In Which a K/Night Never Fades : EA Parts #2 & #3
(Part one is HERE.)
II. Tickets Go On Sale OR How Not to Buy Things
When the American tour was finally announced, I about shit myself. Sorry, but seriously. I had waited so long that I seriously thought I was dreaming. When tickets went on sale, I had negative dollars in the bank. I was devastated that I couldn't buy tickets, and when I saw that VIP tickets were available, I died inside a little bit more.
Nick and I had been having the financial year from HELL. We had to constantly borrow money from my parents to pay rent, and I had to apply for free Effexor to keep my sanity level in check. However, I could NOT pass this up. I went online, transferred money from one account to the other, bought the VIP ticket for myself, and tried to transfer money back to the bill-paying account. It wouldn't let me put the account back in overdrawn status. Um, duh. I don't remember how, but I ended up racking up HUNDREDS of dollars in overdraft fees.
The VIP ticket, which should have been $70, ended up inadvertently costing me around $400. I only hoped it'd be worth it.
III. The Day of the Concert - Waiting in Line
When Thursday, October 29th, 2009 arrived, I was kind of sad, honestly. I had waited so many years, and I knew it would soon all be over. I wanted to hang on to the anticipation, to not have it all become a memory in a matter of hours. However, I knew that to have a memory of the thing meant I had experienced the thing itself, which was better than never having done so. That's confusing. Sorry.
One of my key concerns was what to say to Emilie. Knowing she is a sweet person, I feared that she would say she remembered me when she really didn't. I absolutely was not counting on her remembering me. After five years, she'd experienced so much, toured the world, that I didn't want to waste my emotions hoping she'd remember some paper she helped somebody with, and some bad poet she'd shared some banter with in the past. I couldn't help it, though; I worried about what to say, about whether I should mention who I was at all. When I showed up as the first person in line, I still didn't know for sure if I was going to mention who I was.
The doors were scheduled to open at 7 p.m. I arrived at around 12:45 p.m. at the Hawthorne Theatre. Having arrived so early, I felt, was the least I could do for Miss Autumn. I had waited this many years, and waiting a few hours in the wet cold was my way of prolonging the experience, as well as showing (if only to myself) my love for her.
I took a picture of the marquee, the entrance to the theatre, and myself (click for full-size):
While waiting for other muffins to arrive, I wrote in my paper journal:
Day of EA (Plague!)
The Asylum, yes, it waits within, but not constructed yet, no, not at all. The painstaking, back-breaking, agonizing labor that must go into its creation every night, and for what? For a celebration of insanity, for a chance for the inmates to rise up from their bonds, to shake their shackles and tear the stuffing from the walls.
What time is it now? Is it FOUR O'CLOCK yet? Have the tea and crumpets arrived? Are the muffins ready? I could swear that I smelled them on the wind, but perhaps my brain is concocting phantom recipes again. Hmm, yes, more than rather likely. I would assume, presume? Hmm, whichever, my point is quite clearly made, my friends, quite clearly. And adequately, I also must state.
At around 3 p.m. or so, Oliver arrived. I was absolutely freezing, having sat on the cold, wet curb for so long. I talked to him for a bit, then went to Fred Meyer to buy a scarf and some striped socks with toes. I immediately felt better. I also bought some mini blueberry muffins, which only two other people ended up eating (oh well). A bit after that, Joy and her mom showed up. Oliver came back at one point from Fred Meyer, telling us that Emilie had been in there, wearing her unicorn hat and getting tea. Joy and I went over there to see if we could see her, but we couldn't - I'm kind of glad, because I felt like a stalker.
Here are Joy (only 15 - I told her I was totally into boy bands at that age and therefore think she is amazing), myself, and Oliver (he's the merch admin on the official EA forums). I was feeling much warmer and more snuggly:
We got to all know one another a bit, talked about EA and videogames, the official forums and weirdness. No one else really showed up until about an hour before the show, which was a bit odd. Oliver said, overseas, supposedly if you aren't at least five hours early, you're behind. Anyway, when people did start showing up, I realized - EA's muffins are very, very, VERY good-looking. All of us. In all ways.
Anyway, at around 7:15 or so, the doors finally opened. It was very easy - a quick bag check, a check of the ID to get my VIP wristband, then we entered and went to the stage. There was no rushing or anything - it was amazing.
II. Tickets Go On Sale OR How Not to Buy Things
When the American tour was finally announced, I about shit myself. Sorry, but seriously. I had waited so long that I seriously thought I was dreaming. When tickets went on sale, I had negative dollars in the bank. I was devastated that I couldn't buy tickets, and when I saw that VIP tickets were available, I died inside a little bit more.
Nick and I had been having the financial year from HELL. We had to constantly borrow money from my parents to pay rent, and I had to apply for free Effexor to keep my sanity level in check. However, I could NOT pass this up. I went online, transferred money from one account to the other, bought the VIP ticket for myself, and tried to transfer money back to the bill-paying account. It wouldn't let me put the account back in overdrawn status. Um, duh. I don't remember how, but I ended up racking up HUNDREDS of dollars in overdraft fees.
The VIP ticket, which should have been $70, ended up inadvertently costing me around $400. I only hoped it'd be worth it.
III. The Day of the Concert - Waiting in Line
When Thursday, October 29th, 2009 arrived, I was kind of sad, honestly. I had waited so many years, and I knew it would soon all be over. I wanted to hang on to the anticipation, to not have it all become a memory in a matter of hours. However, I knew that to have a memory of the thing meant I had experienced the thing itself, which was better than never having done so. That's confusing. Sorry.
One of my key concerns was what to say to Emilie. Knowing she is a sweet person, I feared that she would say she remembered me when she really didn't. I absolutely was not counting on her remembering me. After five years, she'd experienced so much, toured the world, that I didn't want to waste my emotions hoping she'd remember some paper she helped somebody with, and some bad poet she'd shared some banter with in the past. I couldn't help it, though; I worried about what to say, about whether I should mention who I was at all. When I showed up as the first person in line, I still didn't know for sure if I was going to mention who I was.
The doors were scheduled to open at 7 p.m. I arrived at around 12:45 p.m. at the Hawthorne Theatre. Having arrived so early, I felt, was the least I could do for Miss Autumn. I had waited this many years, and waiting a few hours in the wet cold was my way of prolonging the experience, as well as showing (if only to myself) my love for her.
I took a picture of the marquee, the entrance to the theatre, and myself (click for full-size):
While waiting for other muffins to arrive, I wrote in my paper journal:
Day of EA (Plague!)
- Arrived at approximately 12:45 pm Pacific time. I found myself to be the first, yes, first person in an as-yet-invisible line of muffins. Dare I say I may have, erm, arrived a trifle early? Ahem! Well, no matter, no worries, for I certainly shall be joined in due course of time by a multitude of muffins - all shapes, colors, statures...with varying degrees of what do they call...mental health. I am sure we will all find ourselves to be quite at home in The Asylum, old inmate-ees of yore and first time lock-ups alike.
- At approximately 12:56 pm, a mere, um, approximately (again, approximately) ten minutes after I, myself, arrived, the carriage arrived with, one can only conclude, Her Royal Queen Inmate Herself, Miss EA and her bevy of beauties, crazed though they may be.
- Has it really been a year since I wrote in this? My, but that is a bit ridiculous. I do have another, less, erm, strappy journal, which follows me along, generally behaving itself and taking its job of maintaining my sanity - what there is of it - in due course.
- Cars. The cars driving over the wet cobblestone, with their rickety wheels, clunking engines and bee-bee-beeping horns. Where are they going, and honestly, why the rush? Take things slower, won't you?
The Asylum, yes, it waits within, but not constructed yet, no, not at all. The painstaking, back-breaking, agonizing labor that must go into its creation every night, and for what? For a celebration of insanity, for a chance for the inmates to rise up from their bonds, to shake their shackles and tear the stuffing from the walls.
What time is it now? Is it FOUR O'CLOCK yet? Have the tea and crumpets arrived? Are the muffins ready? I could swear that I smelled them on the wind, but perhaps my brain is concocting phantom recipes again. Hmm, yes, more than rather likely. I would assume, presume? Hmm, whichever, my point is quite clearly made, my friends, quite clearly. And adequately, I also must state.
At around 3 p.m. or so, Oliver arrived. I was absolutely freezing, having sat on the cold, wet curb for so long. I talked to him for a bit, then went to Fred Meyer to buy a scarf and some striped socks with toes. I immediately felt better. I also bought some mini blueberry muffins, which only two other people ended up eating (oh well). A bit after that, Joy and her mom showed up. Oliver came back at one point from Fred Meyer, telling us that Emilie had been in there, wearing her unicorn hat and getting tea. Joy and I went over there to see if we could see her, but we couldn't - I'm kind of glad, because I felt like a stalker.
Here are Joy (only 15 - I told her I was totally into boy bands at that age and therefore think she is amazing), myself, and Oliver (he's the merch admin on the official EA forums). I was feeling much warmer and more snuggly:
We got to all know one another a bit, talked about EA and videogames, the official forums and weirdness. No one else really showed up until about an hour before the show, which was a bit odd. Oliver said, overseas, supposedly if you aren't at least five hours early, you're behind. Anyway, when people did start showing up, I realized - EA's muffins are very, very, VERY good-looking. All of us. In all ways.
Anyway, at around 7:15 or so, the doors finally opened. It was very easy - a quick bag check, a check of the ID to get my VIP wristband, then we entered and went to the stage. There was no rushing or anything - it was amazing.