Happy New Year!! Yes boys and girls it is time to break out a new calendar and start enjoying another 365 days. I am so excited about 2008, and there are several reasons why! So, let’s get on with the “update…”
For those of you who know me well, know that I don’t write about my “dating” life on this “update…”. In the words of Emily Post, “It just simply isn’t done.”. However, I don’t mind putting other people’s personal and private dating affairs and blunders out here for public scrutiny. It is all in good fun, and it gives people insight into “the summer of hot”, Russianbrides.com, letter-writer lunatics, and first date “I love yous”. I know that must seem like some sort of a breakdown in the system, but trust me I am sure that someone, somewhere, on some blog, has completely burned me in effigy and put my dating life out there… so you see, it really is the circle of life, or at least life on the web. So let me tell you a little tell you a true story about “the shiniest princess”.
Once upon a time (December 22, 2007, to be exact) my old roommate from college boarded a plane. But let’s begin this tale a little bit before that, for emphasis. My friend Ann has been dating her boyfriend since December of last year, and it was “love-at-first-sight”. I am a cynic, so this was a tough train for me to jump on to. Frank is German, from Germany, and yes, he has an accent, and yes, he wears very European clothes, and yes, I asked if wasn’t just dating her in order to get a green card! What can I say, I’m direct. Anyway, a few months back he asked her if she wanted to go to Banff for Christmas! I have always wanted to go to Banff at Christmas, and she tells me this… and I turned green with envy. Like forest green. I was so happy for her, but damnit I wish that was me! I have a philosophy on traveling with the man that you are dating. Actually I seem to have a philosophy on nearly everything. The philosophy is that if your man asks you to go out of town, then he needs to plan it. I do not ever take it upon myself to plan these things, because if the woman plans the trip… the man isn’t in. And if he isn’t in… it wont be good.
So, Frank starts planning this little Christmas getaway. He books the flights and hotel and pays for everything well in advance. He keeps booking and planning and he is scurrying around like Santa’s most productive, most thoughtful, and most amazing little elf. He tells Ann that this trip is eight days, two days of travel, six days of Banff, and he tells her that they will be skiing at least three of those days. A ski bunny vacation in Banff, yay! Ann has never been skiing before, and so he takes he tells her that he will book some ski lessons for her and that they can go out shopping and he will buy her some ski gear. Ok, now this is wear the “princess”/”pretty woman” starts… he takes her out and buys her the cutest little skiing outfit I have ever seen. She looked so chic, so pretty, and the smile plastered across her face really added to the outfit. Then he took her to Nordstroms and got her a new coat, so that when they went out in the evening in Banff she would be warm and stylish! Seriously, I have been dating people just as long as Ann has and have never even heard of such things. He books a trip and buys you new clothes to go on this trip!! Did anyone see “The Thomas Crown Affair”? That part where Pierce Brosnan takes Renee Russo to that island, and he has a whole closet full of clothes, that are just her size, completely stylish, and then takes her on that glider… it was JUST LIKE THAT!!!!
She and Frank get on the plane and head to Banff. They land and spend the day getting acclimated to their new environment. The next day is the 23rd, Ann’s birthday!!! They go to her skiing class and Frank (an expert skier) is so patient with Ann. She had a good time skiing, she said it was “challenging”. Unless, you learn how to ski when you are three years old, it is going to be challenging. That night Frank had made reservations. Do you love all the planning? I do! Anyway, he had made reservations at a five star restaurant there, and they get dressed and head out. She described this dinner to me and it was so completely lavish and so tremendously decadent, complete with views mountain majesty. It was awesome. Then in the middle of dinner… he motions to the maitre d’ and this man who must have served kings and queens at some point brings over a box!!! Not just any box… a Cartier box. She opens it up… and there it is, the engagement ring she was hoping for. He asks her, “to be his wife” and of course she says, YES!!! Our princess is now the shiniest. The ring is amazing. It actually glows it is so sparkly. That box is enormous! It is actually heavy, I think the box alone weighs about five pounds. This is serious jewelry.
The next day he had planned for them to go snow dog sledding! This man had literally planned their entire trip… I still cant get over it. Most guys would book a hotel and then be done, but no this guy went all the way. The whole nine yards. Bad part… he has a brother, but the brother lives in Germany! So if you’re single and moving to Germany sometime soon, call me. The weather has worked out and Frank calls to make sure that their helicopter is going to be available to take them to the site where they will meet the sled dog teams. That’s right… helicopter. If I ever ask someone to marry me, I am definitely gonna through a helicopter into the occasion, or maybe a glider, or an SST! They get into their helicopter and see Banff from a totally different perspective. They are zooming here and there, and from what I was told it was one of the highlights of the trip. They land a little bit away from where they are to start their trek with the dogs and everyone has come over to see them get out of this helicopter. Ann steps out and all of these people are taking her picture, they think she is someone famous!!! How often do you get your own paparazzi? It was awesome. They go snow dog sledding and it was great. They went skiing again the next day, and then Frank had booked an ice hike for them the next day! Everyday was something new and different and exciting. This was the vacation of a lifetime, and you thrown in the cool clothes and the engagement ring… it doesn’t get any better.
They finally had to come home though. Cinderella had to turn in her slipper, but not the ring… so that makes up for it. The two of them have been absolutely on cloud nine since they got back, and I have to admit, so have I. It has been amazing to hear about this trip, and to sort of live a little through my friend. I didn’t get to go, but I got to hear about it and see the pics. Close enough. They don’t have a date set yet, but I am sure it will be a grand occasion… heck, Frank might even just plan it himself.
That does it for me… hope you are enjoying 2008! I hope your 2007 was as good as our princess’s.
Peace, love, and helicopters,
Martha
About Me
- Martha
- I started these "updates" as a way to keep people up to date on my life that I dont talk with on a regular basis. This originally started out as a little email, that I sent out but since then it has gotten a bit bigger. The format has always remained the same and it is really just an accounting of my life and my many pitfalls. It is also a way for me to write and really enjoy the process of it. I hope one day to actually become an author... I know, lofty goal, right? But you know Bill Gates was just some "geek" at one point in his life, and maybe I am just "some chick with a blog", but you never know what lies on the road ahead. I do know what lies on the road behind me though, and this blog recounts that for all to read. Hope you enjoy. :)