5.24am July 17, 1998

Okay. So I've decided to start telling you about our early morning adventure to Ticketek. We couldn't camp out, (we being my friend Tammy [Tams] and me, Louella [Wella]) so we did the next best thing- we woke up at 3am (cornararma!!) For the first time in her life, when the alarm went off, Tams didn't say "just give me five more minutes!". [I guess that after only 4 hours of sleep we didn't have time to hit the "deep sleep" mode]

At about half past 3 we stepped out the door, after making more noise than a buffalo stampede. Surprisingly my parents didn't wake up.... I hope.... Well, if they did, they didn't make themselves known. So there we were- dead end street in the dark, with a glow in the dark necklace lighting the way. We were armed and "dangerous" with a walkman, speaker, and.... a can of Tammy's stinky deodorant to ward off any possible attackers (we woulda sure shown them!!)

So we started on our trek to Ticketek (which for us was at Grace Brothers [a department store] at our local mall). After consideration, we decided against walking down the dark, creepy street with no sidewalk and no lights. Were we fools? Maybe.

For the first time in our sheltered lives, we realised what the hell Rob was on about, about it being "cold out side" at 3am in the morning. Cold? No... it wasn't cold- IT WAS BLODDY FREEZING!!!(it felt like it was minus something.... okay, so that's an exaggeration....) By the time we reached the main road, our fingers were and frozen. Then we heard the cry of a rooster. Yes, that's right- a ROOSTER. Laugh if you will but I'm dead serious- a rooster crowed in the middle of suburban Sydney....So eventually we got there. We raced into the mall, (it's an open mall by the way) in fear of not being at the front of the line for matchbox 20 concert tickets. The "line" turned out to be well... just Tams and me.... Of course that's a good thing, until it dawned on us that we ere practically alone in a dark carpark at 4am in the morning, with strange creepy noises emerging from every shadow. Well... that would have been everywhere, seeing that it was PITCH BLACK (you see, at 4am there's not much sun.... at all)

At one point Tammy and I decided to venture into the dark carpark, and have a walk around. But as a strange scraping noise protruded from the shadows, we quickly reassessed the situation, and decided that we were safest back near the door. (no we didn't run... we just walked kinda quick....) ahhh... trusty doors...

So it's 5.30 and a guy (security guy or something) decides to open the door, and come out and socialise with the likes of us. He asked whether it was a "usual practice" to line up at this time outside Grace Brothers. At this time my friend my :good friend" Tammy proceeds to tell him that we weren't actually lining up for the baby clothes near the door as I was "expecting in a few months". (by the way this is totally uncalled for, and I am NOT "expecting" nor do I look like I could be... THANKYOU TAMMY!!!) Thank goodness he did the intelligent thing and ignored that comment, and left us alone (NB. That he came back several time to check on the doors, in case we had managed to open them?)

So we sit there (still) and all of a sudden the lights turn off, and we are plunged into darkness with only the light from GB's to keep us sane. 10 to 6 and a security guard rides up on a ride on scooter thing. He asks us what tics were lining up for, and tells us where the bathrooms are etc. As we talk to him, I say something about the lights going off, and he said "Yeah, I turned them off". (gee thanks Mr security Guard) We are still sitting here at 6 oclock in the morning. It's still dark.... exciting. Still here. Still cold and still singing to matchbox 20, with a can of trusty deodorant by our side...

Lo and behold! At 6.30 we saw some people!!! that were actually here to buy tickets!! They were grumbling that it wasn't for them, but for their mum, and 'how could she make them get up so early'. Then just before 7, about 5 people arrived.... they were actually fans!! One girl had front row seats at the last concert (not the same one I went to) and she got a PIC FROM Adam, and Rob SHOCK HER HAND!!!! (grrrr.... frustration!!!) at 7 I went down to Maccas (it opened at 7) and what I found amusing, was that there was a bigger queue outside Maccas then there was outside Ticketek!!

* * *

At 8:25 I had to leave Tams to fend for herself, as I unfortunately had a piano lessons....

When my parents picked me up they decided to take me and my sister on an outing to... the museum... that's just what I really wanted.... All I needed was to ring Tams (which I did, but I forgot she was staying at her Grandma's place) finally, at about 3pm, I finally got home, and she rang (when I was in the shower) I rushed, dripping wet to the phone.... "hello? TAMMY????" basically what followed was Tammy telling me about how after I'd left the really nice people we were talking to turned ugly, and shoved her to the back.... yeah, pull the other ion Tams! And then she says she got seat tickets.... No you didn't... did you?" "No... we got floor tickets...." "AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!" "WE GOT FLOOR TICKETS!!!!!!". What followed was at least 15 minutes of excited babble. We were so excited. So we didn't have to have had gotten up at 3, but we had fun, and TICKET's NUMBERED 43-46!!!! (two friends Sarah and Issabelle are coming too)

* * *

I've just gotten back from a 2day camp, and my mum blasted me, because for some reason she rang up Tammy's mum, and Tammy's mum was upset to learn that we had gone so early in the morning... (the usual) and Mum started to talk about maturity, and trust etc.

Well... I guess we did a pretty dangerous thing... seeing that the deodorant can wasn't full!!) and we didn't have the best protection (yeah Tams- you should of brought Impulse "SPICE")

Anyhow, we're safe, and happy.... and, well, mildly excited... I think you could call us crazy!!!

So that's the story of Louella and Tammy's adventure at 3am.....