A long awaited Party

We decided to go on an adventure. I was bound for work the next week, healed from surgery and ready to get back in the groove. Eric decided we should take advantage of the time left, and so we packed up the Kia and hit the road. He'd decided that after four years in Washington, it was high time I see the beach, and I was happy to agree. A fan of The Goonies, he decided that Canon beach would be perfect. Of course, a couple hundred other people had the same idea, but what can you expect at the end of June when the weather is perfect? We hit the beach first, but the tide was in so we couldn't go exploring very far. So we decided to browse the shops and try the local brewery and then head back. I was thinking: Goonie Islands up close, and apparently he was thinking 'romantic atmosphere'. The sun was close to setting when we finally made it back to the beach. The afternoon was breathtaking. Fresh air, bright sunshine, and hypothermia-inducing water (seriously I've been spoiled by the Florida coast). Most importantly... the Goonie islands bigger than life! Tired of lugging my phone and keys around, I asked him to hold my stuff in his hoodie pocket, unaware that I had almost compromised his plans. We finally reach the end of the beach and tested fate by wading into the little inlet (apparently there was a more romantic little cove on the other side of the jutting wall of rock that ended the beach so abruptly) but I made it about knee deep and chickened out. We retreated and talked for a bit, he wanted to climb up to the top of the rock cropping to take pictures and see the view-I was recovered enough for work but not rock climbing so my feet weren't going anywhere. The next thing I know, he'd pulled a box out of his hoodie pocket, dropped to a knee in the wet sand, and was asking me to marry him! Obviously I said yes, because here were are a year later tying the knot!

As many of you know, Eric and I enjoy what we call "nerdy camping" mainly because it is easier than explaining we are members of the SCA (a society that revels in history prior to the 1700s). Throughout late spring, summer, and early fall, we take trips out to beautiful locations, dress up in garb, wander the market, watch warriors fight, archers shoot, and crafty folk do what they do best. The evenings are packed with delicious food, homemade spirits, bawdy ballads, and laughter. For a brief moment in time, we are all just people again. No phones and technology. Just nature and each other. It was just such an event that Eric and I met one another. Of course I had heard he'd be coming from my SCA friends, and I was looking forward to meeting him. Unfortunately, for all my flirty wiles, the annoying Irishman seemed oblivious to my charms! People even gave him no-so-subtle advice. Needless to say, as nice as he seemed, I returned to reality on Monday morning convinced I'd just made another friend and nothing more. It's a good thing he didn't give up on me!