There are two elements of background information necessary before describing the proposal. First, Tracy always joked that BMW (the car) stood for "Be My Wife" and that she wanted a BMW with her proposal. This joke originated way before she ever thought that I would be her husband, but I had heard her mention it before. Second, back when we first met, Tracy had a plot to seduce me by inviting me over to help her with her drafting project and then faking a blackout thus forcing us to draft by candlelight (part of "How We Met"). I incorporated these two elements along with a bit of poetry and (of course) the ring, into the following scenario.

The Ring: Believe it or not, I first saw her ring first in a dream. It is a simple, elegant design that I created with my jeweler. The platinum ring contains one, center cut diamond of excellent clarity. I examined about 20 or 30 similar stones over a five week period before choosing this diamond.

The BMW: Although there was no way in the world I could buy Tracy a BMW to compliment the proposal, I found a very nice, working model at The Sharper Image. It is a red 325i convertible and has served its purpose well. It is now displayed as a conversation piece in our living room.

The Setting: I set up a makeshift drafting table in our study. Using all of the drafting tools that I own, I made the desk look rather convincing. The drafting board was surrounded by candles and on the drafting board was the poem. Underneath the table I hid the BMW with the ring on the seat ready for a timely entrance.
The Poem: BMW          (November 15, 1995)

November, eight years ago
a plan was brewing in your head;
Same month, eight years later
your plan is being enacted.

As you sit at this board
in the candlelit night
I remind you of
the eight years gone by.

Many tasks have been completed
and many adventures have come and gone
But slowly, over time
the truth came to be known.

Piece by piece,
we learned from each other
True feelings
hidden deep in our hearts.

It has taken every moment
of these last eight years
to complete the first circle
of our lives together.

Our hearts have melted together
and our souls bond as one
as I give you this circle
and ask you to Be My Wife…

How it happened: It took me all day to arrange this scenario, and all day I panicked! I kept thinking that I wouldn't pull it off in time. In my panic, I almost gave it away by calling Tracy several times to see when she would be home. The plan was to go out to a romantic dinner, come home and then propose. I would have never made it through dinner! I chose (wisely) to do it soon after Tracy got home. When she did arrive, I sent her to walk the dog so I could light the candles. While she was gone, I called her father to officially ask for his permission to marry his daughter, and the rest, as they say, is history.