A much better scan

Far better than the other one. Staples up on 57th and 6th did a very good job on the scan, and a decent job on the photo holiday cards that we're sending out at the last minute.

Not the best scan, but a great picture

This was the shot we liked best out of several we had taken professionally the other day. We were walking through a mall here in the Philippines, saw the photography studio and couldn't resist.

An Internet cafe scanned the photo for us but did a lousy job. I did my best to correct it, and although it's still slightly off, it's decent enough to post until I can return home and do a good scan myself.

I should add...I still cannot fully appreciate how lucky I am to have her. There are some complications to sort out before we can get married, and we're in fact not sure at the moment when we can get married, but I know she's the miracle of my life, and if we've waited all our lives to find each other, we can wait a little longer.

An important announcement

This is the most important announcement of my life. I'm still in the Philippines on my vacation. And, I'm not alone.

Tonight, as the sun was setting on the beach at Boracay, she agreed to marry me. She wasn't expecting it, at least not at this time despite the very romantic setting, so in her natural shyness, she could only cover her face, smile and say, "I'm speechless! I don't know what to say." I replied, "Say yes."

So with all apologies to the single women of the world, Perry is now taken. We're both overwhelmed because everything has happened a lot faster than with most people, but it feels so right. It's still sinking in just what happened, but like some songs say:

Love
Look at the two of us
Strangers in many ways
Let's take a lifetime to say
I knew you well
For only time
Can tell us so
And love may grow for all we know

Or

Where do I begin?
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
There'll never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart, she fills my heart!
With many special things
With angel songs
With wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That anywhere I go
I'm never lonely
With her along
Who could be lonely?
I reach for her hand
She's always there

There's also one of my favorite James Bond themes, which I was belting out the other night at a karaoke bar in Davao, the major city in Mindanao.

For your eyes only, can see me through the night
For your eyes only I never need to hide
You can see so much in me, so much in me that's new
I never felt until I looked at you
For your eyes only, only for you
You'll see what no-one else can see, and now I'm breaking free
For your eyes only, only for you
The love I know you need in me, the fantasy you've freed in me
Only for you, only for you