Was it a Senior moment to start my 70th year? I must have checked those Santana tickets a thousand times since they hit my mail box back in March -seventeen  months ago. The concert was originally scheduled for August 29, 2020, but the tour was pushed back a year due to the dreaded Covid. It seemed like a long time to hold on to my money that was initially spent on 2020 Spring Training tickets back in 2019. I was issued credits for the cancellation, but there were no events to use them for, particularly in the Northwest. With our move to Florida, I saw this concert and used the credits before they expired. Then, I got notice that it was again moved to the 27th. A perfect way to celebrate my 70th birthday, so I thought!

We booked a room in Tampa and made arrangements for Tally to stay at “Schnauzerville.” On the drive up to Tampa yesterday we stopped at the Ringling Art Museum. My wife drove so I could return birthday calls and texts. In the words of Santana, “Everything was Coming our way,” as even McDonald’s extended its breakfast hours to make us Egg McMuffins and Hash Browns. Then, a rainstorm came through, making the remainder of the drive challenging as we crossed the Bay bridges into downtown Tampa. We checked into the Westin (a Marriott property of course) where I got the Happy Birthday song from the front desk and extra treats for the room. I returned more phone calls and tried to answer Facebook outpourings. We soon enjoyed an early dinner of oysters and sushi at Jackson’s overlooking the marina as the skies began to clear. A free slice of chocolate cake with candles finished off the meal with a flourish.

It was a twenty-minute drive to the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater for the show. I had a parking pass and there was oddly no traffic. When I asked the toothless attendant where to park, he told us there was no show scheduled. I looked at our tickets in shock to find that the date was for 2022! Another year to wait, if the aging band members are still capable – or me, for that matter! I guess I now know what I’m doing for my 71st – a re-do! Had senility finally hit me? On the other hand, I’ve never held a ticket for anything more than a year in advance. These are interesting times we live in. Tickets I paid for nearly two years ago will not be fulfilled for yet another year. We went to the Hard Rock Casino, across the street, instead and lost a couple hundred bucks – so much for Birthday luck. A disappointing but certainly memorable day!