What did we just do?

It was a Tuesday...the first week in September 1994. I was working at the Heirloom Cupboard with Jack. It was a slow day. People were more concerned about school shopping for their kids, than about browsing in an antique shop. I understood, I had just bit the bullet on that one myself. Our household was growing up. This fall, we only had two left in high school, two were in college and one was working, deciding on what she wanted to do with her future.

I hadn't seen Pam for a few weeks. With her quitting the nursing job, and not being in The Heirloom Cupboard any longer, we had to find specific times for us to get together. Our schedules didn't permit it to happen very often lately.

Karen came into the shop and while putting some fresh merchadise on her shelf, she mentioned that there was going to be an auction of the old Train Depot in Medina, on Friday of next week, the 11th of September. I thought about Pam and how she had been so excited about opening a shop and ended up losing rent money on the deal.

At dinner that night I told Dennis.( By the way, have I even mentioned him yet? He is my other half... my better half...in alot of ways.) I told him about my day at the shop, and mentioned what Karen said about the little train depot going up for auction, the one Pam had rented. Nothing more was said about it.

Friday, on the 11th of September, I got rudely awakened at 8:00 in the morning by Dennis. I was going to enjoy a much needed day off and planned on sleeping in.
He said, "Get up! Get ready! Let's go see what the story is with that little train depot. Let's go to the auction! "
I had totally forgotten about it. I was surprised he remembered. But...say the word auction to me and I can be ready in no time.

We entered the west side door of the Medina Court House at 3 minutes to 9. The room was packed. I glanced around at the faces looking at Dennis and me as we walked in, and recognized some. The room was filled with quite a few antique dealers! In the corner, with her husband, was Karen. I wasn't surprised. Why wouldn't she want a chance at her own shop, she ran The Heirloom Cupboard for Jane when Jane needed her to, so she certainly would know how to run one of her own.

The bidding started exactly at 9:00. Karen was the first to bid. Dennis looked at me, leaned over and said, "Honey, just how serious are you about having your own shop?" That question made me chuckle. I had stood in the train depot one time with Pam. I had no clue what condition the building was in, and Dennis knew even less than I did about it. He had for the first time, looked it as we drove by it on the way to the court house. He hadn't even pulled into the driveway to take a better look. We couldn't take the time to, because we would have missed the auction if we had of! Then, there was the question...what did I know about opening and running an antique shop? As much as I might have dreamed about it, I knew practically nothing!

I replied, "Well, it might be fun..."

So, Dennis bid against Karen. A few more people jumped in to bid. The volley of bids was fast, first one then another. Two woman that were standing together looking nervous, wanted to bid, but as the bidding continued...they never did. The amount kept going higher. At each increase Dennis would lean over to me and ask, "Are you sure?' I would shake my head yes. All eyes shifted back and forth as Karen and Dennis bid. Finally, Karen stopped bidding. There was silence.
Then a business man in a grey suit, standing kind of to the side of me, looked at the clip board in his hand and raised his pen in the air. He added the next bid. Dennis again leaned over to me and asked, " How bad do you want this?" By now I had the fever. I was at an auction! We were in the thick of the bidding. I wasn't stopping now! I didn't even know if we had enough money at this point... I just hoped Dennis knew if we did! I just wanted to win the bid! Dennis raised the bid. Again and again he leaned over, asked, "keep bidding?" I would nod yes, he would bid...until finally the man in the suit stopped bidding.
We had won.
The auctioneer announced, "This property is sold." Dennis and I just stood there. All eyes were on us. We were stunned. I looked at the clock on the wall over the auctioneer's left shoulder, it read 9:08. I looked at Dennis, he looked at me and we both started laughing. In a little more than a hour from the time Dennis had woke me up that morning ... we had bought the Medina Train Depot. We whispered almost in unison to each other, "What did we just do?"