Hankel's Flowers

I was visiting Kirsten's work and noticed that Hankel's Flowers was going out of business. Bummer! (Maybe just moving?)

Here's how I know Hankel's Flowers.

It was April 26th, 2002, the day I was going to propose. I had it all worked out--or so I thought. Little did I know what lay ahead.

Kirsten was living in Chicago, I was in Columbus. She knew I was coming to visit this weekend. She thought I was flying in that evening. Instead I arrived in the morning. I dropped my luggage at my sister's place and scoped out the area. To keep her from seeing me as I passed by her office, I walked down the back alley across the street.

Finally the time came. I went in the back door of Hankel's Flowers, got two dozen red long-stemmed roses, and left through the front door. The street was very busy and I struggled my way across. A man on a mission.

I rang the bell. The receptionist answered. I said, "I'm here to see Kirsten." She said, "Right this way." She took me down the hall, around the corner, and into the wrong Kirsten's office! She's walking away as this other Kirsten and I are looking awkwardly at each other--me with my big armful of roses. "Um, excuse me! Wait!" I yelled after her, my face as red as the roses!

As it turns out, in crossing the busy street, I got a little off and wound up at the office next door! (They look pretty similar from the street. And I was a little nervous to begin with!)

So we figure that out and I go next door. Now it's "take two," but this time I'm very flustered from what I've just been through. Gulp!

The rest of the evening went much better--she said "yes!" And it's been getting better ever since.