What Happened In February?

Basically, I have no free time any more because any free time I used to have is now dedicated to getting my back better. February was filled with trips to the orthopaedist and the physical therapist. Three time a week, I have been going to physical therapy. I do a little bit of a workout to strengthen my muscles for support, and then I get hooked up to a machine that makes my back muscles pulse and contract and release. Sometimes, I get a massage! Once, I got something else that I always call a sonogram, but that's totally wrong and not what it's called but it deals with some kind of frequency going into my back muscles via a wand hooked up to a machine.

The Olympics happened! We all know how I love them, so C and J came over to watch the opening ceremonies. Since they were so friggin long, they left before the torch was lit. Eddie and I fell asleep but awoke in time during that very long and awkward run from the stadium to the torch the two people had to jog to light it. I had the games on in the background whenever I was home. I think that maybe I'll be an Olympic athlete next time it comes around. We'll see how my back is by then.

The SuperBowl happened. Eddie had a massive card game during the day. We all watched at night. I bought five boxes and almost won money but did not win money, and my dad wound up winning the quarter I would have won. Nice job, dad.  SMM and AF brought guacamole.  It was a highlight.

We went to the Ranger Game. We did not sit in the wheelchair section.

I got super sick and was not able to go to work. I actually took two sick days in a row. I had to have my mom drive me to the doctor because I could barely walk let alone drive a car. That all happened right before a snow day and then Winter Break followed, so I was out of work for two weeks in a row. I started feeling better in the middle of break, so I spent it catching up with what I hadn't done the week before. Thankfully, two colleagues jumped in to sub for my classes so my students didn't fall even further behind.

By the by, if you know of ancient remedy that will ward off germs, send it my way. I cannot keep getting sick. My alternative plan is to build my own air-filtered bubble a la John Travolta's The Boy In The Plastic Bubble flick.

I got my car fixed! After Speedy Baddriverson collided into my back bumper, my back bumper needed repair, and it was repaired by the very nice and efficient folks over at the collision place in Island Park. It was a Geico Express place, so I also got my rental car there. The rental was brand new and very pretty, but it made me realize just how high up my own driver's seat is as all other cars have sunken seats and I can pretty much see only an inch above the steering wheel. I'm happy to have my car back. They got it washed too! That, for me, was the best part.

Eddie and I celebrated Valentine's Day by making waffles. Something happened with the waffles. We don't know what. They still tasted yummy even though they came out more like scrambled waffles. He bought me a rose the night before Valentine's Day because he's amazing. I bought him a mini terrarium to grow beans that say "I Love You." We planted them and nothing has grown. Nevertheless, we still love each other.

To this day, it's still a pot of dirt.

Playing with my PopAGraph App

Lots of snow days.

Courtesy of S

Some free stuff.

I have yet to claim this because I can't find anyone who sells it.

Eh, free is free, right?

Short month. The end.

Anyone Can Sit In The Wheelchair Seats Except Me

While going to Vegas was Eddie's birthday present, it really wasn't the whole present.  I got him Rangers tickets, and I gave him a card at midnight on his birthday that said the tickets were in the mail.  He was happy, even though the game was against Edmonton, which didn't promise to be a thrilling matchup.

The tickets arrived a few days after we got back.  I'd bought them using the Find Seats On The Map thingie on Ticketmaster.  I opened the envelope and saw that the tickets read WChair under the section category.  Umm, that means Wheelchair.  Not having been to the new Garden, I wasn't sure what was in store for us.  Would actual seats be available?  Was I allowed to sit there?  Was I taking away someone's chance to see the Rangers v. Oilers?  Oh, and WHY WASN'T THE SECTION CLEARLY LABELED WHEELCHAIR ON THE FIND SEATS ON THE MAP THINGIE???

I emailed Ticketmaster:
I purchased 2 tickets for a game in Madison Square Garden section 412. The tickets arrive today and show that they are in a wheelchair section which was not clear on the website, but they also state that they are for Row 7 seats 4 and 5. I need to know if this row has actual seats, and if not, I need to know what my options are for using these tickets. I don't want to take space away from people who need the access.

Mandy from Ticketmaster responded within a day:
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We will gladly assist you. We would like to advise that every patron agrees to our policy statement before completing any transaction. Our policy states the once every transaction has been complete, there are no refunds and no exchanges.As you do not require an accessible seating area for this event, we will gladly exchange your seats as long as seats can be located at an equal or greater value. We were able to locate seats as close as possible to the original price range applied to the order. The difference of $104.50 will apply for this exchange. When we get your reply we’ll make the exchange and send you a confirmation.
Mandy Ticketmaster's reply shows that the only option I have is to find different seats, right?  She never says, You are not taking away people's access.  She never says, Seats are available if you don't have a wheelchair.  She says she has found new tickets for me and I need to pay her one hundred and four dollars and fifty cents.  Okay, fine, I did that.


The game was not great.  The Rangers were playing as if they were on Valium, most likely because they thought they would easily beat Edmonton.  Edmonton was winning the whole time and it was a pretty lackluster event.  

The seats I got were Uh. May. ZING!!!!!  First off, the new Garden looks so clean.  Clean is the best way to put it.  It's all bright and new and clean.  Just clean.  There are lots of options for food--we went with a personal pizza that cost about $500000.  Secondly, the section we wound up in is a section on the lounge level.  We weren't in a lounge, but we were in huge leather lounge seats that had a personal mini table between each couple of seats and its own wait staff.  We were in the first row, and in front of us was nothing but glass and a clear view of the entire rink.  Simply amazing.

We walked around the bridge to check out all that was new (and clean!).   Then I saw them.  The chairs.  The people in the chairs.  The people not in wheelchairs sitting in the wheelchair section.  Some people were being ushered over as we passed by and I heard the usher explaining to them that it was indeed the section listed on their tickets.  Apparently, they hadn't seen that it was a wheelchair section either.  That's kind of lucky for them since they didn't contact Ticketmaster and ask about it and get duped into paying more.
Yup, that's pretty much what happened.  I bought tickets that were not clearly labeled Wheelchair Section.  I contacted Ticketmaster to ask if there would be seats there and if I could use them.  They answered by saying they had found alternative seats for me and I should give them more money.  I did.  The seats I got were really good, but had I wanted to shell out that kind of cash, I wouldn't have bought the cheaper ones in the first place.  For shame, Ticketmaster, for shame!

While I'm publicly shaming...I contacted them one more time:

If you scroll down to read my original message, you'll see I'd asked if I was able to use wheelchair section tickets if I don't use a wheelchair. The response I received offered only to switch my tickets to another section. I was not told that there were actual seats on the row, leading me to believe that keeping my tickets was not an option since that was what my first inquiry stated. While I enjoyed watching the game from the new 300 level section, I paid over 100 dollars more for them, and in walking around MSG, I found that people who did not use wheelchairs were indeed in the wheelchair section.

I am disappointed that the option to keep the wheelchair section tickets was not made clear to me as I'd chosen them originally because they were less expensive.  Also, I wish that the option of using the seating chart to purchase tickets were clearer about the section being designated for wheelchairs. 

While I appreciate the speed and courtesy of the exchanged I had to switch the tickets. I am still disappointed to learn that I did not have to go through that process and did not have to pay more for different seats.

Of course, I haven't received an answer.  The Rangers lost 2 -1.  On the bright side, the seats were really comfortable.

Super Boulevard NYC

Speaking of the sports, Super Bowl was about a month ago, which means about a month ago, this happened.....

Eddie and I went to Super Bowl Boulevard because for over a year he'd been talking about going because it was a once in a lifetime event.  We walked up and down, meaning we crammed our way through hoards of people.  Everyone was on a line for something.  Instead of standing on lines, we watched people stand on lines and then kick footballs and touch trophies.  There was even a line to stand in front of the giant Roman numerals; I suppose people didn't realize that since they were so giant, you could get a picture of them from anywhere. We met S and R, and S, who works nearby and had seen the ongoing events unfold, gave us a mini tour as in...you can take a picture with letters here and a picture with numbers there and the slide is there and then tobaggan tickets are at Bryant Park.   We took pictures but did not go on the slide or the tobaggan (after all, I was nursing an injured back thanks to Speedy Baddriverson).

There was a live band playing, so S and I found an empty spot off to the side and danced for a song and a half.  I don't know where the video is, but I know someone has it on video....As we walked by the last of the tents, I lamented that there were no free handouts.  I like free things and you'd think they'd have free things, but nothing was free.

We went over to the park to find the Verizon PowerHouse that really had nothing to do with football per se, but it was a way for Verizon to advertise by incorporating technology into football stuff.  So we went in and got our pictures taken and then we could go to any activity in the building and use our thumbprint to have the video or pictures of the activities emailed to us and for our faces to appear on personal timelines we could create. 

We floated across the screen together!  Football Verizon Advertising Love!

I look a little murdery here.  I don't think they'd let me into the game looking like this even with a ticket.

S caught a virtual football while wearing a virtual football uniform on a screen.  Eddie created a timeline of all football events.  R watched and did no activities because he didn't give them his thumbprint....and that seems to be the smartest decision any of us made. 

And I?  Couldn't do anything because I have no thumbprint.  I tried to do a timeline and it wouldn't work.  We wiped off the thumb slot and tried again and it didn't work. Then one of the Verizon people came up to me and was like, swipe your thumb across this gel and then do it.  I did it, and it didn't work.  I guess I can rob a bank using only my thumbs and never get caught because I have no print.

That didn't get me down, though, because on our way out of the powerhouse, we all got a free pair of gloves!  Sure they're bright red, too thin, and say Verizon on them, but they are free!  They are also the kind of gloves you can wear while texting.  They kind of work, too.  Free! I love free.

FREE!

 

We ended the night on that high.  The Empire State Building was rooting for the Broncos that evening, but the next, it would be lit up in Seahawk colors, a sign of things to come.