On The Chopping Block….

I have a thing for Chopping Blocks and Cutting Boards, I have several!

But this particular Chopping Block Story began with Bill Self!  

Yes, that Bill Self!  You know, the head coach of the best college basketball team in the world.  OK, sorry…. I do get a bit carried away when it comes to sports, especially the Kansas Jayhawks.  But then you already knew that didn’t you?

I am sure you are wondering how a college basketball coach translates to chopping blocks and cutting boards.

Grab a cup of coffee because this might take a bit of story telling.

 

 

Several years ago, while I was perusing the KU website, something caught my eye and that something was this:

BE A KU BASKETBALL STAR/COACH FOR A WEEK END!

WOW! I was so excited and I knew I was gonna be “all in” for this one…so I skipped through all the boring details of the hotel and meals free and playing basketball with the team and ending up at Coach Self’s house in Lawrence for a special barbecue and pool party.

Right down to the part that would let me know if I was going to be able to go or not.

The Cost!  I mean, how expensive could it be? 

And there it was….

“KU Alumni Association members have access to an exclusive discount for the ProCamp.”

YES! YES! YES!  A discount…of course I am already there in my mind and I have been a Season Ticket Holder….I am definitely “In”.

I just couldn’t contain my excitement.  And so I kept reading.

“Regular registration is $4,995, but members can register at a special price of $3,995. Contact Matt Chacksfield at mchacksfield@procamps.com or 513.745.5850 to register, and visit www.billselfbasketballexperience.com for more information.”

Say what???????? 

Oh my gosh….talk about a deflated balloon. 

As much as I love my KU Basketball and as much as I would love to attend this camp and mingle with the players and coaches, I just couldn’t justify spending that kind of money for a day and a half of basketball fun.

But I continued to read of the events and such, that I WOULD NOT be attending and there was a short video of Bill Self’s home and previous PROCAMP attendees.  His house was Spanish Mediterranean –  like mine, but of course a bit more upscale….. and I noticed in his kitchen, as he sat at an interview, a huge chopping block that sat on little fat, round feet, draped with a Maroon colored Mexican Serape. 

Now, it caught my interest because I have a large chopping block almost identical to the one on the Self’s kitchen counter, only mine did not have “feet”.

I’ve seen cutting boards before like the one on Bill Self’s counter in high end magazines that cost as much as a small island in the South Pacific…..or at least the same amount as the registration fee for attending the PROCAMP.

And I thought to myself, I could make my cutting board look like that! I mean, If I can’t go to the PROCAMP…at least I could have a cutting board or chopping block just like the one at Coach Bill Self’s home in Lawrence, Kansas.

I have to say that the Captain is usually “on board” with any of my little projects, but when I mentioned to him that I wanted to add little “feet” to my existing cutting board, he frowned.

“Why don’t you put rollers on the chopping block instead of feet?” he queried.  “You know, like the ones I put on the smoker in the garage….so that you can roll it around on your counter …because after all, it is such a heavy board and adding feet to it will make it even heavier?”

I was horrified!  Bill Self didn’t have castors or rollers on his chopping block…he had little fat feet and I wanted little fat feet too.

(we won’t discuss the little fat feet that appear when one has too much salt) 🙂

And so….that idea sorta got pushed to the bottom of my “honey do” list when I did a Google and Amazon search and couldn’t find those cute little ‘bun feet”.

In the meantime, I draped a Mexican serape over the edge of my chopping block, but I couldn’t help but note that my chopping block did not have those cute little fat feet that I admired so much.

Fast forward to the present….and a new project!

As you know we are painting the inside of our home and I found a spare wall that would be perfect for a hanging plate rack.  

So, I called upon the Captain to get his thoughts on this new project.

And he liked the idea and said let’s go to Lowe’s and Home Depot and see what kind of material you would like to make this platter and plate rack.  

As I wandered up and down the isles….I glanced down in a basket at the bottom of rows and rows of 1 X 2 boards and I squealed “Hoooonnnnneeeeyyyyy”!!!!!!!!!…

……that wasn’t exactly my best social graces but I was so excited because I saw a wire basket of little fat feet!

The Captain rushed to my side thinking I had been attacked or bitten by a spider or some other tragedy had befallen me and when he saw me holding two of the little fat feet….he again gave me that frown look.  You know the one where his brow furrows and his mouth drops open and his eyes get all squinty?  

Yep!  that is the one.

My eyes, unlike his,…were all wide and excited.  I had found the treasure of the Sierra Madre!  Couldn’t he see what I was holding in my hands? 

I had found them finally….after all these years!

I gushed excitedly….“I’ve  found the little fat feet that will make up for my missing out on the KU basketball PROCAMP!”

The Captain removed one of the round orbs from my hands and said:

“What?”.…“What are you talking about?” he said as he rolled the wood ball in his hand revealing one flat side and one side with a screw in it….“I didn’t know you were going to a basketball camp!”

“Forget about the camp” I sputtered.  “These are the little fat feet I want to put on the bottom of my large chopping block”

“Why?” he asked as that frown-y look returned to his face.

(At this point, my dear lady friend readers….I am sure you can relate to my disappointment at how soon these men in our lives forget things that we ladies find important, no matter how many years have passed).

After a long explanation by me….and several times of telling him to “forget about the basketball camp and focus on the chopping block”, we were finally on the same page.

I know….right?

Finally….My chopping block now has little fat feet!

And I am a happy camper!

Thanks Bill!   (Bill Self that is….coach of KU basketball and with the same chopping block in his kitchen that I have in my kitchen)

Well, almost the same!

And I think I like it better than going to some silly old basketball camp!