Long Story Short

When Plans Change


Our family was planning on joining a big family gathering until our four year old began exploding out two ends of her body.  All kinds of nasty. 

After contacting her preschool to let them know she will be out for the next class I was informed this particular illness is likely to last 6 days!  Joy.

Canceled plans to expose relatives to this illness proving parents have unconditional love for their children.  When you can lovingly reassure another human being while they are in the process of pooping all over your leg and puking toward your agape mouth (agape in shock and horror but you're trying your best to sound okay about it) you truly love that little person.

We were hoping to get a chance to watch the movie "Catching Fire" the second installment in the Hunger Games trilogy with family.  We now devised a method to watch individually so as not to expose any babysitters to the plague affecting our children off and on. 

My husband had to watch the first night, because we both know if I watch it first I will tell him what happens.  Even though we've both read the books we don't want to movie changes to be spoiled. 

He came home eager to discuss what we could and couldn't remember from the books.  It's been over a year since we read them- maybe two years?  Somehow he managed to not give anything away.  I don't have that talent of being exited about something and not spilling the beans.  Watch out kids I can only hold my tongue so long about who Santa really is- ME!!!  And dad too, I guess.

Day two- I hit the matinee, yes I'm frugal.  I specify frugal because 'cheap' sounds cheap.
It's weird to walk into a theater and pay for a single ticket- then walk into a semi-packed theater and still try to scope out the best seat all by yourself. 
Perk- no one wants to sit by the weird-o-loner so you might get two seats all to yourself!

I am a jumper.  It doesn't even have to be an action packed thriller.  I have jumped in romances and comedies.  Luckily I was sitting fairly apart from anyone who have noticed the scenes that made me jump- before and after the 'scary' or 'intense' scenes. 

For some reason I tend to laugh out loud in theaters in places where no one else is laughing.  Either my sense of humor is the 'unintended' kind or these fellow viewers are really misusing out on the full depth of humorous possibility. 

The show wraps up and just like the book I think, "well that's a lame place to end it.". And all I can think about is how many takes they made Jenifer Lawrence make faces at the camera for the closing shot.  It would be awkward to have to thrash your eyeballs around and slowly pretend to draw them into some kind of determined anger and purpose that she supposedly didn't have until that point.  I would have thought she would have wised up and gotten focused the second she was back on the train. 

I take my sweet time mulling over how many takes the closing scene required.  My guess is after two she would have really wanted to get it right and be done with the oddity of the camera so close to her nose. 

Also I like to watch the credits- all of the credits.  Not just to see if there is a sneaky little scene tagged onto the end of the credits to excite you and last a year and a half until the next movie comes out.

My favorite thing is identify as many odd, humorous, or just plain awesome names I can see as they race up the screen.  It's like trying to read the opening of the original and best Star Wars episodes IV-VI.  I mentally tagged Joost for a first name and In Uh Hui, which sounds like a sound you might make while getting punched in the gut so it got most awesome.

People kept walking past me as I sat.  I took the walking aisle to sit in because, why not?  Stretching out my legs a little during the movie sounded great.  I admit hanging around to watch credits while passers by tried not to make eye contact with the lone-mom was a bit uncomfortable. 

But, I LOVE the credits.  I could watch a full movie worth of awesomely monikered talents who do bland behind the scenes crap and hopefully get paid well.  Seriously, if you're ever job hunting in LA or other movie production towns take a pad of paper and start writing down job possibilities from credits-there are a zillion people working behind the scenes.  Including female names under the credit of 'best boy'.  So don't feel like the job title is sexist- it's just a title.  Submit your resume.

I finally leave the room. It's just me and the usher/bouncer.  I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm scoping out the layout for some sort of Holiday breakdown plot.  He's giving me the 'get out of here and stop creeping me out' stare combines with the "are you okay?  It's the day before Thanksgiving and you're all alone...". pity look.  The combination is worth lingering a second to ensure my vertigo/lightheadedness doesn't send me flying into the row of seats one stadium level down from me.

I'm pretty sure he checked under my seat for a ticking purse after I finally left.

Got home to the smell of my husband baking strawberry-rhubarb pie from berries and rhubarb we froze out of our own garden.  Impromptu home Thanksgiving is going to be delicious thanks to my Food Network inspired husband who can both follow recipe directions and include the kids without freaking out at their help. 

So plans changed, some of it is a huge bummer- sickness is literally crappy- and watching movies all by yourself can feel like putting a huge spotlight on yourself before and after the movie actually starts.  If I'm paying to view a show in the theater though then I will not miss my beloved credit name search, even if there is no one to whom I can point out my name finding excitement. 

We'll figure out how to make the best of it, and don't the unexpected things always end up being the most well remembered?  Not that you should sabotage your big life events in order to remember them more clearly...

I even managed to do some minor editing over the last week!  That means my story is progressing along with my life, although the story is more neglected.  My story mimics this week filled with all kinds of unexpected changes and set backs.  I'll choose to make the best of whatever comes along for my goals or expectations in hobby, work, and especially family because any other option isn't worth the energy to express it sufficiently.

And I will always watch the credits.  Sorry, usher guy, all weirded out by my lagging behind all by my lonesome.  The credits are worth it- Go, Paige, you own that job title of 'best boy'.