A mutual friend told us she had someone in mind that we should absolutely meet. After some initial delays, we got in touch and decided to grab a drink. Much to both our chagrin we realized the date was Valentine's Day, and quickly made plans to avoid any such romantic trappings for our first meeting. Chris realized he and Erin had met in passing at a house party years past, and also found that they had they had both swiped right on one another... several months prior.

It was a lovely sunny day in the hills of Berkeley. Chris, Erin, and Ruthie decided it would be a great day for a hike through one of their favorite parks, Tilden Regional. After an unusual delay (who knew furtively packing surprise supplies would take so long), they headed off for their fun plans. Ruthie was excited, and probably wondering why Chris and Erin were acting so strangely. Especially when there were all those pinecones to throw and people to sniff! Chris, in a show of supreme nonchalance, suggested making a stop at a lovely bench shaded under a large oak with a nice view of a grassy clearing looking out over the East Bay. Once situated, Chris was concerned that Ruthie was a bit hot, and asked Erin to grab Ruthie's water. Erin very normally, turned to do so, totally normally asked if she should turn back around now. A question was asked, an answer was given, and a bottle of champagne was opened. Ruthie was very excited, but probably not for the same reasons Chris and Erin were.