OK, in case you don't know, I hate the whole engagement ring thing. To me, it is a waste of time and money. Many guys funnel the equivalent of a down payment for a house into a compressed glob of carbon. Its ridiculous and I just don't get it. Kristi on the other hand has dreamed of an engagement ring since the day she was born - a true die-hard romantic! A source of tension, you say? Naaaah. An opportunity for compromise! Here's what happened: Around March of 2001, I purchased a sapphire from a place called ThaiGem.com. Kristi has always wanted a sapphire for her engagement ring (bless her non-conformist little heart!) and they had a grand selection of quality stones at reasonable prices (In case you are unaware, the mark up on precious gemstones at your local jeweler is jaw dropping!) I found a flawless 1.5 karat deep blue sapphire that measures 6mm x 7.2mm and bought it (these pictures don't really do it justice). I gave it to her about a week after I got it as kind of a pre-engagement promise (the least I could do after five years!).

Well, the darn thing sat in a box for about a year as we tried to find just the right setting for it. I purposefully avoided taking a serious part in this phase of ring construction because...well... lets just say Kristi has very strong opinions about what is good and what is not (and personally I can't always judge which is which) Finally, in July of 2002, we went to the antique fair at the Rosemont Convention Center and scrounged the floor for settings. After about three hours, we stumbled upon yet another case of rings - and there it was! A c1940's diamond and platinum ring that Kristi fell in love with! After some easy deliberation, Pam, the very kind antique store owner, agreed to take out the diamond and replace it with our sapphire. Two weeks later we went to pick it up and here it is. Kristi was so gosh darn happy with the final product that even my jaded heart was inclined to feel that maybe the whole thing was worth the cost and effort. I have rarely seen her glow with such absolute delight - and to top it of, our down payment for a house remains completely in tact. Perhaps not the most romantic process, but I guess we both won in the end.