Day Twenty Two

Dear Readers,
      We made it nine miles today, without stopping.  I am starting to wonder if it is worth me killing myself, just to have a beard.  Then I remember how awesome it is going to be in just a few short months and realize, it is definitely worth killing myself over.  As long as I live long enough to enjoy it for a little while.  Usually when we run, at the end of the run I feel like I could go another mile or so.  Today was not the same.  I was done.  I had expelled all my energy.  Normally I will do about a hundred push ups after our runs.  Not today.  I am so tired I had to will myself to sit in front of the computer and start typing today's blog.  Just two more weeks.  Ten miles next week and then the day of my physical death as I give everything just to keep going for a little over thirteen miles.  Almost there, can't give up now. 
      I proposed to my wife on Labor Day in 2009.  She had always told me that I would never be able to surprise her, because I never plan anything for us to do.  So as soon as I would plan something, it would be out of the ordinary and she would know what I was doing.  She should never had said that to me.  So I worked it out with my wife's brother to have him plan it.  He asked us to go with him, and his girlfriend at the time who is now his wife, to the Huntington Library and Gardens for the day.  Little did my wife know that I had already bought a ring and schemed with her brother, Brandon.  I had also planned to have a surprise engagement party at one of our friends house, under the guise that we were invited over for a barbeque on Labor Day.  My wife is thinking it is just going to be a nice day at the gardens and a barbeque that I had nothing to do with.  I give a lot of the credit to our friends Chuck and Lisa for doing so much of the planning for the party, I couldn't have done it without them.  I made sure about every detail, because I wanted to completely surprise Raina.  To the point that I didn't carry the ring in a ring box, I put it in a little sack so that there wasn't a bulge in my pocket to give a hint to Raina.  I made sure that Brandon had Brooke, his wife, bring a camera so that there were pictures of the moment.  When I finally popped the question, it was the perfect moment.  Raina had gotten tired of walking and went to sit at a bench in the rose garden to rest.  So as I declared my love for Raina and got down on one knee, I had fooled her completely to the point that she was asking me "What are you doing?".  She told me later that she thought I had spent some money on an expensive purchase, like a Playstation 3, and that was how I was letting her know.  It was quite comical.  I had to say " I am asking you to spend the rest of your life with me".  It took a moment for it to set in before she finally realized and said yes.  I would have had her fooled about the engagement party too, except Brandon spilled the beans.  Saying "Why do you think all those people are going to be there tonight?".  Except Raina was thinking it was just going to be us six for the barbeque.  That ruined that surprise.  It was still a totally awesome day and one of the happier days in my life.  Even if it took Raina about five minutes to figure out what I was doing.
                               “When 900 years old, you reach… Look as good, you will not”

Notice how she is slumped in the chair, not sure how to react

I have to get my wife one