Anatomy of a proposal – It will be a cracking day today

Saturday, 5 December
Phuket

It’s the King’s 82nd birthday today. Very auspicious.

My mate Gearing and I are up at 5.45am to play an early-morning 9-holes of golf at the Phuket Country Club.

I kiss Clare goodbye, she’s still slumbering. I whisper to her that today is going to be most excellent. She's got no idea how excellent. I do. This is fun.

“Mate, I’ve got a good feeling about today,” I say on our way there. Gearing thinks I’m talking about the golf and the ‘Camberley Cup’, our jointly-contested golfing trophy.

After a quick breakfast in the restaurant, we tee off. An I’m most definitely not on my game.

It only takes until the end of the 1st hole when Gearing's inevitable question comes out: “when are you going to bloody ask her to marry you?”

“In time, I’m just not ready right now. But I promise you mate, you’ll be among the first people to know…”

HA!!! The irony!!! I’m loving this. What a morning.

Although I play like a busted ass, scoring 67 for nine holes and losing 6 balls in the drink, it’s a cracking morning, made more so because Dave’s attitude toward the game, and life in general, is always so energetic and positive. What an excellent way to kick the day off with a good mate.