Going, going... goners!

I co-emcee'd the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade Charity Auction last night and spent my 'off' time sitting with friends who worked themselves into a bidding frenzy.

The Irish have their auction strategy down pat: Give party-goers all the beer and wine they can drink - heck, deliver it to their table in grocery baskets - and watch the mayhem ensue.

Here's a shot of a chagrined friend (who shall remain nameless) after placing the winning $400 bid on what he thought was attic insulation. Turned out, he actually won a grocery cart full of liquor, as the auctioneers are trying to explain to him. (This is exactly why I don't do live auctions or Vegas.) Funny thing was, he opted out of the booze and took home the insulation. That wasn't very Irish of him.