The Midnight Showing-ers

So while I am a little concerned at this particular group of people, I'd like to come clean right now and admit that there are a few movies that I would never miss a midnight showing for. Timing wise, you might guess that one of them is Harry Potter. On that list have also been Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean. However, considering that LOTR is over, Spiderman is not as good anymore, and Orlando Bloom is not in the next Pirates movie, it's safe to say that I may now be contained to Harry Potter.

Which fortunately, is an idea that I am completely ok with. I have never been ashamed of my intense obsession with the Harry Potter series. I can remember exactly the moment when I was first handed the books, over 10 years ago when only two were in existence. I was an avid fan long before it became "cool" to be a fan, and for the first 6 weeks after the premiere of the first movie refused to see it because "it would not be good enough." However, as I have matured I have become almost as emotionally attached to the movies as to the books, and so I feel obligated to share with the world the types of people who I have encountered on these trips.

The Avid Fans (me): These people come in costume down to teasing/dying/creating a wig for their hair. From the genuine robes to the props accompanying (snitch, glasses, scar, broom etc) these people feel a strong emotional connection with every aspect of the movie (book premiere). To them, the thought of NOT seeing it at midnight is painful, and it is stressful enough knowing that in earlier parts of the world the movie has already premiered (the only time Central time one-ups Eastern time). These people will shush you in the movie, and expect you to be ushered out if you do not comply with their shushing. Do not question or push these people, they may snap fairly easily.

The other fans: Second to the avid fans, these may show up in one simple piece of themed clothing--ie a tshirt, or a blanket with the logo of the movie imprinted on it. While these people would never wear normal clothes to a midnight premiere, they are certainly not willing to compromise the color of their hair or their forehead skin for something that will last approximately 3 hours. They are, however, just as intense about not being able to see it the moment it premieres in the first region of the world, and have probably doodled their names in hearts with the name of the main character more than once as well.

The friends of the avid/fans: These people are recognizable by their lack of costume--ie they look like normal people who happen to be at a movie. Friends are normally seen texting, making fun of, or generally disdaining the avid fans, who in turn feel equally negative towards the friends for NOT showing up in costume. Whether or not they are the first people to see it is irrelevant, however anyone who shows up to a midnight premiere does not want the movie ruined for them.

Those others: Others are my least favorite people. In cases like Harry Potter, they are people who have perhaps never been to a midnight premiere of HP, or worse, have never even read the books. These are the people that will be shushed and perhaps assaulted by the avid fans, for talking, making inappropriate comments, laughing at the pain of a character, or otherwise ruining the overall aura created by the avid fans in their costumes. Should not be left alone with an avid fan, and hopefully will fall asleep early on in the movie so as to stop their incessant noise-making.

The 3-am movie attenders (also, me): This is an interesting crowd. Anyone willing to see a movie that begins at 3 am and is known to be over 2 hours long should fall into the avid-fan-who-did-not-realize-the-midnight-showings-were-sold-out crowd, but unfortunately also attract other weirdos as well. The 3 am crowd can consist of a mix of the earlier groupings, of which only the avid fans will make it all the way through the movie without falling asleep once and will continue to feel adrenaline until the final credit has rolled and the movie has been thoroughly dissected. These people also include others who thought a midnight premiere of a super-cool movie might be fun, but also missed the boat on getting tickets, as well as a group of weird people who I assume do normally function during these strange hours.

Going to the phone store

Cell phones have revolutionized the world we live in. Not only are we at all times able to reach the people that we want, but we are able to access phone, internet, voicemail and email from wherever we happen to be. All of this has caused the 20-somethings of the world to ditch the land line...why pay for it? Land lines are wired, have small ranges, cannot travel with you, and you have to pay extra for caller id and long distance.

So yes, when my phone freezes, it is an issue.

Today's questionable human award goes out to the people who work in the cell-phone store:

No, ma'am, I cannot wait 48 hours for a new phone.

Yes, sir, it is an inconvenience to me to drive out here once you've sent me my new phone so that I can transfer all of my important data on to the next one, especially since I drove out here today for you to tell me to make a phone call.

No, it is not acceptable for you to hand me a phone number that connects me to someone in a different time zone, who cannot physically see my phone to fix it for me, to guide me through the process of fixing my phone, which is something people get paid to do, so you better be paying me anyway.

And no, I do not have 45 minutes to spare, nor do I have a place to call from, because as previously stated, I have no land line and my phone is broken!

And to the man in the different time zone fixing my phone, here's second place. Because while you may think I hung up on you out of frustration (although I would never do that because that would result in me still having a broken phone), the call was in fact dropped. And though it seemed as though you had such personal customer service, I do not know your name, nor do I have your cell phone number to call you back on.

Thanks.

"Hell is other people."

-Jean-Paul Satre

Differences Between 21s and 25s

1. Twenty-one year olds order double rum and coke, and accept whatever is poured into their cup. Twenty-five year olds order double captain and coke, and will accept nothing on a shelf lower than that.
2. Twenty-one year olds have a keggerator: an old refrigerator that is hooked up to drain a keg. Twenty-five year olds have a "keggerator": a nice wooden mini bar with drafts on top that can hold 4 different kinds of beer.
3. Twenty-one year olds clean when they have to. Twenty-five year olds clean because they enjoy living in a clean environment.
4. Twenty-one year olds own laptops, more convenient for being on the computer in bed, on the couch, or wherever else they are comfortable watching tv/eating/existing. Twenty-five year olds own a desktop, because checking your email is its own activity that exists in its own dimension.
5. Twenty-one year olds fill their wine glasses as full as possible, to consume as much as possible, and to avoid getting up to refill more than once or twice. Twenty-five year olds fill the wine glasses to the correct part of the glass (actually a different level for white wine and red wine) and enjoy the full cup before asking if any more wine is needed.
6. Twenty-one year olds decorate their houses with empty liquor bottles that they have successfully finished. Twenty-five year olds decorate their houses with full wine bottles that may be consumed at some point, but actually sit on the table as a centerpiece and not as a convenient way to set out alcohol.