The Smoothie that Rhodas Built

This week I pulled the proverbial trigger and bought a Vitamix Blender.  $449 worth of Cleveland made, American ingenuity and horse power.  $449 is crazy.  Capital C Crazy.  The economy is in the tanker, so what was I thinking crazy.  C-R-A-Z-Y.

Thing is, I love it.  Capital L Love it.  Brought it home yesterday and have already made strawberry ice cream and a peach-spinach smoothie for breakfast this morning.  Stocked the fridge with kale and greens and fruit this weekend, so my Vitamix possibilities are endless.  I’m a little excited.  So excited that I named this beauty — she is my VitaMinx.

I owe it all to you.  Thank you!  Capital T, capital Y Thank You.  Remember when I was a nominee in the GM Our Town, Our Heroes contest a few weeks ago?  Well, you Rhodas put me over the top.  Big time.  They tell me it wasn’t even close.  The prize was the use of a GM car for a week (I chose a Cadillac — how awesome is a middle-aged mommy blogger rollin’ in a Cadillac Escalade?  I got a Buick instead, which was still pretty damn cool.)  The other prize was a $500 Visa card.

I told myself I needed an iPad upgrade.  That my original iPad no number was crashing every five minutes (damn you, Apple!) and I am in a serious love affair with my iPad, to the extent that we call Mary Tyler Dad an iPad widow in this household.  Yeah, it was settled.  In the end, I couldn’t pull that trigger.  Too selfish for a Hero gift card.

Around the same time, a co-worker started sharing her obsession with the Vitamix.  I wasn’t even curious, honestly.  I am not, by my nature, a foodie.  Spending $500 of found money on a kitchen appliance?  Not my cup o’ tea.

But, clearly, I am impressionable.  My co-worker kept talking and I started listening.  I would Google “Vitamix” late at night (on that aforementioned frequently crashing iPad).  Yeah, I was curious.  Last week I spent a few days at a medical conference where Vitamix had a demo booth set up.  They were offering a discount to conference attendees.  I sidled over the first day of the conference.  Tasted me some of that strawberry ice cream.  And peach cobbler sorbet.  And chicken tortilla soup.  All were equally yum.  All were made before my eyes and took not more than five minutes each.

This non-foodie was pretty damn interested.

Spending the “hero money,” as I had started calling it seemed like a possibility.  This purchase, while huge and not necessary, seemed like a good thing for my family.  Eating healthier is always good.  Buying something Mary Tyler Dad could use and enjoy, that is a bonus, too.  The more I thought about it, the more I liked it.  SOLD.

And I have you to thank.

There are so many intangibles I get for writing this here blog.  I love the connection I feel with readers.  I love the relationships I have developed with folks across the globe.  The globe, man.  That is crazy amazing to me.  Capital A Amazing.  You all give me more than I could ever articulate with words.  Connection, support, laughter, insight, wit, charm — these are things I get from you all daily.  All those things contribute to my health and well being,  but they are still intangible.

Yesterday was the first tangible evidence of all those lovely things, in the form of a Vitamix, now sitting on my kitchen counter, spiffing up the place.  Mary Tyler Dad is using it this minute, blending a yellow tomato sauce for tonight’s dinner.

You did that.  THANK YOU.  Now you contribute to my health and well being, tangibly and intangibly.  I am grateful to you, for reading, keeping me company, listening to me, teaching me.  Thank you.

Smoothies for everyone!