I fought a homeless guy today- and won

Yes, it is true. You see, it all began around 6pm. I went to the U2 concert extremely early because I was afraid that the tickets I got from Craig's List were fake. I had the same feeling yesterday, but this one was far worse. The show didn't even begin until 7:30, and I knew U2 wouldn't come on stage until 9pm, so if there was a problem, at least I'd know early and could do something about it, right?

Well, turns out my feeling was right. My tickets were fakes. Now, usually here's the point where I freak out when something goes wrong, but see, this is U2, and somehow everything always works out when it comes to them. At least it had until this point. I hopped back on the Metro to go home, wondering how I was going to get a ticket with only $15 in my pocket and none in my bank account until payday next week. On the train, I thought perhaps I would write a bum check at the grocery for a couple hundred and pay the bank fee when it bounced. Then in desperation, I contacted a friend to borrow $150, which she graciously lent me. I drove over to pick up the money and then drove back to the MCI Center and paid $20 to park. I didn't have time to search for a parking space, or so I thought, so I just went into the garage. So I'm down to $145 for a ticket.

Now, I've purchased tickets from scalpers many, many times, including U2 shows, so I thought this would be no problem. Apparently, so did everyone else, because after wandering around the outside of the MCI Center for an hour and a half looking for a ticket, I could hear the opening chords of City of Blinding Lights. Shit! They're on stage! What few tickets there were available from scalpers were going for $300, and no one would take my $145.

I thought I was going to cry, as there is nothing in the world I'd rather do than go to a U2 show. Nothing. When I say nothing, I am dead serious. NOTHING. Still, I didn't give up hope, and I kept circling. I honestly contemplated snatching tickets from someone's hand and running. I'm pretty fast, so I could have gotten away with it, but my damn morals got in the way. Next, I tried bribing a guard at one of the doors. He accepted, but as he was letting me in, a supervisor caught him and asked him what he was doing. I still had the fake, so he wasn't going to get fired because she thought I was just trying to enter through the wrong door.

At this point, I had missed City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, and Elevation. I decided to try my luck with bribing on the other side of the Center. No luck with the guard. He was kind of an ass when I showed him the money. I guess he didn't need my $100. Out of Control was playing, and we had a decent view of the stage from outside, and when Bono crossed we could see him, and we could hear him, so I thought I was going to be stuck there for the night. However, a guy on the inside kept going to the door and looking out. I didn't understand what he was doing, but then I found out he had an extra ticket! He was looking for someone to give it to.

He showed it to me through the window. It's face value was $163. I did not have the money, and a group of worthless homeless jerks who were obviously wanting to make some crack money swarmed the door when he opened it. I asked him how much he wanted for it and told him I only had $145. The homeless jerks had wads of cash from scalping earlier and were trying to get the ticket as well. Then the guy points to me, and I try to get up to the door to hear what he wants for the ticket. He says I can have it. I can HAVE it. No charge. Zero. I guess I just didn't comprehend, because I was a little slow in grabbing it from him. One of the crackheads did instead.

I was not going to have it. I attacked the guy. I grabbed his arms and kept at it until he finally said here, take it. Then as I looked up at the guy and thanked him. I began to run to the front of the center so I could go inside. The homeless guy was just like, "aren't you going to give me anything for it?" Jerk.

The high I felt as I entered the arena to the beginning of Beautiful Day was indescribable. It never went away, as the set list and the music was kick ass tonight, much, much better than the disappoint from last night. I still feel the high now, nearly two hours later. They ended with an amazing, breathtaking Bad, the best I'd ever heard the song, which is already unbelievable live. Oh, wow, I still am blown away.

Thank you, Jamie Lenieux, for the ticket. I can't say it enough.