Friday Potpourri Vol. 4
Well , we here at the Bellbotton Blog have been under the weather this week.
But, I know several people look forward to this end of the week post, so here goes.
I sent out my usual request for suggestions and received a couple.
@ValZwald suggested a Valentine’s Day theme. Sort of.
Her Tweet went like this: “Valentines’s Day!! Love is in the air..Oh, wait. No, That’s not love. I forgot I live in a dairy town….”
@lucysfootball suggested “People’s entitled behavior in movie theaters lately.”
But first a Grandparenting tip: My wife discovered that our 11 month old grandson loves the ’70’s music channel on Comcast.
Everything from the Commodores to Stephen Stills. He will rock back and forth, trying to sing along a little. As his grandparents sing with the songs. He likes that sooo much better than any of the cartoon networks.
I haven’t been to a movie theater in a while, because of that kind of problem.
I can put up with the oversized drinks which seem to be filled with stuff that make me more not less thirsty.
Large tubs of popcorn with mystery golden flavoring.
But the people who come in to just talk to the screen or much, much worse each other should be beaten with sticks. Yep, we are talking about violence here. We at the Bellbottom Blog seem calm enough most of the time, but if you are using the time to catch up with an old friend, stay in the DAMN lobby.
I love movies. My parents used to take us to one as often as they could afford it when we were growing up. Big screens. Folks dressed up. I remember seeing The Sons of Katie Elder when it first came out. I know it is on all the time now, but on the big screen….Amazing! I think it was better than the original True Grit. Movie stars who were over six feet tall. Dennis Hopper, who made a specialty of getting killed in westerns during that stage of his career. (Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, True Grit)
The only movie I can really remember people being absolutely still for was the last part of Apollo 13. While everyone is waiting to hear from the astronauts as they re-enter earth’s atmosphere. You could hear a popcorn kernel drop in the theater. (And that movie lost out to Braveheart for Best Film that year?????) Robbery.
Anyway, if you are going to the movies remember these tips. Go to the bathroom before you go in, Buy all the food you need after you come out of the bathroom.(Do remember to wash your hands)And don’t talk until the credits roll at the end of the movie.
I don’t live in a dairy town, in fact I have always been a city boy. As my Oklahoma-born wife loves to remind me. But there was a time, specifically high school, when I became very familiar with farms and farm kids.
We lived on the outskirts of town and the nearest and cheapest high school was about 10 miles away in the middle of Hoosier Farmland.I didn’t know anyone.
And all they knew about me was that I was one of the kids who came on the bus from the city. When Val mentioned the aroma, I knew exactly what she was referring to because I drove through it when the fields were being fertilized.
I have a great amount of respect for anyone who farms for a living. But their kids could have been a little nicer to the city kids, just sayin’.
As far as Valentine’s Day goes, a lot of crummy movies and tv episodes have been made about this particular holiday. Poems and books have been written about it. Hallmark makes a fortune with it.
So, I don’t know what to add. Except this.
If you don’t take the time to let the one you love know how you feel, everyday, all the candy and flowers in the world won’t make up for it.
Thanks Val and Amy
Peace
Bellbottom Blog 
My movie pet peeve: texting while the movie is playing. Those screens are BLINDING! And I’m amazed people spend that kind of money to view a movie then text all the way through it. And when you ask them to stop ( and I have asked them to stop) most act like you asked them to parade naked around the room. People are rude.
Maybe a bell bottom blog on rudeness and self entitlement is in order. I’d read that!
I agree about the texting. I think basic manners aren’t drilled into people anymore. I will write one of those before Friday.
I am SO LATE RESPONDING. Stupid theater getting in the way of life! Theater-theater, not movie theater. I refuse to go to the movie theater any more, because of the asshattery. Not that there isn’t asshattery at the theater-theater, but there’s less of it, because people tend to be more respectful when there are live humans onstage. Not always, but usually. I saw two movies in the theater in 2011. TWO. Harry Potter and something with my dad because he really wanted to see a movie. Oh, Horrible Bosses, I think.
I don’t understand why people think it’s ok to talk in a normal tone of voice throughout a movie. If you want to do that, STAY HOME. It just amazes me. Yes, I know most people aren’t me, and I’m polite (I know, it’s shocking, but I really am!) but I try to respect those around me when out in public, you know?
Oh, one time, at the theater-theater, a woman brought a magnifying glass and sat in the front row and watched the show with it. It was odd. She didn’t seem to have a vision issue when I saw her at intermission. The best part was, there was a nude scene, and she was all Sherlock-Holmesing the poor girl’s private areas with the magnifying glass and saying, “Oh! Oh, my!” to herself.
People are odd.
The last real theater I went to was a local production of Evita. My brother had a small part in it.
His part was as one of the secret police who take Che away. He was very convincing in his rough handling of Che. So much so , that my mom yelled out from the audience, “Terry!” as he whacked Che in the leg.