jejjala.com

a sad chronology

May 11, 2:30 PM, 65.3°F, 0.00″ rainfall

Excitement abounds. I slept thirteen hours last night due to allergies, lack of regular sleep from the week, and malaise. But now I am alert and well. I called my mom this morning and wished her a Happy Mother’s Day. She appreciated the flowers. I exit my apartment to meet my friend and his sister before going to catch the Radiohead show at Nissan Pavilion tonight. I’ve never seen them live before, and though I’m perhaps only a casual fan, I’m psyched.

May 11, 4:30 PM, 59.5°F, 0.06″ rainfall

I’m now in DC, heading to Target to meet friend. (Damn, I miss living and working next to Target!) I still make the trek down to DC about once a week or so. It’s getting tiring, especially on weekends, since the MARC train doesn’t run. I instead take the light rail to BWI and hop on the bus to the Greenbelt metro station. I did have the forethought to pop over to the store on my way and buy a new umbrella. Good move!

May 11, 7:30 PM, 54.7°F, 0.65″ rainfall

Yikes, the rain is coming down! Flip-flops were a poor choice. Meh, at least I don’t have lawn seats for the concert. “Rain or shine” my ticket says. Those poor saps! Traffic on I-66 W is a mess. The opening band The Liars takes the stage.

May 11, 8:30 PM, 54.1°F, 0.92″ rainfall

Intermission at the concert, but we’re still on the road. Bumper to bumper cars and torrential rain. It’s just miserable. One of Radiohead’s criteria for this tour was that the locations be ‘green,’ which includes public transportation to the venue. There is no public transportation to Nissan, and they even charge a mandatory $6 per ticket parking fee. The band’s website helpfully urges concert-goers to carpool instead. True enough, most cars seem have 2-3 passengers.

May 11, 9:30 PM, 53.5°F, 1.33″ rainfall

We’ve been traveling around circuitous detours near Nissan Pavilion, since flooding has closed off the major entryway to the parking lot. Still bumper to bumper, still pouring rain. The Bush administration should explore using this as torture; I’m ready to break. I feel really bad for my friend’s sister, who has been driving all this time and earlier in the day made the trip down from Philly.

May 11, 10 PM, 52.5°F, 1.67″ rainfall

It’s hopeless. Radiohead is already five songs into their set and we’re nowhere closer to gaining entrance. Even if we do make it in, we’re liable to only catch the last couple songs plus encores. Then we’d have to wait another several hours in traffic to get back to DC. Even after spending $72 for a ticket, it just doesn’t add up. Sodden and dejected, we turn around, but not before first stopping for directions and to fill up the tank. The gas station attendant tells us that a steady stream of cars have already passed through doing the same.

May 11, 11 PM, 51.8°F, 2.15″ rainfall

The concert ends just as we arrive back in DC. It only took an hour to get back, instead of the four to get down to within a mile of the venue. Radiohead and Live Nation, the concert promoters, should buy carbon offset credits for every ticketholder to assuage their eco-consciences.

May 12, 6 AM, 45.9°F. 3.13″ rainfall

I awake with a crimped neck from sleeping on a couch that’s a foot too short for my height. I did not sleep well. All told, I spent $100 and eight hours the day before and have nothing to show for it. I hold no hope for a refund, but I plan to call/write Nissan Pavilion anyway later today. In a few moments I must trudge back off into the rain and start my week.

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