2003-12-06 - 12:53 p.m.

The longer I keep writing, the more work I avoid

This morning was a concert ticket buying morning. Sometimes that can be VERY aerobic. When it is my favorite band that I'm buying tickets for, I have up to three computers all hooked up at once, hitting refresh over and over so I can get in at the EXACT second tickets go on sale and have the best chance at the best seats. I've gotten lucky and gotten front row that way a few times, so why mess with a formula? But it can be frustrating, especially when you have that front row seat up on your screen, you click the button to process the order, and you get PAGE NOT FOUND. Sometimes you can get it back and sometimes.... oh well. As much as it's against my philosophy to say anything nice about Ticketmaster, I will admit that that doesn't happen much anymore since they upgraded their servers and changed a few procedures. But still, I've instructed my husband that if he ever finds me dead at the computer and the coroner estimates the time of death as a few minutes after 10am, he is to file suit against Ticketmaster immediately.

Today wasn't so nerve wracking. The show I was checking on that went on sale at 10am was one I was iffy about going to anyway, and it turns out to be general admission, so I have time to decide. Thank God for that, because I also can't really afford the ticket right now, if you want to get picky about it. Available credit does not equal money. I'm trying really hard to remember that.

The show on sale at noon was another one that I had told myself I'd only go to if I got a really good ticket, because the show itself is going to be at the end of a killer busy week, and I was kind of wondering if I'd end up thinking, oh man, I have to get out and go to a show tonight? I'd rather stay home and rest... do I HAVE to? I did that once this summer and it was really just a waste of good rock and roll. And to tell the truth, I probably wouldn't have gone to that show except I wanted to talk to the guy who runs the merch table at that venue. However, I digress... even though I was telling myself I wouldn't go unless I got a good ticket, I knew there was a really good chance I would, because for this particular show my criteria of "good" was a little relaxed from my traditional FRONT ROW OR DIE mentality. Also, this is the Barenaked Ladies, and I've been trying to see them for years, but was always out of town or at another concert (or both) when they were nearby. So at noon I went in and fished for tickets, and could get either 6th row on the floor or front row on the lower bleachers in the section closest to the stage on stage right. DING DING DING. Floor is better if it's a show where I might be able to (and want to) rush the stage, but for most shows, this is my favorite spot in this venue. I'll be about even with 3rd row, and elevated, with no one right in front of me. If you can't be front row floor, this is the best place in the house. Although stage left would be okay too - see, I'm flexible.

However... sometimes even this isn't good enough. Kiss and Aerosmith were recently at this same venue. What godawful ticket prices they had. $135 if you didn't want to watch them from the arena roof ($85 if that was okay) which turns into $150 once you add all the fees. This was yet another one for which I told myself, "I might go if I can get a really good seat." Can you tell I do that a lot? It's my way of pretending I don't have to go to EVERY show that catches my eye. So when this show went on sale, available seats were way way back, and no way was I paying that kind of money to sit in row Z or worse. But I'm also aware that on the day of a show, sometimes better seats get released, so in the back of my mind I told myself, I'll check on the day of the show, and if anything "really good" comes up, I might go. Day of the show arrives, and at about 1:00 in the afternoon, sure enough, up comes row A in my favorite section.

I considered it. I threw the ticket back and it came back up on screen again. Checked to make sure I had enough credit for the transaction to go through, and I did. Threw the ticket back again and it didn't it pop right back up.

Then I finally reminded myself I had just skipped a trip to Florida because of finances, and the cost of this ticket would have almost covered plane fare and a hotel. If I couldn't afford it then, I couldn't afford it to go see Kiss and Aerosmith when I'd be thinking the whole time, "I can't believe I paid $150 for this and Ace isn't even here."

So I didn't.

People get pissed off at me for getting good seats so often. I know no inside information, and I have no devious tricks. I just laid out every trick I have. I'm just interested enough to find out when and where to look. It's all public information, and I even go out of my way to tell other people the information I find. If you're not interested enough to pay attention, don't whine because I am.

I am just rambling on, huh? That's because I'm so tired, and I'm trying to avoid putting on real outside-wear clothing and boots, and going out and putting up my Christmas lights. I had thought maybe I'd get a start on that between 10 and 12. But no, I sat here and wasted time. And I also ate a pop-tart. But I should do it - I'll be really happy tonight if I have pretty lights I can turn on.

Okay, I'm going.

my mood -

the mood of the whole world wide bleepin' web -