A different kind of recipe

Recipe for Success, adapted from Loving Boyfriend
Serves 2.

Ingredients:
1 female rock climber (preferably Marine Biology grad student variety)
1 male rock climber (preferably Loving Boyfriend variety)
1 beautiful state park (preferably Smith Rock State Park variety, see picture above)
1 roomate
2 dogs
1 incredibly unique Oregon hotel (preferably McMenamin's variety)
1 hummus plate, with delicious pickled red onions
2 pints of McMenamins Ale (1 Nebraska Bitter, 1 Rubinator)
2 plush, white terry-cloth robes
1 amazing Turkish soaking pool
sweet, romantic lines, for seasoning
1 beautiful star sapphire, passed down from mom
enough love to make it through 40 years or so

Instructions:
Take female and male rock climbers and mix together in 1 beautiful state park over high heat. Keep female and male rock climbers in the shade as long as possible to avoid over-heating and resulting grumpiness that may ensue. Leave roomate back home so that dogs are at room temperature, taken care of, and not worrying or bothering the mixture.

Once thoroughly exhausted, move rock climbers to incredibly unique Oregon hotel and wash thoroughly to remove grit and grime. Remove from wash, dress gently in comfortable clothing and transfer to pub for food and drink. Add 1 hummus plate with delicious pickled onions (the female rock climber's favorite) and 2 pints of McMenamin's ale to the climber mixture to keep climbers satiated and not starving before dinner. Allow to soak up food and drink until slightly innundated with alcohol to remove "nerves."

Place in plush terry-cloth robes (provided in the packaging of incredibly unique hotel), and walk over to amazing Turkish soaking pool (preferably the type with gorgeously torquoise mosaic tiles, open sky-light, beautiful fountains and fabulous murals).


Gently add rock climbers to Turkish soaking pool and soak in salted water at 95-100 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until thoroughly saturated and muscle lumps and cramps are removed.

While soaking, get down on knees on the bench inside the pool, season with lots of sweet romantic lines (like: I feel like I've been searching for you my entire life...). When seasoned enough for flavor, surprise value and suspiciousness about what's going on, add 1 beautiful passed-down star sapphire, the promise of designing the ring of your dreams and ask gently:

"Will you marry me?"

Finish off with a resonant and exuberant "Yes" and enough love to make it through 40 years or so, and you've got a recipe that will turn Loving Boyfriend into Loving Husband in 9-12 months!

Recipe Notes: Yes, we're engaged! After everything you've been through with me, I couldn't resist sharing this happy news with all of you that have been such a large part of my life for the last year with your emails, comments, laughter, recipes and support (Thank you!). And for those of you in the United States - Happy 4th of July too!