Monday, August 29, 2011

Take The Money And Run!

"This here's a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do...Bobbie Sue took the money and run.

Go on take the money and run."

Steve Miller Band "Take the Money and Run"



This here's a story about Shayne and Kathleen...

One hot Monday afternoon in August 2005, my friend Shayne ran into an old school friend who mentioned that the Steve Miller Band was playing that Thursday about three hours away, and both of us being Steve Miller fans, wanted to go. So I called the venue and yes, they still had tickets and the show started at 8pm.

I run my own business which is open until 6pm so I had a slight problem.  The concert was three hours away which meant I had to be on the road no later than 5pm.  I don't have any employees but every now and then my daughter will hold down the fort while I take off, but no luck there as she had to work her regular job.  I called around and asked other friends and family but still no luck. So I sort of resigned myself to no Steve Miller concert.

Thursday evening about 4:58pm Shayne says it sure would be fun to go to the Steve Miller Band concert and if we left right then we could probably make it on time. Being the conscientious businesswoman I am, I never close early but I stopped for a moment and thought about it.  What would matter most in ten years? If I had closed one hour early or had a fun time?  So I decided right then, to go.  I looked at Shayne and said, "Let's take the money and go."  At that very instant the radio began playing Steve Miller Band's "Take the money and run.".
Shayne said "Do you hear that?", I said, "It's a sign".  So we put a note on the door, took the money, and hopped in the car.

So we are driving down the road and realized we have no tickets.  So I call the box office and all they have are lawn tickets.  So I said "thanks" and hung up.  When I go to a concert I want to be up close!  Shayne asked if they were sold out and I said "No, but they only had lawn".  He said I should have bought them but I said "Maybe there will be someone out front selling front row seats.".  Shayne said, "There's not going to be anyone selling front row tickets, but I once knew a guy who got a third row ticket out front.".  So I said, "I'll take third row!".

We pull into a parking space at the venue at exactly 8pm.  As we are walking up the path toward the box office a man steps onto the path and asks "Do you need tickets?".  I ask, "What do you have?" He said, and I kid you not, "Third row center".  Shayne's jaw hit the ground, I laughed and asked how much.  The tickets were cover price, no fees.  I bought them.  All the way to the gate Shayne kept asking me if I thought they were real.. Of course I did.

At the gate, they scanned our tickets and usher us to the pit!  They were third row pit seats!  Steve Miller would practically be sweating on us!  Shayne and I both agreed how lucky we were with these fantastic seats.  Then I said all I needed now was a guitar pick from the band.

Well, the Steve Miller Band started playing about 8:30, it was a beautiful summer night, and there was a full moon too.  The concert was fantastic!  The band members threw out their picks but I didn't get one.  They came back for an encore, threw out more picks, still none, then Shayne turned to me and said "Well, I guess you didn't get your pick" and just then a pick literally hit him on the side of the head and fell into his lap.  He said "What's this?"...I said, "My pick!".


So now my motto is "Take the money and run". 

Here's a photo of my ticket, pick, and the note that we put on the door that day.
This year on the sixth anniversary of this event, the guy who had told Shayne about the concert came by about 4:58 pm, and I was telling him that this was the moment I decided to go and at just that moment the radio began playing as if on cue, "Take The Money and Run" by the Steve Miller Band.  It gave me chills.
I Love it!
Isn't Life amazing?
I love synchronicity!

Lucky Lady






2 comments:

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

Whenever I hear this song, I think of you leaving the store and going to the concert. Glad it all worked out!

Marina said...

Life is really amazing :) It's so funny how all worked out so good for you:)