12.29.2010

Goodbye to an OLD friend

Jimmy and I took our old car, Estelle, to the pick n' pull yesterday.
Poor old lady barely made it! Just a block, ONE block, away from the junk yard, the car wheezed her last breath... and then, a surprise! She kicked back into to gear to roll into the lot. When Jimmy parked the old mare, I swear, she muttered a curse as her last words. Upon entering the office, I knew we would have to maybe take less $ because poor Estelle would not perform. After doing all the paper work, the worker asked us to drive up to the office for inspection. Yikes! We went to go start the car... the engine would not turn over. I would just like to inform you that it was pouring rain during this whole tale (just so you could understand my suffering).
I walked very slowly back to the office in hopes that the engine would cool down enough to start. I peeked my head into the office and told the clerk we just had to, "empty out the trash".
The "trash" was minuscule pieces of paper and invisible dust to buy more time.
Jimmy took.his.time.
I sat in my car playing with my new iPod.
Finally, Estelle grunted into starting and Jimmy drove her the few feet to the designated inspection spot. The clerk came out and drew all over the car. Poor Estelle had never had a tattoo before, but she is feisty enough to pull it off. The office cut us a check and sent us on our merry way. In fear of the pick n' pull chasing us down to take back the check, we peeled out of the parking lot at near warp speed. So quickly, in fact, that we didn't get to say our sweet goodbyes to a car that served us well. So in hopes of redeeming my poor behavior, I write this post to honor sweet Estelle.
May she rest in peace.

12.27.2010

Santa was good to me

Even if he was a few days late and masked himself as my bank...



Look what I got as a gift from my bank today!:
an iPod touch!!!
I bet you wish you were me right about now.

12.20.2010

An unexpected Up

Tonight while I was finishing up a scarf I was crocheting for my niece, Kaitlin came in the room inquiring to what I was doing. I showed her the scarf and made mention of the fact that I was using leftover yarn from a blanket I had started making when I found out we were expecting her. The reason I never gave Kaitlin this blanket was because I made the first row so long that is was HUGE. I have just never gotten around to making it smaller. It was nice to take it out and wrap it around my sweet girl four times (I told you it was huge) and tell her all about why I made the blanket in the first place. I told Kaitlin of what I thought about when I was working on the blanket- how we would someday sing together and read together. That I would take her to school and piano lessons. I went on and on about the fantasies I had while preparing for her to join our family. What happened next was so precious and unexpected. My darling Kaitlin turned around with big tears in her eyes and said, "I didn't know you loved me that much back then." As I pulled her into a large hug, she just kept saying, "I love you, too!" and smothering me with kisses.What a surprise! I could not get over how touched she was by something so simple to me. It was sweet affirmation that what may seem like small moments are really the ones that are most important.

Now the true miracle? ... if I can remember this the next time she drives me IN-SANE. Parenting has it's ups and downs... the ups are so worth the downs.

12.15.2010

April would be proud

I was out shopping at the local thrift store.
I have been looking for a couch with good bones to practice reupholstering on...

along came this beauty!
I love it! I talked the price down from $40 to $10.
Normally I am so non-confrontational, but bartering was fun.
Happy Christmas to me!

12.14.2010

Sadly,

we did not make the cut for the Food Network audition. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. I would much rather be myself and not be selected than to be someone else and make it. Regardless of the outcome, it was a fulfilling, exciting and special experience for me. Thanks, April for coming with me and being so awesome!

Good news is this:
Because we still have a great idea that is unused, we would like to pass it on to you. We will be opening the restaurant "Twig" for one night in January or February. Tickets will be available for purchase that will cover a three course menu. If you are interested in being a part of this fun night, let me know- you can be on our VIP guest list!

12.11.2010

We could be stars!

We did it! April and I tried out for a reality show yesterday!!!
Hence, the poll on the sidebar.
The show is called 24 hr Restaurant Battle on the Food Network. If we get on the show, I would do the cooking, April would do the decorating... folks, how could we not win?!
Here's a rundown of the day:
4:15am: wake up and drag Jimmy & Kaitlin to my MIL's to sleep while I teach Seminary. (the life of one car is green, but sometimes inconvenient)

5:50am-6:40am: Teach Seminary and beg kids to pray for me during the day. May have said at one point, "I know you guys may surprised that a fat chick would try to get on tv, but I am the funny fat one... and what would Goonies be without Chunk?!"

6:45am-7:30: Get Kate ready for school and send her off with a fat kiss. Start to get beautified, only to realize that I left my underpants at home... had to squeeze into my mother-in-law's panties. She is half my size. Cue scary mental picture and ashamed laughter.

8:23: freak out and threaten to pee my all too tight underpants.

8:26: hop in April's car for a fun and nervous ride into the city.

10:15: arrive at hotel and get into line behind (only 2!!!) other groups. I neglected to see the holding room that everyone was waiting in. The holding room was filled with lots of black/suit clad contestants. April and I were the only ones wearing any color (go yellow!)

11:15: got called in to the interview...

11:16-11:19: talked with the casting agent about how awesome (and humble, of course) we really are. Made an impression, I think. She fawned over April's handmade jewelry and loved our yellow. We answered questions about why, how and if we could compete on the show. At one point the interviewer asked April how much experience she had in the restaurant biz and April replied, "None." The interviewer did a double take and April's sparkle in the eye led to, "...but I know I would be good at it!" It was perfect comedic timing. I felt like the banter we had was like a well written play. We came in with a smile a left with a giggle. We were all us.

The rest of the day: floated on a cloud through the Mission district, thrift shop, BiRite Creamery, Marshall's and (my mother ship) Ross.

I am so happy with how it went. I have no regrets over anything I said or did (except for forgetting my underwear... who knows maybe too small panties are lucky). I truly felt the support of everyone that thought of us during the day... thanks all!

p.s.- I will update if we get a call back. Expect lots of exclamation marks...