Mindless Monday

Good Monday morning!

The Gallery Pics tell our weekend story... or part of it at least. I'll fill in the gaps with "words!"

RANDOMNESS #1 - Don't ask me why, but for some reason, I am craving Mugshots Peanut Butter Hamburgers on a daily basis now. Since Austin, Melia, Josh and Roxie attended the Rascal Flatts concert Friday night, Mike and I had a free evening. FREE, I tell you! And he said he would take me ANYWHERE I desired.

And I desired Mugshots. (I know. It's a little pathetic. But it was a lot good!)

After our delicious burgers, we headed to a couple of Red Box movie kiosks, but we couldn't find anything we HAD to see. Plus, it is hard to make a decision when there is a line behind you at the Red Box.

Reason No. 472 why I miss Movie Gallery.

Not to mention it was VERY cold.

Reason No. 531.

That's right. I have a list of reasons why I miss Movie Gallery... and it continues to grow daily.

We talked about going to see the new Tom Hanks/Sandra Bullock movie, but we both felt we would end up really, really sad, so we did like so many of our kind before us... we went home and watched some really good television (NOT), sat in our favorite chairs and waited for the kids to come home.

We are old.

RANDOMNESS #2 - I was sad to hear about Whitney Houston's death. I love her music. Always have and always will.

They played the video of her singing the National Anthem over and over again... and I have to admit, I love that video. The voice that came out of that perfectly shaped mouth was simply amazing. And the joy in her face while she sang... Well, it makes me smile every time I see it. Always has and always will.

The second most played video this weekend was from The Bodyguard. Remember? She was sitting in a simple chair in a forest with snow everywhere, leaning forward and belting out "I Will Always Love You." Effortless. Stirring. One of my favorite songs of all times. Always has been and always will be.

I want to watch The Preacher's Wife today... because it's one of my favorite movies, I love the two little boys and the music is simply divine.

But I can't, because they don't have it in a Red Box and SOMEONE closed Movie Gallery!

Reason No. 1,042!

I'm going to miss Whitney Houston.

RANDOMNESS #3 - Lauren's Baby Dedication went very well. She looked beautiful. She kept her bottle down. She cried for just a minute toward the end, but just enough to be cute. And then she sat down with her Mom on the second pew of the church and didn't make a sound during the rest of the service. Excellent baby.

And since I'm mentioning it. Matthew and younger cousin, Luke, behaved wonderfully, too.

There's a lot of "wiggle and giggle" possibilities with three little ones on the second pew in the front of the church, but they could not have been any sweeter.

Lunch and birthday cake for Mr. Faulkner after church was very good, too. We had Lauren-time, Matthew-time and Faulkner Family-time before we headed home.

Two February birthdays down... three to go!

RANDOMNESS #4 - Things I've Learned While Raising Teens... A Humbling Experience

Movie Etiquette - Around 14 years of age is the time when Mike and I started letting the kids go to the movies with a group... without one of us.

It is nerve wracking to say the least. Thankfully, movie theaters are usually in or around a strip mall of some kind, and that makes the "wait" (Code for STAKE-OUT) a little more pleasant for the parent or parents.

Here are a few survival tips for the "wait."

1. As a 50 year-old woman, it no longer bothers me to attend a movie by myself. Roxie says, "I would be totally mortified to watch a movie alone! It's just so sad." I remember when I would have felt the same way two or three decades ago, but now, it is really an enjoyable experience.

Sitting in a dark room with popcorn and a Diet Coke... I don't have to share. That's pretty much heaven on earth for a mother of teenagers.

Going to a movie in the same complex, but NOT the same exact theater is totally acceptable.

2. Grocery shopping is another way to wisely spend your time. Especially in the winter months. The groceries won't spoil during the remainder of the "wait" or the ride home.

3. I also have an "in the car" bag. This bag is imperative to the Movie Etiquette Experience.

It contains the following:

Knitting
Book
Snack
Diet Dr. Pepper
Magazine
Magazine
Magazine
Another Snack
Another Diet Dr. Pepper

Of course, if it is evening, it is VERY important to be parked in a safe environment. Since we were at the RAVE in Vestavia this past weekend, I chose Mugshots for several reasons...

Good lighting.

Tons of people walking in and out.

Bathroom facilities.

They know me by name there... and they start cooking my Peanut Butter Hamburger when they see me walk through the door!

4. Finally, I have the Focus on the Family Movie Review in my possession. When the teens get in the car, not only do I know the Spoiler Ending of the movie, but I know how many curse words were used, the positive elements, the negative elements and everything in between.

A few carefully posed questions, and I know for certain everyone stayed in the CORRECT movie theater.

I forget the name of the first movie I dropped Austin and a friend off to see. But I do remember there was a sea lion in one scene that popped out of the carcass of a dead killer whale. (I know. It sounds like I took them to an awful movie, doesn't it? But it was good. I remember that. It was really, really good.)

"Well, how was the movie?" I asked the guys as they crawled into the Big Gold Van.

"Great," they responded. Hmmm. Not good enough. Time for the questions.

"Tell me about it. What was your favorite part?"

They answered by telling me about the scene that had been used in the movie trailer for the last two months.

Okay. Time to get more specific. "Did anything happen that surprised you or made you jump?"

Everything got very quiet. "No. I don't think so," they answered.

By this time, I was furious. They had slipped into a different movie theater... and had seen something totally inappropriate and unauthorized.

"What about a killer whale? Do you remember a killer whale?"

Austin's friend answered first, "Oh, yeah. Remember the killer whale, Austin? Remember? That was pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Killer whale. Cool," Austin repeated.

"I am NOT believing you didn't see that movie," I began.

"But we did see the movie, Mom. I promise," Austin protested.

Before I totally lost it, his friend inserted, "And the sea lion popping out of that whale carcass was a BIG surprise."

Busted... by two 14 year-olds.

That's okay. I don't mind a little joke every now and again at my expense.

As long as there is no real "theater-hopping" involved!

Have a magnificent Monday. I'll be back tomorrow with two recipes (easy, breezy) and some other Valentine's Day "stuff."

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda