Going once......

Saturday evening, after opening the package...was a mad rush to get ready to go out.  Alone.  Sort of.

Whilst Hubby and Bee were still off in Nebraska....actually on their way home having listened to Mr Buffet and Bill Gates as the guest speaker.....

then they went to kill time over at Netjets (this was the same ones that gave us the Emergency Landing when Bee was 6 years old...not that she remembered)

Meanwhile I was getting ready to go to Bee and Paddy's school fundraiser with a theme of 'The Kentucky Derby.'  It is a Parent Teacher Organisation do.  With a silent auction on many prizes the PTO has arranged....from watercolor paintings from the teachers to a weeks vacation in St. Maarten.....followed by dinner and then a live auction for many of the class projects which all the children have had a hand in putting together..and some other larger prizes.  I had been planning on wearing something pink as I had (so I thought) a pink hat from a Wedding a few years ago.  However come Saturday morning I realised my hat box was full of old photos (made for interesting viewing) and the hat I had worn to that wedding in UK...must still be back in the UK as it certainly wasn't here!  So it was a change of plan but I ended up going like this.....

moi + hat1

moi +hat2

and I ended up looking ok. (I think)..  not as glam as some of the others and certainly not as OTT as some of the hats etc.  But my hat brim  didn't bump into anyone during the evening and I wasn't there to flaunt it as I was signed up to volunteer.  I was a 'runner' which was ironic as my bloody shoes were killing me a few hours in, as were my friends too so we both ditched them and ended up running bare foot on the astro turf (think racecourse) which lined the gym and the corridors.  This was after we had had our photos taken with the real live horse outside which was spooked each time the camera flashed...would post it but probably not fair to flash my mate all over t'internet.

So...we each had a number for the bidding of items....I signed up for quite a few things in the silent auction and was outbid on a few but was really only after one thing......The bidding on certain sections closed at set times so come 7.15 I was circling the winning bids on the sheets for home items....7.30 for all the parties etc etc. 

Hubby meanwhile was supposed to land here at the airport...drop Bee off at home with the sitter and turn around and meet me at said auction.  But he was late getting back so decided to bail....so I was there alone but it really made no difference as I was busy working.

All the silent auctions ended and the food was served and then the live auction started....

The fundraiser is basically raising bonuses for all the teachers at the school  Parochial school (Catholic) teachers earn a lot less than Public schools over here....after a really good teacher quit a few years ago explaining that it pained him to do so but he couldn't survive on a Catholic School teacher's salary...the idea came about to have this fundraiser as a way of showing the teachers are appreciated....

Bee's class had made a beautiful ceramic tile bistro table and chairs and matching plant pots together with a book of poems written by the whole class.  In a way priceless but all the parents who are there at the do have been told to bid by their kids.....and whilst it was a really good piece, it started with bids at $500  (250 quid) and it finally got sold for $900.

Paddy's class had each taken a hat in and each kid was photographed wearing a silly hat and then all these photos were put together and they each wrote their names around the edge and it was printed onto a proper canvas.  Now we had been told we would be able to buy poster versions of this for $25.  So I was somewhat surprised (perhaps I am naive?) that it sold in the end for $2500 (yes as in one thousand, two hundred fifty POUNDS sterling).  And I didn't bid at all. 

Other classes raised higher amounts.  But the biggest bids.....and this was mindblowing....and bear in mind after a bid was taken my friend and I had to run to the winning bidder and get them to sign and print their names on the winning cover sheet before dashing to the check out desk with the paperwork...where they were inputing the data on laptops,,,and preparing the credit card machines for check out.....and these people bidding weren't even really drunk.  There was one man who was bidding on so much.  It was unbelievable.  I was stood with one of the auction organisers and so nearly put my foot in it as I asked who on earth this  guy was....and she told me it was her husband and he prefers to just do his shopping this way!!!!

So... front row seats at the school's Christmas play (wear the overly keen parents often start queueing ouside the hall door at 4.30pm even though the play doesn't start until 7pm) - they went  for $1300 for 6 seats... But the big prize went for $13 000.  There were two people bidding neck and neck...so in the end the winner bid the 13 K and the loser was asked if they also wanted the prize they could double it so they also agreed to pay the $13 000.  So the one thing (albeit doubled) raised $26 000.  And it was....

This is unbelievable in my mind but...

It was a meal for 6 cooked by none other than the Parish Priest.  He has no wow culinary talent that anyone is aware of  he is almost 60 and not really good looking at all - nice guy but $13 000??????????????/

Last year the event raised over $90 000.  I think this year may well top that...We should find out later this week.

I ended winning a couple of things in the silent auction...a day of pampering at a spa and this....that I had my eye on....

Ring

It is a ruby stone surrounded by lots of little diamonds....set in platinum.  It is really gorgeous - this photo (and my crap photography) doesn't do it justice.  It fit perfectly so I took it as a sign of fate.  I also bid on some diamond earrings but just missed out on getting these so I still came out paying way less than the retail price and had change out of $1500.

I must admit, having bought this without even mentioning it to hubby I was slightly worried that he would disapprove...but I had a back up plan as the guy he works with..was also at the auction...with his wife who also loved the ring....and I was surprised he didn't actually bid on it...but my plan was that if hubby freaked (he didn't) we could always pass it on to the friend.  Hubby was really pleased I had bought it and whilst I said I would only wear it for special occasions he said I should just wear it...life is too short..yada yada yada. 

It was a great surprise that I got it...didn't even know it was in the auction at all.  But I was a very happy camper..and it still cost less than the 6 seats at the school Christmas play.....