Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Gettin' Mojo for Runnin' Down a Dream!

I am sitting here, amazed. 

After some confusion, a lot of thinking (probably too much, knowing me), talking myself nearly out of even going, and then setting a "I won't get it if it's more than this" bar...

I have a ticket to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert!

See?

It was very interesting to get the ticket.  I didn't quite know how to go about it by myself, online, so I decided to go to Tick Monster and get one.  Our local Boxy type store has one, and I entered, with my funds tightly cluched in my paw, and asked.  Simple as that, the gal types it in, and ta da. A ticket.

Almost.

I asked, this is a CHAIR, right?  I can't do the lawn thing.  (Yes, I am picky, but I don't think I want to pay extra for a forklift to get me up after the concert.)  She looked confused.  "I don't know."

A few more customers came up to the desk, (it is a checkout line, as well as the ticket area), and her wonderful, accomodating, loveable manager said, oh, I need to go do some pricing, take over, would you?

She looked vaugely like the cliche'd deer in headlights, but soldiered on.  I hadn't actually received the ticket, so she was trying to work out how to get a refund and start over, which she'd never done before.  I had no idea that it was quite so complicated, but she ended up needing to call another store entirely, (since, I suspect, her so-called manager was someplace else, at least I didn't see him for the next 15 or so minutes of the transaction.  Smoke break or something, I guess...), and she managed to return the funds, figure out what needed to be redone, and finally gave me that one ticket.  She also managed to get the other folks checked out, while doing the stuff and nonsense for me. 

After it was all finished, she looked like she was expecting me to snarl at her, she actually looked timid.  (I didn't think about it at the time, but since it was cold, I was wearing my leather biker jacket, which tends to spook some people.  I also have a bad habit of leaning up against things, which makes me look like I am looming in.  Might have been coincidence, but it probably didn't help the situation.)  I set a hand on her shoulder, and said, "I haven't bought a ticket to a concert before, and I want to thank you for doing this, it means a lot to me, especially since it had to be done over." 

A grin blossomed, and she just almost seemed to grow an inch as she replied, "I had to learn some how!  I am just glad it was someone as patient as you, if I had to do that!  And thank you!"

I still feel that the price was a very stiff one, but I set a budget, and the ticket was within two dollars, so I figured, two bucks more isn't going to kill me.  Least I hope not...  {checking heartbeat} Nope, still here... Heh.

So now I get to try to organize a place to stay, (Husband wants to go with me, for safety.  Concert?  No.)  So finding a hotel/motel/inn that won't be way out of the way, and figuring out what else I need, budget wise.  Food, gas, that sort of thing. 

Mom asked what I would be wearing to the concert.  Wearing?  Uh.  Let's see.  Priority... Not real big at this date...  I think right now it's narrowed down to 'clothes'.

So, I am getting out of my comfort zone, in several ways, I am going to something I have not ever had the courage to go to, I am planning a trip ON MY OWN, rather than letting someone else handle the details, and I am even working on doing the contacting of places (like hotels), rather than letting Husband do so.  This may not be much for a lot of people, but I've not ever needed to before, so I never have.  And let's face it, I can do it, just needed the kick in the butt motivation.

So.  Some calls this morning, and I might even be getting the act together, to get on the road!

8 comments:

Louise said...

You "done good" Cat! One of the hardest things in the world to do is to move outside of our comfort zone. I should know, I'm great at staying safely inside. But, when you do something, like you did today, you expand that comfort zone, and, you get a much more positive view of just how much you can do.

You should feel very proud of yourself today, for that, and for helping that young lady expand her comfort zone, too.

Cat said...

{blush} Thank you. I guess I have figured that 'someone else does it' for so long, I never thought about "Why can't I?". I have to learn somehow, just like the gal did...

The Smiling Cat.

Chicken Boys said...

Woo-wee! Sounds like fun! That's 4 days after my birthday and is ON my mom's birthday! Great job! Hope all goes well!
~Randy

Cat said...

Believe me, I will 'work' hard at it! :D

And I will, of course, have to Happy Birthday you appropriately, too! Heh.

Cat

John Going Gently said...

good for you....go for it!!!!

Amy said...

Way to go!!! Woo hoo!!
And Tom Petty??? Serioulsy, I would be jealous if I weren't so darn happy for you!!!

Cat said...

John:

Thank you, and yes, indeed, I most certainly will!!

Cat

Cat said...

Amy:

I am going to have to blog about this, you know... I am very happy myself! I just wish that I knew others that were going in the area... But, anyway, thank you!

Cat