Volume 4 Number 4 • 29 August 2005
Hello!

It hasn't been really all that long since I last put up an update (and I remember I said only one more), but something happened that I thought warranted its very own special e-mail update. You might know where this is going, but I will try to build the suspense.
Courtney and I met three years ago when we both were awarded Marshall Scholarships to attend the University of Saint Andrews, she studying International Relations and me studying astronomy. We have been dating for more or less two of those three years here in Scotland. You have probably seen Courtney figure progressively more prominently in the e-mail updates I have been sending while here, and that is no accident. Now, Courtney and I are both planning on moving to Washington DC together, she having been offered a job, and me wanting to live off her.
Flash to Sunday morning, when I was bugging Courtney to go on a hike with me. I made her promise on Saturday that we could go on the hike no matter the weather, since this is Scotland, you know. We had the good fortune that even though Courtney had been scheduled for a double shift at her restaurant on Sunday (she works part time as a waitress), her manager had called and offered to let her have lunch off, she just had to be back by six.
True to Scottish form, it was misty and windy and cold outside on Sunday, but, Courtney had promised to hike. So, we headed out the Fife Coastal path, a hike that follows the beach from St. Andrews to Anstruther with beautiful scenery. We hiked past the St. Andrews Bay Hotel, a 5 star hotel and spa that is about an hour out of St. Andrews on the coastal walk. I convinced Courtney that (being the budding photographer I am) I really wanted some pictures of some rock formations that I had seen earlier past the Bay, and there was one rock that I thought we could climb on top of to get a view of the beach and the surrounding land. After about an hour and a half of walking, we found the rock that I had scouted out a couple of weeks prior.
After getting to the rock, I scrambled to the top, but found that the footholds I had used previously were too wet with the rain and moss to be any use. Courtney had less luck, and was still at the bottom after about 15 minutes of trying. On multiple occasions she said that it was stupid, that she didn't need to see the top of the rock, and that she hated me. I continued to tell her how spectacular the view was on top of the rock and how great it was (man, was I selling it.)
I had to convince her at one point to let me try to pull her up, and I straddled my legs over the crevice that you sort of shimmy up to get to the top of the rock. When I pulled her arm, her feet came out from under her, and she sort of dangled from the rock, screaming bloody murder and wanting to kill me if only it didn't necessarily mean her own demise.
Well, of course we did get to the top, after much cursing and more than a few threats. At the grassy top, my friend James had dropped off a picnic basket an hour before, and with the basket, I had an engagement ring. When Courtney finally dragged herself to the top of the rock, I was on one knee, and I proposed. Maybe because she was crazed from scaling the rock face, she accepted.
After that ordeal, we only had to hike back to the Bay hotel, where I had a reserved a room and dinner reservations. Our friend Kallie had put together clothing for Courtney and had dropped it off earlier.
Courtney first had a massage to work out all that stress from climbing the rock wall, then we had a lovely dinner with complimentary champagne at the 2 rosette Esparante restaurant. After breakfast this morning, Courtney concluded the stay with a facial at the Spa. While Courtney was getting all these treatments, I was doing canonballs in the infinity pool.
Well, there you have it. Courtney and I getting engaged. We are so happy to announce our engagement to all our friends and family. We look forward to seeing you all at the wedding.
Your Friend and/or Relative,
and
Previous updates: October 2002, November 2002, January 2003, April 2003, June 2003 November 2003, March 2004, July 2004, November 2004, February 2005, May 2005, August 2005