I don't care for my birthday too much. I have emotional scars from childhood when no one came to my birthday party two years in a row. I share my birthday with a friend, so when it was celebrated it was never only about me. One year even my adult sister forgot my birthday. And I spent my 21st birthday stranded in Baker, California waiting for my friend's father to come pick us up because my friend's car broke down. He had twenty dollars on him and I had to pay for the hotel room, breakfast, lunch, a deck of cards, pitchers of beer, and a t-shirt.
So last night...
I bought tickets from a friend of my cousin with my cousin as middle man. I don't know who this guy is other than what I have been told that he has multiple season seats in the field level, section 2 and 14, and the seats are awesome. So I bought two tickets each to three games for $100 per seat and that included parking. I went to one game way back in April and the seats were amazing. I sold the Mother's day game because Erfan didn't want to go and this guy forced me to buy that game.
Now the Giants and dodgers always play each other in the end of Sept and that is my birthday present to myself; to watch a game, invite a friend, and enjoy the night out.
I get to the ballpark and the parking pass doesn't work. I have to pay $15 but they will let me park in the section I have the pass for and I will be issued a refund at the ticket office. When I get to the Right Field Pavillion ticket office, they say they can't issue a refund and that refunds are only issued at the ticket office in Section D. It's seven o'clock, Hammad isn't there yet, but I don't feel like walk around trying to get this refund.
Hammad is stuck in traffic. 1st inning, 2nd inning, 3rd inning; finally I decide to go in and get something to eat and drink. Hammad will text me when he is there and I will walk over to give him his ticket.
I go to the entrance and place my ticket under the scanner. RED. no admittance. I get a very bad feeling. I place the second ticket under the scanner. RED. No admittance again. I am told to walk over to the ticket office and they will be able to resolve the issue.
When I present the new situation to the same ticket box employee I explained my parking issue to; he says he needs to call the main office. I start to realize that I am not going to get in. I call my cousin. Voice mail and the mail box is full. I text her. After a few minutes I text her daughter. The ticket box employee is still on the phone. I get a call, it's Lindsay, my cousin's daughter. She asks where the seats are located. Field level section 2, row S, seat 5 and 6, I tell her. I can hear her relay the information to her mom. They are saying they don't know what could have happened. Meanwhile the ticket box employee finally hangs up the phone and comes over to tell me what he has been told.
The tickets were used to enter the ballpark at 5:45pm.
This a*hole friend of my cousin printed two sets of tickets and sold both! I am furious and hang up with Lindsay. The game is sold out and I am not going to get to go.
I walk over to lean on a planter or something and my phone rings. It's my cousin calling to express all her mia culpa but she doesn't get it. This is my birthday present to myself and I am screwed. The game is sold out and there is nothing that can be done. I tell her we will talk later, say goodbye, and hang up. That's when this happened...
I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turing I expected to see Hammad standing there, but instead I see two young women. They explain that they have overheard my situation and they are selling three seats in the Pavilions for face value $40, includes all you can eat hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, and soda. I decide to take the offer but I don't have that much cash. I offer all that I have $58. Generously, they only take forty dollars and hand me the two tickets.
In the end I get to see the game, Hammad arrives (late as always), and the Giants win in 13 innings. I had left and arrived home by then. It is not the worst birthday present to myself, but it does rank in the top 5.
