Rachel: It’s a uh, regatta gala.

Danny: Really! You sail?

Rachel: No-no, but I support it.

When I found out I would be attending a gala (italics is appropriate, is it not?) with Bryan, “Friends” was the first thing that popped into my mind. Gala…is has a ring to it. This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending not one but TWO fun events this past weekend. Fiddle dee dee!

Friday night was the Rotary Club Wine Fest.

B is a member and no, he doesn’t wear one of those funny little hats, apparently those are for Shriners only. Where’s the love man?

At Wine Fest, 400 different wineries from all over the world were featured. 35 bucks, a wine glass and you try your darndest to not throw up hot pink at the end of the night. They also had a shmorgess of cheese, crackers, appetizers and Dominoes pizza. CL-assy.

We obviously started with champagne. Duh. Here we are post wine-blitz:

By the end of the night, the wine reps started getting generous and were giving pours that looked like this:

They also had a silent auction at this shambangle, where you could bid on awesome prizes like this:

Riddle me this: Who in the right mind would actually WANT a super-weird smallish picture of a grizzly bear, hanging in their home saying “Hey, what’s up. You won me at an auction. I eat you.” Maybe a park ranger? Or Bear, from Man vs. Wild. Yeah, probably him.

Saturday night was the annual Spring Fling benefit for St.John’s Hospital at the Jackson Lake Lodge. Bryan’s work had sponsored a table and we were invited along. Bryan surprised me that day by booking us a night at the lodge, so we wouldn’t have to worry about one of us DDing the 37 miles back to town. I know how to pick em =).

Take notice of the BLL in the background.

B and I arrived at 6 pm sharp, precisely the time that cocktail hour was supposed to start. Coincidence?

However, after paying 22 dollars for 2 drinks (well alcohol mind you), we quickly decided our time was best spent in the comfort of our little cottage, pounding delicious BLLs.

Around 7 we headed back to the lodge for the actual gala.

We quickly found our table and were happy to see salads awaiting us, as well as 4 bottles of wine. Raspberries!

I didn’t know anyone at our table, but was able to quickly make friends with one of the gals – as we both shared a love for the Food Network and Cooking Channel. After she mentioned that she despised Sandra Lee, I knew we’d get along. I forgot to snap a pic of my dinner, but of course I remembered when it came to dessert.

As with most dessert buffet spreads, they offer the smaller sized plates. However, I smartly sniped one of the regular sized dinner plates off the buffet table. Muahahhaha.

Here we have: a chocolate dipped marshmallow, a delicious spice-cake petit four, chocolate dipped strawberry, mini-cheesecake, lemon tartlet, brownie chunks and a fruit tart. The standout was the petit four by a long shot.

The event also featured a popular musical act from Jackson, called Mandatory Air. They basically rocked my socks off. I brought along flats so I could really drop it like it’s hot.

The wine was flowin. B and I were on that dance floor like white on rice.

The next morning we awoke around 8:30 and were ready to hit the lodge’s famous Sunday brunch. Upon walking into the restaurant, the hostess informed us that there was no brunch and they stopped serving breakfast at 9 am. 9 am?! Does anyone else agree that this seems awfully early to QUIT serving breakfast?

This is not the Comfort Inn. There is no “complimentary” continental breakfast, with stale bagels and watered down coffee that ends promptly at 9 am. WTF I ask you.

NOT cool Jackson Lake Lodge.

On top of the brunch fiasco,  it was SNOWING. Again. It’s almost June. I wept a little.

We felt defeated. Like Screech Powers getting blown off by Lisa for the millionth time.

That was, until we gobbled down an amazing breakfast at Eleaven, rented movies, ate Dots, laid on the couch and went to bed by 8:30.

It’s a good life.

What is the worst hotel experience you’ve ever had?