So, I'm back home now from the recent IBS Las Vegas tradeshow — I will spare you the usual, and redundant, rantings about all that is amiss with our tradeshows; I'm going to talk about the competitions.

Actually, not even the competitions, really.

I did not compete after all. In fact, I have ended up sitting out this entire competition season. I feel kinda sad and empty about it, so I am revving up for the next season. Don't know how obsessive I'll be able to get, but at least I'm gonna get back in the habit.

But that's not my story: The BF and I made sure to be present for the awards ceremony.

The BF likes to rant about the awards ceremonies; I can't blame him on many levels. This time, things went much smoother — and more timely — than past events. I was seriously distraught at not having the opportunity to see all the nail art entries, but the ceremony ran on better time with less distraction without them on display. Still, I just don't understand why each entry can't be photographed during judging and put online ... but again, another tangent.

While we were sitting, reverently paying attention to the announcement of the winners of the traditional sculptured nail competitions, a girl came and sat in the row directly in front of us. She sat there for a while while winners were announced, watching the photos of the winning nails flash on the overhead screens.

After all three novice winners had been announced, and into the veteran competition, the girl turned around to us and said in a conspiratorial tone, "They all look the same."

Like I'm going to snort derisively, roll my eyes and respond, "Yeah! This is so lame!"

But of course, she picked the wrong person to make an ignorant comment about nail competitions to. So I snorted derisively, rolled my eyes and responded, "Well yeah, it's a sculptured nail competition, the nails are supposed to look like that."

Girl did not understand. I attempted to very briefly explain that this is not a nail art competition, that the nails were required to be finished in the manner shown.

Girl wanted to know how the nails could be judged if they all look the same.

Ugh. Lady! I do not have time to school you on the finer points of nail competitions and their judging criteria! I'm trying to actually pay attention to the winners.

I realize that some people aren't familiar with so much as the concept of nail competitions, let alone the various types and judging criteria, but it seems to me that if you sat in on an awards ceremony for something you didn't understand, instead of ridiculing it, maybe you would get to thinking and try to find out more.

The BF says this was a good example of why the nail industry needs to make more effort to school others on how it works.

Maybe he has a point, but I'm feeling kinda snarky about the whole thing right now and I just feel like ridiculing that girl for being too busy not understanding to bother understanding.