More Like My Tall Drink of Buzzkill

Last night I went to McFadden's for the premiere of the Cincinnati Ballet's new Webisode, which you can watch here or here if you prefer YouTube. The ballet has been doing these little videos to drive Web traffic and if you vote, you get a discount on your tickets. Pretty fun.

Anyway... I parked in the garage across the street from McFadden's because when it's 17 degrees out, I don't walk. Plus I had cash, so I figured it'd be easy in, easy out. Noooo problem.

Note to self: Whenever I think something will be noooo problem, rest assured, it will be a problem.

My Tall Drink of Water met me over there after work and we checked out the video, chatted with some people and then had dinner.

About 10 o' clock we headed out into the cold, climbed into my car and spiraled our way down the parking garage to the ticket taker.

Hmm... No ticket taker. Noooo problem. (Note to Self...)

So I slid my $20 bill into the automated teller to pay the $5 fee. It spit it back out.

I tried again. It spit it back out.

"It says it doesn't take twenties," TDW said.

"Uh oh. That's all I have. Do you have any cash," I asked him.

"All I have is a dollar."

"Damn. How are we going to get out? We're going to have to crash the gate." Perhaps I said this a little too excitedly.

TDW sat there for a few seconds and then said, "We can't crash the gate."

"Why not? It's not my fault they don't take twenties. Besides, I bet I could just lift that flimsy gate up and get us outta here."

"Well, for one, the security cameras will see you and come find you." (TDW, ever the voice of reason.)

"You think so? You think this garage has security cameras?" I looked around for signs of cameras.

"Yes, I'm sure," he insisted.

"Well what I am supposed to do? I have the money and they won't take it. It's 17 degrees outside and it's downtown and it's dark. To not crash the gate is to compromise my safety."

I grinned a devilish grin. I've always wanted to crash a gate and I could see the Blue Angel gleefully splintering the black and white arm.

"Or you could just go get change from McFaddon's," TDW said.

Interesting... Change, eh? Why didn't I think of that?

So I braved the cold again, ran across the street, got change and exited the parking garage legally and, sadly, without crashing through any gates.

When I got home I emptied out my pockets. Ooops. I called TDW.

"Guess what?"

"What," he asked.

"I had four dollars in my front pocket the whole time."