As soon as Kim and Ryan decided to travel to San Francisco after graduation for a well-deserved vacation, Ryan began planning to pop the big question. He wanted to think of something other than the standard dinner engagement.. he wanted something special. Ryan initially wanted to propose to Kim on a cliff overlooking the Golden Gate bridge. He had to figure out the rest of the evening though, and talked to Kim's friend Mina for some advice. She came up with the idea of doing a picnic. Ryan contacted several limo companies to make the occasion truly luxurious. He eventually chose a company called Wine and Roses Limo. The limo company suggested a point overlooking the Golden Gate. Ryan then arranged for a picnic basket through the hotel concierge, which was to be delivered to the limo driver as soon as (s)he arrived at the hotel. Everything was set.

But, wait, we can't forget about the ring. Ryan wanted the ring to be perfect for Kim, and, because this wasn't entirely a surprise (Kim knew Ryan was going to propose to her, but not how), Ryan asked Kim to go with her friend Mina to shop for rings. Kim found a ring (which she really loved, but couldn't quite remember a week later), and Ryan and Mina later went shopping. Okay, now, everything was set and the ring was even going to be a suprise, due to Kim's forgetfulness!

Or so Ryan thought. But, then, just a couple days before the departure, Ryan learned from the limo driver, Chris, that the increased Orange threat level issued by the Department of Homeland Security would ruin his plans--- the overlooks above the Golden Gate were to be closed. Cursing both Osama and Bush, Ryan began to arrange for new plans. He looked at a bunch of web sites and a few books and finally found a place to ask the question that would change Kim and his lives' forever - Sutro Heights park, overlooking the Pacific ocean and the famed Cliff House restaurant.

The evening of the engagement

Ryan and Kim got ready and went down to hotel lobby. Kim wasn't aware that a limo was going to pick them up, but soon found out as Ryan had to ask the doorman if had seen a limo arrive. It turns out that the hotel made the limo circle around the block until Ryan and Kim were ready (on Ryan time). Anwyay, the limo eventually arrived and picked them up. Ryan was delighted to see that the picnic basket had arrived as well. The limo drove Ryan and Kim to Sutro Heights Park and dropped them off for their picnic. Ryan picked up the picnic basket and the camera and was ready to go. Kim asked Ryan whether he had everything and he responded "yep" and off they went into the park. Well, Ryan didn't have everything -- he left the ring in the limo. Even though Kim knew about what was happening, Ryan was still mighty nervous and thus very forgetful. Anyway, Kim and Ryan went to the top of park which overlooked the ocean, but decided that it was way too cold to actually picnic there and ended up going to a nice grassy area of the park where they also froze to death (see shivering Kim, wearing Ryan's sweater, in picture at left). Kim and Ryan opened the picnic basket to discover that it wasn't food that they were used to eating -- it was probably the most gourmet picnic they will ever eat in their lives' (no hotdogs or hamburgers!). The cheeses were each labelled like a fancy bottle of wine - location and year were provided in addition to originating animal -- Kim and Ryan didn't eat much of that.

Since Ryan was so forgetful and forgot the ring for the first attempt at proposal, he asked the limo driver to take Kim and himself down to the beach. It turned out to a good thing, because the limo driver was then there to take pcitures of the proposal as it happened (see picture at left). After shiverring a bit on the beach, Kim and Ryan went to the Cliff House restaurant for a post-proposal toast before heading to a comedy show at the Punch Line comedy club. They enjoyed a wonderful evening of laughs and were driven in the limo back to the hotel.

Kim and Ryan have been happily engaged ever since and look forward to their wedding on August 22nd, 2004.