A Very Special ROFL Engagement
December 8, 2012 § 6 Comments
The very first image ever taken of Chris and me, at the ROFLcon afterparty
Earlier today (wait no, it is the middle of the night/morning, I guess it was yesterday), Chris and I made our engagement public. We had planned on waiting to announce our decision (I do not believe in proposals) on January 1 because symbolism, but anyone who knows me knows I am one of the most impatient people in all of Christendom, and that I have a strange compulsion to beat my own deadlines. If I say something needs doing by December 1, for example, I will be turning that shit in during the first week of November. And if I need to have something written by the end of summer, by gum I will start outlining in May. This probably makes me annoying, but I don’t care. I probably think YOU are annoying, because you’re slow.
True to form, last night I decided I did not want to wait another three weeks for something that was already true in my heart, so Chris and I made with the text messages and phone calls and a merry time was had by all. At one point, someone mentioned that Chris and I first met at Portland’s ROFLcon summit, which got some other people talking. Were we the first engagement to come out of the ROFL series? Turns out that yes, we were, and will probably be the last, as the ROFL dynasty ended last spring. This is very funny to me, and isn’t something I’ve thought much about, but ultimately it is the stupid internet that brought Chris and me together. Really, every step in our relationship owes its existence to the internet. Before meeting at ROFLcon, we were already on the same Web Ecology listserv; our first interaction was me being snarky about something Chris had said about [REDACTED], and scaring him. When we were properly introduced in Portland, his eyes got all wide because I was that girl, which wasn’t something I was used to. But it wasn’t until the second day that we really clicked — Chris came and sat next to me during Biella Coleman’s breakout session on Anonymous, and that was pretty much that. After ROFLcon, Chris returned to New York City and I returned to Eugene and we proceeded to break Skyping records, due to our discovery that WE COULD WATCH TELEVISION TOGETHER, on the computer. Then once Chris moved out to Eugene last March, by which point I had fallen into the pit of manic depression known as a PhD dissertation, he helped me fact-check and read draft after draft after draft and is one of only maybe a half handful of people whose knowledge on the subject met and sometimes even surpassed my own. And he was nice to me through all of it.
So, internet, thank you — I take back everything mean I’ve ever said about you. Well almost everything. I have my standards.
Our engagement photo, of sorts
Congratulations, Whitney and Chris!!! We are so happy and excited for you guys.
Love you,
Kathy and Keith
Aw, thanks you guys! I’m sending lots of love…big hugs to everybody!
Holy shit! Congratulations you two. I’m so very happy for the both of you. Welcome to team married.
AHHHHHHH THANKS! Also, wait hold up you’re married too????????? When did that happen?? God, being adults right??
Also
it’s great to hear from you friend!!!! Send email with life update when you have the chance hmm?
Sweet Whit, congratulations from Uncle Rick and me.We are very delighted for you and Chris and look quite forward to meeting the man who has stolen your heart and matches your intellect! (Well done, Chris!)I want in on shower giving!! Love you, hugs and kisses, Aunt Lynne
Aw thanks Aunt Lynne! We are very happy — and I feel extremely lucky. I can’t wait till you guys get to meet him!!! xoxo