Date Night

During our nightly walk past the Casino building (which doubles as the most unique movie theater you could imagine), Scott noticed the movie poster for Will Ferrell in Land of the Lost. He said we should try going to the movies the next evening, which was Sunday. I stared at him for a moment, to rule out an attempt at humor, aneurysm or stroke.

In the ten years we've been together we haven't been to a single movie or live performance of any kind. He goes into a myriad of reasons why he will absolutely refuse to go, can't understand how anyone can suffer through the volume, the crowds, the uncomfortable seats, the boredom, or the hostage situation of getting trapped in a theatre anywhere for a specified amount of time. So, don't ask! Okay, I get it. No movies.

Still, I think it's sweet when he romanticizes concepts like couples going to the movies, and wants to give it a try. I always support the notion, even though I'm fairly certain something predictable will occur.

Sunday came and after dinner, off we went. We walked out to the Casino in time to make the 7pm showing. I documented the occasion before we went in, in case we left in a hurry:

You can sense the apprehension...

Scott bought a soda at the snack bar, and we chose our seats. It truly is gorgeous inside the theater. Plus, on weekends movie-goers are treated to an enjoyable live performance of a few tunes on the vintage pipe organ as you wait for the movie to start. It was a light crowd too. So far, so good!

I took the Bose noise-canceling headphones with me just in case he needed to put them on to mute the sound. "I may not need them," he said. About three minutes into the movie, on went the Princess Leia earmuffs. I heard someone a few rows behind us whisper, "It's Scott," when the headphones went on, which made me smile. His quirky behavior is not just accepted, but expected by our island neighbors.

He wouldn't have been able to make it without those headphones. Though the acoustics are amazing inside, it was just too loud for him. He started out okay, but fell asleep about twenty minutes in, then drifted in and out a few times (food processing going on, I think).

I looked over at my snoozing husband, slumped over and settled into his seat, his earmuffed head bobbing up and down as he slumbered. There did seem to be something romantic about it after all, and it was that he tried. He actually made it through the entire film (as long as intermittent sleeping counts), and for his first movie theater experience in ten years, I think he did pretty well.

He says he wants to try it again sometime...I'm sure we will...