Time warp.

May 2000. So off-panel Frank and Tad had been dating for four years, making Tad seem like slightly, but not much, less of a jerk here. (Gotta love those no dialogue panels - much easier to draw) In real life, Frank and I had only been dating for two and a half years, so our cartoon avatars had been serious longer than we had - despite the comic strip itself only being a year and a half old. Got it? Doesn't matter, there will be no test.

In real life I had the proposal completely mapped out, including breakfast, long walk, drive up to the mountain, find a certain place, say a certain thing, etc - but Frank found my checklist in the car where I'd dropped it so he knew the whole thing was coming. I wish I could have done the strip that way, but this seemed more in line with Tad's continual train wreck of a life.

*One very minor thing - that sailboat picture on the wall that keeps showing up is a nod to The Simpsons and the very same picture they have over their couch. I could draw an actual sailboat if I wanted. :)