Aww

In just a few words, before we return to our regularly scheduled posts, I'd like to use this blog to congratulate a certain bald friend of mine and his Texan girlfriend on their engagement. I feel like this is a necessary step, seeing as I just wrote a giant post about the multitude of faults this bald man has, since the fact that someone as good as Paige has thrown in her lot with him suggests that perhaps my masterpiece did not tell the whole story.


Paige and Ryan in an amphitheater.

We thought they'd get engaged back during their two-week vacation in Paris over Christmas, but you know what they say about Tbilisi-- the City of Love. For reasons as yet unclear, Mr. Nickum chose to propose to her in the quaint, cozy loveliness of Old Town, rather than in the Peace Corps hostel. Don't laugh; that's where everybody else gets engaged.


Paige and Ryan in Samtredia.

I don't think it's an overstatement to say that their engagement has restored my faith in marriage (not to put any pressure on you guys or anything). After two boyfriendless years of turning down unwanted marriage proposals, you could say that the idea of relationships and weddings had taken on a rather noxious, festering, enslaving, life-ruining picture in my mind. Then along came Ryan and Paige, bringing light to the world like a halogen bulb reflecting off Ryan's head.


Paige and... wait a second...

Side note to my engaged friends in the US: Don't worry, your engagements will brighten my life, too, but it's just that the effects are somewhat dulled by our 6000 miles of separation and the fact that I'm e-hearing about your relationship developments by e-mail. 83 days, guys!

In any case, one last gilotsav to Ryan and Paige! You can find their views on this latest turn of events here and here. That is, if you don't trust my version, or you find my blog insufficient. And thanks to Google Analytics, I'll know who you are if you click from my blog to theirs. And I will find you.