I FINALLY saw “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” last night.  Since we just asked for our money back at the drive in (I won’t be going back THERE, thankyouverymuch), Kile suggested I take Harry while he stayed home with the little ones.  We went to the theaters down at the Summit Sierra mall.  I’d almost forgotten what it was like to watch a movie in a REAL theater.  It’s been a while.

Anyhow, I’m not going to go into big details here just in case there is someone out there who is as unlucky as me and hasn’t seen it yet.  But… yeah.  I liked it, for the most part.  I loved the way it was directed, the cinematography, the whole ATMOSPHERE of the movie seemed right on to me.  But there were some changes.  Things left out, things added in…. A lot of it made me want to tear my hair out, to be perfectly honest.  If anyone out there has seen it, feels the same, and wants to discuss it, just email me and we can discuss at great length what we liked and what we hated.  Sound good?

***

On the other hand, it was really nice going to see a movie with Harry like that.  We grabbed McDonald’s at the drive through on the way down to the theater and ate in the car.  Harry made a fine companion and it was nice to get to spend time with just him for a change.  He and I used to spend all sorts of time together.  I took him everywhere with me when he was little.  He was my sidekick.  We never get to do that anymore.

I would like to make this movie thing a semi-regular thing.  Maybe one a month or every two months?  Just he and I, out to the movies.  That would be so much fun!

***

I woke up this morning to overcast skies.  I cannot express to you how happy this makes me.  No sun = some relief from blistering heat.  I’m sure it’ll still be unpleasantly warm, but at least the sun isn’t out, making it worse.

Sadly, I doubt it will last.  The sun will come out and force it’s rays upon us.  But for now, I’m enjoying the dim.

Shoot, in the movie last night, I found myself gazing fondly at the screen during the snowy-winter scenes.  Oh, snow.  How I miss you!  How I love the sight of snow-covered mountains and snow falling and the crunch under your feet….

Damnit.  I want winter back.

***

I’m ignoring about 90% of my Facebook friends today.  Sorry, y’all.  But if you’re going to insist on posting about traveling to BlogHer, seeing people at BlogHer, being excited about BlogHer, etc and so forth?  I’m going to have to stick my fingers in my ears and go, “LA LA LA LA!!”

Nothing personal.

***

I hear my little girl waking up upstairs so I best go fetch her.  I haven’t seen her since about 5:30 last night so I’m actually looking forward to getting some cuddles in, as I’m sure she is too.

She really is quite snuggle-icious.

Enjoy your Thursday, all!

Like a great deal of this nation’s population, I had intentions of seeing “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” yesterday.  I’ve been waiting for this!  Watching the trailers and reading the magazine articles and counting down the days.  I told Kile under no uncertain terms that we would be going to the drive in on opening day to see it.

If you’ve been around here any length of time at all, you know that the drive in is how we see movies these days.  As we have no babysitters/family/friends or anything to watch the kids for us, if we can’t take them, we don’t go.   And taking them to a regular theater just ain’t gonna work.  Because unlike quite a few people these days, we actually care about the people around us.  I simply would not subject them to Liam AND/OR Evie at this stage in the game.  So the drive in it is.

We love the drive in!  First run movies, cheaper, and either from the comfort of our van or enjoying the evening breeze from our camp chairs.  The kids love it!  It’s exciting and something different.  It’s an adventure!

Last night we showed up about an hour early to sit outside the gates.  Even so, we were about sixth in line.  We got in, parked, met with friends, bbq’d some burgers and hot dogs for dinner, hung out and enjoyed one another.  Then the movie started.  Along with about fifteen different previews.  Holy moses, yo! But the movie eventually began and I was just starting to get into it.  Evie had just started to nut up and Harry had just gotten to Hogwarts (after getting a sound beating from Malfoy).  Then?

Pffffttttttt…….

The screen went black, the sound went to static and I went, “WTF??”

They blew a transformer.  Even the stoplight outside the drive in was out.  Can I get a “GAH!!”?

On the way home (because dood, the show was over) (they gave us free passes though), I joked to Kile that it was the air conditioning that did it.  Yesterday was the hottest day so far this year (you know, at least until TODAY) (or TOMORROW… 100, gah!).  Someone up in the projection booth got hot and said to themselves, “Dang, I’m gonna turn on the a/c!  It’s sweltering up here!  What could happen?”  Famous last words.

I swear, the air conditioning is 90% of why the power goes out here in the west during the summer.  Because who wants to be hot?  I sure don’t!

Then again, I would have liked to have seen the rest of the movie too.  Apparently it wasn’t as simple as flipping a breaker.  The transformer blew so the power company had to come out to fix it.  We would just figure on trying again tonight but we have no idea if they’ve fixed it or not.  And calling the information line yields no results, but maybe later in the day.

In the meantime: NO HARRY POTTER FOR ME!  WOE!  That’s just not right.  Am sad now.

Gosh, is it Tuesday already?? What the heck?  Why am I losing large chunks of time all the time? And DON’T say it’s cuz I’m old.  Cuz then I’ll be forced to smack you over the head with my handbag, you young whippersnapper.

***

So the sixth Harry Potter movie comes out tonight at midnight.  I want to see this movie.  We’ve kinda slacked off in the drive-in department lately, mostly because nothing much good was playing in June so we got out of the habit of going.  The last we saw?  Transformers.  We didn’t even go see Ice Age 3.  I think the general attitude was: “Meh.”  Which, yeah… who really wants to see Ice Age 3?  I sure don’t.  But that’s never stopped us before.  We usually go to the drive-in just to GO.  What movie is playing is sort of beside the point.

But I really wanna see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.  I’m not one of those quasi Harry Potter fans who don’t even bother to read the books.  I read them all!  More than once, even!  I’d like to see it tonight at midnight but… yeah no.  Unless I took Harry with me.  And he has school so that wouldn’t work so hot with a 2 hour and 33 minute movie on a school night that starts AFTER midnight.

The best option is going to the drive-in tomorrow night.  Also a school night, but with a movie starting roughly around 9, would be home slightly sooner.  So what if Harry has school the next day?  So what if Kile has work? This is HARRY POTTER.  This is bigger than school and work.

Damnit, I’m putting my foot down.  We’re going.  And that’s final.  Just suck it up, boys.

***

My children are monkeys.  That is all.

***

Our big Disney Extravaganza is next month.  Like in WEEKS.  It’s getting close.  I’m still scared, but mostly about the traveling to Florida component.  I think the rest is going to be a blast and a half.  But two toddlers and luggage and car seats and strollers and airport security?  BE STILL MY HEART.  Has anyone done an air trip like this before and if so, HOW.  We’re flying Southwest.  On the way out, we stop but don’t have to get off the plane which has GOT to be a plus, right?

I have a feeling this will be the death of me.

***

I think Evie just ate something quite possibly non-edible.  Uhm…

***

The overwatering of the grass continues!  Kile is starting to think maybe he should turn down the sprinklers a hair.  You think?  There’s almost seven hours between the noon and evening waterings and the ground doesn’t even get 100% dry.  And that’s through the hottest part of the day!

The water conservation police are SO gonna have our asses.

***

My left hand is misshapen and sore.  I’m turning into a crone.  I blame the knitting.

***

And yet, I insist that I am NOT OLD.

Oh and GET OFF MY LAWN, punks!