We'd like to give thanks to the following folks: Claire Kellesvig: for making me (Danielle) slow down for five seconds and shake hands with the "new Chef in the company" Daniel Trujillo: for setting us up to chat on table 6 at Joseph Leonard with a glass of wine (or two...) Cindy Gray: for telling your son to ask a girl out

Early on in our dating, I took Neal to my favorite street in NYC. It had been a very special place for me for many years and it turned into a special place for the both of us over time. We'd often go there in the wee hours of the morning after getting off of work and chat, play games, laugh and talk about our future. With a slice of Joe's pizza and a bottle of beer in hand, we would sit on the stoop of 9 Minetta St. and be happy. One late night in August, we met at our spot. Per usual, we ate our pizza, sipped on beer and had a good laugh about the drunk guy down the street stuggling to unlock his front door, and then, just after 2:00am, Neal proposed. He painted a beautiful story for me about the matriarchal history of the ring and then asked me to be his wife. What followed is perhaps the icing on a New-York-Moment-cake... During a long, kneeling, embrace, we were interrupted when an undercover cop car slowed down to a stop and rolled down his window. "Everything okay here?," he asked us with concern. With tear soaked cheeks, I pulled away from Neal, held up my left hand and cried out, "He just proposed!!" The officer gave us a half-eye roll in complete annoyance and with a monotone voice said, "Good for you," rolled up his window and drove away. Neal and I were silent for about five seconds before bursting into laughter; imagine, the first person to find out you're engaged couldn't possibly care less. I love New York. I love you, Neal. Let's do this.