February 14, 1982

Earlier today Beth and I were reflecting back on past Valentines Days.  It took us a little time and looking back on this blog to figure out that we were in Utah last year on Valentines Day.  We had no problem remembering where we were on Valentines Day, 1982 (13,515 days ago).  We were in Tallahassee.  Beth was in her last semester of undergraduate school at Florida State.  I was in my final semester of graduate school at the University of Florida.  We had been dating for several years and while we were in different cities we were able to see each other pretty much every weekend.  Valentines Day in 1982 was on a Sunday.  The next day was Presidents Day and there were no classes so we had an extra day together before I headed back to Gainesville.
So the stage was set for a romantic Valentines Day.  First it was a free "movie on the lawn" on the campus.  It was a true romantic movie, "Creature From The Black Lagoon".  Afterwards we went to the Melting Pot Fondue Restaurant.  Even though it was Valentines Day, it seemed as if every couple in the place were in the midst of a major fight.  The stage was set for the big moment.  I reached down into my boot to pull out the big surprise only to discover that the box had slipped down to about my ankle, causing me to have to dig and claw a little deeper than I had planned.
I wrapped my fingers around that little box, pulled it out of the smelly boot, opened it and popped the question.
Thankfully Beth said yes, and thankfully she has tolerated me through the years.  It's been an amazing 13,515 days since that most memorable Valentines Day!  We celebrated Valentines Day today with a dermatologist appointment for me, a nice early dinner at an outdoor waterfront restaurant and a walk on the beach.  Here are a few pictures from tonight's sunset.