I've never really been into jewelry, at least not the real, bling-y kind--there are so many other things I'd rather spend my moolah on than diamonds. And while I ooh-ed and aah-ed over my friends' ginormous engagement rings, I never felt envy or a desire to have anything quite so large. (At one point, I even wondered what the point of it all was.)

I also prided myself in being the type of girl who's in no rush to get hitched. The original plan was to get married in '07, but obviously, it got moved, and I was totally OK with it. My reasoning was we would get there eventually, so we should just enjoy where we are now.

And then today, I happened to walk by a jewelry store on my way to a pullout, and a shiny little object caught my eye. It was a lone diamond set in an elegant platinum band, winking at me from beneath a spotlight. I actually stopped and stared at it, and then my eyes traveled to the other rings nestled on miniature pedestals. And then--gasp!--I found myself walking into the store and surveying the wedding bands.

Oh gawd no. Please don't tell me I've turned into That Girl.