Michael: You said “married men with children and mortgages don’t act like this. Calm down. Buy the DVD.” Exactly—that’s why I’m looking for the cheap route. The ticket I already bought (cheap and far away, but there) is an early birthday gift, and I have arranged free lodging. All that remains is the travel, which I will get dirt cheap (or free) or just not go. So the mortgage is intact. As for the family, they know how much seeing this concert means to me. My wife has heard me say, time and time again (even long before we married) that I couldn’t wait for Van the Man to come to the U.S., and that I would go if at all possible. And it looks like it may be possible. So in the immortal words of Bill the Cat: Pppphtpptbt!!
By the way, if anyone else wants to tag along or meet up, let me know. And if anyone has any real advice on free/cheap travel, let me know.