A real gem of a story

The forum for general posting. Come join the madness. :)
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
BackInTex
Posts: 12780
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: In Texas of course!

A real gem of a story

#1 Post by BackInTex » Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:35 pm

When I proposed to Mrs. BiT, I presented her with a simple single solitaire diamond engagement ring. The diamond was smaller than I wanted it to be, but a much higher quality than you could get at a retail jewelry store as a co-worker had connections with a diamond broker working out of the Dallas Market Center. After we got married, we had the engagement ring welded into the center of a diamond clustered ring guard with the solitaire sitting high above the 5 smaller diamonds on each side.

Last May, two months into our 30th year of marriage, on her last day of class, she spent the day packing up her classroom, lugging some stuff home, storing some stuff in her cabinets at school, and throwing out much of the used stuff from the class year that just ended. That evening we went out to Panera Bread for a light dinner, then to a couple of Walmarts to get a foam mattress pad for her to take to my daughter Emily in Dallas. After our second unsuccessful trip into a Walmart she gets back into the car, puts her hand on the steering wheel and cries “My ring! The diamond is gone!!”.

Sure enough, half the engagement band along with the diamond was missing. It looked like it had been yanked out of the setting by force, leaving about 1/3 of the engagement ring still welded inside the ring guard.

We went back into that Walmart and looked around on the floor and in the shelf where she had pulled a few pads out to feel them. No luck. We went back to Panera Bread and looked around in the parking lot where we parked and inside where we walked and sat. No luck. We went home and inspected ever inch, nook and cranny of the car. No luck. We went through every box she had packed and brought home. Nothing. It must have been lost at school she thought. But there was no way to get back into the school and she was driving to Colorado the next day. She sent an email to her team at school letting them know and what to look for. No one of course had seen it, the janitors were notified to be on the lookout, but they had already swept all the floors and thrown out the trash. We were hopeful it was in a box she packed up and she would find it in September.

“The good news”, she said, “is it is insured so we can get a replacement diamond. I need a bigger one anyway.” Me, uh oh. We had changed insurance companies the prior summer. All our jewelry was separately scheduled under a rider on that old policy. I did not think to do that with the new policy. I checked. Nope, not insured.

So, beginning the last week of May, she went without a wedding ring. September came, back in class, she goes through the boxes of stuff she’d packed away. Nothing. All hope is lost. I’m going to have to buy a replacement straight out, no insurance, no trade-in. I had planned on upgrading the diamond for our 30th anniversary, March 9th of this year, anyway. I told her she’d have to wait until then as we didn’t have the money laying around to make that big of a purchase. Every week or so since May she’d take the opportunity to flash her ringless hand to me, reminding me of what was missing.

The Saturday before Christmas I decided to get her the replacement for Christmas. I looked at some sites online and found that the diamonds there were not as expensive as I had expected. I found one I liked. The site had videos of each individual diamond so you could see exactly what you were getting. It came with a GIA certificate so I was confident of a sight-unseen purchase. I was able to afford a larger diamond and even better quality that the first diamond. So, an upgrade in both size and quality. However, it could not be set into another engagement band and delivered until mid-January. So, nothing to "give" for Christmas.

I hurriedly made a video, put it on a flash drive, put it in her stocking with a note that said, “Play me”. It was about 4 minutes long, sort of chronicling our 30 years of marriage; pictures of our wedding, homes we lived in, Christmas trees over the years, our traditions of matching Christmas pajamas and video clips from our wedding, each child's first steps, etc. I wish I’d had more time to put it together but with only 2 days to find the pictures and video clips, and with my limited skills, I think I did pretty good. Still, every time I watch it I think "You should have done this" or "Not that picture!". It ended with the site video of the diamond and a message "Arriving January 13th". The music is Pachelbel: Canon in D by Orpheus Chamber Orchestra which was our Lamaze music. Unfortunately my wife could not deliver and she ended up with a C-section (all 4), but that music is what played at least 10 times during the 20+ hours of labor prior to that 1st c-section.

I hesitated to post the video, but what the heck. We know what Bob weighed every Monday for the past 17 years. And yes, I might have have a few drinks in the one picture, but we were on the beach in Aruba and it was a short walk back to the hotel. :D My kids can't believe out of all the pictures we have, I put that one in. Eh....it was a good day.
This year's Razzy winner

The new diamond (and engagement ring) arrived in January as expected and we had it welded inside the existing ring guard. She now had a wedding ring back on her hand, with an upgrade, after going 8 months without one. All was now good. We were still sad that the original diamond was gone, not for the financial value but for the sentimental value
.
Saturday, two weeks ago we drove to the Smokey Mountains for Spring Break, just us and another couple. Emily and her husband had come down to stay in our house for a couple of days to visit with some local friends. As we’re driving between Biloxi, MS and Mobile, AL, Emily’s husband video calls Mrs. BiT and tells her “I’ve got to tell you something, but don’t freak out.” We are thinking they broke something, or our dog got injured.
He then shows her this…
Image
He was rummaging through our garage and looked down on the floor, saw something shiny, picked it up and realized what it was. It must have been stuck between a couple boxes or something and he or his dog had knocked it loose.

We’ve been out in the garage a hundred times since May, moving boxes around, getting things out, putting things back, etc. We are beside ourselves with joy. Now we need to decide what to do with it. Mrs. BiT is thinking of making it into a pedant necklace. I'm thinking I will put it in an insurance policy.
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

User avatar
Beebs52
Queen of Wack
Posts: 14890
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:38 am
Location: Location.Location.Location

Re: A real gem of a story

#2 Post by Beebs52 » Tue Mar 30, 2021 8:02 pm

This is great! I lost the diamond out of my engagement ring years ago at our other house. Had insurance, got replaced. Last year had it reset with diamonds from my grandmas ring, lovely. Except needed to get appraisal from jeweler who skipped town...luckily he didn't swipe the gems...
Well, then

User avatar
tlynn78
Posts: 8652
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:31 am
Location: Montana

Re: A real gem of a story

#3 Post by tlynn78 » Tue Mar 30, 2021 8:42 pm

The ring is nice, but the video is priceless.
To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. -Thomas Paine
You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. -Ayn Rand
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire

User avatar
silverscreenselect
Posts: 23175
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:21 pm
Contact:

Re: A real gem of a story

#4 Post by silverscreenselect » Tue Mar 30, 2021 9:46 pm

Great story, greater video, and a happy ending. It doesn't get better than that, BiT.
Check out our website: http://www.silverscreenvideos.com

User avatar
Bob78164
Bored Moderator
Posts: 21626
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:02 pm
Location: By the phone

Re: A real gem of a story

#5 Post by Bob78164 » Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:47 pm

BackInTex wrote:
Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:35 pm
I hesitated to post the video, but what the heck. We know what Bob weighed every Monday for the past 17 years.
I'm glad I still have a little credibility around here.

Nice video. Definitely worth 4:13 of my life. Might even have been worth 5 minutes. 8)

I'm glad your wife and kids appreciated it. I suspect they'll continue to enjoy it, and the memories it evokes, for a very long time. Thanks for sharing. --Bob
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson

Spock
Posts: 4295
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:01 pm

Re: A real gem of a story

#6 Post by Spock » Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:34 am

I will have to watch it later, but my diamond story is that a couple of years ago-I started to detect some strong hints from Mrs Spock that maybe we should replace the small diamond that I bought 30 years ago as many people seem to do. She even enlisted help from my cousin at one point.

I just played completely dumb and like it was all going completely over my head. That worked. Haven't heard nothing about a new ring for a couple of years now. LOL.

User avatar
mrkelley23
Posts: 6260
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:48 pm
Location: Somewhere between Bureaucracy and Despair

Re: A real gem of a story

#7 Post by mrkelley23 » Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:24 am

Beautiful video. What makes it special is that it represents your thoughts and image selections, not anybody else's.

Congratulations on another chapter in the love story, and thanks for putting yourself out there.
For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled. -- Richard Feynman

User avatar
BackInTex
Posts: 12780
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: In Texas of course!

Re: A real gem of a story

#8 Post by BackInTex » Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:29 am

Spock wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:34 am
I will have to watch it later, but my diamond story is that a couple of years ago-I started to detect some strong hints from Mrs Spock that maybe we should replace the small diamond that I bought 30 years ago as many people seem to do. She even enlisted help from my cousin at one point.

I just played completely dumb and like it was all going completely over my head. That worked. Haven't heard nothing about a new ring for a couple of years now. LOL.
Maybe I should post my story on FB. :twisted:
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

Spock
Posts: 4295
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:01 pm

Re: A real gem of a story

#9 Post by Spock » Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:21 pm

BackInTex wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 11:29 am
Spock wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:34 am
I will have to watch it later, but my diamond story is that a couple of years ago-I started to detect some strong hints from Mrs Spock that maybe we should replace the small diamond that I bought 30 years ago as many people seem to do. She even enlisted help from my cousin at one point.

I just played completely dumb and like it was all going completely over my head. That worked. Haven't heard nothing about a new ring for a couple of years now. LOL.
Maybe I should post my story on FB. :twisted:
Challenge accepted-I can play dumb with the best of them-LOL.

My cousin (female) is quite the saleslady and (as part of the plan) she was telling me how she likes it when her husband takes her out for a nice dinner and has a bottle of wine and flowers and so forth. I made her literally LOL when I said that I like when Mrs. Spock does that for me too.

User avatar
Vandal
Director of Promos
Posts: 6663
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:42 pm
Location: Literary Circles
Contact:

Re: A real gem of a story

#10 Post by Vandal » Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:19 pm

That was really well done, BiT. Congratulations on your recent anniversary.

My wife made a slide show with music for our 30th a couple of years ago. When Through the Years by Kenny Rogers finishes, there’s not a dry eye in the house.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Available now:
The Secret At Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery
The Right Hand Rule
Center Point
Dizzy Miss Lizzie
Running On Empty
The Tick Tock Man
The Dragon's Song by Binh Pham and R. M. Clark
Devin Drake and The Family Secret

Visit my website: http://www.rmclarkauthor.com

Ready: Devin Drake and The RollerGhoster

User avatar
mellytu74
Posts: 9373
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:02 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: A real gem of a story

#11 Post by mellytu74 » Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:42 pm

The whole thing - the story, the video - is all just so adorable.

BUT, the ending!

I vote for insured pendant.

User avatar
BackInTex
Posts: 12780
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: In Texas of course!

Re: A real gem of a story

#12 Post by BackInTex » Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:50 pm

mellytu74 wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 4:42 pm

I vote for insured pendant.
I think you may have the winner!
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

Post Reply