Panicked

I wasn’t gonna tell this story, but figure I may as well, as it is illustrative of the depths of my geekery (and my long-standing fandom of this band). This is old news, back a couple of weeks, but it’s still relevant, and I offer it up now for your general hilarity at my panic. You see:

On November 17, the Tragically Hip re-released their amazing Fully Completely album in different versions and with lots of extra goodies. You know this already, I won’t repeat it all.

I want that set so badly. The best would be the deluxe with the DVD of Heksenketel – long out of print, and only on VHS, if I recall correctly. Anyway, I never ever saw one, in all my travels, at any price. Of course, I’d be just as happy with the plain ol’ 2CD. Wish they were releasing the DVD separately… Anyway. I digress.

Prior to its release I was raving about it to my lovely wife and, it being so close to Christmas, I was told that I was not allowed to buy it for myself. Gah!

So it happened, on or just after release day that I was up at our local Mall-Wart for diapers or some such, and of course I happened past the New Release shelves and there it was. They only had one copy left! And it was listed at $10! For 2CDs? That’s gotta be at least $18.99… Someone mis-priced it!

I panicked. I was told I can’t buy it… but I can’t leave this here!

So I bought it.

But I didn’t open it. And when my lovely wife got home from work I confessed, telling her the story. She rolled her eyes (she’s very used to my love of all things Hip, by now), but told me to keep the receipt because she had no idea what anyone else might be getting me for Christmas, and if I get it as a gift I can return this one.

Worse yet, that night we looked it up on the Amazons to see if it had indeed been mispriced at Wally and… $9.99. Which makes my panic pointless, and also means the Hip are EVEN MORE AWESOME because that’s a shit-ton of value for $10!!!

That next weekend, my parents came to visit and I told my Mom the story. She rolled her eyes (see how well my family knows me?) and said the same – keep the receipt, never know until Christmas who’s buying what, and if you DO get it, take it back. If not, there it is and you’re all set.

And then Deke went and posted about the one he bought off iTunes (and the Bryan Adams Reckless re-release, ANOTHER one I want badly!) and when I drooled about it over on his site, he helpfully gave me how many days left I had to wait. I did not tell him this panic-purchase story at the time, because he’d just laugh at my ass.

He’ll probably still laugh at my ass. As will the rest of you, and fair play to you. I deserve it.

Long story short: There’s a copy of the 2CD set here in my desk drawer, receipt taped to it, ready to be returned if I do get it for Christmas.

16 DAYS AND COUNTING.