dead men tell no tales...

So really, I wanted to blog the whole trip, a big day-by-day report, but I just don't think I have it in me.

I can tell you that the flight over... a non-stop red-eye that left SFO at about 11pm pacific... was nerve-wracking as all hell. The flight attendant wouldn't let me put my bag in front of my feet (where there was no seat, we were in an exit row), and so took my bag and put it in one of the above compartments, across from us. My bag. Which not only contained thousands of dollars in assorted camera equipment, but a freakin' diamond ring. Let's just say I didn't sleep a wink and leave it at that. Luckily Song has little TVs. I watched ESPN Classic and listened to their MP3 playlist.

So we get in, and Disney's Magical Express whisks us away to the Port Orleans French Quarter resort, where, as it is about 7:30am EST, our room is not ready (check-in time isn't until 3pm).

So, we get our theme park tickets, check our carry-ons (Magical Express handled the checked luggage) at the Luggage Services desk (I transferred the ring box to my park-touring, Disney-pin-studded shoulder bag) and got on a bus... the first of what felt like thousands of buses for the week... and headed to Epcot.

Why Epcot? Well, it's my favorite. There are wide walkways and a ton of benches and I figured it would be a good place to start while we waited for our room to get all readyfied. So we're there at Epcot, and I figure it would be a good thing to ride one of my favorite edutainment-type rides there... Spaceship Earth. It's the big golfball.

At any rate the ride is slow and dark and narrated by Jeremy Irons... and Heather falls asleep (for just a little bit). But this ring is burning a hole in my pocket... or rather, in my shoulder bag... and I just can't imagine carrying it around for another day while hiding it from her and not freakin' worrying about it. Heather has to go use the, erm, facilities, which is good because it gives me a few seconds... a few exhausted, jet-lagged, haven't-slept-in-30-something-hours seconds... to think about what to do.

I notice the huge fountain that acts as kind of a centerpience for Epcot's Future World section. It's big, it's pretty... it's perfect, I think. So I get the ring box out of my bag and stick it in my jacket pocket, Heather returns and I tell her it's time for her surprise.

She's a little curious as to why the surprise has to be now, but I just tell her it does, and that's "over there," and we start walking towards the fountain.

She asks if the surprise is penguins... I tell her no.

She asks if the surprise is flamingos... I tell her no.

She asks if the surprise is llamas... I tell her no.

By this time we're walking up to the fountain and I notice this huge, ugly stage structure I hadn't noticed before... now the stage isn't nearly as pretty as I'd thought, and certainly, isn't perfect. But lo, what doth mine eyes behold just over yon?

The Epcot Christmas Tree. Perfect.

So we walk up to the tree, and I can tell she's wondering what's up, she asks how much farther it is. When we get in front of the tree, I stand behind her and tell her to close her eyes, and not to open them until I say so.

So she does so, and I take a step back, drop to one knee, get the ring box out, open it, and say, "Okay, open your eyes and turn around."

Then she hits me.

Not like a punch or anything, but she slaps my shoulder because I'm so damn sneaky. She says yes, we hug, some passersby applaud, and I put the ring on her finger, my hands still shaking from the whole episode.

Then, we spent eight whole days in Walt Disney World. I guess that will be a post for another time, if ever.

posted by Steve  # 10:01 AM