And the feeling is mutual!!! I hate you exercise, I really do! Weight Watchers encourages activity(code for exercise) as a part of a successful weightloss program. In their booklet #2 "start moving more" they list all the reasons why activity is important(pg. 6 if you're interested). Their number one reason which they actually list 3 times on the page is: "More Energy"-Seriously?? Who do they think they're kidding?? I went to the gym today and did some strength training and about 45 minutes on the treadmill. I don't have "more energy"-I can barely keep my eyes open while I type this post. I need a nap! Seriously! When am I supposed to get this "more energy"? 3 am when I'm trying to sleep?
WW lists other reasons that probably are true so I'll list a few I can agree with(sort of): a toned & healthy body(although they should explain that you have to exercise A LOT to get this benefit-a few times won't cut it); improved heart health; stronger bones(a daily ff latte will do the same thing); less body fat; lower LDL-bad cholesterol & improved HDL-good cholesterol(I have great cholesterol, my doctor wishes he had my cholesterol!!; a reduced risk for developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer-well, o.k., that's actually a great reason to exercise; and better sleep-well I seriously hope so because it's about 6:41pm right now and I figure I got maybe another hour left before I crash. And so help me I better not wake up at 3 am with that "more energy"!!!!!
Now for a few of their reasons that are just total B.S., pure & simple: better stamina & lung capacity: what stamina?? I don't have any stamina! And what do they mean by better lung capacity-who can pant the heaviest?? Believe me, there are some heavy-duty panters at my gym, not very attractive if you ask me! O.K. moving on-this is a good one: reduced stress levels and an improved mood-I'm laughing out loud right now. A better mood? Oh, that just kills me. You think I cuss like a sailor when I'm not at the gym, you should hear what I'm saying in my head while I'm working out. It ain't too pretty! Reduced stress level? Seriously?? I'm sorry, but I am just not one of those people who finds exercise relaxing. A massage, a hot bath, a warm fire, a good book, a glass of wine-now those things lower my stress-Exercise? Not so much.
I love my weight watchers program; I don't blame them for publishing this ridiculous little booklet on exercise. I blame the so-called "experts" they used as their resources. Those so-called "experts" who forgot to mention that exercise hurts!! It's painful! My back hurts so bad right now I can hardly sit in this chair. I'll have to sleep on my heating pad all night. Some of us actually have serious back, leg, and neck issues that make exercise almost unbareable. I say "almost" because I still manage to exercise at least 3 times a week. I love that WW lets you count all kinds of activity: housework, walking in the neighborhood, taking stairs instead of elevators, playing with your kids, just about anything that has you moving counts.
Well it's 7:01pm, I better get Katelyn in the tub-my eyes just won't stay open much longer! Better have one of Tera's 1pt. muffins first, though. They're yummy!!!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
I Love to Listen to...
Katelyn playing! Katelyn is at such a fun age right now. Her imagination is in overdrive! She has these plastic animals that we got from "Toys r Us", safari and farm animal sets. She will sit on the floor in the family room for the longest time playing with these animals and she does all the interactive voices. Example: a mother giraffe is talking to her baby giraffe: "Dear sweet girl, you need to stay right by your mommy. A lion could come and get you!" (and then a lion does!) It's hilarious! I know she is in a very important developmental stage called transferrence, or something like that. It's where all the things she has experienced with me, her friends, at school, or wherever so far are beginning to come together and make sense for her. Playing like this, using her imagination, is so critical to her development. And besides it provides me with endless entertainment! What's really funny is when her dad lays down on the floor and plays animals with her. They have the best time-Mike is SO good about REALLY playing with her. I love to listen to them! I don't think Mike is ever more attractive to me then when he's playing with our daughter (or reading to her)-I love to watch him being a daddy!
Katelyn and her friends are also playing more imaginatively too. Gone are the toddler days of "parallel play"; now they're acting out different scenarios and doing more role playing. A couple days ago Sarah & Maddie stopped by for a visit. We were outside & the girls were playing on Katelyn's wooden play set. They were playing something like captain and sailor. They were pretending to be on a boat and throwing the anchor down & tossing each other imaginary ropes so they could pull each other out of the water. It was so funny, Sarah & I couldn't even continue our conversation-we were too busy listening to them!
Katelyn hasn't even wanted to watch her favorite programs this past week! I limit the amount of t.v. she gets to watch anyway, but if she doesn't want to watch at all, I couldn't be more thrilled! She has learned to entertain herself so well, and since she's an only child that is so important.
We have a small park in our neighborhood where everyone gathers on nice days: moms to visit & kids to play. Well, the equipment is really designed for small children, even the 2 swings are baby swings. Most of our kids have outgrown this park, BUT that doesn't keep them from having a great time!! It's been rainy here so the park's been a wet muddy mess. This week the kids had an absolute blast playing in the muddy water and jumping in the puddles. I'll admit at first I tried to keep Katelyn out of the muddy water-(first time mom, what can I say?!) I realized my error in judgement though(not that she would have stayed out of the mud regardless) and she ended up covered head-to-toe in orange muddy water, clothes ruined. Oh well! She had so much fun-it was totally worth it. Three days in a row that we've come home from the park, and she's had to bathe before dinner! It's reminded me that our children are little for such a short time. We should relish this time when they want to get dirty and explore their surroundings. In about 10 years we'll be faced with much worse scenarios: dating, driving, peer pressures etc...
Katelyn, you're growing up and changing so fast-sometimes I don't feel like I can even believe my eyes. I'm so proud of you for so many reasons. But mostly today I just want to thank you for your patience & for teaching me everday how to be a better mommy for you! I love you puddin!
Monday, April 20, 2009
In Her Own Bed
Last night marked a huge turning point for my family. I decided it was time for Katelyn to sleep in her own room. Katelyn has slept with Mike & I since she was about 10 months old and she's now nearly 4.9 years old. I have several reasons why now seems to be the right time to make this transition. Among them is the fact that she'll start kindergarten in the fall, and we'll have from now until then to get a good sleep routine in place. There are other reasons too, but I have to say having my gf Sarah look me right in the face and say,"Shelly, you've got to get Katelyn in her own bed" was a turning point. It was like someone turned on the lights; and maybe other people have said that to me before, but I wasn't ready to hear them. Thanks Sarah.
So I laid down with Katelyn in her bed at about 8:45 hoping the later time and the allergy medicine would help her fall asleep with more ease. We talked about the reasons why she was going to sleep in her big girl bed, made sure the night light was securely in place(she's afraid of the dark), and cuddled. You have no idea how much I'll miss cuddling with her. She was such a big girl-no tears, no argument, she seemed to know the time had come as well. At about 9:45, she was soundly enough asleep that I was able to creep out of her room. Whew!
Back in my own room, however, I was about as wide awake as if I'd had a double shot of espresso. I watched a little t.v. & read Breaking Dawn, all the while Mike is sawing logs-must be nice! Finally about midnight I turn out the light, but still I don't sleep thinking about my baby all the way on the other side of the house. I worry if she wakes up will she be scared, will she cry, scream...At 1 am I hear her door fly open and little footsteps make haste to our room. She comes to my side of the bed and says she wants to get in bed with us. Of course I let her. I know this is going to take a while, I hadn't expected she'd sleep in her own bed all night on the first night. I was just so pleased that she was calm, not scared, not crying, not angry. I praised her and praised her, telling her what a big girl she was. She stayed in her own bed almost 4 whole hours. She was very pleased with herself. I tell her she will be sleeping in her big girl bed again tomorrow night, and she says o.k....Within 5 minutes, she is back sound asleep until 9 am this morning. I, on the other hand, clocked about 4 hours of sleep because this is a big deal not just for her but for Mike & I too.
Do you think it's possible to love a child too much? No. I don't think it is possible. BUT, I do think it's possible to love a child so much that you forget to love someone else enough. Since Katelyn was born, Mike & I have never gone on a date. She has never had a babysitter. I can remember only three times that we ever left her with someone to be watched: once with his sister so we could go to the Richmond design center & pick out tiles & cabinets & flooring...; once with Anna for IVF #4; and once with Jen & Treva for IVF #5. But those times don't count; those were not dates. My girlfriends have encouraged Mike & I to go on dates. They have all offered to watch Katelyn, mind you not a one of them has less than 3 kids herself. (Now that's friendship; that's love.) I asked Mike last night what he thought about going on a date. He paused, and said, "We never have, have we?" So this Friday, we're going on our first date since having Katelyn. Thanks Tera & J.P. for having Katelyn, we know she's in good hands.
So I laid down with Katelyn in her bed at about 8:45 hoping the later time and the allergy medicine would help her fall asleep with more ease. We talked about the reasons why she was going to sleep in her big girl bed, made sure the night light was securely in place(she's afraid of the dark), and cuddled. You have no idea how much I'll miss cuddling with her. She was such a big girl-no tears, no argument, she seemed to know the time had come as well. At about 9:45, she was soundly enough asleep that I was able to creep out of her room. Whew!
Back in my own room, however, I was about as wide awake as if I'd had a double shot of espresso. I watched a little t.v. & read Breaking Dawn, all the while Mike is sawing logs-must be nice! Finally about midnight I turn out the light, but still I don't sleep thinking about my baby all the way on the other side of the house. I worry if she wakes up will she be scared, will she cry, scream...At 1 am I hear her door fly open and little footsteps make haste to our room. She comes to my side of the bed and says she wants to get in bed with us. Of course I let her. I know this is going to take a while, I hadn't expected she'd sleep in her own bed all night on the first night. I was just so pleased that she was calm, not scared, not crying, not angry. I praised her and praised her, telling her what a big girl she was. She stayed in her own bed almost 4 whole hours. She was very pleased with herself. I tell her she will be sleeping in her big girl bed again tomorrow night, and she says o.k....Within 5 minutes, she is back sound asleep until 9 am this morning. I, on the other hand, clocked about 4 hours of sleep because this is a big deal not just for her but for Mike & I too.
Do you think it's possible to love a child too much? No. I don't think it is possible. BUT, I do think it's possible to love a child so much that you forget to love someone else enough. Since Katelyn was born, Mike & I have never gone on a date. She has never had a babysitter. I can remember only three times that we ever left her with someone to be watched: once with his sister so we could go to the Richmond design center & pick out tiles & cabinets & flooring...; once with Anna for IVF #4; and once with Jen & Treva for IVF #5. But those times don't count; those were not dates. My girlfriends have encouraged Mike & I to go on dates. They have all offered to watch Katelyn, mind you not a one of them has less than 3 kids herself. (Now that's friendship; that's love.) I asked Mike last night what he thought about going on a date. He paused, and said, "We never have, have we?" So this Friday, we're going on our first date since having Katelyn. Thanks Tera & J.P. for having Katelyn, we know she's in good hands.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Back to Weight Watchers
I am so pyched! I joined Weight Watchers today! It's been 5 years since I did their program, and I'm really excited about refocusing on my weight loss goals. Here are my top reasons why Weight Watchers is such a good program for me:
1. Real food! No pre-packaged yucky food that I get sick of after about 2 weeks! Plus I buy the same food for my family, so I'm not preparing 2 separate meals! And I will be cooking even healthier which will be good for all of us.
2. Weighing-In every week is such a HUGE motivator for me! There's no way I want to weigh more or the same! And there's another person checking to make sure that I don't!
3. Support group! Not only do I get the benefit from the meetings, but there are 3 other gals from my neighborhood doing WW too, so we can be a constant support for each other! We can share recipes, tips, ideas...So cool, right!
4. This may sound nuts, but I love keeping a food journal, making food lists, calculating points...it's like having a project! I love a project!
5. WW has changed a lot in 5 years-they have so many new tools like the points calculator-so awesome & the online support program! They have eating-out guides so you can stay on the program when you go out to eat or if you pick up something on the quick! And that's really one of the reasons why I think WW works for most people-you are not deprived. You can still go out to eat or have a piece of cake at a birthday party. Like this weekend for my moms-night-out, we're going to the Melting Pot. I've never been, but it sounds pretty calorie-heavy. But on WW, you get 35 extra points every week, so if I save all those points, I should be fine! What other diet let's you do that without the guilt?
6. The weekly meeting I'm attending is for moms & tots, so when Katelyn's not in school this summer, she can go with me. She never says if she notices I am overweight, but she will notice as I get smaller I'm sure. I will be modeling good eating habits for her. I will be showing her that I'm setting goals and working hard to attain them.
7. I've already lost 30 lbs. on my own, so I don't feel defeated already. You know how when you start a diet and you see that number on the scale, and you're like there's just no way. I don't feel that way this time. In fact, as I lose weight I'll actually be seeing numbers on the scale that I haven't seen since my twenties. That REALLY means something to me. I'll be 40 in November and I'll weigh less then I did when I turned 30.
8. WW IS a diet, but it's really more about making a life change. You learn portion control and the right amount of food servings. When you have accomplished your weight loss goal, you still follow the program. It's not like Nutrisystem where when you're done, you just go back to old eating habits. And WW doesn't cost near as much as Nutrisystem.
9. WW also stresses the importance of exercise. Another good reason to get the i-Pod out of the box and utilize my gym membership more often!
10. I'm doing this for myself-I'm focusing on something I need to do for me and that's not always easy for us moms. But it will benefit my family too. I'll have more energy for one thing! I will feel better about myself, have more confidence, and ultimately be a better wife & mother.
I'm really proud of myself for taking the first step(can you tell? HA!). I've already finished day 1 and did not go over my points, nor did I cheat. It wasn't hard either. Thanks to everyone whose offered their support! I'll keep 'ya posted!
1. Real food! No pre-packaged yucky food that I get sick of after about 2 weeks! Plus I buy the same food for my family, so I'm not preparing 2 separate meals! And I will be cooking even healthier which will be good for all of us.
2. Weighing-In every week is such a HUGE motivator for me! There's no way I want to weigh more or the same! And there's another person checking to make sure that I don't!
3. Support group! Not only do I get the benefit from the meetings, but there are 3 other gals from my neighborhood doing WW too, so we can be a constant support for each other! We can share recipes, tips, ideas...So cool, right!
4. This may sound nuts, but I love keeping a food journal, making food lists, calculating points...it's like having a project! I love a project!
5. WW has changed a lot in 5 years-they have so many new tools like the points calculator-so awesome & the online support program! They have eating-out guides so you can stay on the program when you go out to eat or if you pick up something on the quick! And that's really one of the reasons why I think WW works for most people-you are not deprived. You can still go out to eat or have a piece of cake at a birthday party. Like this weekend for my moms-night-out, we're going to the Melting Pot. I've never been, but it sounds pretty calorie-heavy. But on WW, you get 35 extra points every week, so if I save all those points, I should be fine! What other diet let's you do that without the guilt?
6. The weekly meeting I'm attending is for moms & tots, so when Katelyn's not in school this summer, she can go with me. She never says if she notices I am overweight, but she will notice as I get smaller I'm sure. I will be modeling good eating habits for her. I will be showing her that I'm setting goals and working hard to attain them.
7. I've already lost 30 lbs. on my own, so I don't feel defeated already. You know how when you start a diet and you see that number on the scale, and you're like there's just no way. I don't feel that way this time. In fact, as I lose weight I'll actually be seeing numbers on the scale that I haven't seen since my twenties. That REALLY means something to me. I'll be 40 in November and I'll weigh less then I did when I turned 30.
8. WW IS a diet, but it's really more about making a life change. You learn portion control and the right amount of food servings. When you have accomplished your weight loss goal, you still follow the program. It's not like Nutrisystem where when you're done, you just go back to old eating habits. And WW doesn't cost near as much as Nutrisystem.
9. WW also stresses the importance of exercise. Another good reason to get the i-Pod out of the box and utilize my gym membership more often!
10. I'm doing this for myself-I'm focusing on something I need to do for me and that's not always easy for us moms. But it will benefit my family too. I'll have more energy for one thing! I will feel better about myself, have more confidence, and ultimately be a better wife & mother.
I'm really proud of myself for taking the first step(can you tell? HA!). I've already finished day 1 and did not go over my points, nor did I cheat. It wasn't hard either. Thanks to everyone whose offered their support! I'll keep 'ya posted!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
For My Sanity
You've heard of moms being referred to as "soccer moms, gymnastics moms...etc." How about "Park Moms"? Every nice day possible Katelyn & I join our neighborhood friends at our small park for some fresh air, play, and good conversation. It has become my break from the mundane routine of daily housework, laundry, bill paying, cooking etc. I look forward to nice days when we can all get together as much as I look forward to our moms-night-out when we can all get away(o.k., well almost as much)!!
My mom was here for Easter, and yesterday I spent most of the day putting my house back together. I know it sounds strange, but my mom can wreck my clean house faster than my 4-year-old ever could. I was pretty put out with the mess; but about 3pm we escaped to the park and immediately my attitude, my feelings, everything changed. I NEEDED that break from my space, from the chores, FOR MY SANITY!! My friends are so good for me. I feel so incredibly blessed to have these women in my life. While our kids have a ball playing together, we sit on "our" park bench and talk about everything: the past, the present, the future; we share our stories, we talk about what we're making for dinner, we talk about our kids-you name it and it's probably been on our agenda. I've always been a person who needs good friends around me, and I have made some really good friends in this small little community of ours! And it's SO good for Katelyn too. Friends are just as important to her.
It's amazing what a couple hours of fresh air & good conversation can do for me. I know I'm a better mother and wife because of it. When we get home I feel refreshed, ready to make dinner, ready for bath & bedtime, ready to tackle the next day!
I love you guys! See 'ya at the park!:)
My mom was here for Easter, and yesterday I spent most of the day putting my house back together. I know it sounds strange, but my mom can wreck my clean house faster than my 4-year-old ever could. I was pretty put out with the mess; but about 3pm we escaped to the park and immediately my attitude, my feelings, everything changed. I NEEDED that break from my space, from the chores, FOR MY SANITY!! My friends are so good for me. I feel so incredibly blessed to have these women in my life. While our kids have a ball playing together, we sit on "our" park bench and talk about everything: the past, the present, the future; we share our stories, we talk about what we're making for dinner, we talk about our kids-you name it and it's probably been on our agenda. I've always been a person who needs good friends around me, and I have made some really good friends in this small little community of ours! And it's SO good for Katelyn too. Friends are just as important to her.
It's amazing what a couple hours of fresh air & good conversation can do for me. I know I'm a better mother and wife because of it. When we get home I feel refreshed, ready to make dinner, ready for bath & bedtime, ready to tackle the next day!
I love you guys! See 'ya at the park!:)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
PMS SUCKS!!!
According to Mike, who helped me with the math, I have suffered through 312 weeks of PMS in the last 26 years(got my period when I was 13, late bloomer). And that's weeks mind you, it adds up to 2,184 days of PMS suffering in the past 26 years. Now, I don't know about you, but that number just doesn't seem big enough to reflect how bad PMS sucks!!! Whatever. That's 2,184 days full of unbelievable moodiness and crankiness, cramping(yeah, I get my cramps during my PMS week and my actual period week and also the week I ovulate so that's one week free of cramps a month-SUCKS!!) headaches, unparallelled bitchiness-Mike can confirm if you doubt),feeling on-edge, and the constant need to have something salty then something sweet, then something salty-then something sweet-chips-chocholate-chips-chocolate. You get the idea.
O.K., so when we're little girls and our periods finally arrive(an event we are actually anxiously awaiting-anyone else read "Are You There GOD it's Me Margaret?" a thousand times because it's about a girl like you waiting for her period and her boobies to grow?) But I digress. O.K., so when we're little girls our moms or dads tell us that getting our period is a wonderful thing because it means that eventually someday we'll be able to have babies. No one talks about PMS & it's various unpleasantries, or the actual disgusting mess which is a period. Well, I may have been deceived when I was 13, but I know better 26 years later. Let's be real, there's a reason men don't have menstrual cyles, get pregnant, & have babies. THEY COULDN'T TAKE IT!!!! But since I apparently can't have any more babies, I say ENOUGH of this madness!! Since I'm 39, I've actually been thinking there might be a light at the end of the tunnel-wait that would be Menopause. I've actually glimpsed the joy of Menopause already. Early on during our infertility treatments, the doctors had us try a Clomid protocol. Ah, Clomid, what a nightmare drug you are. On Clomid I actually had PMS symptoms x10 and hot flashes that were blinding(get it blinding, hot FLASHES? ig) SO, I already know some of what lies ahead when my periods finally do stop. More good times. So maybe when I'm 55-60, the suffering might actually cease?
Now that I've complained, justifiably, about how much PMS sucks; I feel compelled to tell you that deep down I realize what I would have given up. Because it did eventually mean that I was blessed to become pregnant and go through childbirth. Aside from 5 months of puking my guts out all day long, swollen hands & feet, hemorroids, blinding back pain, headaches, & shear exhaustion I actually loved being pregnant. I loved my big belly and wearing my maternity clothes and having perfect strangers tell me that I was glowing & expecting a girl-(how they knew that, I'm not sure, but they were right). I loved talking to Katelyn and singing to her, I even read aloud to her. Even when she would wake me up at 3am cause she had the hiccups, I loved it. No one else in the world got to know what that felt like. I'm so grateful that I was the one who got to be pregnant and feel all the little flutterings and movements. I would have been so jealous if the tables were turned and Mike actually got that privelege. In a way, it's like we as women have a universal secret because we're the only ones who really know what carrying a baby feels like. What a blessing!
All of the above led to the day Katelyn was born 4 years, 8 months, and 7 days ago. A post for another day, this one's already getting too long. I will tell you that the moment she was freed from me and placed on my belly was the most precious moment of my life. As you can imagine I was bawling. And saying to her, "Katelyn, I'm you're mommy-I've waited so long for you" and my blessed babe, coverd in goo, looked right at me and just smiled. She knew me. Believe it or not, but that's a true story.
PMS still sucks, though:)
O.K., so when we're little girls and our periods finally arrive(an event we are actually anxiously awaiting-anyone else read "Are You There GOD it's Me Margaret?" a thousand times because it's about a girl like you waiting for her period and her boobies to grow?) But I digress. O.K., so when we're little girls our moms or dads tell us that getting our period is a wonderful thing because it means that eventually someday we'll be able to have babies. No one talks about PMS & it's various unpleasantries, or the actual disgusting mess which is a period. Well, I may have been deceived when I was 13, but I know better 26 years later. Let's be real, there's a reason men don't have menstrual cyles, get pregnant, & have babies. THEY COULDN'T TAKE IT!!!! But since I apparently can't have any more babies, I say ENOUGH of this madness!! Since I'm 39, I've actually been thinking there might be a light at the end of the tunnel-wait that would be Menopause. I've actually glimpsed the joy of Menopause already. Early on during our infertility treatments, the doctors had us try a Clomid protocol. Ah, Clomid, what a nightmare drug you are. On Clomid I actually had PMS symptoms x10 and hot flashes that were blinding(get it blinding, hot FLASHES? ig) SO, I already know some of what lies ahead when my periods finally do stop. More good times. So maybe when I'm 55-60, the suffering might actually cease?
Now that I've complained, justifiably, about how much PMS sucks; I feel compelled to tell you that deep down I realize what I would have given up. Because it did eventually mean that I was blessed to become pregnant and go through childbirth. Aside from 5 months of puking my guts out all day long, swollen hands & feet, hemorroids, blinding back pain, headaches, & shear exhaustion I actually loved being pregnant. I loved my big belly and wearing my maternity clothes and having perfect strangers tell me that I was glowing & expecting a girl-(how they knew that, I'm not sure, but they were right). I loved talking to Katelyn and singing to her, I even read aloud to her. Even when she would wake me up at 3am cause she had the hiccups, I loved it. No one else in the world got to know what that felt like. I'm so grateful that I was the one who got to be pregnant and feel all the little flutterings and movements. I would have been so jealous if the tables were turned and Mike actually got that privelege. In a way, it's like we as women have a universal secret because we're the only ones who really know what carrying a baby feels like. What a blessing!
All of the above led to the day Katelyn was born 4 years, 8 months, and 7 days ago. A post for another day, this one's already getting too long. I will tell you that the moment she was freed from me and placed on my belly was the most precious moment of my life. As you can imagine I was bawling. And saying to her, "Katelyn, I'm you're mommy-I've waited so long for you" and my blessed babe, coverd in goo, looked right at me and just smiled. She knew me. Believe it or not, but that's a true story.
PMS still sucks, though:)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
To whom it may concern...
To whom it may concern at AMC theaters:
A couple weeks ago a few friends and myself decided to take in the new Julia Roberts flick at one of your theaters. Aside from the fact that the movie sucked (unusual for Julia, I know), I would like to make a suggestion concerning the "preview" portion before the start of a movie. During the previews, you warn your patrons against cell phone usuage, crying babies, and loud talking. But you have forgotten to include the following: passing gas, nail biting & chewing, overall body odor, and nose picking. I fell victim to all of the above during my last movie-going experience, and it seriously hindered my ability to concentrate on what was already the most confusing movie I've been to in a long time(not your fault, I realize). The person(I can hardly say gentleman in this case)continuously engaged in all four of these disgusting behaviors. Perhaps if you had warned him before the movie started, he would have refrained, but alas we'll never know.
It started with the expelling of bodily fumage(aka-farting). Not being one unlikely to share interesting events with friends, I had to share this news with my friend Tera who happened to be sitting on the other side of me. Now even though we are adult women in our thirties, we could not help but break out in riotous laughter. What would you do? We tried to control ourselves, but it was not possible as we were already bored and confused and o.k. perhaps a bit immature, but there you have it. Needless to say another patron seated in front of us was less than thrilled by our outburst. At least we didn't pee our pants, but it was close! Besides, you also don't disallow laughter in your preview warning, so we were well within our rights to laugh as much as we wanted!!!
Next the beast,(I mean person, precious child of our LORD), proceeded to make a feast out of his nose and fingernails. At this point I was so grossed out I was practically sitting on Tera's lap. Can you blame me? It's not like there's a lot of room between seats to begin with. Again, as not to exclude my friends from this experience either, I whisper(whispher, mind you) to Tera that I can't believe the guy could be on a date and be doing these disgusting vile things. Tera leans around me to view the fore-mentioned individual and discovers that he is wearing a ring on his left ring finger. Married. Of course, it all makes sense now!! He doesn't have to impress anyone with good habits, nor does he have to worry if he smells good. He's already bagged himself a little woman! Which brings me to a very important point: I think you should be aware that Saturday night is not just for couples anymore. There is a certain percentage of us (I leave the data collecting up to you)that are partaking in a Moms-Night-Out. Simply put it means we're at the movies to get away from "pull my finger" and the rest. (Although I feel compelled to add that my spouse does not engage in the other 3 vile behaviors).
I am not in the marketing field myself, but I bet if you add my suggestion to your preview warning and then remind people about the tasty treats awaiting them at your consession stands, they will be less likely to snack on themselves! Your profits could soar! What do you think? Not a bad idea! I'll be expecting a little kick-back when you implement MY suggestion! My sincere gratitude for your time and attention to this matter. And my endearing thanks to my peep Tera who I always have a good time with, no matter the circumstances!
A couple weeks ago a few friends and myself decided to take in the new Julia Roberts flick at one of your theaters. Aside from the fact that the movie sucked (unusual for Julia, I know), I would like to make a suggestion concerning the "preview" portion before the start of a movie. During the previews, you warn your patrons against cell phone usuage, crying babies, and loud talking. But you have forgotten to include the following: passing gas, nail biting & chewing, overall body odor, and nose picking. I fell victim to all of the above during my last movie-going experience, and it seriously hindered my ability to concentrate on what was already the most confusing movie I've been to in a long time(not your fault, I realize). The person(I can hardly say gentleman in this case)continuously engaged in all four of these disgusting behaviors. Perhaps if you had warned him before the movie started, he would have refrained, but alas we'll never know.
It started with the expelling of bodily fumage(aka-farting). Not being one unlikely to share interesting events with friends, I had to share this news with my friend Tera who happened to be sitting on the other side of me. Now even though we are adult women in our thirties, we could not help but break out in riotous laughter. What would you do? We tried to control ourselves, but it was not possible as we were already bored and confused and o.k. perhaps a bit immature, but there you have it. Needless to say another patron seated in front of us was less than thrilled by our outburst. At least we didn't pee our pants, but it was close! Besides, you also don't disallow laughter in your preview warning, so we were well within our rights to laugh as much as we wanted!!!
Next the beast,(I mean person, precious child of our LORD), proceeded to make a feast out of his nose and fingernails. At this point I was so grossed out I was practically sitting on Tera's lap. Can you blame me? It's not like there's a lot of room between seats to begin with. Again, as not to exclude my friends from this experience either, I whisper(whispher, mind you) to Tera that I can't believe the guy could be on a date and be doing these disgusting vile things. Tera leans around me to view the fore-mentioned individual and discovers that he is wearing a ring on his left ring finger. Married. Of course, it all makes sense now!! He doesn't have to impress anyone with good habits, nor does he have to worry if he smells good. He's already bagged himself a little woman! Which brings me to a very important point: I think you should be aware that Saturday night is not just for couples anymore. There is a certain percentage of us (I leave the data collecting up to you)that are partaking in a Moms-Night-Out. Simply put it means we're at the movies to get away from "pull my finger" and the rest. (Although I feel compelled to add that my spouse does not engage in the other 3 vile behaviors).
I am not in the marketing field myself, but I bet if you add my suggestion to your preview warning and then remind people about the tasty treats awaiting them at your consession stands, they will be less likely to snack on themselves! Your profits could soar! What do you think? Not a bad idea! I'll be expecting a little kick-back when you implement MY suggestion! My sincere gratitude for your time and attention to this matter. And my endearing thanks to my peep Tera who I always have a good time with, no matter the circumstances!
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