When my buddy Drew Olson called (actually, he texted and e-mailed -- who calls people anymore?) about sharing my recent engagement story with OnMilwaukee.com readers on Valentine's Day, well, I wasn't exactly on-board from the get-go.

As the Packers beat writer for the Wisconsin State Journal, football's my forte. Amore? Not my area. And while I did share the story on Drew's radio show, "The D-List" on 540 ESPN, and the future Mrs. Wilde, Paula, shared her version with WKLH's "Dave & Carole," we did so more for entertainment purposes than for self-promotion.

On top of that, ever since my engagement in San Francisco on Jan. 31, there have been two images I haven't been able to get out of my head. And neither is going to get you into a romantic mood for Valentine's Day.

Do you remember the HBO show "Dream On" from the early 1990s? If memory serves, the story went that the main character, Martin Tupper, watched so much TV as a kid that when things happened in his life, he instantly related them to various sitcom situations he'd seen in his youth.

Now, my formative years weren't quite so dominated by TV, but since popping the question, two "Seinfeld" scenes keep popping into my head. (Isn't it amazing how a show about nothing is applicable to everything?)

One, that annoying woman at the Long Island house party hosted by Michael Chiklis (you know, the guy from "The Commish" and "The Shield") constantly using the word "fiancé" -- or, as she draws it out, "fee-ahn-SAAAY" -- much to Elaine's chagrin:

Woman No. 1: "I wonder what happened to my fiancé. I know he's here somewhere. Ellen, have you seen my fiancé?"

Woman No. 2: "He's upstairs."

Woman No. 1: "Are you going upstairs? Tell my fiancé I'm looking for him. I have lost my fiancé, the poor baby."

Elaine: (In a heavy Australian accent, referencing the 1980 Azaria Chamberlain disappearance) "Maybe the dingo ate your baby."

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4 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by citykid on Feb. 15, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. (report)

Awwww, great story Jason. May your future with Paula be a wonderful journey. You seem like a good guy and I wish you the best.

Posted by Stavros103 on Feb. 14, 2008 at 4:59 p.m. (report)

Good story and good read - congrats!!! Just wait though...what a twist and turn it will be - good luck.

Posted by LegallyBlonde on Feb. 14, 2008 at 4:34 p.m. (report)

Cute. I'm glad there wasn't a "post-proposal" heart-attack. Jason...just to be sure, you weren't secretly rooting for the Pack to lose to the G-Men, were you??

Posted by gc67 on Feb. 14, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (report)

Great story! I enjoy listening to Wilde on the radio and reading his blog (when he posts) entries...i'd like to see more short stories by Wilde! Can our buddy Drew request more stories by the eloquent and sensitive jason wilde? Possible topics: halloween costumes, home ownership, wedding planning, off season vacations.