Two exciting bookings

Yesterday was a corker for dopamine hits.

The day started with my Facebook feed revealing the new Red Hot Summer line-up and I am STOKED.

I frantically sent the social tile to DD at 6.30am, who replied: “That is awesome – let’s lock it in. What an incredible line-up.”

So I’ve signed up for the pre-sale.

It was amusing to read the comments section though, with some people having a very different opinions to mine and saying things like they’d “rather rearrange their sock drawer” than attend.

Horses for courses.

I’m just hoping James Reyne is a little less cranky than he was at the gig I attended on Sunday, where he grumbled about the music industry, playing old songs and not having a girlfriend.

At least I know Boom Crash Opera will bring boundless joy to their performance.

As for seeing “Down under” played live for the first time in my life, I can’t wait!

But that’s not all folks …

I’ve been stalking a cruise ship as it slowly reveals its 2028 voyages. I’d plotted its path through to early February, but there was a blank stretch until late March.

I was convinced it was going somewhere that’s been on my bucket list for ages, which I’d requested in a survey I was sent.

I contacted my travel agent and got her on the case, but she couldn’t get to the bottom of it.

Each day, I’d refresh the link for the cruise line’s website on my phone and cross my fingers.

Then eureka, yesterday my dream cruise popped up! However, a quirk in the way the website has been built means that until the listing has been fully completed it appears on the front end, but gives an error message when you click the “discover more” button.

That didn’t stop me screenshotting the listing and bombarding DD with increasingly desperate messages, which remained unread for at least an hour.

Such terrible neglect. Apparently he was at a Warrior workout.

After sending around six texts and two screenshots without a response, I frantically wrote: “Argh! Where are u?” Then five minutes later added: “The suspense was killing me so I’ve emailed Annalize asking for a quote.”

Annalize is our cruise travel agent.

Hours of anxiety followed as I waited for the cruise listing to go fully live.

Annalize emailed saying she hoped it would be available by July 7.

So naive.

I know from my extensive stalking experience that these things take hours, not weeks.

At 5.20pm I could finally see the full, glorious itinerary. I texted Annalize the link, just in case she wasn’t checking her emails at that time of night.

I urged her to book it quickly, convinced there were lots of other cruise junkies out there anxiously waiting for their fix.

The cruise line has a dynamic pricing system that increases as the ship fills up. I wanted to get in while prices were at their lowest.

But a glitch in the system meant Annalize couldn’t confirm our booking and by that stage it was after hours. I’ll have to wait until 9am today for an answer.

The cruise departs just before my 60th birthday and will be my celebration in lieu of a party. It’s an expedition cruise and it goes to some VERY remote places. But that’s all I’m saying at this point. You’ll have to wait 20 months for the big reveal.

I know, I know, the suspense is killing you now too …

Well, maybe not.

DD continues to be startled by my capacity to plan so far in advance. He barely knows what he’s doing tomorrow, let alone in 2028.

What a day! So much excitement! So much to look forward to!

Song of the day: Men at Work “Down Under”