Dateless for HP

Okay, Friday night, in a fit of desperation, I called the girl across the street who babysits for me on occasion. I told her voice mail that I knew it was last minute and all and she probably already had plans, but maybe, if she didn't, she'd be willing to babysit Saturday night so hubby and I could go catch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Because even though we'll have built-in babysitters in form of the grandparents for five days at the end of this week, I. Just. Couldn't. Wait.

In fact, I just couldn't wait enough that when the sitter hadn't called back by 8 p.m., when the hubby finally rolled in from the gym, I started cruising the internet to see when the earliest show was that still had tickets for sale that very night.

10:30.

That was the earliest. I was so sleepy, I didn't know if I'd make it. But for HP, no hurdle is too high. I bought my ticket on-line, wasted time until 9:30, then left the house thinking an hour was plenty of time to drive ten minutes to the theatre, park, fetch my pre-purchased ticket, get popcorn, and have a chance at a decent seat.

Um, yeah. No.

I got to the Cineplex, where HP was playing on, like, 10 of the 17 screens, and there was already a line at least 200 people long. Forty-five minutes before the show!! It was so long it twisted out of the rope-maze the AMC folks had set up to contain us.

Fearing I'd be stuck sitting in the first row and therefore seeing nothing but Harry's nostrils, I got in line, gazing longingly at the concession stand. I was already thirsty and knew I'd have a good four hours before I'd have a chance to get something to drink. But I wasn't about to risk my spot at the end of the line.

Thankfully a couple of nice girls got in line directly behind me. After ten minutes of small talk, I felt we'd become friendly enough to ask them if they minded holding my spot while I slipped over and nabbed some 'corn.

When the line finally started moving and they let us in the theatre, I ended up sitting next to these gals, which was nice because the thing I hate most about going to a movie alone is the patheticness of looking as if I couldn't get a date. I have a built-in date in the form of my husband, so that's never a problem. And, honestly, I don't mind going to the movies alone. I don't have to share my Junior Mints if I don't want to, and I can sigh and weep and laugh out loud if the fancy strikes. What they need is to give singles a little sign to wear around their neck stating "I'm here alone for lack of sitter, not lack of companionship."

The true bonus of my experience, beyond getting to see the best HP movie so far, is that I found out these two girls go to the local college in my town and are babysitters! I got two names and phone numbers that I can try next time so I won't look like such a loser sitting all by myself.

Meanwhile, you'd better bet I'm going to dump the kids with the grandparents and drag hubby to see HP. Almost as much fun as watching it the first time myself is being with someone else who's watching it for the first time.