Do Over!

Have you ever had one of those days that just needs to be a Do Over?

12:15pm. It sounded like an easy thing to do. I was taking the kids to have pho with Sarah and Jeffy. It was pouring outside while I was trying to find parking at Marina Supermarket. I circled the parking lot I don't know how many times. Then Jeffy kindly came out to take the kids inside while I parked. Finally, I scored good parking in a non-compact space close to the plaza.

I decided to also take the time to drop some mail in the mailbox right in front. Then the feeling came. Right when the letters left my fingers and the mailbox door closed on me, I felt like I got punched in the stomach. There was a check that I was supposed to deposit at the bank in that stack of letters. I had tucked it under the letters when I picked up Lauryn from preschool so that no one would spy it in the passenger seat. It was a BIG check.

After lunch, I got ready to wait for the mailman. The pickup time was at 1:45 and we finished lunch at 1:15. Not too bad, 30 minutes. I can totally handle that. So I popped in Toy Story for the kids. Sarah and Jeffy bought Sydney some milk and me and Lauryn some water and a bag of shrimp chips to help us pass the time in peace.

At 1:30, I noticed that a mailtruck had drove out of the parking lot. Oh no! Did I miss it?! I decided that I can't wait in the car, it's too distracting. Lauryn was mesmerized by the movie and the shrimp chips. Sydney was on her second cup of milk, so I took the umbrella and waited next to the mailbox in the rain in view of the van. 1:45. No mailman. 1:50 no mailman. Then I noticed 2 mailmen sitting outside of ShenKee Bakery. I asked them if they were picking up from the box. They said no. I explained my dilemma and they told me that it's up to the carrier if she'll give me my check back. But all she's supposed to do it to empty the box and take everything back to the station.

1:55, a mail truck drives into the parking lot. I had been going back and forth between the van and the mailbox. I run to the mailbox to wait, but the truck goes straight to the back of the plaza. It finally drives around the back, but back out to the street and turns away.

I go back to the van. Sydney's thrown her milk on the floor and tossed her glasses somewhere under the seat. She's in the throws of a meltdown. She missed her morning nap and is not happy at all. Lauryn's thirsty from half a bag of shrimp chips. But not wanting to have to take her potty, I only allowed her 1 sip of water.

2:05, another mail truck drives by, but doesn't come into the parking lot. I don't know if I can take much more. It crossed my mind that the mailmen are just messing with me now.

2:20, another mail truck pulls into the parking lot. It's finally the one! I haven't been this happy in a long time. I run to meet the mail truck. The mail lady felt really badly that she was late, so I think that helped my cause. She checked my ID and promptly handed me my check back! PTL!

We made it home right as Toy Story was ending. Then straight to bed!

Project Runway

John and I couldn't wait until Wednesday night to watch one of our favorite shows: Project Runway on Bravo. Ever since 2 weeks ago when they announced the final 3 designers, we were just so excited to see who would win. And on Wednesday night after the kids were in bed, we found ourselves glued to the tv and clapping nonstop at the end when our pick for the show, Chloe Dao actually won! I think it was the fact that she was this tiny little Asian woman from Houston that made us cheer for her throughout the show.

I don't remember how the show crept into our lives, but we found ourselves watching since Season 1 last year as we were flipping channels. We'd catch it in bits and pieces early in the season, both of us not willing to admit that we liked it, and then towards the end of the season we'd watch it kinda in hiding, secretly obsessed. Then when Season 2 started, I figured, what the heck, let's just come clean and TIVO it. And what a great descision that has been! It was a liberating experience.

We loved Chloe's designs throughout most of the show. We got really nervous when we saw her collection for the finale. It was very different for her. I didn't like the shiny poofy sleeves and skirts. I actually liked Santino's collection the best out of the three. But I guess the judges were on our side! Yay Chloe! John was so proud. He wanted to email her to tell her that we were behind her all the way. =)

Shop Talk

An interesting conversation we had with our friends got me to think about my passions in life. What's the one thing you'd like to do if you didn't have to work to make a living, but you could just do something you'd enjoy?

Our friends Sarah and Jeffy dream of owning a plaza where we could each have our own shops.
Jeff's would be a bicycle store, selling and building high-end bicycles.
Sarah's would be a book store where you can hang out and meet up with friends.
John said he'd love to own a gourmet coffee shop.

Then I started to think about me. What kind of shop would I have? What are my passions? What excites me...besides being able to sleep in? They suggested things like owning a flower shop. A baby store. A Pottery Barn. Nope. I don't think I'd be passionate about any of those shops.

I've been thinking about it for a while - mostly just in the back of my subconscious. Am I just passion-less? Is that a bad thing? But then I thought about what I've enjoyed in the past few years of my life and I discovered my passion. Well, optimistically, I'll say it's ONE of my passions. (The others are yet to be discovered.) I really enjoyed designing and building our house. I would love to build another house. Or even rebuild the one we haven't even finished! I know that sounds crazy, but I've even thought of ways to expand our current floorplan and sketched it on a spare copy of our house plans. My shop would be just an office with lots of house remodeling/building ideas. John suggested that I go into architecture. I'm fairly sure that I don't have the talent or patience to go back to school. But I do think that would be very interesting. Then I can draw up my own plans!

What would your "shop" be?