Home opener tickets!
I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never even
been to an exhibition game, let alone a home opener! And I just scored 6
tickets from my favourite radio station!
I called up my peeps and told ‘em to meet at my place at
6:15.
It was almost 5:00, quitting time. If I can just make it out on time I’ll have
time to pick up the tickets, get home, grab a shower and a bite to eat before
the gang arrives. We’ll need to leave by
about 6:30 to get to the game, park and find our seats in time for puck drop.
So excited!!!
Only ten minutes to go, and what do you know… A customer
walks in.
“Hey.” He greets me with a grin. “Wasn’t sure I would make
if before you closed; traffic is awful.”
I smile, hiding my true feeling. “How can I help you today, sir?”
He needs this and that and the other thing and something
else too, but he can’t remember what. If I could just look it up for him
online, we could figure it out.
Twenty minutes later, he decides that the price is higher
than he thought, and would need to think about it.
“Thanks for your time. Sorry I kept you past close.”
“Not a problem at all.” I reply through clenched teeth.
Ok, scramble time. Turn off the computers, the radio, the
lights. Grab my stuff and let’s get out of here.
Set the alarm, lock the door
and dash to my car.
I unlock the car, toss my stuff in the back seat and hop
into the driver’s seat.
If I hurry, I can skip the bite to eat. I can always grab something
at the game, no big deal.
I turn my key in the ignition.
-Ch..ch..ch.
NO!
-Click.
Come On!!
No lights, no nothing. Battery
is dead!
Luckily the guys in the garage next door are working late.
Lucky me!
I jog over to the giant open door and try to catch their
attention over the various garage noises.
Jimmy notices and waves me over.
I explain the situation and he gives me a nod.
“Not a problem at all, I’ll sort that right out for ya.”
A few more minutes and we’ve got my car purring like a
kitten.
I wave my thanks and I’m off to the Radio Station to get the
tickets.
Ok, so maybe I’ll have to skip the shower now too. Can’t be
helped. I’m sure if I through on a clean shirt, I’ll be fine. It’s not like we’re
going to the Opera.
I pull into the Station parking lot at 5:45.
Way behind schedule.
The receptionist is texting and pretends she didn’t see me
walk in.
I clear my throat and she finally looks up.
I explain who I am, and that there should be tickets to
tonight game here, for me to pick up.
Her phone beeps and her attention is elsewhere.
I shift from one foot to the other, rather annoyed.
She looked back at me with a sigh.
I explain, again, why I’m there.
She begins to shuffle the papers on the counter.
“I don’t see any tickets.”
“I suspect they’ll be in an envelope, with my name on it,
and possibly in a drawer?”
She heaves another sigh as though I’m asking here to run a
marathon while carrying a rabid raccoon in her shirt.
A few more half-hearted attempts and she’s ready to give up.
“Can you call someone, perhaps?”
Another melodramatic sigh before she picks up the phone.
“Hey, there’s someone here looking for something.”
“Tickets” I remind her. “Tickets for tonight’s game.”
She rolls here eyes at me, then into the phone. “I’m not
sure.”
A moment later, a man turns the corner from the magical
inner working of the radio station.
“Hey, I bet you’re here to pick up the tickets. You must be
our lucky winner.”
“Ya, ya. That’s me.”
He looks at his watch. “You’re cutting it kinda close, aren’t
you?”
I smile and nod, what else what I going to do.
He opens the top drawer of the desk and pulls out an
envelope, clearly marked with my name, “Winner” and what’s in the envelope.
He hands it to me and I take the tickets and nod. “Thanks
very much.” I quickly turn and rush out the door.
He calls after me “Enjoy the game.”
Thankfully, my car starts and I’m back on track.
Traffic is horrendous.
I reach my place at 6:45.
The gang is there. Wondering. Worried.
Happy to see me finally pull up.
Tyler is the first to greet me. “We were beginning to worry!” I smile, but give a
look that suggests ‘Don’t even ask’.
He points to his mini-van. “Come on, hop in. I’m driving.”
From inside the van, Cindy smiles and pops the lid off of a
cooler. “We brought snacks.”
Resting comfortably in the middle seat of the soccer-mommy-ish
van ever, I munch on homemade muffins, drink a cold refreshing juice box and
feel as though I'm the luckiest person in the world.
I'm finally on my way to my first Home Opener Ever!
Cheers.
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