10 Days Away - Time To Start Crossing The I's and Dotting The...Lowercase j's

It's hard to believe, but the moment is getting very near at hand. Today is Monday, and with my target date of next Thursday, it's time to start firming up all parts of the plan so as to ensure it will run as closely to my vision as possible.

Let's take a look at some of the things I still have to do before the big day.

- Talk to the parents. When is the appropriate time to do this? Obviously I need to discuss my plans with them before I propose, but I'm not exactly sure what to say. I'm hoping the conversation goes something like this:

Me: Hello Mr. Lesser, I love your daughter and I'd like your permission to marry her. I know I'm but a humble, bald, internet sportswriter, but I promise to make an honest woman of her.

Mr. Lesser: You had me at bald.

That would be short and sweet. But what if he goes deeper, like some people I know? When my brother-in-law Will asked my father for my sister Hannah's hand, he got grilled like a rib-eye: how would he provide for her? What were his long-term plans? How did his 401k look? What is the air/speed velocity of an in-laden swallow? And so on...

I like to think Hilary's parents are happy about our relationship, so I anticipate relatively smooth sailing, but you never know.

- Pick a restaurant. I'm torn here. Two Urban Licks is a favorite of ours. It's delicious, has great ambience, and we ate there the first weekend we started dating. Clearly, we have history there. Unfortunately it's very trendy, and on a Thursday night likely to be very loud. It's romantic, but we won't have much privacy or ability to talk without having to shout at each other across the table. ("I LOVE YOU BABY!")

On the other hand, there is Imperial Fez. It's a delicious Moroccan joint with dim lighting that will allow for a very soft, romantic setting, but I've never taken her there so it doesn't have any particular meaning for us as a couple.

Which way to go? I've made reservations at both places, so I have some time to decide. (Of course, asking this hypothetical question here is the ultimate in futility, since no one is reading this and there is no hope for advice in the comments section).

- Call her boss. Part of my plan is for us to spend Friday morning together before we head to Virginia Beach. To make that happen, I need to square her absence from work with her employers. We are family friends with her company's CEO, so I feel like it shouldn't be too big of a deal - the hardest part is deciding when to pull the trigger. I'm trying to balance giving her company enough advance warning of her absence while also trying to mitigate the chances that someone there might blow the surprise. I'm thinking next Wednesday. Two days notice is enough for the half-day before Labor Day, right?

UPDATE: My sister says I need to give more notice, so I guess I'll call them on Monday.

- Check the weather. The one thing that could foil my plans. I checked the 10-day forecast, and it lists isolated thunderstorms for next Mon-Weds. I guess that's cool, just as long as they are isolated way the hell away from Piedmont Park. It's looking ok for Thursday, but obviously things can change between now and then so I'll keep my eye on it. I don't really have much of a back-up plan right now; if it rains, I suppose we could just go skating in the Berman Center (sorry, a little Jacobs humor for the camp nerds out there).

My main back-up plan is to just surprise her with the ring right when she walks in the door, which won't have quite the same cachet as the park, but what can you do? Mother nature can be a cruel mistress.

It will be a bummer if it does in fact rain, but at least it will prove that I, as a Jew, cannot in fact control the weather.