Most people don't. Time is a precious commodity -- perhaps the most precious -- and suffice to say, I've enjoyed stepping out of the "rat race" for a little while and watching the world go on around me.
But sometimes, I like to get back in the world, such as part of the upcoming Austin Beer Week: the Jester King Funk n' Sour Fest. Jester King announced the Oct. 27 event and ticket sale on its website and Facebook page, with sales starting promptly at noon Central Daylight Time on Oct. 7.
My wife and I decided we'd like to get one regular ticket and one VIP ticket that includes some limited quantity bottled beers -- Nocturn Chrysalis and Aurelian Lure. So, with 600 regular tickets and 400 VIP tickets, that shouldn't be a problem, right?
12 o'clock arrived. Erica asked, "Should I get the tickets now?" I replied, "No. We'll wait a couple more minutes. We're not in that big of a rush."
I was wrong. When she signed in at 12:05, all 400 VIP tickets were gone and just a couple hundred regular tickets remained. As I kept hitting the "refresh" button, that number was dwindling rapidly. We did get two regular tickets, and the entire event sold out by mid-afternoon. Even Jester King was shocked at the response, saying such demand was not expected and would be the last time for an Internet "free for all."
Nonetheless, we're looking forward to the fest (as part of our late anniversary gift to each other) and hope to sample the Nocturn Chrysalis and Aurelian Lure, which should be available in bottles in the future.
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| Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas |
Corresponding with the Jester King staff, I told them the ticket run was similar to an iPhone release, which we've also experienced firsthand. I skipped the initial iPhone launch in June 2007 but went after the iPhone 3G a year later. The phones were not available for advance purchase online, so Erica and I decided to stand in line at our local AT&T store early release morning.
Thankfully, Bryan-College Station is not a major metro area, so the only things we really had to compete with were students, the Sandman, and only one launch store (there's no Apple Store here, and major retailers like Wal-Mart and Target did not carry the early models). The store opened at 8 a.m., and we arrived a full two hours early. I'm glad we did, as there already was a line of about 10 people, and as the sun came up, the line grew significantly.
Unfortunately, when you're in a small town, the number of allocated iPhone units is small, so by the time the sales staff got to us, there were only a handful left. You can imagine the groans and expletives from those in line a few short minutes later when the phones sold out. This time, we lucked out, and the release was still a big enough deal that the local TV station came out to get people's comments for an afternoon news segment.
Since then, we've purchased new iPhones online. I like to be one of the first to get the latest model (as long as it's a whole number, so no "5S" or "5C" for me), so that means going online or on my mobile app at 2 a.m. to buy for expedited shipping instead of waiting til mid-afternoon when shipment times already are pushed back days, if not weeks.
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| Anyone remember the iPhone 3G? |
It's the adrenaline rush of the chase. It's the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.
That rush also came in getting tickets for the 2011 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Erica and I knew tickets sold out within minutes, and we wanted to attend TWO sessions! Thank God for high-speed Internet and a full pot of coffee that allowed us to secure tickets at the exact time they became available. Otherwise, it would have been craigslist, a "tickets wanted" beer forum or a disappointing missed opportunity.
But there was little high-speed Internet available as Erica and I planned our one-year anniversary in mid-September 2001 -- a Miami Dolphins home game (my first), followed by a seven-day Bahamas cruise. Then the unthinkable happened: 9/11.
As we watched the tragedy unfold before our eyes, I immediately knew alternate arrangements would need to be made.
I contacted Royal Caribbean, which said the cruise was still on. Check. I then received an NFL alert that the games for that following week would be postponed but games the week after would go on. Miami was at home that week, too, so I contacted the ticket office and was able to switch games. Check. Hotel. Check.
That left airfare, and with all planes grounded, I knew it'd be a mess for some time. I also knew while I had all the other parts of the trip handled, I needed to get the airfare switched or it would be all for not. I called Continental Airlines and got through without a busy signal. Five minutes later, we were processed and ready to go. Once we began to understand the magnitude of the attacks, I called the airlines again in mid-afternoon. The hold time was 3.5 hours, making me extremely glad I took a few seconds to call at the very beginning.
Of course, all of these events -- beer festivals, iPhone purchases, an anniversary trip -- are trivial and not a matter of life and death where every second really counts. I think my wife will second that. Get it? "Second." Ha!
Til the next time...
