The whole reason we even went to Atlanta this past weekend was because we had gotten free tickets to a Braves game through my husband’s work.  We even had tickets for my sister and her children.

On Friday night, after the kids finally got settled, I lay tossing and turning in bed.  About midnight, just as Bill was starting to doze off, I suddenly remembered – I LEFT THE TICKETS AT HOME!  I was pretty upset (he was upset about being awakened).  And what really makes me mad is that my checklists, the ones I didn’t print out and use, have listed the item: TICKETS.  It’s a generic term, but very handy for all the trips we take where we have prepaid for entrance fees.  Had I used the checklist, I would have seen that and remembered.

I racked my brain trying to decide what to do about this: disappoint the kids?  Disappoint the adults?  Drive 3 1/2 hours there and 3 1/2 hours back to get them?  Cough up the money to buy new tickets?

Bill and I each offered to drive home to get them using my sister’s car, which had better gas mileage.  The only thing was, we couldn’t decide who should spend the day in the car (no fun) and who should spend the day with the grumpy, whiny children (even less fun).  A man in my husband’s unit was coming to Atlanta that day for a wedding, and we asked him to drive over to our house on the chance that we left a door unlocked.  Unfortunately, we were very good about securing the doors.  In the end, we decided to buy new tickets rather than spend the day in the car.

{sigh}

*******

On Thursday before we left, somebody else in my husband’s unit who had free tickets (through the unit) for the NASCAR race on Sunday night in Atlanta realized they had a conflict and turned the tickets in for anyone else to use.  Knowing we were going to Atlanta for the Braves game, we were offered the tickets.  There were only 4, though, and it was on Sunday night.  We planned to come home Sunday night.

I called my sister and asked her if she wanted to go to the race.

“Now why would I want to do that?” she asked.

My sister and I were not raised by a NASCAR-loving Dad.  Dad likes football, baseball, and basketball.  He might sit and watch some other sports if he has nothing better to do, but if the lawn needs mowing, or the porch needs painting or the Sunday sudoko puzzle is not finished, I can’t imagine him watching a car race instead.

So I could understand my sister’s less than enthusiastic response to my offer.  However, I did point out that it was something she had never done before, it might be fun, and, best of all, it was free.

Still, she declined, and I told the unit to find someone else.  (Side note: the race was rained out anyway.)

This little segue does have a point.

*******

In Atlanta, we went to the Aquarium on Friday night instead of Saturday and decided to shuffle the Stone Mountain trip to Sunday.  The big debate then was what to do on Saturday in the window of time where we were supposed to go to the Aquarium.  My sister’s friend was going to the Dragon*Con parade and she asked if we wanted to do that.

Dragon*Con?  What is Dragon*Con?

Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!

And they kick off their event with a parade of everyone dressed up in their costumes.

So I asked her, “Now why would I want to do that?”

And she pointed out that it was something we had never done before, it might be fun, and, best of all, it was free.  And I laughed and reminded her that she didn’t take the tickets for the NASCAR race.

But we decided the boys would enjoy it, and that’s where we headed on Saturday morning: to a parade for science fiction and fantasy aficionados.