a gala time

 We wet to From the Heart tonight

For those of you not familiar with the event, it is a fund raiser for 9 different not for profit agencies operating in Rochelle.  Jackie, Emily and I went, as we have done for several years.

Tickets are expensive, because it is a fund raiser.  And during the event there are games, raffles, silent auction items and a live auction of various things.

    For example:  Tonight live auction  items included  beef  packages, pork packages, a vacation package to Gatlinburg TN, jewelry, autographed sports items and a CD autographed by.......Taylor Swift.

    Some of the sports items sold for around $1,000, although some were below that.

    But the Taylor Swift CD?  Holy crap.

    I asked Jackie if she remembered how much it sold for, because in muymind it was just about $2,000.  She did not think it was that much, but to be honest, I had gone to the bathroom and was just getting back when the bidding was about over.

    You have to be a big Tay Tay fan.  I did not see Travis Kelce in the crowd, so we can rule him out.  Besides, I bet she just gives him CDs when he wants them.

    We saw lots of former students who are now bankers, businessmen, teachers,  and city department heads.  It is always great to see former students doing well.

    We sat with some people we did not know.  I am lousy at making conversation, mainly because I can't hear their end of its very well.

    But one man showed me his name tag and asked if I remembered him.  He said he wrote me a couple of times when I was doing my column.

    I said the name was familiar and about 5 minutes later I looked. at him and said, "You wrote me about road construction and how Illinois doesn't pave highways in a way that makes them last."

    He said he did.

    I don't think I have done a column in over 3 years.  The fact he remembered me is dwarfed by the fact I remember what he wrote me about!  For cripes sake, I can't remember yesterday!

    It was a fun night.  We did not buy anything, but Emily did.  In the past I bought an autographed Ernie Banks picture and  another year I bought a base ball autographed Ernie Banks HOF.

    We had a good time.  I admit we got a little tired toward the end, but we were some of the first to leave.

And that's the way it is.

Peace and Love