Working with the wonderful marketing manager at Golden Gate Fields Racetrack (who turned out to be a true jewel of a lady!) I set up my plan.
It was an absolutely perfect day as the fog burned off San Francisco Bay:
First, a little music:
Then I softened her up with a puppy...(NO one can resist a puppy!) He's not our puppy however.
The plan was at the end of the third race of the day my proposal was to be posted on the scoreboard screen and the announcer would ask Jacqueline to please direct her attention to the scoreboard. When she turned back around I would ask her to marry me. So we had a couple of races to watch while I tried to contain my excitement. Now this wasn't very hard for me, of course, since I'm always so calm!
So I busied myself trying to take some pictures of the action:
Love was in the air everywhere on this Valentine's Day!
So the only wager I made all day was in the third race! I had to put money on that horse!!!
As planned at the end of the third race, I had dragged Jacqueline up to the winners circle and when the announcer called her name I pointed to the board.
The crowd began to fall silent as everyone tried to find THE "Jacqueline"
When she turned back to me, she found me on my knee with the ring in my hand. The crowd became silent as they waited for the answer.
Jacqueline was completely in shock and said...
"That's not me!!!"
"Yes it is! Will you marry me?"
"That's not me!!!"
"Yes it is! Will you marry me?"
"That's not me!!!"
"Yes it is! Look in my hand!!!"
The crowd became almost completely silent as I began to sweat and even doubt my strategy: "Now I've got thousands of people watching: What if she isn't ready?" ran through my mind.
"That's not me!!!"
"Yes it is! Will you marry me?"
YES!!! came the answer after about the longest 30 seconds I've ever experienced!!!
I stood up and looked into the stands and nodded my head in an exaggerated yes and threw my fists into the air! And as they say in the movies: The crowd went WILD!" It was pretty neat having everyone cheer and celebrate my joy!
The track took some official pictures, and I'll post them when I get them... For now, here is a reenactment photo taken just a few seconds after the proposal:
Quite an excellent Valentine's day for us!
1 comment:
Richard................Congratulations on your engagement. So happy for the both of you. Ron and are so happy for you both. Jacquelyn is a right fit for you how lucky you both are to have found each other. Ron and I different in many ways but it works for us. We all have to find our way. See you when wehave puppies again.
Karan Stout
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