The first time Carol came to spend a weekend with me, she took an extra day off work and came on Thursday night.

Unfortunately, I had to work on Friday.

So, I drove to work with her and gave her my car.

My usual behavior when I'm somewhere new is to go walking and explore. I generally know the area a few blocks around the hotel as well as the natives after I've been there a couple days.

This was not Carol's style. She stayed put, like a turtle hiding in its shell.

I'd already lived in Chicago (western 'burbs) and knew I didn't want to move there. I was trying to convince her that she'd like to move to Ann Arbor, but to do that, she needed to see Ann Arbor.

So, I arranged for her to have a lesson with my Alexander Technique teacher. Alexander Technique is a way to hold the body and muscles so that you don't strain yourself. It was invented in the 1800's by a guy whose business was being an orator. After a couple hours of declaiming Shakespearean soliloquies in the proper manner - head back, chest forward, grand gestures, he was always hoarse and unable to speak.

So he (bet you can't guess his name (hint, it's not B-I-N-G-O)) worked out ways to stand in a natural posture that did not strain the back and throat and thus not damage yourself.

Carol was busy keeping a chiropractor in business, so this visit seemed like a good idea. Sort of a preventative.

After she finished the lesson, she received this note:

Greetings Mr. Phelps:

Your mission today is to explore the local environs, and investigate the area for possible life forms.

It is recommended that you begin your investigations at the Washington Street Parking Structure. This is one of the only non-metered parking structures in town, and will allow you to continue your efforts without worrying about the state of the meter.

Enclosed is a map that should guide you to your destination.

From your current location, travel Northwest on Washtenaw to Hill.

Turn Left onto Hill.

Note the rock at the corner of Hill & Washtenaw. Odds are that it will never be this color again. No matter what color it is now, it will be different later. Rumor has it that a civic minded citizen once removed all the paint from this rock. It didn't take.

Follow Hill to Division.

Turn Right onto Division.

Division to Washington Street.

Turn Left onto Washington.

The structure is just past the second light, on your right. It is part of a large hotel type building.

After you have reached this location, look in the glove compartment for further instructions.

As usual, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

Good luck.

The next note took her to a restaurant I knew she'd like, where I'd left a gift certificate for lunch and another note.

This note directed her to Borders (back when there was just one Border's bookstore and people came from 3 states away to visit it), where they'd lost the gift certificate and note I'd left for her.

But they let her use the phone to call me. I talked to them, and they found the gift certificate and note.

The note directed her to the UMich Art Museum where she could spend some time enjoying the art. One of the stories Carol had told me was how much she enjoyed visiting The Prado art museum when she lived in Madrid. After enjoying the art, she was directed back to the car, where another note was hidden under the seat.

This note read: Lewis & Clark passed to the South of Michigan on their way to Oregon.

Other Lewis's later settled in Ann Arbor. You will find one of them at 2000 West Stadium. ...

Along with some directions to get to Lewis Jewelers.

I got one of my co-workers to leave work early and drop me off at Lewis Jewelers. Carol and I had been pretty serious for a while, and I was thinking seriously about rings.

I was going to go whole hog and do this right. I'd spend 3, or 4 or maybe even 5 hundred dollars.

Hey, the only diamond I'd ever bought was on a stereo needle. I had no idea what diamonds big enough to see cost.

Carol followed the directions, hit Stadium about rush hour in a car she'd barely driven and was nervous as a cat when she saw the "Lewis" sign. She got off the road, into the parking lot and *then* read the rest of the sign.

"Oh, shit." she thought. "If I go in there, I'm telling him I'm willing to accept his proposal."

Then she thought about the day I'd arranged for her, and said "And how could I not accept?"

She came in the door about the time I sat down hard, having learned that these rings would cost nearly as much as my house. (Yeah, I owned a very cheap house in Ypsi at the time.)

I told Carol we were just looking, and she nodded, not quite able to speak yet. We looked at the rings, told the salesman we'd talk and think about it, and left with our dignity intact.