Ticket Nazi

One Saturday last month Larry and I decided we would do something we have never done before. We wanted to see two movies in one day... back to back.

Larry really wanted to see the movie "2012" and I wanted to see "New Moon" one more time (and Larry did to, just don't ask him to admit that).

We checked our show times and found out that if we went to see 2012 first then we would only have a fifteen minute wait (long enough to stretch our legs) before New Moon started. So, eagerly we bought tickets for both shows at the ticket counter. Larry held on to the tickets as he always does and I bought a very large Dr Pepper, both of which contribute to my story.

In looking at our movie times and trying to decided which movie to see when, I discovered that both of these movies were over two and a half hours each. A fine length for a movie...I'm not complaining... I want to get my eight bucks worth. But if you know me, you know that I drink like a camel saving up for a long dessert hike and consequently I have to use the bathroom quite a few times in a two and a half hour period.

About an hour into the first movie I decided the movie was in a good lull, I could tell what would happen next, and that it was a great time to empty my burgeoning bladder. I walk out of the theatre down the hall, past the ticket taker and into the bathroom. Afterward, on my way back to the theatre I pass the ticket taker standing dutifully at his post.

He puts his hand out toward me and says "ticket please?".

I say "huh?"

I have been to this movie theatre maybe seventy five times since we've lived here and not once!....not once! have I been asked for a ticket stub on returning from the bathroom. The boy was standing there when I left my theatre for goodness sake...he saw me leave, so what was this business about needing a stub? You of course understand my dilemma....Larry had my ticket stub with him. So here I was a thirty three year old woman cowering to a very tall seventeen year old boy asking for my ticket.

"Ummm, my husband has it with him" I stammered, feeling guilty even though I knew I could provide proof of stub if he would allow me.

"okay" he says and lets me pass, but not without giving me the suspicious stink eye first.

I get back into the theatre and tell Larry, " I need my ticket stub"

"huh? why?" he asks

"ticket Nazi's" I explain

"okay?" he says just a little puzzled.

Over an hour later the same need to empty my bladder. The ticket taker was there! I went in to the bathroom, came back out and viola...he was no where to be found.

2012 turned out to be a fun movie, if not improbable. So we went out to the parking lot to stretch our legs and call the kids at home.

After a short break we went back into the theatre to get our seats for New Moon. Again after the first hour and a half or so I still had some Dr Pepper left (it must have been a forty ouncer) and had to take one more trip to the bathroom.

And again, there at his post was my ticket taker. By now he was looking at me very suspiciously. Not very many people come to the theatre in Twin Falls and stay for almost five hours apparently. On my way back to the movie he sticks his hand out and says "ticket please"

I proudly produce my ticket stub for New Moon but in the process drop my other ticket stub for 2012. He, quick as lightening, bends over to pick up the stub and stuffs it in his pocket. I could have been offended that he still didn't' believe me, and was thinking that I was trying to pull a fast one. But I wasn't offended, instead I thought to myself "well, that's just what Nazi's do" and went happily into the movie, knowing that he had the proof in his pocket that I had indeed paid for two movies that day.

Ticket Nazi's aside, it was a great day! Larry and I had fun doing something we've never done before. I don't know what it was, maybe it was feeling again like we had all the time in the world to just hang out with each other...no worries...no schedules...just us. It sparked a small spark of excitement again in our hearts for each other.

It was fabulous!