I’ve been on both sides of the counter on Black Friday. I must say it is much more fun being a customer at 5 in the morning than the employee who would have loved to grab an extra bit of shut-eye after spending the previous day in a state of extreme binge eating.
When everyone settles down after all their bargain shopping, many people like to head to the local movie theater and catch a new flick. Being too exhausted, I don’t think I’ve ever done this myself, but I did go see a matinee movie this past Monday.
First, I will not apologize for seeing the movie I saw. I am an avid reader of almost every genre of novels available and enjoy contrasting Hollywood’s interpretation with my own imagination. Yes, I am one of those people who annoyingly states, “The book was SO much better than the movie.”
Second, my sister paid for my ticket for which I am grateful considering the cash flow situation in my house. Third, I’m on “Team Jacob” and I don’t care that he has only recently come of age because Edward looks like an emotional heroin addict.
With my conscious now mostly cleared, I’ll grudgingly admit that I did enjoy the movie, but I will neither confirm nor deny whether or not I shed a tear or two towards the end. That is my own business.
One thing that does bring a tear to my eye is the cost of going to the movies. I guess I’ve been hiding under a rock because I was astounded to realize that, for two people to go see a matinee, then get 2 drinks and popcorn or candy, it will empty your wallet of at least thirty dollars!
I normally head to the Gate Station and grab some discounted candy and soda to smuggle into the theater, but we were on an artificial time limit. I say “artificial” because the movie was scheduled to begin at 4:30 which translated into the reality of 5:00.
It irks me that we have to pay $15 and still watch a half hour of commercials! I don’t mind movie previews; at least they let me know about upcoming releases that I would’ve missed because, thanks to my DVR at home, I rarely even watch commercials anymore.
I just don’t believe I should pay to watch a Honda ad or Sprint promotions or, for goodness sake, a Coca Cola commercial! Coca Cola the brand sold in the lobby! Why advertise when you’ve already narrowed the market?
All the people who work at the theater are really very nice and make the financial pain a little less severe. I don’t think I could say “That will be $10.50 for a medium coke and a bag of M&Ms” and keep a straight face, much less smile while I said it. The M&M bag did come in a protective box and the bag itself was uncharacteristically white which must mean those candy bits are somehow more flavorful than their convenience store counterparts.
Going with my sister was the true highlight and I’m glad I had the opportunity to spend a couple hours with her. Next time, I’ll (grudgingly) pay for the tickets.
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