Short Term Pinch (STP)

[blackshirej]

Not stock related, but I wanted to announce this since I consider you all my friends now. :)

8 years ago, a new bar & grill opened by my work...I tried it out the first week they were open and got to know the owners really well. So well, it turned into my home away from home and the owners became like family to me. If I wasn't working, I was sitting at the bar, usually sipping on a Pepsi and playing Keno. A LOT of great memories were made there including meeting my girlfriend of just over 5 years.

My friends have decided to close the bar and enjoy retirement and tonight was their last day open...so like I do every Saturday, I went down and got some wings for lunch around noon and we hung around until nearly midnight drinking with all our friends and fellow regulars and saying our final goodbyes as we ended a chapter and begun a new one.

My girlfriend and I ended up slipping down to the [now closed] basement bar where we reminisced a bit about our first time meeting each other. I kept getting choked up talking about all the memories I had from down there and if we all meet up one day and tell drunken stories, you'll hear some...but then I told her that since we're beginning a new chapter of our lives, I'd be honored to begin that chapter with her agreeing to become my wife.

SHE SAID YES!!!

We then went upstairs and announced it to all our friends...lots more tears shed, hugs, kisses, bawling, and the owners broke out a bottle of champagne for an engagement toast.

All in all a great night...it turned a night of heartbreak into a lifetime of happiness.

Here's one of the photos from right afterward...the other couple with us have a special meaning.

[url=https://ibb.co/kut9Gx][/url]

My mom died when I was 16 and Amanda's engagement ring has the diamond from my mom's ring in it. Sheree (on the right) was one of my mom's best friends...we all met my first day of kindergarten at the bus stop. Their son and I immediately became best friends and she and my mom became best friends. Their son was killed in a freak car accident 9 years ago and I got them to start coming out to the bar and we ended up being great friends too. Since all my family ranges from 300-1000+ miles away from me, I felt like having one of my mom's best friends there was about as close as having my own family there. I dunno...I'm just kinda sappy I guess...

Either way, I'm engaged!

Now time to sleep! lol