Onto May

Last night was a big school auction event, which is the main function of the school booster club that I’ve been treasurer for for the last year. I’ve never been to this auction - naturally it was canceled the last two years, and wasn’t really on my radar before that. Unfortunately the person in charge of the auction caught covid last week and so wasn’t able to be there, and so the bulk of the work fell on the booster club’s beleaguered President. I went as support, but as I suspected and as often happens when I’m a volunteer somewhere, it was pretty messy and disorganized and I ended up mostly standing around bored for six hours. It was mainly a venue for my kids’ school’s rich, tragically hip parents to come and get drunk and peacock. I feel a little bad now for how much I judged so many of these people last night when really a) I’m no different and b) I mean, good for them if they’re rich and hip, doesn’t mean they’re bad people. But I guess these things always have high school vibes - I feel like everyone knows each other and I’m the weirdo outsider; all the women seem like mean girls and cheerleaders with their jock husbands (but the hipster version of these things). Eh. Not my peeps. Hence the reason I am in swing dancing, who decidedly are my peeps. 

The end of the night was chaos, with people wandering off with items they were sure they’d won (which they probably didn’t) and drunk people in long lines waiting to check out while the president frantically tried to reconcile hundreds of items on a piece of paper with even more hundreds of bids, while people sauntered up asking, “what did I win??” Uh boy. The organizer in me couldn’t handle the lack of proper systems in place. Even hearing about how it ran earlier in the week I was skeptical it could possibly work. And I was right.

At midnight I finally slipped away after performing my one useful function as treasurer - handing over the check to the venue - and then had a nightmarish journey through labyrinth-like downtown LA to try to retrieve my car, which was of course now behind a locked gate. Thankfully a phone call got someone to let me out. Phew. I am now the proud owner of a multi sign sign post from the event that I will repurpose for our cabin. 

I’d also like to point out I’d had a 300 calorie dinner at 6:00 PM and went on to be tortured by the sight of s’mores and donuts and hot chocolate all night (the event was camping themed). And yet I held strong. Was rewarded this morning by another pound weight loss. All right then.

The kids’ school is suffering a mini-outbreak. Bobby said multiple kids were sent home, and we got letters from the principal. However, today Bobby’s covid test came back negative. Waiting on Theo’s since he doesn’t wear a mask at school anymore. I tested myself on Wednesday after an exposure at that party on Saturday but appear to be negative (I say appear since these home tests are not reliable). I feel like this is the most dangerous time - all restrictions off, and numbers ticking up. If we were ever going to catch it, it would be now. I just pray I or we don’t get it a) right before the wedding, b) right before Fiji, or c) right before my event. 

I open tomorrow, and the online registration is still not ready. I also had a minor crash on the old computer which lead me to start using the new one out of necessity even though it doesn’t have any programs or my email on it, so I’m straddling two computers and a phone to just get through this opening. It’s my own damned fault for not dealing with the computer switch over months ago. I’ll deal with it next week.