9.20.09 (2)

I put a bid on eBay for the first time today. I'm on the hunt for a bridesmaid dress, and apparently there's somebody out there looking for the same one (maybe I was bidding against a fellow bridesmaid!). I didn't want to take anything away from the birthday girl whose dinner I attended tonight, but I politely asked if I could use her internet since the bidding time was set to expire during the course of the evening. Coached by the others in the room, I logged in 10 minutes before the bidding time was up. My bid was not the highest. "Wait until the last 2 minutes," said alvonator. He also kept referring to my arch-bidder as "he," which made the whole thing ridiculous. The timer ticked down, and the host asked if we needed to turn on another light on to see. Suddenly it was a spectator sport. "Now? Do I bid now?" I asked frantically as it got to 2 minutes and change. I can't even remember the exact next chain of events as I furiously bid and rebid to get to the highest. Everyone was shouting something, and all I remember was alvonator yelling, "Dude, put your plate down!" (I was holding it with my other hand because I hadn't finished my pad thai). But it was too late. The bid expired before I could get another bid in. I was crushed after all that rush of adrenaline with everyone hovering behind me and shouting and not to win in the end.

"You have lice in your hair," my sister remarked at the end. I learned someone (dshung) was eating during the whole frenzy with his plate over my head. Sigh.