The #2 lane of the 405N nr the JCT with the Harbor Fwy -- Los Angeles CA
N 33° 51.535 W 118° 17.371
11S E 380715 N 3747261
The future Daddy and Mama Blaster were on the San Diego Freeway heading back from a wedding show at the Del Amo Mall in Torrance when Daddy Blaster decided that since we were shopping for wedding stuff, he should probably ask the Big Question.
Waymark Code: WMFTMX
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/29/2012
Views: 40
What can I say? We are Navy, we are about the mission, and we are practical.
We already knew we were going to be married, it just wasn't official yet when a special weekend wedding vendor show took over the Del Amo Mall in Torrance, CA in the spring of 1992. I (Mama Blaster) am NOT a shopper and was not looking forward to spending 12-18 months looking everywhere for the perfect [whatever] detail. I am, and always have been, a laserbeamer. Get that shopping mission accomplished, and move on to thbe next thing!
It made perfect sense to me to spend an afternoon at what was then the World's Largest Shopping Mall checking out the wedding vendor show with the man I knew I would marry, (once he asked of course!!).
As we made our way to the show, we stopped at a mall jewelry store to price wedding rings. A lady next to us bought this huge honking choke-a-horse diamond ring -- it was a $45K ring. I had never seen a ring that big! We were looking at $200 wedding bands, since we were both Naval officers, on a government salary. Being the next customer after the luxury buyer worked out well for us: the jeweler offered us our simple wedding bands at his cost. Can't turn that deal down! So we picked out our rings. I paid for them because he had a car payment and I didn't. That purchase got Future Daddy Blaster thinking: we had the rings, but he had not asked the question. Hmm.
We went on to the vendor show. By the end of the day I had picked a photographer and the bakery for a future wedding, while Future Daddy Blaster had picked the musicians. I already had a ceremony site (active duty military officers could use the Fort MacArthur Officer's Club for free). I also had decided on a style of dress.
After the show, Future Daddy Blaster was driving us back to Lakewood. He was a little quieter than usual. Then he said "We have been at this all afternoon. We've bought our rings already, so I guess I might as well make it official: will you marry me?"
I was pretty surprised to be asked on the spur of the moment - that is more my style, not his. Future Daddy Blaster is an engineer, so he likes to get all the pieces of the plan together before executing. But recognizing opportunity and seizing it instantly and decisively is what I do best (it's the litigator in me), so I said, "YES!" instantly.
Future Daddy Blaster was a little apologetic about the lack of romance in the #2 lane of the 405 Freeway, but it didn't matter to me. I am a practical, mission-accomplishment kind of girl, and I was going to marry the man I wanted to live the rest of my life with. I was ecstatic!
Future Daddy Blaster later asked me again in a more romantic setting, but it's the first proposal that created the contract, so that's what we have waymarked!
It's been 20 years now and we have two Younger Blasterz (ages 14 and 9) now. Not only would he ask again, I would say yes again! :)
The coordinates are for the end of the on-ramp from the southbound Harbor Freeway (I-110) onto the northbound San Diego (I-405) Freeway.