It's On

So, we're all off for South Africa World Cup 2010.

None of us are really big soccer/football fans. All like the game, but more than anything all want to go to a big "event."

We decided to try for tickets on a whim - everyone knows it's next to impossible to actually get World Cup tickets. I sent an e-mail to a bunch of guys saying - F it - let's try.

We decided to go for a gamble - pick a country that we had a decent chance to actually win.

The US? 300 million people with tons of expats. Americans love to jump on a bandwagon like the World Cup even though the game has yet to reach maturity. Nope.

England/France/Netherlands? No chance. They have a decent population with a huge following of the Beautiful Game. We could never get tickets for these teams.

How about Australia? Only 20 million people. New to the World Cup - only two trips in the entire history of the comp. Ed lived here. Herrmann lives here. I live here and will be a citizen in 2010. F it.

Put in the credit card details, enter all our passport info, and wait.

And wait and wait and wait.

Until I see $3112.99 AUD ($2,112.00 USD) disappeared from my account.

We had our tickets.

So, all four of us have tickets to the first three Group Round games for Australia. We have no idea where the games will be, other than in South Africa, and we won't even know who Australia plays until December when the draw is announced. But while we're over there for two weeks, we'll see Australia play three other countries, at least one heavy weight, and have the change to grab tickets for other games. Also, to drink lots of South African beer (whatever that is), meet other sport(s) fans from around the world, and experience the "new" South Africa.

And, I have to say I'm excited to go to the World Cup, my first trip to the Dark Continent (is that wrong?), and go to a country that until the mid-90s was illegal for US citizens to visit.

Plus, I get to watch Hoover, FST, and Herrmann *not* get laid on yet another continent.

Bring it on.