Home > Blogs > Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker > Elizabeth Weintraub: Sacramento Real Estate

A Long Shot for Bruce Springsteen and My Dying Brother

By Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Real Estate Agent with Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker DRE #00697006

December 12, 2015 03:55 AM

Usually I am excellent at buying concert tickets online. I know all the little tricks to scoring tickets, and often manage to buy front row seats. It's just in my nature to do it. When my sister mentioned Bruce Springsteen was coming to St. Paul and that my brother (who is dying from cancer and not expected to live much more than a few months) would like to see The Boss, I thought, hey, that's something I could for him.

He is not a materialistic person. He lives in the same little 2 bedroom house that he bought 40 years ago when he got married. Still married to the same woman. His shoes have lost tread, but he doesn't replace them. His leather jacket is worn in places but it still keeps him warm so he wears it, although it hangs very loosely on his frail body. You can read more about my futile effort in my personal blog today at this link: My Dying Brother's Wish is to See Bruce Springsteen in St. Paul.

Comments(14)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist

KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA

Probate Real Estate Services

Elizabeth, when I read ... and my dying brother ... I said outloud ... "Oh No." I've known about your bother's battle with cancer. I always hold hope for people battling cancer .... that they will beat it. I am so sorry to hear that may not be the case with your brother.

Dec 12, 2015 04:01 AM

Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist

KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA

Probate Real Estate Services

Elizabeth ... maybe it was devine intervention .... You certainly did all that you could ... the best that you could.

Dec 12, 2015 04:03 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

I did more. I tweeted and included the pop music reporter from the St. Paul Dispatch, his twitter name so he would see it, and I also hashtagged springsteen tickets and linked to my blog in the Tweet. And people say twitter doesn't work. :)

Dec 12, 2015 09:03 AM

Raymond E. Camp

Ontario, NY

Good afternoon Elizabeth,

Sorry to hear about your Brother and will add him to my prayer list.

He will be here in February and probably cheaper.

Make yourself a great day.

Dec 12, 2015 04:39 AM

Tammy Lankford,

Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA

Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Bummer that you weren't able to buy the tickets for him. I might still try to contact someone if it were me.

Dec 12, 2015 08:02 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

The reporter at the St. Paul Dispatch sent me a couple of Tweets about how to get wheelchair access tickets and I got them!!! They are side stage and at the top row, but it's better than nothing, and my brother will absolutely love love love it. Well, I did take out insurance, just in case . . .

Dec 12, 2015 09:04 AM

Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate

Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL

Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

Maybe send a Tweet with a link to your blog to @springsteen on Twitter. Yes, it is a long shot, but you never know.

Dec 12, 2015 08:55 AM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

I did use Twitter but in a different way, and I got two tickets!!!!!

Dec 12, 2015 09:04 AM

Hella Mitschke Rothwell

(831) 626-4000 - Honolulu, HI

Hawaii & California Real Estate Broker

Elizabeth: Glad to hear you were able to get that ticket for your brother. With his health, I'm sure the Springsteen Concert is a bright something to look forward to. You are a wonderful caring sister!!

Dec 12, 2015 09:01 AM

Mark Don McInnes, Sandpoint-Idaho

Sandpoint Realty LLC - Sandpoint, ID

North Idaho Real Estate - 208-255.6227

Seeing these type of posts are always tough even when not to be. Best for you in what will undoubtedly be a few rough months. Mark

Dec 12, 2015 10:17 AM

Myrl Jeffcoat

Sacramento, CA

Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

I am glad you prevailed in getting tickets for your brother, Elizabeth! And, I'm so very sorry about his health issues! A Springsteen concert would be a pretty good thing to be able to mark off a bucket list!

Dec 12, 2015 11:51 AM

Joe Petrowsky

Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT

Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Good morning Elizabeth. One thing I learned from your post, when you put your mind to something, I wouldn't put a tank in front of you.

Our prayers for your brother.

Dec 12, 2015 07:19 PM

James Dray

Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Good morning Elizabeth. Persistent aren't you? Well it paid off and I'm happy to hear you were able to get those prized tickets.

Dec 12, 2015 07:22 PM

Conrad Allen

Re/Max Professional Associates - Webster, MA

Webster, Ma, Realtor

Hi Elizabeth. I knew that you would get the tickets. There is no quit in you.

Dec 12, 2015 09:08 PM

Gabe Sanders

Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL

Stuart Florida Real Estate

Hi Elizabeth. Glad to read that you managed to get tickets for your brother. I'm sure he will love it.

Dec 12, 2015 09:15 PM

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker

Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA

Put 40 years of experience to work for you

I was feeling pretty smart for having figured out how to include the @Twitter name of the pop media reporter for the St. Paul Dispatch who had just written about getting tickets for Springsteen, and for figuring out the hashtag to draw others interested in the topic, and for getting a short url for my blog post, all things I had not done before in one Tweet, as I do not spend much time on Twitter, but I tell ya, all of that feeling of accomplishment began to vanish when I got to Ticketmaster.

I was doing it on my iPad at Lava Lava on the Beach. It did not want to accept my finger selections, and I had to poke it repeatedly. Then it took 10 whole minutes to bring up wheelchair accessability tickets. The tickets I got are right along the stage with limited view but what the hey.

But before it would give them to me it wanted my password for my account, which it would not accept as somehow they changed the format and I never changed my password. When I went to my email account to retrieve the temporary password, I ran out of time to get the tickets and had to start over.

Whew, another 10 minutes went by. Same tix still available. Snagged them. Entered my temporary password and then it wanted to confirm my credit card. I entered the card number and it said no, it did not recognize it and it would now wipe out all of my data and start over.

Wah!!!!

I did it again, waited another 10 minutes. My lunch was being consumed in small bites between this madness. I got ready to pay for the tickets and BAM, I lost my cellphone coverage for my iPad, temporarily dropped.

Called my husband and asked him to buy the tickets for me but he was driving.

Finally scurried back to my hotel, fired up my laptop and bought them. I still don't know if I can use them though because I can't print them. They say there is a delay in printing and I need to look at the website to figure it out but I can't find anything about why there is a delay in issuing the tickets.

In any case, the show isn't until the end of Feb. I've got time to deal with more frustration, so it's OK.

Dec 13, 2015 01:36 AM

Chris Ann Cleland

Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA

Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I'm glad that you were relentless in getting those tickets for your brother. With something like that to look forward to, he will definitely make sure he is not only alive, but well enough to enjoy the show...not on his deathbed.

Dec 13, 2015 08:02 AM