were headed to our favorite restaurant the day after valentine’s day, she was fairly positive that I was going to propose, and more than fifty percent sure how.  Didn’t help that in the care I let it slip that I had a stuffed bear.  Two seconds afterwards, I dropped the F bomb loud enough to rattle the windows.

So at the restaurant, after we ordered but before the food arrived, I pulled out my valentines gift and handed it over.  I told her to squeeze it, and my voice poured from the monkey; “I have a very important question to ask you… Will you marry me?”  That’s when I nudged on Nodrog’s right arm, because tied to his paw was a white gold ring, inset with mystic topaz.

I won’t say what she replied, but suffice it to say that I have a back up plan; technically, she agreed to marry the

The notion of going up north to attend the same school as Shannon at first seemed impossible.  She had asked about the possibility, but I figured it was extremely unlikely.  Then Carl asked me if it was possible, and that got me to thinking that it was merely improbable.  On a whim I went through the application process, even taking the ACT (a standardized test much like the SAT) in order to see if I’d qualify for attendance.  When I found out I was accepted, it seemed even more feasible.

 I had to visit orientation during the summer, so that was the first time I took the greyhound up north.  The first time I stood outside in Fredericksburg, wondering when the chronically tardy bus would suddenly appear.  I had The Bloodgulch Blues from Red Vs Blue stuck in my head as myself and a few other boarded.  The full weight of what I was doing pressed upon me as the bus pulled itself forward, the inertia of it pushing me into my seat as the familiar sights were slowly wiped away from the window.  It hit me again two days later, when I first saw a gas station sign proclaiming that pop was on sale, instead of soda.

 Orientation went about as well as could be expected, and at the end of it Shannon picked me up to join her parents for a brief camping trip.  Waiting for the bus once again for the return trip, I felt fear far stronger than I had experienced about leaving my home far behind, the kind of fear that was strangely unique.  Although the woman I was sitting next to in the green Neon I had only known in person for a few short days, I was keenly aware that my life would not be whole without her, and that maintaining the vast distance between us would be as simple and reassuring as hacking off my arm.  It was at this point that I realized that the possibility of coming to Mankato to be with her was never an exercise in probability or my capacity to do so.  Any other course of action was simply not an option.

The first thing to say is, I did not go to my own.  I didn't see any point to, at the time I had no boyfriend, I'm not a people person, and all my friends had boyfriend so it would have been like 11 is a crowd. 

After we had been dating online for almost a year, I had a dream about coming down to Gordon’s prom.  At the time I knew it would never ever ever happen, but I still told Gordon to get his idea of it and laugh about it.  He agreed it would never ever happen, but wished it could.

About a month later my mom, like the great mom she was, wanted to know who I was talking with online and make sure I wasn’t doing anything stupid (Even though I was 19 at this point)  came down to talk with Gordon and find out who he was an all that.  She did know we were dating and asked about prom.  The conversation ended something like this:

Mom: Well you have the girl

Gordon:  Yeah but not here

Mom: You get the tickets and I’ll take care of the rest

Gordon:  ok…..

Gordon got the tickets, and my mom did help take care of the rest.  I got a dress (Thanks again Grandma) and set everything forward, took time off work, and I was already on summer from college and my parents got me down there.

Gordon and I met for the first time in real life on June 6^th 2003.  We hung out and had fun and enjoyed being together.  The next day (June 7^th) we went to his prom together.  So many people told me they thought I was imaginary, and Gordon’s friend Travis (who I already knew was gay) asked me for a dance claiming “I would turn straight for you.”

After prom party was a blast and we had a really fun time. We got our picture taken, played some games, and he creamed me at air hockey.  The only downfall was the night ended far too quickly, and the next day I was on my way home to Minnesota.

 

Thank you Mom and dad for taking me!!!!!

 

 

EDIT:  And Yes Thank you very very much Carl for the "awesome breakfast at Denny's"

Seriously though Thanks

Over the course of four years, me and Shannon stayed very close, often joined by our friends Meghan and Zac.  But even when the other two weren't around, we often talked late into the night, sharing stories both real and imagined.  One night, circumstances forced us to stay up later than most.  That night, we discussed things closer to the heart, about the people in our lives who we had crushes on.

Shannon had crushes on two people, one of whom was a class mate of hers, but curiously, she declined to tell me who the other one was.  I tried to get her to tell me, but she dodged each attempt, late into the night.  We were both very tired, and she kept accidentally dropping hints, and I kept almost missing them.  At one point, I realized the truth, but then I quickly disregarded it, considering it a sincere impossibility (what can I say, I had low self esteem).  After another half an hour of back and forth, she finally revealed the truth, that my earlier intuition had in fact been correct, and all the feelings I had tried and failed to repress for her came rushing back full strength.

We talked again the next night, trying to determine what path to take with our recently uncovered mutual affection.  Should we risk the friendship we had nurtured for so many years?  Would we dare gamble it when we couldn't even see each other in person?  The weights and balances of the mind swung wildly, until a conclusion was achieved-

Me:  Would you like to be boyfriend/girlfriend?
Shay:  Sure.

Victory ruled the day.

Wow to think this all started 10 years ago, in a  Yahoo chat room.  Yep thats right, we "met" online. 

I have never been very talkative, even online.  I mostly "stood" back either just ask "anyone want to chat" and hope not to get a creepo or waited for someone interesting to talk to.  And usually two things happened.... a creepo tried talking to me, or the interesting person wanted nothing to do with me unless they too were a creepo.... So Miraclously one day someone interesting and not a creepo walked in and said something about casting a spell to conjure an animal... ok so that may sound a little like a creep, but he turned out to be nice and we were young and well not freshmen but yeah.. 

Over the next few year we became great friends, Helping each other , chatting, and eventually voice chatting.