Did I ever tell you about the time...

... I met Clay and Karen from JRFM? No? Well, let me tell you what happened!

Years ago, maybe 8 or 9 years ago, they had people come into the station to plug their businesses on air. It was free advertising, and my then-boyfriend and I had just opened a store. We desperately needed some exposure, and jumped at the chance to tell people about our little business! So I called in, we made an appointment, and were on air that week (or the next, I don't remember).

We were poorer than poor. The rent at the store was ridiculous ($2100 as I recall) and we barely had two nickels to rub together. We spent little, and earned less. I was working full time but making only $1400/month and he was trying to get the store up and running.

Clay and Karen had asked people to bring them gifts (bribes, I believe they called them). Did I mention we were poor? Yeah, well, when you think of the poorest you've ever been, we were poorer. So we did the only thing we COULD do: we bought them gifts at the thrift shop (what would YOU have done?) I remember I bought Karen a folding stool with a cooler underneath, thinking she could use it at Merritt Mountain Music Fest. I bought Clay a leather shirt/jacket, which would have been great if he were a hippie. He is not. Far from it. He cast it aside in thinly veiled disgust, and made some comment about donating it to the homeless. Karen was more gracious, at least saying thank you and saying (if only in jest) that she would use it.

Later that week, after everyone had gone through, they evaluated their haul: the best presents they got were booze. Well, DUH! Upon hindsight, which is always 20/20, we should have pooled our nickels and bought them beer. BEER! I don't know WHAT we were thinking, except that we didn't have any money and a measly 6 pack would look bad. Or maybe it just didn't cross our minds to take alcohol into a studio. Whatever the case, I left there feeling degraded. And ashamed.

My wonderful boyfriend turned it around for me: as we walked back towards our car, he non-chalantly proposed! He tossed me a little bag with a lovely box in it, and said "I wanted to do this on air but I chickened out: will you marry me?"

And that's the only thing I want to remember about that day. <3