Tuesday - afternoon

It's 156 miles to Medieval Times in Dallas.  Parents/guardians/whoever have to drive themselves if they want to be with their kids for there isn't room on the buses and they don't allow it anyway unless you are going to be a chaperone - which I definitely don't want to be.  I arrived there before everyone, literally. The parking lot was empty, the only thing there was a Sheriff deputy hanging out in the rear apparently taking a break, or who knows what.

I backed into the most convenient spot for exiting, since I knew it would be a mad house of people all trying to leave at once and then pulled out my game.  I played that for a while and then a tour bus pulled in. And another school bus, and another, and another - you get the picture. I got out once, realized they weren't letting anyone in yet, so I hopped back into my vehicle.

It was almost an hour waiting there before the doors opened and students started filing into the place.  I found the child in question and went into the building.  I had to go to the bathroom, by the time I got back, they were all beyond the people standing there taking tickets, I assumed they had given mine since they had them and just bypassed it. 

I assumed wrong.  I was confronted by one of the teachers who asked if I had a ticket? No, thought you had them.  No and you aren't on our list.  She showed me a spread sheet with student name's and then a box next to each with how many parents are coming,, meaning they had purchased tickets for them. My kid didn't have any numbers in it.  Well, you'll have to go back to the front and buy a ticket and then I don't know where they're going to put you.

Huh.  I started texting the mom.  What is going on here? I was standing in a small line by then and listening to the manager telling a couple that there were no seats left for them. But, she did some checking and found one seat for them.  I just drove 156 miles for nothing? I thought and told the mom.  She said she didn't know what was going on but that there wasn't any form for parents that had been given and she never saw anything that said to indicate how many adults were going.  I believe her, of course, I would suspect the child didn't bring home one of the forms.

I am finally next in line, explain the situation. She said, well, we have a seat you can buy.  So, I shelled out the $36 and then found out the seat is in the green section, not the red section where these kids would be sitting.  The green section is on the other side of the arena.  I am not sitting there alone, next to a bunch of kids I don't know and aren't from the same school district much less the same school, that would have been uncomfortable.  At best.  

The teachers had nothing to say to me after that.  When they finally opened the doors to the arena, I just waited until everyone - and I means hundreds of people - filed in and found their seats.  Then I went in and saw the red section, completely filled up excepting 5 or 6 seats that were empty, but those were for a school that hadn't showed up yet. Stragglers. 

The manager was a real sweet person and I wasn't starting trouble with her, but I did ask for my money back.   I came to be with the kid, not to sit alone in some seats with a bunch of strangers.  I said yea, I drove 160 miles to get here but it's obvious there isn't anything available could I please get my money back?  She gasped at having to drive so far and find this out. She asked for the last 4 digits of the card, not many people had to buy seats and so she just needed that to locate the payment later on and refund it.  

I gave her the number, she apologized but I said no, it's not your fault, you had nothing to do with this.  I bid the kid a goodbye who couldn't understand why I was leaving even tho I explained it to him multiple times in different ways. I was walking out the door when the manager came running  up to me and pointed out some seats in what I would call the nose bleed section, there are 4 seats up there we can put you and the kid in if you like.  Really?  I asked the kid, he said yes!  

Turns out those were great seats.  We were directly next to the podium/porch where the King and Queen come out throughout the show and make appearances and say a bunch of stuff, the queen kept looking over at us.  We had perfect view of the arena,  the food was good and the boy was really into what was going on with the horses on the arena floor.  

So, a near disaster made good, I thanked the manager profusely and will be leaving a good review with all of that above in there.  She deserves a glowing report for going out of her way to find a spot for us. 

You know, Dallas is a bit of a drive but at 80 mph it isn't really that bad. Dallas itself? Was as horrible driving through as I remembered. 35 minutes to drive 7 miles lol.  I don't miss big cities, at all, but they are nice to visit once in a while for things they have there that you won't find out in the boonies.  However, it cost me an entire tank of gas to drive there and back today and at current gas prices, that wasn't cheap.

I'm not hurting for money by any stretch of the imagination but that doesn't mean I want to waste it either.   If I were making frequent trips over there i would definitely be thinking about  trading the SUV in for an economy car.  My personal vehicle travels aren't more than 10 miles per day lol.  The semi a different story.

And tomorrow, is going to be a very long day as it marks the end of the 5 days off and back to the grind. It's another Ennis run.  It's also the second load. I don't have to get up super early but I won't be back early at all. Thursday, I have to be in Ennis by 8 am so that won't be a late day albeit I'm not saying it will be a short one.  Just starting a lot earlier.  

The tractor is basically mine, I just need to go pick it up. I told them I'd probably be getting it Friday, tho if I feel good enough after work on Thursday I'll get it then.  I definitely didn't want to today and no time tomorrow.  

I don't know what else.  Thinking about mom.  I wonder if it's going to be too late to visit her for Thanksgiving.  I doubt she was exaggerating about her "health is going down", she doesn't say stuff like that, not that pointed anyway. Thanksgiving is 6 months off, I am likely going to plan a second trip this summer. I have a vacation set with the group for july but I feel like I need to at least go spend a few days with her?  Can it wait?  I dunno, I don't have a crystal ball.                                      

Daily and numerous flights going to AZ out of DFW.  If it comes to that, I can get there pretty fast. 

Must be why she wrote out a new will.  I haven't even read it yet.  I'm of the mindset that I would rather not have to have the use of it any time soon. Beyond that, she is totally fair in giving equally to all 3 of us siblings, my oldest brother is the executor of estate and I believe he will go about doing it as mom wants it to be done. My middle brother? I wouldn't trust him at all.

Life is short and precious.  I was reading a news story a 29 year old Grizzlies basketball player today who passed away.  People are dying all over the place at all ages, not just old people.  They wrote a glowing report about that guy but then I found that they are investigating it as a possible OD.  Drugs seem to jack with sports players a lot who somehow find themselves in a bad situation getting addicted to heavy duty drugs that will kill you if you take too much of it.  

I dunno.  Well, whatever. The youngest is back from the Medeival Times - they don't allow them to go home with parents for whatever reason.  I could have just brought him straight home, but, mom just got a text saying he's at the school and ready to be picked up.  

I think I'll end this one here.