How I Got Engaged
Some of you responded with curiosity to a certain comment recently left on my blog, in which I was accused of the vice of deceit. I guess I'll fill you in on the news of my recent engagement.
It all started when Claire emailed me with a message from a former professor both of us had in college. The message was that this professor wanted to get together with me for coffee or something sometime. Claire then proceeded to inform me that she dreamed I had gotten engaged, then drank so much wine I died before she had a chance to give me this message. She warned me to beware of wine.
Not one to let such advice pass without some sort of comment, I responded to her email by thanking her for the warning, and suggesting she might have some sort of sixth sense, because I was just about to announce an engagement with a girl who drinks wine.
I thought my former classmate--at one time sharp enough to detect my rare bursts of sarcasm--would appreciate the humor. Instead I got a response along the lines of "WHAAAAT?" combined with a request that I spill the beans, and a threat that she'd kick me if I was joking.
This was too tempting. Did she really believe that I could possibly be engaged? Seizing the opportunity for a little mischief, I found the name of what seemed to be a single, female social studies teacher in my district (just in case Claire tried to google the name to confirm its authenticity), and proceeded to spin a little tale about meeting her at a conference, starting to go out with her, becoming more serious, and finally getting engaged just recently. I told Claire I didn't want her to tell anyone but Brad before the official announcement, but also realized it might help to get a few more details about it all from me, since she was at a distance, and the announcment would seem a little bizarre on its own. And even though my fiance was a drinker, it was just socially. Since I had never seen her drunk, I implied that Claire needn't worry about the status of my soul.
I then received assurance from Claire that her lips were sealed, but she also expressed some doubts about the story, saying she needed to see a picture of us with the ring, and my Dad in the background smiling his approval. What was even funnier, however, was a second email sent about a half an hour after the first one. It was a "covering my tracks" sort of message, saying that if my story was true, congratulations and that sort of thing. (A classic "let me pretend to be happy for you, though I'm shocked" kind of message, me thinks.)
At this point I thought it best to reveal my little joke. Claire responded by claiming she smelled a rat the whole time, but how was she to know that I hadn't changed my ways since she had moved south, etc. She also said she "felt like there was some gigantic hole torn in the universe when I considered that this whole thing MIGHT POSSIBLY be true." Ha ha ha. She can now rest easy that, at least for now, no such gigantic hole in the universe exists.
I might also add that I will be staying out of her kicking range for some time.
It all started when Claire emailed me with a message from a former professor both of us had in college. The message was that this professor wanted to get together with me for coffee or something sometime. Claire then proceeded to inform me that she dreamed I had gotten engaged, then drank so much wine I died before she had a chance to give me this message. She warned me to beware of wine.
Not one to let such advice pass without some sort of comment, I responded to her email by thanking her for the warning, and suggesting she might have some sort of sixth sense, because I was just about to announce an engagement with a girl who drinks wine.
I thought my former classmate--at one time sharp enough to detect my rare bursts of sarcasm--would appreciate the humor. Instead I got a response along the lines of "WHAAAAT?" combined with a request that I spill the beans, and a threat that she'd kick me if I was joking.
This was too tempting. Did she really believe that I could possibly be engaged? Seizing the opportunity for a little mischief, I found the name of what seemed to be a single, female social studies teacher in my district (just in case Claire tried to google the name to confirm its authenticity), and proceeded to spin a little tale about meeting her at a conference, starting to go out with her, becoming more serious, and finally getting engaged just recently. I told Claire I didn't want her to tell anyone but Brad before the official announcement, but also realized it might help to get a few more details about it all from me, since she was at a distance, and the announcment would seem a little bizarre on its own. And even though my fiance was a drinker, it was just socially. Since I had never seen her drunk, I implied that Claire needn't worry about the status of my soul.
I then received assurance from Claire that her lips were sealed, but she also expressed some doubts about the story, saying she needed to see a picture of us with the ring, and my Dad in the background smiling his approval. What was even funnier, however, was a second email sent about a half an hour after the first one. It was a "covering my tracks" sort of message, saying that if my story was true, congratulations and that sort of thing. (A classic "let me pretend to be happy for you, though I'm shocked" kind of message, me thinks.)
At this point I thought it best to reveal my little joke. Claire responded by claiming she smelled a rat the whole time, but how was she to know that I hadn't changed my ways since she had moved south, etc. She also said she "felt like there was some gigantic hole torn in the universe when I considered that this whole thing MIGHT POSSIBLY be true." Ha ha ha. She can now rest easy that, at least for now, no such gigantic hole in the universe exists.
I might also add that I will be staying out of her kicking range for some time.
posted by redsoxwinthisyear at 10:31 PM
11 Comments:
You stinker! That's hilarious, though. :-D Now nobody's going to believe when you're really and truly engaged!
Let me assure you that you can trust his housemate. A veritable wellspring of information about all his goings on. Completely 100% percent honest too :)
What a great prank, way to go.
Yes, Kristi- I told him the same thing about how no one is going to believe him when he DOES get engaged! He's the Boy Who Cried Fiancee.
Would someone in NH please do the honors and give him a good kick for me? :)
And the Feast of Passover approaches...
Okay, some inside info for those of you who want to know if this trickster is really telling the truth or not! Sorry, Claire that this won't work via e-mail!! Said individual's nose ALWAYS, and I repeat, ALWAYS twitches when he is lying much to said individual's disgust! So those of you who really want to know, watch the nose when he speaks! This has tripped him up many a time. Hehehehehe! Really.
Oh, a good thing to know! I shall file that away.
Get him good Claire!
YES! I felt quite at a disadvantage because I couldn't SEE him as he spun his tale of deceit. I can usually spot him lying because his lips fight amongst themselves to stop from smiling. Also, there's something about his eyebrows that gives him away, if I remember rightly. I never noticed his nose twitching though...I'll tuck that info away for future reference.
This nose twitching business is overrated. I can twitch my nose when I tell the truth, too, so some people put WAY too much stock in it.
You'll be happy to know, Claire, that Lindsay gave Chad a kick in the shins at Bible study the other night, claiming she was doing it for you. :-)
Yessssss!! Thanks, Linds!
Where was the video camera?!
:)
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