Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

Believe it or not—I’m an engaged man. Saturday afternoon my girlfriend Tamara said yes and became my fiancée.

OK, I know some of you want the details, so here goes. Friday evening we enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner (cooked by yours truly) at my apartment (which took many days to clean), and then we went to a musical at the civic center. Saturday we hiked up Bald Eagle Mountain (a large hill outside Ovalo, a town near Tuscola) and had a picnic at a scenic overlook. After we had eaten, I reached into my bag to get desert and pulled out a diamond ring. Tamara was shocked at first and then found the composure to answer the question, thereby committing to the daunting task of de-bachelorizing the only single man left of my parents’ three sons. Friday evening, after taking time to call home, rest, and freshen up, we celebrated with dinner at Perini Ranch Steakhouse (at the edge of Buffalo Gap, another little town south of Abilene).

Now I periodically find myself leaping into the air, clapping my hands, and singing “Hallelujah!”