Memories to last a lifetime

Finally, the Martini That Lasts Forever
Guests at the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo can now order a cocktail that would make James Bond envious. The new "diamond-tini" comes garnished with a 1.06-carat sparkler and a hefty price tag of $15,000, Reuters reports.

"It's a timeless drink and diamonds are a girl's best friend, so you combine both this time of year in Japan when proposals are rampant," Bernard Viola, the hotel's manager told the news service.

This extravagant vodka martini is prepared tableside to a serenade of the Shirley Bassey hit "Diamonds Are Forever." The diamond garnish is later set in a ring by a local jeweler.

Evidently they haven't had any takers on this yet. They'll probably drop it once the first woman to swallow the diamond sues.

Funny, the thought of spending $15,000 on a proposal just didn't occur to me at the time. As a matter of fact, our story must rank as one of the oddest proposals ever made. I've mentioned this previously, but that was before my hits skyrocketed into double digits.

MM and I met at work. It was at a non-profit organization that worked with developmentally and physically disabled adults. We did job training, behavior modification programming, rehab work, etc. One of our clients was a young man who had severe brain damage from a car accident. He was probably the most ornery and disgusting individual we had to work with. (there were a number of close seconds) As part of the routine, we drove him home separately from all the other clients. There had to be two people on the trip---one to drive, the other to ensure Jim didn't throw things at the driver's head.

So, one day MM and I were teamed up for this trip. We started talking on the way about possibly getting married. The conversation went something like this.

So, do you want to get married.
Yes, do you.
I'll ask you if you ask me.
(Jim, from the back, "I'm gonna kill you m....f...ers)
Ok. Katherine, will you marry me?
Yes. Jim, put down that lunch box. David, will you marry me?
Yes.
(Jim from the back, "I hate both you m.....f...ers)
So let's pick a date. Jim, put that book away and don't even think about throwing it.

Ah, the romance in the air was almost to much to handle; plus, we saved ourselves $15,000.