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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

To be an adult or to enjoy life?

Over the weekend, I went to a local music festival with a friend.  I love live music and my company for the night was one of my closest friends.  But my main draw to the festival --without a doubt -- was this guy:



Both of these photos are from Summerfest in 2011.

Oh yeah, he's appeared on this blog a few times.  Probably more than a few.  I'm not going to do a blog post keyword search to find out.  I don't think I'll like the results.

It was a great showcase performance for him. Lots of his family and friends were there and I saw a few new people in the crowd who seemed to enjoy the show as well.  And why wouldn't they?  Listen to this ...


After Saturday's show, I had a chance to talk to Tim as well as a few members of his family.  In conversation with his mother, I told her how many of his shows I've been to (at the time I said 17 or 18, but when I came home and checked, it's actually 21), and she told me I've definitely been to more shows than her.  On Sunday, Tim confirmed that I hold the title of most shows.

I might like him a little bit.  Or a lot.  And I'm not ashamed of that.  He's a very talented musician and an even nicer guy.  I want all the success in the world for him because good things should happen for good people.  And he's a good person.

This summer, he'll be opening some shows for REO Speedwagon and Chicago.  As I perused the tour dates, I was a little sad that none of the shows were in Iowa.  The closest one is Kansas City.  On a Thursday. That's a 3.5-hour drive.  Probably not the best idea.  I mentioned the tour dates to some of my friends in Texas and surrounding areas, since he'll be hitting two Texas cities.

Throughout the day on Monday, when I needed a break from my work, I kept looking at the tour dates.  And I realized Tim would be in Houston the same weekend the Rangers would be playing a series there.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was like the Universe was speaking to me. Calling to me.  Begging me to take my first vacation in more than two years.  Teasing me with an opportunity to see not only one of my favorite musicians but also the baseball team that has stolen my heart.  And did I mention I haven't seen them play live since the start of 2012?  Because I haven't.

I didn't immediately jump on airfare web sites.  I couldn't.  It was tempting, but I knew I couldn't.

I am not a spontaneous person.  I can probably count on one hand the number of spontaneous things I've done.  Ironically, one of the last ones involved a trip to Houston to see Tim Stop as well.  I may have a problem.  But it's not one I want to fix.  Ha ha ha.

Seriously though. Booking this trip would not be a smart idea for me right now.  I could probably do the whole weekend for about $300, but ... I still shouldn't even be entertaining it.  With so many things up in the air for me financially (namely the sale of my house and some debt I'm trying to pay off), I just don't think it's responsible for me to do this.

Sigh.

Honestly ... what would you do if you were in my shoes?  How do you choose between the fun option and the smart option?



9 comments:

  1. I'd probably go. I, too, am constantly torn between what I want to do and what is the financially responsible thing to do. But, I'm a firm believer that some memories are worth it, and this would fall into that category for me. Sure, things will be a little tight when you get home, but $300 is a great deal that would be hard to pass up. Good luck making your decision!

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  2. Rough! I mean, if you think you'd regret it if you didn't go, then I would totally go. Sometimes I splurge a little out of my means (usually on events that create memories, not stuff) and it's totally worth having to pay my credit card off over 2-3 months instead of one.

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  3. Even when my husband and I were paying off debt, we still found ways to save a bit for trips to have fun. Stuff like this is what keeps you going. $300 is not much in the grand scheme of things. And you say it's this summer? IF you save $100 a month, $25 a week, until the trip, you'll have enough to go! I would do it, but I am ALL about traveling and find ways to make it a priority.

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  4. I know the feeling of WANTING to do something but wanting to be responsible with my finances. I'm usually not responsible and indulge. Lol. :)

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  5. Personally? I'd probably do it, but I would work extra for it. When something like this happens I usually work extra babysitting jobs, etc., until I make what I need to make for it. That way, it doesn't cut into my regular budget. I also have a "fun account" that I try and put money into as a part of my regular budget, so when something pops up, I know the $ is there and I don't have to dip into savings or eat ramen for a month.

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  6. I would go, and then just try to save better or budget differently afterwards!

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