Easter Basket Auction

And as a subtitle: 

BIG Lapse in Judgement

At the beginning of the year I was asked to serve on the board of the Provo School District Foundation, a group that raises money for programs in the school district.  I have been aware of the Foundation for many years because I have served on the selection committee for outstanding educators in the district, but this year I have actually become part of the board and have attended meetings and stuff.  Doesn't that sound official?  One of the big activities the Foundation puts together each year is an Easter Basket Auction fundraiser, co-sponsored by Brent Brown and some other guy who has lots of money and is willing to give it to the school district for various programs.

As a member of the board, I solicited donations from several local businesses, and I put together a basket of donated items from Droubay Land and Livestock.  I then attended the auction and figured I would bid on a basket.  The baskets are not typical candy and chocolate Easter bunny type baskets, but large gift baskets with cool stuff in them.  I asked Kent how much I should spend and we agreed that $100 was a reasonable amount.  Off I went.

Here I am on the red carpet in my red cardi at the beginning of the action.

I did, indeed, bid on a basket which I won for $90.  I helped work the silent auctions and circulated, talking with people and hoping we were raising lots of money.  I had posted the above picture on Instagram with the message, "I'm at the Provo School District Foundation Easter Basket Auction.  Come join me.  Bring a big wad of cash!"  Christopher began texting me, wanting to know what sort of stuff they had, did he want any of it, what was happening.  I was trying to work and respond and figure out what he might like, while at the same time there was live auction things being bid on.  It was sort of crazy, and I eventually just called him to try and figure out what to tell him.  While we were talking, he asked what was being auctioned, and a trip to Maui came up.  I was trying to get some information about the trip while bidding was in the process and Christopher was saying, "What's happening?" and then it was sold.  Christopher said he will just come with me next year and we were going to stop talking, and then something terrible happened.  

Another trip came up for auction, this one for a week in Cabo San Lucas at Brent Brown's four bedroom house on the beach.  While Christopher and I were on the phone, we got sort of carried away and bid on it, twice, and won it, for $5000.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I wasn't really.  They made it seem like it was a sweet deal, that the place was fantastic, that it was a steal because they could normally ask $12,000 for the week, and we were getting it for so much less.  I was giggling (when I'm in a situation where I feel out of control, I tend to loose it and giggle), and then handing over my credit card, and then getting a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that I was going to go home and have to tell Kent what I'd done.

But here I was before going home, 

looking sort of giddy.

Kent did not take my announcement well.  In fact, he was mad.  We don't hold with the marital advice "Never got to bed angry," so he did.  I felt miserably bad.  I tossed and turned trying to go to sleep, and then woke in the middle of the night bathed in guilty sweat.  Can I just say here, my guilt smells nasty.  Kent woke about 2:30 to go to the bathroom and I was so grateful.  I apologized much more sincerely than I had when I got home, told him I felt as though I had been unfaithful to him, and asked him to forgive me.  I promised I would find a way to get out of the week, mentioning several people we knew who might be interested in taking the week's vacation off our hands, and promising I would never make such a foolish mistake again.  He told me it would be fine, which was enough of an acceptance for me that I was able to go back to sleep, after removing my disgusting smelling pajamas and throwing them on the floor, far enough away from my nose that I couldn't breathe in the stench.

All is not entirely well.  Unfortunately, I have no details about the place, which isn't even finished being built yet.  Kent has mentioned it several times since, never throwing me in a very positive light, but he promises me he will probably get over it in the next ten or fifteen years.  Phew!  

Anyone out there interested in a seven night-eight day Cabo get away?  At true steal at only $5,000!  Give me a call.  My marriage will thank you.