In roughly reverse chronological order and stream of (un)conscious. Any misspellings or misrepresentations are mine. Dorian Benkoil (father of Vera, 2nd grade)

8:30p Samir Sharma, VP of business development at Christie's auction house stepped up and read off the items for auction, sounding (to my ear) very English. Four VIP viewing passes for Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade went for $750 to paddle no. 380. … Lots of applause, talking, chatter. Fun… Judith Kuperman Design smoky topaz ring for $600. $850 for a 4-day, 3-night stay at Palm Beach, Florida's Brazilian Court Hotel as well as dinner for two at Café Boulud there and gift certificate at Frederic Fekkai Salon & Spa. Package valued at $1000 … Cancun vacation … "day of beauty … YMCA membership and so on … about 250-300 people in the room, about 150 of whom were paying rapt attention….

8:55p Dinner for 4 at Daniel's, overlooking the kitchen in the Sky Box, went for $2400! Telephone bid took $700 for ad in Big Apple Parent magazine. Some dozen bids at $50 each to "save the pool" at P.S. 11. Everyone who bid $50 gets a plaque with their name. If you missed the auction, you can contact Linda Osborne and still give $50 to the fund for a plaque.

If you're reading this and you didn't go or volunteer, here's your chance to let the guilt tide you over until the next event, when you can volunteer.

8:15p Learned a lesson about southern etiquette from Mike Gibson doling out wine in the back of the exposed brick-walled auction room on behalf of Chelsea Wine Vault ("We deliver anywhere in Manhattan): If someone hands you a knife, you hand them back the knife in the same way they handed it to you. Open? Hand it back open. "Someone ought to do a book about the new new south," he says, on etiquette and handling threats and what-not. Didn't ask where he's from, but the accent made it obvious it's from below the Mason-Dixon. Later asked: Troy, Alabama, after a smaller town. NY is the first time he's lived outside the state. There are the "same personalities" here as in the south, "just more of them."

Elise Langan asks "are you writing a novel?" when she sees me typing on the laptop in the auction room.

Deborah Donenfeld, who organized the volunteers this year, (40-50 she estimates), said this year she got no complaints about anything from the attendees and that things seemed to be going quite smoothly. "It's been very nice. The food has been delicious." Then she hollered to her husband: "Philippe, where's my clipboard!" and ran off. Looking splendid of course in her sleeveless aquamarine dress.

She later blushed when Samir, the auctioneer, pointed out that she was "one of the finest photographers" in New York. … and auctioned off a photographic sitting which went for $650…. NO, it's $700. And Deborah offers TWO. And they BOTH sell. $1,400 for the school!

Nick Rubinfier, computer teacher, with his companion Veronique "having great time." He takes photos with his digital Nikon, which he'll share with us at a later date. Veronique: I think it's a great idea." Nick: "We lok forward to it. Veronique keeps asking me about." Reminded him 3 times this week. "Last year I bid $105 and got myself a Palm M130, using it constantly, bought myself a keyboard and Documents to Go." V: "Everyone appreciates that nurturing aspect of getting together." Mother of a to-be kindergartner, as well as a now 3rd grader.

A man whose name, we think, was Morgan, dressed blazer over a vest with watch fob and a baseball cap, said he was from the neighborhood and loved supporting it. (Yay!) Advance ticket sales this year were good, we hear. That's "yay," too. Principal Fran DelMonaco, very dapper in blue blazer, blue shirt and khaki pants as his wife chided him for not wearing a tie (for the record, he looked great without - and I was wearing a tie): "This is always a great event. I love coming here. It's a great community building event. And it raises a lot of money for the school in a fun way."

Organizers take note for next year: One school dynamo noted that there was too slight a selection of vegetarian food

Past PTA prez and current Taste of Chelsea organizer Deborah Donnenfeld whizzez buy in her beautiful aquamarine dress, too frenzied to even give a quote.

"We gotta go shop," Kathy Ellman., mother of Remy Grillo, 1st-grader, but couldn't resist getting in a plug for DB bistro, one of the restaurants managed by Deborah Traussi's husband, who works with chef extraordinaire Daniel Boulud.