Initially it sounded like something I was not even remotely interested in. If you had bet me $100,000 one year ago today that I would be on TV, you'd have money in the bank. I believe my first words were, "I would never embarrass my children like that!" After saying "no" several times, I talked it over with my family. The producers had shown me the initial nine-minute example that Bravo bought. It was hilarious. We decided to try it — actually Bianca begged. We had not had cable in the house for over 11 years, so I figured it would take the mystique out of TV. (It accomplished that, plus we brought TV into the house quite recently and kinda like it.) We had hosted a foreign exchange student the year before so it seemed like another learning project for our family. Once I signed on it was a little confusing. Sometimes I wasn't quite sure why the cameras were there, my life seems fairly regular. Just like your life seems regular to you, but probably not to the rest of the country. I kept thinking I was being "punk'd" by some friends. I knew I was fully committed when a friend's husband strolled over to me and said, "Why would you do that? You know they are just using you to make you look like an ass." I couldn't imagine weighing in, unsolicited, on his decision to quit his job and start his own company, therefore causing an infinite amount of stress on himself, his wife and his kids. (I accurately thought it was a decision that would lead to prescriptions for antidepressants for some of them.) I realize he is not a bad man just a pompous ass. Hmmm, better to look like one for a few weeks than actually be one.