Garage Sale Success...and then there was Borat

The inaugural Lindquist garage sale was a S-U-C-C-E-S-S, that's the way we spell Success! (just for you mom) We made bank, or about $400. The profits were thanks in large part to Grandma Jan who contributed her jun - I mean treasures, to the cause. I decided not to place an ad in the paper after finding out it would cost $25 to do so and realizing that it would take a lot of 25 cents items sold to add up to 25 bones. Glad I didn't. My neighbor, who held her garage sale at the same time, put an ad on Craigslist and Rob and I posted some signs along 23rd ave. (Ask rob about his arts and craft skills or lack thereof. Better yet, just take a look at the comforter with a purple marker streak). We opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday and had a steady stream of customers throughout the day. Here are some highlights:

-the futon selling for $100 bucks and rob telling the guy who bought it that the cover had never been used...whoops, it's been used and abused since 2002.

-some lady asking me if the weed whacker worked, me telling her "sure" and asking rob to demonstrate how to start it, it not starting, her buying it anyway.
later that afternoon we were joking that she'd be returning it soon. a woman in a blue car pulled up and rob goes, "that's her." we all fell for it.

-free candle w/ every purchase...need i say more?

-a woman who didn't speak English buying all my mom's Christmas items 5 minutes before we closed. i added the cost up in English as she went and her husband translated it in Spanish rolling his eyes each time she put a new item in her box. some things translate across all cultures.

-random man: this ice cream machine has a broken plastic piece.
mom: it's free.
random man: does it even work?
mom: it's free!

-a lady had just purchased a wooden tv stand for all of $1.50
mom: rob, that lady seems to like wood items. go ask her if she wants the quilt rack.
rob: no.

-carrie and jeremy's kids buying all of our piggy banks for sale the night before and trying to bargain with us by offering more than the sticker price.

-some kid after we started charging half price for everything: what's half of $.25?
at the same time...
mom: 10 cents
me: free

All in all, I can't believe some of the stuff that was purchased. While some of it could definitely be considered junk, it was neat to see some sentimental stuff that we just don't want or have room for anymore go on to make somebody else happy.

Last but not least, I should probably explain the title of this post. Rob didn't want me to sell his DVDs even though we never watch them, but after seeing which ones I wanted to sell, he was OK w/ it. All of them sold for $1, except for Borat. (seriously, people even bought my VHS tapes for $.10, but not Borat). I'm not sure if it's because the disc looks like it's a burned copy the way it's designed or the fact that that movie truly sucked. Either way, of all the "stuff" we had for sale and sold, if that's one of the few things that didn't, I'm happy. And so is baby Lindquist, since all the proceeds go to her.

maternity photos - life as a lindquist

thanks to genetics, my belly is still stretch mark free...thanks mom! even still, i never really considered maternity pics until my friend and now photographer summer fawn mumford evans offered to snap some photos when we visited her and her hubby luke in des moines in march. i'll let the pictures entertain you, but i do have to say that before she even took the first pic, i ruined my makeup because i laughed so hard i cried. that's right....leave it to summer to position me right in front of the tv that luke and rob were watching all the march madness games on. then she wanted me hold a crunch position even tho my abs have long since gone into hiding. it was enough to make me crack up and i could not stop. it felt great tho. and i didn't even hesitate when she wanted to tie a giant bow around my stomach. you'll see below the "present" looks as tho it's about to pop at any moment. anyway, as much as lugging around an extra 25 pounds really puts a damper on your lung capacity, having a belly rocks. you never have to suck it in and people at the grocery store are nice to you. as much as i'm ready to wear pants that button again, i am glad summer was able to capture this moment in my pregnancy. have i mentioned she's pretty much the best. crazy cats and all :)

Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting!

Wow, I am cheesy-lame guy. Admit it, you knew I was Captain Corny, but that's just a new level. Anyway, Happy belated Easter. And as you might have guessed, I have finally felt Baby L kick. Honestly though, if you did guess that you're either 1) extremely gifted or 2) extremely bored. It was such a weird, fantastical feeling that I didn't expect to have. In the 20ish weeks leading to me feeling a kick, I have stayed away from all other baby kicks (and quite well thank you), for the simple reason that I want to make sure to have no expectations with Baby L. To the point: I felt what I thought was a little hiccup by Nicole, but I had a fleeting suspicion. As quickly as I thought it was a hiccup by Nicole, she looked at me and asked if I felt it. Heck yea I did. On my right palm, near the pinky-side of my wrist, at 10:40ish on a Saturday night. That's just something I need to write so I don't forget (I feel that Nicole will have a test for me on this).

As if that wasn't good enough, Nicole woke me from my Post-Easter-Lunch Nap (yes, it's a real thing; and for a quick digression: I use parenthesis way too often) to have me come back to the table and feel another kick. It's such a magnificent feeling - like I did something right in the last bit of "baking time." Of course, I haven't done anything but support my wife, but that counts I think.

Oh well, it was great. And as much as I wanted to have a picture of Nicole in a Ninja outfit to go with the title of my post, I will let you enjoy her Easter Sunday dress. 10 bonus points if you can find the hidden basketball :)


~Rob

my baby daddy

so i just watched yet another episode of a baby story...it was a tearjerker as usual. the mother to be talked about how as a little girl you dream about the man you will marry who will become the father of your children and how now that moment is here for her. it made me cry because i know exactly what she means. i feel so blessed to have found the perfect husband for me and a man i know will be a great dad! why do i know he will be a great dad? good question...while i've never seen him change a diaper or burp a baby, i've seen firsthand how he cares for things that are important to him, whether it be a pregnant wife, a sick dog, his tulips (don't make fun) and sadly, his golf clubs. ;) i have no doubt in my mind how much he will love and care for our baby girl. it makes my heart smile to picture him holding her. i couldn't be happier with where we are in life right now and i know he feels the same way. it feels good to be bringing a baby into this world with the love of my life and i just want everyone i know to know it :)