MSG Finale Flag Report, a.k.a., Yes, that flag was THE Flag.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

*I* can't believe the memory for detail some of you guys have. Jeez, I can't remember what I had for lunch, much less every single person I talked to all day Thursday and exactly what was said.

[Madgrad]

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]*I* can't believe the memory for detail some of you guys have. Jeez, I can't remember what I had for lunch, much less every single person I talked to all day Thursday and exactly what was said. [/quote]

She's a writer. . .

[DirtyMartini]

Very soon Dive calls again to tell me not to break a leg rushing, Jeff just ran out to get food -- but by that point, we're almost at the Garden. So across the street, up the stairs, through the vestibulish area, and we find ourselves crowded together with many lovely nutters.

We're chatting a bit while I try not to turn into a bag of neuroses, and somewhere in these few minutes, I pull out my ticket. "Row 1, Seat 1." All day long -- over and over -- I had kept a lock on three things: my phone, the Flag, and my ticket. I could lose my mind, I could lose my husband, but I couldn't lose these three things: my phone, the Flag, and my ticket. Every time we got up, every time we went somewhere new, every time I opened my purse, I checked my phone, the Flag, and my ticket.

I know I had my ticket right there in line with the gang: I had handed it to Mo while I situated the flag in my purse; he had handed it back. But somewhere in this moment, the awesome Animal spotted Jeff at the Will Call window. I grab my bag and book to the other side of the lobby. I hand the Flag to Jeff (hi, Jeff), who starts measuring it against the length of his arm and trying to approximate its length in both inches and Barbies.

I've been dealing with this ridiculous cloth for a year, we're down to the wire with still no solution, and the man is telling me how to measure in inches-per-square-Barbie?!? Clearly one of us has gone insane.

(Please don't smite me, Jeff.)

Jeff introduces me to the friends and family that he's with. I think he might actually be trying to introduce me and the Flag as something less than crazy. (Bless you, St. Jeff.) I introduce him to some grommet holes, and we establish that the gong thing is out, but that someone has modified a mic stand with a cross piece for the Flag to hang from. Great. Got it. Later. You rock. Congrats. Have a great show.

And suddenly I don't know what to do. After three days on edge, I'm not sure I'm actually capable of relaxing. But it seems that maybe -- just maybe -- we may have actually gotten something right.

In a mild case of shock, I return to the posse. And then I reach for my ticket . . .



[Quick post in the hope that Schmaff hasn't left work yet.]

[bella]

groaaaaannn. My heart actually stopped for a minute.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

Me, too. It was one of those things where you could just have died for DM, because we all knew how much this show meant to everyone. Although I was also of the mind that 'no way this show will go on without DM in her proper place,' I hated to see Moe not get in...hell, he made the damn thing! (and selfishly I think he's hilarious and wanted to hang out with him some more!)

I think we all had some idea someone would be able to fix the whole thing and luckily that's how it turned out, but it still sucked to have to stand there and feel like there was just fuck-all anyone could do until some phone calls got made.

[Bry]

Ack!

Who keeps letting DM up from the keyboard??!?!?!??!!!

[DirtyMartini]

[ETA: Haha. Thanks, Bry.]


Ever want to feel like a total tool? Help get a flag around the world and finally get to where its moment of culmination on stage at Madison Square Garden is within sight -- and then lose the ticket that allows you to witness it all.

I think the only way to describe this moment of brilliance is

*headdesk*
*headdesk*
*headdesk*

Somewhere, in the span of a few minutes and a couple hundred yards, I lost my ticket. Dropped it? Fell out of my pocket? Don't know. Haven't a clue. While dealing with my ticket earlier, I had heard "Jeff," a bell rang, I began to salivate -- and everything else fell right out of my head.

I dumped the contents of my purse a few times; checked my pockets; checked the Flag. A redhead and a brunette kindly repeated the search for me. I pulled at my hair a lot. Ska Man went searching the ground; I think animal and/or Bongo may have as well. But wherever in this small space it had landed, my ticket had gotten scooped up fast. "Row 1, Seat 1" was gone. At a moment where I could not have been more high-strung.

And it would be okay on any other day . . .

Aamiel headed for the ticket counter to see what might be possible. My magnificent Mo was already signing over his ticket to me and figuring he'd grab a pint and sit in the nosebleeds. Copelandous and Christine were figuring out if their extra was still an extra. Pecos got on the horn. Dermot and others were being reassuring.

I have always been impressed at the SC.net posse's ability and willingness to mobilize. In between my self-deprecation and cursing, I was reminded of that fact.

And quickly -- almost disturbingly so -- I was having a chat, flashing a kind of ID, giving a hug, and rushing through the turnstile to the pit. At that moment I felt really honored and really touched -- and really loved. I owe a chain of people for that little moment of magic, starting with the inimitable Pecos.

Of course, by "rushing through the turnstile to the pit," I mean, "through the turnstile, up the escalator, up another escalator, up a third escalator I think, down a hallway in which I asked Takeshi for directions, down all the damn seats that we had just climbed up via escalator, across the floor, through some security guards who had no idea where to find wristbands, through some dudes without tickets who were holding up the line to the security guard with the wristbands, and into the pit."

And suddenly I'm standing in line, leaning against a metal rail a bit Andy-side of center in Madison Square Garden for the last Police show, trying to figure out if I'm capable of pitching a ratty green cloth far enough to make the stage. The situation is ridiculous. And I feel a lot like Steve:

"I'm a lucky guy." . . .

[Moeskido]

Damn it, I have to leave work now. Good thing I printed the last three installments. Just have to run to the printer and...


<distraction>


Shit, where'd I put it, now? SHIT!

[Madgrad]

[quote="Moeskido"]Damn it, I have to leave work now. Good thing I printed the last three installments. Just have to run to the printer and...


<distraction>


Shit, where'd I put it, now? SHIT![/quote]


Stinker.

<imagines Mo sleeping on a lumpy sofa tonight>

[mj]

DM, what a wonderful story... i'm happy i'm just learning the full details about it right now... i would have ended up in hospital with that much excitement!! But i did have some idea about your intentions... and that made the show so much more meaningful and exciting... I can't believe you lost your ticket!!

Madgrad, i'm in that picture on your avatar, along with some of my best friends at MSG... do you think you could send it to me or something?

[Madgrad]

[quote="mj"]
Madgrad, i'm in that picture on your avatar, along with some of my best friends at MSG... do you think you could send it to me or something? [/quote]

You bet! Just need an email addy. . .

[BongoBoy]

I'm spellbound.

and I was there.....


c'mon stupid time ...<tap,tap>


BB.

[mj]

[quote="Madgrad"][quote="mj"]
Madgrad, i'm in that picture on your avatar, along with some of my best friends at MSG... do you think you could send it to me or something? [/quote]

You bet! Just need an email addy. . . [/quote]

Sure, thanks so much! You can email me at maj.obis at hotmail.com!

And i guess i'll have to wait to see how Kellie's story rounds up... time for me to go to bed... it's way tooo late in Spain!
At least i can say i'm happy enough that i got to sign the flag... just in time. I didn't think i would make it!! And i've been so obsessed with this story all day that i fell asleep while putting my children to sleep and hubby had to wake me up... i was inventing my own continuation of the flag story in my dreams!!

This is SO much fun!

[D-A-O]

[quote="DirtyMartini"][

And it would be okay on any other day . . .

.[/quote]

^^^^Oh very flippin funny.....haha.^^^^

It was like watching a car crash happen.

Look over my shoulder thinking "....Kel seems upset....what is she looking for?
There's the flag in the baggie.
She couldn't have lost her ticket.....um....right.....oh shit!"

[BongoBoy]

..D.O.A. and Bongo look at each other with the official "Oh Shit" face.

what's up with Kel ?

Funny how almost everybody there was like " Well She's Fuckin getting into the PIt, no matter what!"...

if there were grenades strewn about the lobby Nutters would have been throwing their lime green bodies on them.

Fuckin Awesome.
BB.