1.  BrightSide and I went to an auction/dinner thing on Friday night, and I won’t lie – I wanted to make a good impression. I like these people, so I was invested in appearing at least pseudo-normal. Oh my gosh, y’all, I turned into the biggest rube right off the bat. There’s an actual check-in desk? They link our credit card to the paddle?! Holy cow, this room is so fancy.

2.  If you thought I would have pulled it together after we settled in, well…you’d be wrong. We got a drink from the bar (you mean I can have wine? for FREE??) and wandered over to the silent auction table where I continued to act like Dorothy stumbling into Oz. They were auctioning off week long vacation packages, a family session with our absolute FAV local photographer, sports memorabilia, and much much more. It was all holy mackerel this and say WHAT that, followed by OMG, IS THAT STAR WARS PRINT ACTUALLY SIGNED BY MARK HAMILL, HARRISON FORD, AND CARRIE FISHER??

3.  My newbie-ness was shining like a blinding beacon, which may be why a kind woman approached to ask if I’d checked my auction link text. [Blink, blink.] That’s right, folks, you could bid on silent auction items RIGHT FROM YOUR CELL PHONE. None of that old fashioned pen and paper thing, thank you very much, we’re throwing you a technology lifeline that lets you bid on your favorites while you stand around sipping lovely wine and talking to all the very nice people. Dorothy had left the building. I can only imagine this is how the Amish feel when dropped into a voice activated smart room.

4.  I didn’t think anything could be more overwhelming (in a good way) than the silent auction, but I was wrong. You see, I’ve never been to a live auction before. At least not one like that. One where every single person in the room believes in the cause and is excited to support it. Plus there was the auctioneer.

5.  Oh lawd, the auctioneer. We were seated at a ten top enjoying the most delicious dinner which I, being the delicate flower that I am, punctuated with snorts. That’s right – snorts of laughter just burst out of me, and when my neighbor would smile questioningly all I could say was, “That auctioneer is seriously funny.” It’s hard to fathom how you cultivate his sort of skill set: part comedian, part inspirational speaker, part motivational coach. But whatever secret ingredient makes a successful auctioneer, this guy had it. Fo sho.

6.  Friday’s auction was followed by Saturday’s March for Our Lives. I got to spend the day with some of my favorite people doing something important to me. Along with 3,000 or so other people. Preach.

7.  Can I just say how impressive those high school students are? Six local students organized the Greensboro march with some adult guidance for logistics, but on Saturday? It was all students out front. Speaking, leading, chanting, performing – passionately advocating for themselves. It was beautiful.

8.  You know what wasn’t beautiful? The weather. It was cold. And rainy. And cold. And then, just when you started to accept being soaked to the skin, it freaking snowed. Bless it all. But we can do hard things. Like march in rain/slush/snow, soaked to the skin, toes numb, while dodging pointy umbrellas. Lead on, young folks – we’ve got your back.

9.  Gracie has been unaccountably lovey dovey of late. Crawling into my lap for snuggles, curling up with me for a nap…there’s something about a ninety pound shag monster shoving herself under my arm that just makes me smile.

10.  We’re staring down the last week of March here and several things are running through my head. Only two and a half months of school left. I’m ready for spring break. And is this the year North Carolina has a white Easter? I’d laugh if Mother Nature hadn’t already shocked me into submission.