I arrived in Tombstone around 3:40 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Before my search began, I consulted my schedule of events for the day. I had come just in time for the Sadie Hawkins Chase on Allen Street.

As I searched for the starting line, all of the bachelors and a sign-up sheet, I came across a small hiccup. I approached one of the ladies in charge, Susan Sinsley, and apparently I was the only participant.

Who would I chase?

Sue began to recruit. She managed to rummage up a cowboy for me. I believe he participated out of sheer pity and possibly boredom.

My cowboy was in town visiting his father, who began to join Sue in recruiting.

Eventually Carl and Gwen Solley, a couple visiting from Denver, enthusiastically agreed to join the chase.

More attempts to recruit others for the chase proved unsuccessful and Sue began to kick things off. My cowboy, Dustin, and Carl, lined up about 10 feet ahead of Gwen and me.

"On your marks, get set...GO!" yelled Sue.

As I ran after Dustin, he did not give me a run for my money. I wanted it to be fair, so I screamed at him to run faster. He picked up the pace. Fortunately the distance was not too long. I caught up with Dustin at the Tombstone Park and the "chase" was over. As I caught my breath, I noticed we had lost Carl and Gwen.

Apparently they were screaming and running in circles along the way to show their team spirit (or something). After I took a photo of my cowboy, I saw Carl and Gwen approach us. Sue arrived and told us that we would have a mock wedding to seal the deal.

My itinerary showed that I had about an hour to kill, so I started to get to know my future husband.

He's 27, unemployed and likes PlayStation 3.

After a nice chat in the gazebo, we parted ways and I went to scope out where I would get married.

I made my way to Schieffelin Hall for the shotgun wedding and country dance. I saw several volunteers, one blowing up balloons, two moving haystacks into the "sanctuary" and Sue and Von Stafford-Allen setting up refreshments.

I then met Ron Hale, one of the musicians preparing for his performance. I came across the emcee, Ken Barrett, sleeping peacefully on a bench with a cowboy hat over his head. Country music began and others started to filter in.

Carl and Gwen reappeared to tie their own knot alongside Dustin and me.

Shortly after, two young men came in the door. Jeff McLeod had won the White Lightnin' Race, one of the street contests that was part of the festivities. Jeff was looking for his prize, completely unaware that the contest he'd just won was actually part of the Sadie Hawkins event.

My man-hunting experience continued to unfold, as Jeff, his friend Rich Appiah, and I chatted. After getting to know both of these dapper bachelors, I couldn't help but wonder if I was getting cold feet. Be still my heart. Three handsome men to choose from.

As I faced this dilemma, Sue nudged me to begin the ceremony. I noticed a third couple had arrived, the bride with braids, glasses and a pregnant belly.

Thank God it was not my shotgun wedding.

Even though I had no baby to consider, I still was betrothed to Dustin. My loyal heart would not abandon him. The only solution: Jeff and Rich would give me away. I bid my single days farewell and walked down the aisle.

The knocked-up bride's "father" sped things along with his shotgun and antics before the ceremony, and all three of us couples were soon standing before the mayor who officiated by cracking so many jokes, I was not sure when to say "I do".

After the vows, we all were simultaneously pronounced unofficially and illegally married. I received a lovely fake flower bouquet, and signed a "certifykit" of marriage, on which Mayor Jack Henderson refused to sign his name twice, but just signed "Again" on the second line.

My husband left quickly, but Jeff and Rich stayed and talked for awhile. Music and country line dancing began as a group of Victorian costumed female dancers, The Shady Ladies, entered the fun. Eventually Jeff and Rich left, and I was alone. Dustin was gone with the wind.

But we'll always have Allen Street.

Next Year's Plan

Although Susan Sinsley was pleased with the outcome and volunteers for Tombstone's First Annual Sadie Hawkins Event, she looks forward to a few improvements next year. Some things she said she felt could have been better:

• Planning six months ahead instead of six weeks:

"A lot of places don't take ads for that type of thing, unless
it is six months in advance," Sinsley said.

• Having more leaders overseeing portions of the event. Sinsley was grateful for the number of people who helped out, but may have needed more.

"If I had someone heading up each individual thing instead of trying to do everything myself. Von (Stafford-Allen) was invaluable but there was only two of us," Sinsley said. "There are so many different aspects, you need a person to head each specific aspect of it."

• Checking the Almanac and weather in advance:

"We'll have to choose a weekend where we don't have so much wind and that kind of thing, because that is what killed us," Sinsley said.

• Monitoring the publicity.

A big portion of the event was supposed to involve 30 to 40 people from Fort Huachuca to participate in the chase. Sinsley said they wanted to honor the wounded warriors. The point of the chase was for women to catch the highest ranking officer.

"That part kind of fell flat on its face ... the gal that was supposed to contact them and do the PR work ... I contacted people two days before and they hadn't heard anything about it," Sinsley said.