POP Goes the Question-The Start

Let me set the mood for the proposal story: imagine it is late November, just before Thanksgiving in Washington DC. The air is cool and crisp (well, let's be honest, it was more cold and biting, but I'm trying to romance it up a bit). Mr. Pin-ster had just flown into DC to spend the holiday with me, while I was in nursing school at Georgetown.

The mister and I set out early one morning for the Museum of American History on the National Mall. I wanted to see Dorothy's slippers and Kermit the Frog, while Mr. PC wanted to see Lincoln's top hat and anything involving air travel (perhaps these differences explain why he's brilliant at every category of Trivial Pursuit, and the most I can say for myself is that I'm hit and miss with the pink "Entertainment" questions)

[Source-all 3]

We wandered the museum for a while, but I soon began to feel tense (which goes back to my deep rooted fear of either trampling or being trampled by children while in confined, crowded spaces [that's a new DSM V diagnosis, right?]). I wanted to just skedaddle and get something to eat, but Pin-ster tried to insist we eat at the museum, despite my non-stop complaints about paying $9 for a sandwhich (some might call me cheap, but I prefer "thrify"). After a 10 minute debate about our lunch plans with no apparent resolution in sight, Mr. PC finally just sat me down on a bench and told me he had something for me.

Mr. PC handed me an envelope and instructed me, "Please wait here for 10 minutes before reading this." He then rushed away into the crowd. And so I waited. And waited. But 10 minutes? Good gracious, no. I'd say I was able to hold out for about 7 1/2 minutes. (Besides, I'm pretty sure my watch must have been working on some alternative time system, because the seconds hand was moving at about half speed.)

Inside the envelope was the first clue of a scavenger hunt. I can't be sure, but I might have done a cartwheel or two, or at least a karate kick, out of excitement. I have a love for scavenger hunts that could rival that of a pirate's. With a zip in my step, I headed out on my search . . .

At the beginning of the scavenger hunt in front of the Smithsonian. The first clue led me to . . .


. . . a dog/rabbit "Thinker" sculpture in the National Sculpture Garden. The next clue (the blue note in the bottom right corner) directed me to . . .


. . . a carousel along the National Mall. This next red note pointed me towards . . .


. . . a gnarled tree behind the Washington Monument. This was turning out to be no poor-man's scavenger hunt-4 clues and counting. This hint told me to keep walking along the reflecting pool . . .

. . . where I spotted another clue atop an information sign.

This note (which I was beginning to hope was the last, since I think I was developing frostbite of the nose) was simply a line from Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech. This was my hint to head to the Lincoln Memorial, where MLK had orated his famous speech.

At this point, my hands were shaking (from cold or excitement, no one will ever know). I took a few deep breaths and headed towards the Memorial . . .

What made your proposal story special? Dish out the good stuff in the comments!