My First Gala

Jack and I flourished at the hospital's Gala last night! It was underwritten by the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago and it was GORGEOUS. Their lobby is the definition of romantic atmosphere and the grand ballroom was recently refurbished to become a spectacular space reminiscent of Venetian palaces. I kept looking around, taking in the experience, wondering how in the world I ended up here.

First, I finished up my grant proposals at work. Then I met Jack at my Chicagoland house for some primping. I got dressed and walked around in one of each shoe. I decided on the (sound of cracking whip) Sex & the City shoes. I took the pumps in the car, just in case a nun yelled at me. Alas, no one yelled at me!

In the ballroom, there was an ante-room for cocktails. I introduced Jack to the 150 or so people I know from the hospital. We sipped buttery Chardonnay, mingled, and bid on silent auction items (everything from Spa packages to wine tastings to weekend get-aways to restaurant gift certificates to jewelry). Then we moved into the main room for dinner and the program started. Elvis and the VP of PR, Rocco, ran the show. They showed the commercial we created for St. Fozzie's (when my part came on, Jack leaned over and told me his heart was swelling with pride for me), the music video Marketing created for the rally (details coming next week), and presented the Gala honorees with their awards.

During the presentation, we were served exotically-decorated salads. The main courses then arrived, complete with filet and red snapper. Dessert followed with succulently-prepared fruit and champagne sorbet.

The presentations concluded as the tables were cleared of dessert dishes. The live band came alive and filled the room with your typical standards. Just as Jack and I decided to get up and dance, the band opted for more of a prom vibe. I didn't understand why they played wedding-staples such as "Brick House," Pink's "I'm Comin' Out so Get This Party Started," and the theme from "Love Boat."

Now. The Love Boat theme is completely acceptable when you're traversing the Caribbean on a cruise ship. But it is not expected (nor accepted) when you're wining and dining in a posh Chicago hotel with hospital execs, numerous doctors, and state legislators. Despite the strange play list, Jack and I still hit the dance floor. It was towards the end of the evening and we graced the dance floor with Elvis and wife, EVOO and wife, the CFO and wife, and a couple other young doctors. Jack swung me around flamboyantly and we showcased some of our rehearsed dance moves.

We gathered up our belongings and bid everyone farewell. I stopped by the silent auction table and discovered that I won a large gift certificate to a new, fancy Pan-Asian fusion sushi place downtown! As we waited for valet to return our car, we shivered in the cold and dreary Chicago night. It was an amazing experience and now we have an amazing dinner awaiting us in the coming weeks!