GROWL

I realize that I have been spending a lot of time at children's theatre and children's events lately. One of these days I'll get to see a grown up movie or a grown up show. To that end, I decided to go online a few weeks ago and see what might be coming to our local theatres. What did I discover? Most of the adult shows sucked, but Go Diego Go was going to be kicking off a national tour. Who happens to love Go Diego Go? Juliette. However, tickets were not on sale until November 13th. So I marked the day in my calendar and gave up on ever seeing a play that didn't involve singing backpacks, dancing dinosaurs, or cold spaghetti anytime soon.

November 13th rolls around and I log on to buy tickets. Only, it turns out, that these are special presale tickets, and I don't have the password. However, I am bound and determined to get these tickets, so instead of giving up I spend the next hour trying to find a way around the system. I want that password, I must have that password. For Juliette!

How exactly does one break the code? If you are short on time, skip to the final tally below; otherwise, here is a step by step breakdown of my Ultimately Successful Attempt to Purchase Presale Tickets to Yet Another Quality Childrens Theatre Event.

1. Search my inbox to see if any previous Ticket master purchases reveal the Password. Only, I've deleted all those messages in my inbox-cleaning- frenzy last week.
2. Log onto to Nick Jr.com to try and find the password. Join NickJr.com- because I need more junk email littering my inbox.
3. Peruse 3 Nick Jr newsletters that immediately arrive in my inbox. No password.
4. Back to NickJr.com to the Go Diego Go traveling show website. Fill out short (because I answered "neutral" for everything. Sometimes it isn't worth reading the questions) survey in attempts to earn myself a password. Again, no dice. Stupid nickjr.
5. Find the message boards. Find aprox. 8 threads with people begging for the presale password, find approx 9 responses to these 8 threads where people say "when I find it I'll post it" but do not find any passwords. I bet the Nickjr people are deleting those posts. Stupid nickjr.
6. Try to break the code based on previous presale passwords. It is not Diego, GoDiegoGo, NickJr, Dora, Jaguar, or anything else I can think of.
7. Revisit message boards. Maybe someone posted an answer. No dice.
8. Notice one reply where someone says "Go to ebay."
9. Go to ebay. Forgot password, ask for password to be emailed. Wait for email. Log on to ebay and search Diego Presale Password.
10. It turns out you can find anything on ebay. For $0.99, I purchase the Go Diego Go presale password. (this involves requesting my Paypal password which I have also forgotten, updating my account information and changing my credit card expiration date.)
11. Go back to Ticketmasater site; type in password. I AM IN!
12. Do a short victory dance (not really, because I am at work, but you know- in my head- ala Ally McBeal and the dancing baby)
13. Debate over whether row C is too close.
14. Lose place in line because I thought about it for too long.
15. Start over. Ah, the same seats come up. Call Greg to ask his opinion. He says go for it.
16. As I am going for it, my time runs out. Lose place in line again.
17. Start over. Same seats come up. Uh oh, I forgot my Ticket master password. Request it be sent to my inbox.
18. Lost my place in line while waiting for password. Start over. Same seats come up again. These tickets are really in demand!
19. Complete the transaction. Request tickets be emailed to me.
20. Check inbox; the tickets are there, so is the VIP parking, and so is a new email offering me the presale password for the Smuckers Stars on Ice show. Stupid presales.

Final tally: $245, 15 email messages, two forgotten passwords, and third row seats to see Diego coming to the rescue.

I am an awesome mom.

Later at home, Greg told me he'd go to more shows with me if I can get such good seats for them.

Me too, honey. Me too.