I don't write often about anything that is deeply personal despite this website being my personal blog. On February 16th, 2025, I asked Madeline to marry me. The proposal was a surprise I decided to spring on her while spending the weekend in Denver. You might think as a Texan why we were in Denver in February, during a particularly harsh blizzard. We were exploring the option of possibly living there given we both had jobs we could work remotely, and we wanted to see Denver at what we felt would be the harshest weather, given the relatively mild winters in Texas.
I remember each of Madeline's reactions as we approached what I not so delicately placed on our itinerary as a surprise. Given our plans of potentially moving, it made sense that we would spend time walking in the cold snow, looking at potential houses and picturing what a life in Denver might look like. Maybe we would fill our houses with the latest outdoor fashion and live our new lives as another one of those couples that spends all of their weekends hiking, possibly even trail running, leaving all of our friends in awe as we stay fit and brag about the number of miles and steps we get each day. We could have a catio where the cats would paw desperately for attention from passing neighbors. We could take a bus to Union Station and check out the latest hip new coffee shop in downtown Denver, or walk down ___ street and grab some new antiques to decorate the house. Attend book clubs and meet new friends.
However, this neighborhood in particular did not inspire much confidence for us, especially Madeline. As we walked around our surprise destination, waiting for a specific moment in time she tried to guess the surprise. One guess was "you take me to an air bnb you own, and that's where you strangle and murder me. I always knew it was too good to be true." We passed a junvenile detention center and pondered what we might do as parents if our kids ever ended up in "juvi."
The clock hit 6:30, and it was time. I navigated us to our destination we had passed several times, feeling anxious. She had no clue, and I was worried that I may have to change my plans that evening, despite quietly announcing to her Dad before he dropped us off at the airport what I was planning to do this weekend. Something Madeline had announced that weekend, which wasn't entirely a shock, was that she "did not like the taste of beer, and maybe it's time to stop trying to like it". Knowing her parents were awaiting news of our proposal, yet also her new disgust towards beer, I was rapidly pondering ways to back out of proposing at the Oakwell Beer Spa in Denver. Despite getting the Valentines Day lovers special, the surroundings gave little confidence that the "spa" far exceeded the "beer" part of that experience.
I was in luck as we passed through the door and were greeted with both a well put interior and an exceptionally warm staff. They explained the experience to her, and she was immediately giddy with excitement. One thing I'll always love about Madeline is her enthusiam towards things, and despite her statements about beer, she was really excited about getting to take a dip in what was effectively a hot bath loaded with beer hops. That and there were samples of wine and cider for her to choose from.
We got to our private spa room as it filled with hot water, sampled with our chosen set of minerals and hops, and dined on a basket full of chocolate covered strawberries, and made mimosas out of champagne and orange/cranberry juice. After some time in a thermal spa, and a shower, we moved to the tub, where I would give her a hand crafted valentines day note. As she finished reading, that's when I popped the question. Madeline claims she blacked out several times that evening unable to process everything. I'll never forget her expression as we entered the spa, when she got to see a giant dispenser full of different wines and ciders, when she saw the strawberries and champagne, and when she saw the temporary ring I used to propose to her from James Avery. Her expression through all of it was full of the same infectious enthusiasm I fell in love with.
I'm writing this on April 13th, 2026, two days after our wedding. Madeline did all of the planning for the honeymoon, including buying the plane tickets to our location, Japan. It's worth noting that her Dad, Ted, retired working at American Airlines. I was totally unaware of what was going to happen when we went to the Admiral Lounge at the DFW airport. "My dad got us into the lounge" she said, correct in that I would assume this was his gift to us for our honeymoon. I had wondered why he only gave us access to the lounge this time and never before, but I was touched by the idea.
After enjoying a full breakfast buffet with french toast bread pudding, we left for our gate uncharacteristically early. Apparently, Ted had also got us priority boarding, a suspicious perk.
Now, to my surprise, I am sitting here in a massive adjustable seat, that can fold down into a full bed, in the first class cabin of AA0175 in a first class seat. A type of seat going extinct as they create room for more business class seats. It's always been a dream of ours to fly first class on a bed in the sky as we approach a faraway country, and now we're both living it. Stuffed with wine and the 100th anniversary beef wellington, I couldn't be happier.
As it turns out, these were all purchased by Madeline, as part of a wonderful planned surprise. A full year later, my surprise Oakwell Spa visit has been outdone.
I've always had these small pockets of the internet where I would choose to reside. I publish ideas in these corners but I never try too hard to make them seen by others. In the case of this blog, not worrying about who reads it has been very freeing. It's a kind of "social media" if you will where the "social" part is prioritized last. By being social last, I've always felt more comfortable being my full introspective self. Alas, this sense of comfort is false as I focus more on the technical details of my profession, and none of the personal details of my own life. This has been a personal flaw that I've slowly been correcting for the last 6 years.
I've been hesitant to post openly about being engaged because I didn't know where this fit. Of course, there are the normal socials, IG and Facebook. But should I write about it, what about my bluesky? To be fair, I never know what to post on bluesky.
As I reflect on an amazing wedding, and our wonderful relationship, in this surprise first class seat, it dawned on me that being married means sharing everything. In celebration of living the rest of our lives together, as we embark on what bodes to be a wonderful honeymoon (here's hoping your throat is getting better!), I wanted to welcome you, Madeline, to my little corner on the internet where I write about weird techy things and my life sometimes.