My God, I either need a Valium or to blow into a brown bag! The definition of ‘stress’ – trying to book tickets for the Eagles at Murrayfield next June! Honestly, I had no idea they were coming until, checking my emails this morning, I was about to delete one from Ticketmaster and saw that name. Well, I clicked on it and went head first down that rabbit hole! The tickets only went on sale this morning so what were the chances that I happened to see that email when I did? As Pop always said, ‘There is a plan for every man’, and I do what I am told – well, we all know that is not true but, in this case …
It is almost two years to this very day that I wrote of my desperation to win tickets to see the Eagles in San Francisco on 11th April, 2020 – my favourite date ever! Part of Children in Need, the competition, offering the once-in-a-lifetime prize, was being run by Radio 2 and I just knew that it was mine and that Zoe was going to ring me. I just knew! Seemingly, nobody else did and Zoe phoned Sharon in Bognor instead! 10th November, 2019 It’s all there. Hard to believe that was two whole years ago and here I am, once more …
I may never have recovered from the disappointment – and 11th April, 2020 would have been a difficult day considering I/we should, by rights, have been in San Francisco singing our hearts out to Lyin’ Eyes – but, as it turns out, Sharon from Bognor did not take my seat after all as the concert was cancelled. Some virus or something!
So, fast forward and, of course, I clicked on Find Tickets and that move incurred something like two hours I will never get back! Scrolling through hundreds and hundreds of options, I became numb to the price as I checked each row and section according to the stadium plan. I don’t think I ever mentioned that I have, actually, seen the Eagles before – at Murrayfield, again, in 1996. A lifetime ago, it was a boiling hot summer evening and one I have never forgotten but, quite honestly, binoculars should have come with our seats! In the gods, high up at the opposite end of the stadium from the stage, my favourite band of all time were mere dots on the horizon. There must have been screens but I have no recollection now. Thankfully, there was no faulting the sound, though, as they took us, all, back in time to cheese cloth, flares, California and the Seventies. Who could ask for more? Lyin’ Eyes? Well, of course, if there had been a roof on the stadium, it would have been lifted off as the crowd all but drowned out Glenn Frey, singing every word with so much heart … a choir of thousands. A moment in time never to be repeated. Glenn Frey died in 2016 …
Honestly, please don’t make me go through that again! Finally, throwing caution to the wind – helped by Manny texting ‘You love the Eagles!’, ‘I know you!’ and ‘Go for it!’ – I clicked on my well-researched best option of two hours. Well, I will never have the chance to see them again. Don Henley is 74, for goodness sake! Admittedly, Mick Jagger has four years on him but, still … Who knew I had three minutes to complete my purchase? As the seconds counted down, I clicked ‘Purchase Tickets’ only for a box to come up requesting my email and password! What for? I only have one minute forty-five seconds left! What do you mean ‘Whoops!’. That is my password – or it might be the other one? What? ‘Time up’! I have to give other people the chance to sit on my seats? Why? There are hundreds of them and I spent hours choosing these ones … and breathe! Let’s start again. At least I know the sections of Murrayfield, now, like the back of my hand and who knows, perhaps Jeremy will ask me about them on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Finding the positives, as ever, that’s me!
Don’t worry, the story ends well. Admittedly, not for my bank balance but life is short and isn’t making memories what it’s all about? I smashed that three-minute deadline – on second attempt – and, thus, on the 22nd June, 2022, we will be there. Don Henley, Deacon Frey (love that!), Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit and Vince Gill (?!) can rest easy in that knowledge. Yes, I may be house-less, car-less – and, possibly, broke – by then but, taking succour from my friend, Scarlett, ‘I’ll think about that tomorrow.’ Perhaps, I shall end up on a pavement somewhere singing Desperado or, even, The Last Resort. At least I know the words …
Eight hundred of them and not one controversial … so far! For those suffering from withdrawal symptoms, please go to my ‘Seriously?!’ page and that should do the trick. I spent yesterday enraged by the escalating furore surrounding the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and trying to translate that into words was no easy task but, on completion, technology defeated me. So frustrating! Help at hand, it is now up and published – altogether now – and most definitely cathartic. Judging by the developments today, however, hang fire! I suspect that will not be my last word.
Meanwhile, I promised to mention Castleview Primary School in Edinburgh and the poor little boys being asked to wear skirts for the day, supposedly to promote equality … Lunacy! Encouraging division, confusion and isolation. I, honestly, despair, comforted, only, by the fact that I am no longer the mother of young children. Were that not the case, any offspring of mine would definitely be home-schooled, learning manners, compassion and values of old, shielded from the poison that is ‘woke’. As one parent hit back, ‘You’re a primary school. Let them be children and stop forcing this toxic agenda on them.’ While Matthew Wright, quite rightly pointed out on This Morning, equality has nothing do with what you wear and the school should, rather, spend time instilling little boys with a lifelong respect for girls. Moreover, the idea that wearing a skirt promotes equality is insulting, the triviality merely undermining that which it claims to encourage. Hear, hear!
Anything else? Well, on Monday – 1st November – the vaccine mandate for municipal workers came into force in New York. Twenty-six fire stations are to close due to short staff! The tip of the iceberg. People will fight for their civil liberty and the knock-on effects are, potentially, devastating. Take the care sector, here: 11th November is the proposed deadline for the mandatory vaccination of all staff – that’s Thursday! What then? Care home providers have not been silent in voicing their concerns but the Government is, so far, unyielding. Their bullying tactics will see many homes close leaving residents with nowhere to go and, in addition, hospitals no channel through which to release beds – mind you, that may be a blessing considering the cost of their blatant ‘negligence’ in early 2020!
It is the age-old pattern. The acquisition of power merely serves to incite the quest for more. Control is intoxicating to those fuelled by it. So it is that the Government has come thus far. The Emergency Legislation is still in place. As COVID boosters and new pills are pushed, however, there is a breaking point. How many chemicals must/can a body endure?! So often, the increasing confidence of the underhand proves his own undoing and, as censorship is heightened – becoming more desperate – more people are waking up. He who has nothing to hide has nothing to fear from debate. End of.
‘Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door,
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before.
“Relax”, said the night man
We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!”
Eagles, Hotel California.
Just tuning up!
This is Trish, signing off.
Oh, I forgot to mention, I discovered lots of comments, yesterday, for the first time! Goodness knows where they have been hidden. Complimentary ones, too!! Apologies for not replying. Meanwhile, if anyone wishes to comment – nicely – or just get in touch, you can do so by emailing me at: me@stevent55.sg-host.com. Thanks.
