The Virginia show was not that long ago, but it seems like forever. That's what happens with days off on the road; the day after the off day becomes day 1 all over again. The first off day on this tour was in New Orleans. Uh-oh... If I was a few years younger and not married, I would have been there in the French Quarter doing what most male visitors to the French Quarter do. As it is, however, I opted to spend my day off going to the Monday Night Football game (Saints vs. Vikings).
I had originally purchased two tickets for the game but when the friend I was going to take backed out, I traded the two tickets for one better ticket... see side story
side story: Starting 2 hours prior to game time I spent about 90 minutes scouting scalpers to make my transaction. I figured out their profit margin per ticket and discovered what tickets were selling versus what tickets were going to waste. 30 minutes to game time I start making my move. I find a scalper with an odd number of tickets. This SHOULD mean he would be willing to part with one. I present him with the offer to give him 2 of my $40.00 tickets in trade for one $60 ticket that he sells for $80. Since he only profits $10 per ticket for the lower level tickets and only had a single $60 it made perfect sense for him to take the deal and have a pair of tickets to sell (which are more likely to move) and have the same profit as he would for the one odd ticket. Instead of taking the ticket, he accused me of being a fraud and walked away. When I explained what I was doing he couldn't understand why I wanted to trade two tickets for one. Luckily his competitor overheard the interaction and wanted to take the deal.
end of side story
The tickets were in the upper bowl of the Superdome. I was seated between season ticket holders that had sold their extra ticket to the scalper that I made my trade with minutes before I made the trade. The guys were friendly and it was a goop opportunity to make some new friends for a few minutes. The Saints scored on their opening drive, there was screaming, cheering, and random hi-fives from total strangers. After the game calmed down I was bombarded with questions of why I came alone, why I love in OH but like the Saints, why I was in New Orleans... I guess my lifestyle can be difficult to understand to some.
At halftime I wandered around the 'dome looking for a tasty adult beverage. The beer offered close to my section was only typical American ballpark beer and I wanted something with flavor and substance. I figured that the more expensive seats would have better beer choices. I was right. As I waited in line for a Stella on the field level, I met a wife who's husband was in a wheelchair and had seats right at field level in the first row. We chatted and she invited me to come sit with them as there were open seats around them. I spent the rest of the game there and didn't mind that bad officiating and bad kicking led to a disappointing Saints loss. I had spent $80.00 on two tickets, traded up for one and ended up in a $500.00 seat for Monday Night Football. So far, my day off was going great.
I walked back to my hotel from the Superdome. I like to explore new places and New Orleans was ready to be explored, but I soon discovered that the Big Easy smells like pee. New Orleans is a dirty place and I don't think Katrina has anything to do with it. It's just another mecca for debauchery like Vegas or Atlantic City except New Orleans doesn't try to put on an aire of inviting cleanliness, they just left it seedy.
I had intended on meeting up with the rest of the guys wherever they were to have drinks and party the night away. Ha! I went back to the hotel, changed clothes and fell asleep. The next thing I remember is Adam, the roadie I was sharing a room with, waking me up to go back to the bus. I missed the party. I fell asleep at midnight. Back at the bus I saw the results of everyone else's day off. WOW! I missed a hell of a party. It was night of the living dead staggering around the lot; a drunken debacle to end all drunken debacles and I'm the only sober guy. I suppose every tour needs an old man.
The next day in Houston, showed the damage from the day off. Everyone but me was dragging all day. Hangovers are a bitch! Houston also had the benefit of having two friends meet me there. Al and Karl roadie friends who's resume's totally eclpise mine came bearing gifts. I've said it before, I enjoy a friendly face in a sea of strangers and when the friendly face buys dinner, I'm thrilled.
Visiting with friends breaks the monotony and curbs the lonliness for a while but eventually it sets back in. My wife and daughter are a thousand miles away, I don't hear from them often and I've missed Helen's first word: "Duck". I'll probably miss her first steps while I'm out here and I'm trying to find another tour as soon as this one ends. In essence, I've chosen lonliness so I can't complain.
Time to go get some lunch in San Antonio, then load in the show.
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