Tickets, Please

I had two very important tasks this week. I was interested in scoring Sprinsteen tickets for a summer concert in Wrigley Field, and I also needed to grab a ticket for my youngest daughter for Babysitter Training. No, that’s not a cool, hip band, although not a bad name for one. It’s actual training to be a babysitter offered through our public library, and it is a difficult ticket to land. Seats go fast when registration opens. I was on the library’s website ready to reserve a ticket until it asked me to login using my daughter’s library card number (no problem) and pin or password. Uh … that was a stumper. So, I grabbed the phone to call and register. I watched the available spots reduce in number online as the slowest moving librarian in history registered my daughter. No, I wasn’t too nervous.

But I was successful with a few spots to spare. I wonder how strong the reseller market is for a spot. Perhaps I can cash in. That would further justify my kids getting me this shirt last Father’s Day.

I have to admit it’s comfy, and my comfort > any message. Well, I guess I’ll wait and see if the market heats up for Babysitter Training.

As for Springsteen, I was immediately shuttled to this waiting room when I attempted to buy tickets.

I sat back. I relaxed. I never had the opportunity to purchase a ticket. If I wanted to spend that much time in a waiting room, I would have made an appointment for a physical with my doctor.

Springsteen tickets are available from resellers, and that remains an option. But before I took out a third mortgage on our house to buy tickets from a reseller, I stumbled across another show that caught my eye.

Terry Chambers was the drummer for the fabulous UK band XTC, one of my all-time faves. Chambers has put together an all-star line-up of musicians and received the blessing of former XTC frontman Andy Partridge to tour as EXTC (I see what he did there) and play the XTC catalog of hits.

My wife is so nice but so transparent. She offered to accompany me, but her relief was palpable when I informed her that our oldest son will attend with me.

I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that I’ll be in ecstacy when seeing EXTC playing XTC without taking ecstacy. Bruce, who?