Britt goes to Chicago and gets engaged! - Part 2

Sorry about the last teaser post!  I had intended to write more, but cellular pathology just wouldn't allow it.

To recap: Andrew and I went to Chicago.  I lost my map.  I got a new map.

On Friday evening after all of the shopping and map-seeking, we got ready for a fantastic dinner on the town.  We had reservations at the Signature Room, a GORGEOUS restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building.  The Signature Room could not have been a more perfect place for New Year's Eve.  We had a spectacular view of the city - downtown, Navy Pier, the lake.  The restaurant was decked out for the evening; there was a ice sculputure made to look like people celebrating the new year.

Dinner was sooo yummy - we had a winter squash bruschetta, filet mignon, and split two delicious desserts.  The cocktails were also delicious - white raspberry Russian?  Yes please :-)  We had a waiter take a few pictures over by our table.  One is kind of blurry, but gives a good feel for the view.  The other is a lot brighter.

After dinner, we walked around the restaurant a little bit.  Each side offered a totally different view of the city.  The side that faced downtown was completely open; during some of the later seatings there was going to be a band and dancing over there.  While were looking out the window at the lights, Andrew and I talked a bit, and then all of a sudden I was being proposed to!

I don't know if anybody else feels this way, but for me it was TOTALLY an out of body experience.  Here's went through my mind.  "Oh look, that boy is proposing to that girl.  That's sweet.  Wait a minute.  HOLY CRAP THAT'S ME."

A very nice man came up and offered to take our picture.

I will admit, that I had always thought that I would cry.  I did not, and here is why: the ring was wayyy to sparkly for me to focus on anything else.  That and, I just felt excited.  Strike that.  I felt SUPER EXCITED.

We left the restaurant, and I immediately wanted to call people.  That involved a lot of screaming - a girl really never gets sick of yelling "I'm engaged!!" into the phone.  The funny thing about calling people was that we could literally get a hold of no one in Andrew's family.  After trying the house phone, his mom's cell, his dad's cell, his sisters' cells - he gave up for a while.

From the Signature Room, we made our way to Old Town Chicago for a comedy show at The Second City.  Luckily, right before the show started, Andrew's parents called back.  I think that made him feel better :-)  The show itself was so, so funny.  They did scripted skits, a countdown to midnight, and then improv.  I would not be surprised if one of the actors we saw is on network TV in the next few years!

To sign off this post, here is a picture of us ringing in 2011 - now officially the year of our engagement :-)

Happy belated New Year!

Britt