Thanks United Way!

Every year my work puts on a huge United Way campaign week. We have all sorts of fund raisers to benefit the United Way and local charities. One of the fund raisers is an online auction. Some of the items that are auctioned are old filing cabinets, chairs, tables, printers, used cell phones, and etc. This year they also added some fun items such as overnight hotel stays, gift cards, and family passes to the local children's museum. One item in particular caught my attention BIG TIME: Hot Air Balloon Ride for 4 people (all four people on the same flight).



Let's visit my past for a second shall we? Part of my childhood was spent in the Seattle Area. Every Summer we would hear the familiar sound of the flames and fire being blown into an airborn hot air balloon, flying right over my house. They would fly so low sometimes I could actually wave at the passengers and they would wave back to me. Ever since those days, I have always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. However, it's not the most economical desire. They are quite pricey. On average, they are about $150 - $170 per person.

When I saw a 4-person hot air balloon ride as part of the auction, I flipped out! I knew I had to have it. I bid the minimum amount, which was a STEAL! For over a day, nobody outbid me. I thought I had it in the bag. But then on the last day one of my fellow Beneficial employees started outbidding me by $5 here and $10 there. Now remember, I work at home, I was freaking out! If I was physically at work, I would have walked over to my associate's desk and BEGGED him to walk away! I guess I could have called him, but I was too chicken. Instead, I kept going $1 over his maximum bid. Finally, about 3 hours before the auction ended, my competition gave up and I ended up winning this item!!!!

I did work in the office on Friday so I was able to pick up my gift certificate....printed right on the certificate it says "Hot Air Balloon Ride For Four People, A $600 Value". Whoah-a. let me tell you, I did NOT pay $600! I scored. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am!! Stay tuned for those pictures, I bet they will be so cool! Not sure when I'll do the ride, sometime this Spring hopefully. :)

In other auction news: There has been a huge red leather office chair circulating at my work since before I started there. I think it first belonged to the executives and as it has become more damaged and duct-tape-bound, it has ended up in the mail room. This item, "Big Red" was part of the auction. Sam saw it and HAD TO HAVE IT. I easily picked it up for $1.50. While my boss was in a meeting I replaced her nice chair with Big Red. She came back from her meeting and hollered "Carrie! I don't want BIG RED!" Busted. She knew I had won it in the auction. :) She was kind enough to sit in it for a photo.


After we all took turns sitting on Big Red and laughing about how ugly it was, I called Sam and said "Get 'er outta here". He came to my work, picked up the chair, and wheeled it over to his office for his own practical jokes. It was loud and obnoxious and I couldn't stop laughing at him.


See the lady in front of Sam? She asked him if he was giving free rides. Oh my gosh, I thought I was going to die!


Can you imagine if he let go?!?


I hope Big Red treats Intermountain Healthcare employees as nice as she treated Beneficial Financial Group employees. It's the end of an era, a new chapter, all good things must end at some point...

In other news...
Yesterday I gave Carson the camera and told him to go take pictures. Here a sampling of what he shot. It's fun to see the world as Carson sees it.







Earlier this week Carson participated in the 2nd Grade Culture Fair at school. His particular class performed the "chicken dance" and I thought it was so dang cute. Carson danced with a girl! SQUEAL! It was so fun, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!




After the performances, we got to go to his classroom and see all the culture displays the members of his class did. Most kids did posters like Carson, but some kids went to the extreme! We are talking power point presentations, movies, food to sample...the works! My thoughts: why are they raising the bar so high already? This is only second grade people! What the heck are they going to do in 6th grade....12th grade....? I can't keep up with this kind of pressure! Phew. Good thing I'm married to creative Sammy!


I have more to post, but I'll do so later. Right now it's time for cousins dinner! The theme: healthy food. I'm a rebel, I made the apple/snickers salad. hee hee!