It's For The Children!!!!

Score!

I went to a children’s charity event last night at the swanky Valley Ho in Scottsdale. On the roof, at sunset! It’s a groovy place, a re-do of an old Arizona classic 50’s hotel. Very mod and chic.

I wore high heels, which is just about the stupidest thing in the world for me to do. They hurt after 30 seconds. My feet have…issues. Really, when WILL I learn that it’s gotta be flip flops and bedroom slippers from now on??? Probably not ever - I love shoes. The more ridiculously uncomfortable, the better. But last night was beyond my usual level of denial and I had to take them off almost immediately, roll up my pants that then dragged on the floor, and looked like a hillbilly amongst the very mod and chic crowd. Oh well.


There were many wonderful baskets of goodies, trips, tickets to pro games, jewelry, etc. on display during the silent auction. After getting the shoes off, I was better able to cruise around and zero in on my favorites. The first was a big basket of cooking stuff. I couldn’t really see everything inside due to the profusion of cellophane and ribbons. But I saw a beautiful glass bowl, some cookbooks, (one signed by Paula Deen that I would give to a friend who loves her) silicone mats, baking items, and other stuff... so I put in a bid.

Then I figured I “needed” a trip to Belize for 8 people in a beach house. Hey, it’s charity!!! For the children!!!! So I put a bid on that and tried to keep it a “secret” from my husband. But some ratfink told him what I did, and he raced over with a Sharpie to cross my name out. There was some mild threatening with a high heel, and immediately he saw how reasonable I was being – you know, it’s for the children!!!.

From there, things got tense. It was a whole hour until the bidding closed and I had to watch those bid sheets like a hawk. One lady had the AUDACITY to put a bid higher than mine on the cooking basket!!!! So I put another higher bid in. And put the basket on top of the bid sheet. FOR THE CHILDREN!!!! OK????

Then I raced over to the Belize trip. Nobody had bid after me! I had a ridiculously low bid in and my heart was racing! Fantasies of laying on the beach, watching monkeys frolic, eating mangos and being showered by gratitude from the 7 people I brought with me….but while that fantasizing was going on, somebody put down a higher bid! Frantically, I got a friend to bid and I promised we’d split the trip cost if we got it. I made him stand there and watch it while I raced back to check the cooking basket.

All this charity work makes me tired. And my feet hurt.

In the end, I did get the cooking basket. It’s awesome. See the picture of the loot? There's way more, but didn't get it all in the picture. The glass bowl is lovely. And sure enough, the cookbook is signed by Paula Deen. My friend will flip out. I don't get it, but she thinks my love for Bourdain is obscene.

We didn’t “win” the Belize trip, but the owner of the donated beach house was there, saw my idiotic maneuvering and running around, felt sorry for me (or possibly my husband holding my shoes while I ran around), and offered us (and our friends) the beach house at the same low price as the winning bid at another time. It’s a majorly awesome place at an amazingly low price, and I’m stoked! Coconuts and monkeys for everyone!

Oh yeah. There was food there. Can’t remember what it was, but since this is a food blog...I’m thinking…crackers and cheese???