Hippocrates In San Diego

She said yes!

July 7, 2007 at 4:23 pm | In Life, Reports

The Traffic Gods were kind and I arrived at the park with plenty of time to spare… maybe too much time. I was a nervous wreck, I thought my intestines were going to tie up in a knot then explode. I found a picnic table that was apart from the one or two small families that were also enjoying the park yesterday. I set up the tablecloth and tried to arrange the wine and cheese without barfing.

About 5 minutes later I heard some commotion behind me — some kids at play, I thought. I turned around and 6 or 7 large men came running from one end of the park to the other…. wearing red dresses. Then more came after them. In about 10 minutes there were at least two or three hundred loud, half-naked, mostly men in red dresses congregating around one of the picnic areas about 100 feet from where I had set up. Apparently I had chosen the exact time and place that the Hash House Harriers’ annual Red Dress Run goes through this particular park. As it dawned on me what was happening, I felt ill. This time I really did want to throw up. I stood next to my table; the glare from my stinkeye stare must have been overpowering; one of the Harriers even broke out of character to tell me not to worry, that they’d all be moving on soon. I was not impressed.

About 15 minutes passed and it was time to head up to the road and wait for the ladies to show up; I had arranged with one of her friends a few days before to invite her to dinner, and bring her to the park instead. I had to walk through the mass of Harriers to get to the road where I expected them to drive up; inside I was hoping my anger would radiate outward towards them and drive them all away into the nearby eucalyptus grove. Didn’t happen.

Finally her friend called me — “is that you I see standing on the road?” “Yup.” “OK we’ll be right down.” I later found out she had told her that there was a change in the dinner plans, and they were headed to a barbeque with some friends in the park. While she headed down one hill to “look for her friends,” she called me and figured out where she needed to be.

I walked out from behind some trees towards them as they walked over the hill. She looked thoroughly confused — then realization dawned on her, and I got a big smile and kiss. I thanked her friend — I owe her big time — and she left us to, er, enjoy the Harriers. I was considerably less annoyed at the Harriers by this point; I was just glad that my little rouse had worked out.

After about 10 minutes the Harriers left to continue their run (thank GOD), and we were left with our peaceful little picnic table. We said a toast and shared some wine. Then I got down on one knee, asked her to be my wife, and she said “Yes, I will.”

I think.

I was so nervous and overwhelmed with feelings that I don’t actually remember her giving her answer. But based on the hugs and kisses I received afterward, I’m pretty sure she said “yes.”

We had some more wine and cheese, called our parents and a couple friends. We found out that her best friend, who lives in the Bay Area, found out she was pregnant right around the same time I was on bended knee. Weird. We went to dinner, and honestly I think it was the happiest day of my life. The Harriers (it certainly will make for an entertaining story to tell our kids someday), the perfect results of our little trick to get her there, the asking and saying “yes,” the dinner after — it really was perfect.