Competitive am I

I am a competitive person. I am. There is no doubt about that. This trait has served me well- for instance, it takes some competitive instinct to be premed after all. There has also been times when I have fallen because of this, like losing it while playing racquetball with good friends.

My ability to avoid competition is also a good trait to have. While Hubby is wonderful and all, I also married him because he wasn't ever going to be a doctor. (I did go to school with people who actually met and MARRIED each other, and I often wondered how could they study together day and night, take the same exams, and if the scores were ever discussed?!)

As a fourth year resident, competition was a BIG topic, as we were all looking for the same jobs. Despite what people said, "There are plenty of jobs, you will all find what you need." I didn't believe them, and it was hard that year, to see my good friends, wanting them to find positions that would suit them well, but always wondered, what if I also wanted this or that?

Anyway, since becoming a 'real' doctor, my only competition is myself these days at work, and that is a good thing. However, every year, A&Z's school have this fund raiser, with a silent auction, and it is always, very, very difficult for me.

Our strategy has always been the same. We buy our bids to attend, we show up, and we try to buy Aidan's class project (unless it is heinously ugly, then we buy another class project.) Through the last few years, we have acquired a little bench (and Aidan's baby thumb print was made into a lady bug), a tiny toddler rocking chair, a little desk and chair, and a really cool lamp. Last year, we had also wanted to get Zoe's class project, which was a little decorative bird house, and her baby finger prints made a sunflower. Usually, a few families from our center would attend this event at the Ritz Carlton, and since we didn't see anyone else from Z's class, we figured we could take this home for about $100, no problem. Alas, ten minutes before the auction ended, I saw that another family had bid on this, IN ABSENTIA. (I hate to admit it, it felt like the world was about to end.) In discussing with the teacher who was bidding for this family, we quickly realized they were willing to go a WHOLE LOT higher than we had even imagined. So we walked away... I got myself to Michael's and picked up the exact bird house and all the paints and I was determined to make a pirated version. (Let's just say that the bird house is primed, and no further progress has been made...)

Being the competitive person that I am, I called the head coordinator for this event to 'review the rules.' Shockingly, bidding in absentia was totally OK! Unshockingly, of course it would be ok, it is a FUNDRAISER after all. I thought about not going, since if we didn't have to buy the bids, pay for a sitter...etc, we would have more funds to get Zoe's class project this year. In the end, however, I decided that a date night with Hubby would still be so awesome, and I would just shuffle my education charity giving around a bit. In lieu of giving to my alma mater, Scripps College, I was willing to give the entire amount to this fundraiser. When I mentioned my plan to Hubby, he said, "Ok, but I am still planning on giving to Mudd, so that fund is not negotiable." Fine, whatever.

Another family from Zoe's class was there. And thankfully, they had no interest in this really ginormous wind chime. It was a little shocking, however, that the bid for this started at $50. By the end of the week, the 'pre bid' process ended with a bid of $860. (The items are up for pre bid at school, so that families who can't go can have a chance.) EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY DOLLARS, not pesos. While a little disconcerted, I stuck with my plan. My next bid went in as $888, I figured, to draw out any other competition.

Ten minutes before the auction ended, I discovered that the SAME family who STOLE the bird house from us last year was AGAIN, bidding IN ABSENTIA!!! They bid $960. Good grief. I continue with the strategy, and in the end, I think, the teacher who was bidding for them, 'was too busy' to continue to bid for this family, and we were able to bring the wind chime home.

As for Aidan's class project, we skipped it. It was an awkwardly shaped toy box that screamed out "finger jammer". He was a little disappointed, but then again, he realized that he, in fact, owned all these other class projects.

Clearly, I am not quite ready to let this go. Remember, I am a competitive person. And it is already bugging me, that NEXT YEAR, Zoe will still be in class with this SAME family. And we will have to do this again. However, I think, now that we have procured one class project for Z, I am going to move on and bid on something else, like a vacation. Maybe, if I went on a vacation, I wouldn't be this competitive.

(I will need to get the Phat Photographer to take a picture of the awesome wind chime to post later.)