Yup! Call me a snob, but...

   We recently purchased tickets to attend a cooking show and demonstration in nearby Augusta. The cost of the tickets was $50 each so with that price, we expected something special. As VIP attendees, as printed on the tickets, there was a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres beginning at 3:30 pm with the program beginning at 7:00 pm. Seating was assigned for the demonstration and we were down front, in the second row. The price also included a 'goodie bag,' full of coupons.

   The doors opened at 3:30 for the VIP ticket holders but three hours and and thirty minutes seemed like a long time to wait. Maybe there would be vendors selling their wares or other brief cooking demonstrations taking place before the main show. Was there going to be some type of dinner? In addition to the snacks, would there be other food available to cover the dinner hour or should we walk in with a McDonald's bag?

   Having never attended an event like this before, we thought it appropriate to pass on wearing jeans and tee shirts and dressed in what we thought might be more reflective of the ticket price. This was not going to be a rock concert where someone might spill a beer or soft drink over your head, so slacks and a neatly pressed shirt seemed like a good choice.

   We arrived just a few minutes before the doors were set to open and we were surprised to see a rather lengthy line waiting to get in. As we joined the others waiting for the doors to open, it was obvious by the discussions going on around us that for many, this had become a yearly event for them. Some had attended as many as ten or twelve times. Sheepishly when asked, we admitted this was our first. “Oh! You'll love it” was the most frequent response. And the crowd? It appeared to be a mix of an older generation, some like myself, as well as many who were much younger and more women that men.

   Promptly at 3:30 the doors opened and after turning in our tickets and receiving our 'goodie bag', we were directed to the lounge with the cash bar and hors d'oeuvres. On the main floor, just around the corner, were a number of local businesses who set up booths, many of these businesses helping to sponsor the event.

   I find that as I get a bit older it has become somewhat of a challenge to hold a napkin piled high with food in one hand, a glass of wine in the other and mingle among the crowd. So, to be on the safe side and in an attempt to cause myself the least amount of embarrassment possible should I drop something, I found the nearest chair and made myself comfortable. It also gave me a good vantage point to 'people watch.'

   Every few minutes the staff would bring plates with samples to be tasted. The recipes would be shared and prepared during the demonstration later that evening. And while it may not have been a rock concert, the bumping and pushing to be the first in line to get the fresh samples...well you understand.

   Now I understand that times have changed. As a society, behavior and what people wear have become very relaxed. I am always shocked by what some folks will wear when they shop at Walmart. Perhaps it would more accurate to say what they don't wear.

   Fleece pajama bottoms, ripped and torn tee shirts, Snoopy slippers. Don't get me wrong. I like my fleece pajama bottoms and will wear them around the house. I will even wear them when I take the dog outside, but only under the cover of early morning darkness.

   Thank goodness there were no fleece pajama bottoms or Snoopy slippers here tonight, but I was amazed at what some had decided to wear on this particular Saturday evening.
   One might argue that clothes can cost a lot of money or that maybe they didn't get an opportunity to change after going to the Common Ground Fair. But call me old fashioned, I still think there is a time and place for everything and for me, that includes neat and proper dress. Yup! Call me a snob.

   The chair I had selected just happened to be next to the table where the speaker for the evening was signing her newly published books. I have never done a book signing, probably because I have never written a book, but it was very entertaining to watch and listen as many lined up to meet and greet her. It was her first time in Maine, she lives just north of New York City and is a recent graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America)

   The show began at 7:00 and despite a few technical difficulties in the beginning, it was very informative and entertaining, even after the long wait.  But one of the disadvantages of sitting near the front was the smell. What she prepared certainly did smell appetizing  and not having any dinner, it was all I could do to keep from jumping up on stage and asking for samples.

   Attending the cooking demonstration was a new experience and turned out to be fun. If we were to do it again, however, we might arrive a bit later and have a mid-afternoon light dinner. And about what to wear? I have my neatly pressed shirt and slacks laid out on the chair, ready for next year.