Bon Jovi tickets...the quest begins.

I knew it was coming. I just didn't know when. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, it was here.

"What is it?" I hear you ask. "Must be important?"

Oh, it is important.

Very very important.

IT'S JOVI TIME!!!!!!!

I knew they were doing a world tour, but wasn't getting too excited as "world tour" doesn't necessarily mean that Australia is included. Apparently we aren’t part of the world according to some tour promoters. I'm just thankful I don't live if New Zealand. They get nothing. Or Perth. They get less than nothing.

Two weeks ago my wonderful sister in law Jo, who has been well trained to inform me of all things Jovi, messaged me and told me about the small blurb in the Sunday Mail that gave hope that the Jovi was in fact considering coming to Australia in December. Not just to Australia, but to Brisbane! Last time they only played in Melbourne and Sydney and I had to go to Sydney and stay in a hotel that was across the road from a Hooters. Not classy.

Now I was on the lookout for any information pertaining to confirmation of said tour. And last week the same paper confirmed the story and even gave a date and a venue. GLORY BE! Life is good!

But not for long.

I then realised I was entering stage 1 of the Bon Jovi concert preparations - securing the best tickets possible. Stage 1 is not fun. No one enjoys this stage. But it must be done. Stage 1 back in 2007 nearly caused my parents, brother, sister in law, co-workers, the telstra network and possibly the group of people I was training, a nervous breakdown.

I've done my research and there are three dates I can get tickets:

First chance tomorrow - these are the pre-pre-sale tickets for members of the Bon Jovi fan club (member since 1983*). The tickets include the elusive VIP concert package tours which include food, drinks, and *dances in joy* a front row seat. Sweeeet. Ever since I was second row back in 2002 and got sweated on, all I want is front row and the chance that there could be contact. Any sort of contact - I'd be happy to touch his shoe (ala Keith Urban 2009 - still talking about that concert). Front row ticket – want, want, want!

Second chance next Wednesday - these are the pre-sale tickets for visa card members. These also include packages, but not sure what sort yet and if there will be the front row packages. These tickets are obtained via a website but this is a highly volatile site and seems to crash if more than three people logon at once.

Third and final chance is the Wednesday after next – these are the tickets on sale to the general public. Do not want to have to get to this level of desperation. Refuse to sit in row ZZZ. REFUSE!

So tomorrow is the first chance to lay my hands on the golden ticket. Cross fingers. Cross everything. If you hear a scream around 9am, Thursday 24^th June 2010, please say a prayer for me that it’s a happy one :-)

*only really a member since 2008. In my head though I’ve been a member since 1983 so I think that counts.

Which one is not like the other?

As an addendum to my last blog about the great car parking debacle of 2010 - I've just found out we have access to a "Carpark Cam" on our computers. You can basically login and see how busy the exits are before you go to the carpark. This seemed excessive to me - how much could it possibly be backed up? Since then I have been told some horror stories of being stuck for AN HOUR AND A HALF in the line to exit the carpark. Note to self: look into the bus timetable.

So now on to some more of the minor/major differences between the new and the old:

Food at the old workplace:

A salad from Coles at Fairfield Gardens. If feeling adventurous, venture to Buranda Shopping Centre for Pizza Capers. If Michelle had her way - Montezuma's and whipped beans every day until we die.

Food at the new workplace:

Choices, choices! Sushi, pizza, subway, crepes, sandwiches, roasts, soup, wraps, hot chips, salads and more. All conveniently located within about 2 minutes from my desk (some very conveniently located next door to my desk). For afternoon tea: cakes, slices, biscuits, chips, chocolates (seriously I've never seen so much chocolate in my life and I've been to the Cadbury Factory). All this is not very convenient for my waistline however -- probably be better to go back to old workplace options. Although the time spent walking around looking for my car in the carpark helps with this.

Doors, windows and fresh air at the old workplace:

Doors left open to let the fresh air in. Windows that looked out over the horses grazing in the horse paddocks (or that looked out over the back of Rickland's head) and let in the natural light. Most of all - FRESH AIR!

Doors, windows and fresh air at the new workplace:
No windows or windows that look out to other rooms with no windows. No doors to open to the outside (well that I can see - obviously there is at least one or we'd all be stuck in the building forever ala that Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode). Very bright fluoro lights that give you a headache before 9.30am. As a hater of the great outdoors who would have thunk one of the things I'd miss the most would be fresh air and sunlight? Not me in a million years (I can hear Michelle fainting from the shock). I actually have to get up every couple of hours, go to the front entrance and get some fresh air. I stand outside taking deep breaths with all the patients who are in their PJ's and attached to IV's, smoking away. They all eye me nervously in case I tell them to put out the ciggy and get back to bed.

People v Animals v "the kids" at the old workplace:

Animals pretty much outnumbered the people. I liked this. Although if the animals ever did organise some sort of meeting and banded together to take over the place we would have been in trouble. The people that were there either didn't have kids or didn't really talk about them (they knew it was a lost cause for the most part). I also liked this.

People v Animals v "the kids" at the old workplace:

People everyone. No animals except for the occasional pigeon flying overhead (probably looking for it's car in the car park). I do not like this. And kids....everyone has got 'em and everyone talks about 'em. I have started talking about my cats as though there were actual human children which seems to confuse and frighten everyone:

Co-worker: "I'm tired, I couldn't get the kids to bed last night and then they kept waking up..."

Me: "Me too. Mine just wouldn't settle last night and then started chasing each other around the house"

Co-worker: "Wow....yeah it's hard isn't it? Then they don't want to get up the next morning..."

Me: "Totally - especially when you get up and step in one of their fur-balls"

Co-worker: "Err....your kids have fur-balls?"

Me: "Yes of course. I have three furry kids. They're gonna get fur-balls!"

Co-worker: *Silence* "Bye - I'm just going off to make a coffee."

And the worst/scariest thing about kids at the new workplace is something I discovered a few days ago. If you venture outside at 1 minute past three there are literally HUNDREDS of them, swarming down the hill from their school, screeching at each other, talking about Justin Beiber and Twilight. Okay yes I know I talk about Twilight as well, but it was still terrifying seeing them all come towards you at a semi-run, chanting pre-teen things and wearing the same outfit. Children of the Corn anyone?

The Fast and the Furious

So...I've been in my new place of work for the past two weeks and I thought I'd highlight one of the differences between my old work place and my new one:

Old workplace parking:

Free parking on streets outside. Have tantrum if have to park and walk more than five steps to the front gate. Circle block hoping someone parked closer will leave. Give up and park illegally, but triumphant only have to walk two steps to the front gate.

New workplace parking:

Three car parks, numerous levels and about six hundred billion car spots that all look identical.

I'm terrified of parking my car and never being able to find it again. So (very cleverly) I decided to always park in the same car park (the smallest one and away from the others), same level, around the same parking spot. As I start work at 8.30 each day this is quite easy to do. Then the day came that I needed to start late and finish late. As I was driving in I remembered hearing that my regular car park can fill up quickly in the morning and be full by 9.15.

Problem - I would have to park in one of the other (bigger) car parks. "Stop worrying" I thought. "It'll be fine!". Famous last words.

I drove into one of the entrances to one of the car parks, did one lap, then had the option to go to the next level OR go to the same level on the western car park, which looked as though I would be going into another parking structure entirely. So to be safe I continued up, doing laps, and trying to find an empty spot - FAIL! In a moment of panic I made the choice to go over to the west side. Bad Move. Still no vacant spots and by now I was completely disorientated (and dizzy). I did a few more laps, haphazardly going from east to west and at one point thought I was just doing circles of the same level. I was sure I kept seeing the same white Honda who had left their lights on. I wondered if I should tell someone about the lights left on, but quickly realised I had no time to worry about their battery -I had problems of my own.

When I finally saw daylight and realised I must be nearing the top, a few vacant spots started to appear and my panic started to subside. I finally screeched into one and sauntered nonchalantly to the lifts. By this stage I was a trifle worried that I would never see my beloved car again, so I took a photo of the sign by the lift - I thought if all else failed I could show it to someone and they might have a clue where it was:

So I hopped into the lift and luckily someone else (who looked like they'd done this before) got in with me and hit the button for 4 (this wouldn't have been my first guess - I would have tried ground). The doors opened at level four......and we were in another car park. Super. Again I stalked the person who had got in the lift with me and followed him along a yellow cement road (I'm assuming out of the two of us I was the one with no brains) and finally came to a walkway to the hospital building. Hallelujah! By this stage I got all confident and overtook the person I'd been following, but then realised I still didn't know if I was in the right building or what level I was on. FAIL!

Anyway, I finally worked it out after taking a few more lifts, stairs and walkways. Now to get back......the end of the day came and I actually did okay in finding my car. I only had to refer to my phone once to remember the level I was on. The best part was when someone asked me for directions in the middle of the car park - god knows where he ended up.

No more deviation from the plan.

PS. During my laps down the car park on the way home that white Honda that had left it's lights on was still there. Hood popped and waiting for RACQ I assume. And yeah, I did feel really bad.