It Only Hurts When I Blog

Greetings, Bloggy and Western Fans! Yee-Haw!

I made very careful preparations yesterday to go downtown during Fan Fair registration and attempt to sell the tickets I was not going to use. I hadn't been able to sell them via emails and postings, and let too much time go by to put them on ebay.

Scalping tickets in Tennessee is supposed to be legal, as long as you don't ask over face value. I wasn't even interested in getting face value, but I want to state what I know of 'da rules'.

I thought I might be down there a while, as I have never tried this before and wasn't entirely comfortable about what to expect or how long it might take.

Motivation - I didn't want the tickets to go to waste, and I didn't want to lose all the money I paid for them either!

I unloaded most of my 'junk' from my pocketbook, to make room for a bottled water and an umbrella (I could use this if it rained or got too hot). I also put in a roll of scotch tape to tape a powerpoint sign to myself so I wouldn't have to HOLD it up all day.

My 'scalping outfit of the day' included a baseball cap to keep the sun off my head. I wore my New Balance sneakers with comfortable socks for good foot support.

I had my three tickets around my neck on their lanyards for good visibility.

As you can see - I was ready and set for the long haul. Why didn't I take a picture? Oops.

I drove downtown and drove around the block once to scope out a good parking lot. I also noticed where the scalpers were set up, as they were not allowed on the registration premises at the Entertainment Center. I pulled into the paid lot I had decided on, because it was right next to a LONG row of police cars and I thought that the constant police activity would be a bad-guy deterrent.

There were two women in the car next to mine. One woman rolled down her window and said 'We're leaving - put our parking ticket on your dashboard and it won't cost you a thing'. I gratefully accepted this freebie, and took it as a sign of good things to come.

It was about 2 blocks to walk to the corner where the 'professional' scalpers had congregated. There were several, with signs that said 'I need tickets'.

I thought to myself - well, if I can unload these tickets fast to a 'real' scalper, I'm all done and can be on my way. I had already decided what I wanted for them before I left the house - not full price, but 2/3 of what I paid.

Before I had even crossed the street, one guy made eye contact with me and asked 'Are you going to sell those tickets?' I said yes, and he said 'Let's see what you got.'

He took a look at them, then started off his spiel by asking me what I wanted for them. I told him the honest truth regarding what I wanted. He also warned me that if I tried to sell them myself I needed a street vendor license, which I don't know whether was true or not, but he showed me his.

He started off by offering half of what I wanted, which over the next few minutes increased in $20 increments until I got what I wanted. (He didn't know I've been to Mexico, where they bargain with the tourists exactly the same way over items.) The whole process took maybe five minutes. I was very happy and relieved.

As I walked away, money in hand - he was turning away to a couple standing near another scalper, seemingly to offer these newly purchased tickets to them. I suspect they were gone within another 5 minutes. I was completely and utterly 100% happy with that speedy transaction, having started the day with nothing, and ended up with 'a pocketful of clams' to spend. ;-)

Also, two girls stopped me on my way back to my car asking what it was like to deal with the scalper and what I had gotten for the tickets, because they had tickets to sell too. Evidently they were watching and trying to decide whether to do the same thing. I don't know if they did or not.

Anyway, I walked back to the car, passed along my already-passed-along parking pass to someone else, and went to swim. I was only an hour off my daily schedule, with money in my pocket. Who can complain about that?

Changing subjects - my Aunt Nancy wants the lyrics to the Monkees song 'SHE'. Here they are, I tried to bold the ones that are sung louder than the others.

Words and Music to She by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart

She, she told me that she loved me,And like a fool I believed her from the start.

She, she said she'd never hurt me,But then she turned around and broke my heart

Why am I standing here,Missing her and wishing she were here.

She only did me wrong;I'm better off alone.

She, she devoured all my sweet love,Took all I had and then she fed me dirt.

She, she laughed while I was cryin'.It was such a joke to see the way it hurt.

Why am I standing here,Missing her and wishing she were here.

She only did me wrong;I'm better off alone.

And now I know just why she Keeps me hangin' 'round.

She needs someone to walk on,So her feet don't touch the ground.

But I love her (love her),I need her (need her),I want her (want her).

Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea! Yea! She!

[Instrumental]

Why am I standing here,Missing her and wishing she were here.

She only did me wrong now;I'm better off alone.

Why am I missing her?I should be kissing her.

[Repeat and fade last two lines]

TTFN!