A New Moon Experience: Lessons Learned by This Twihard

Last night was absolutely TERRIFIC!

Brie, Perri, Tori (Perri’s friend) and I left home around 10:00 p.m. and made the 45 minute drive to the theater in Charleston. Brie’s friend Emily was already there with her sister and a friend and called us when we were still 20 minutes from the theater saying “They’re opening theaters! Hurry!”

First lesson learned- Part 1: If you’re going to a MAJOR film opening night, allow more time than you think you’ll actually need, even if you already have your ticket. And Part 2: Ignore the first announcement that doors are opening. They lie just to hear the roar and applause from the crowd.

Once there we stood in line with 1500 other Twihards until they FINALLY opened the theater doors to allow the mad dash for great seats.

I’m not sure why I always sit in the very center of the center section exactly halfway back from the screen. I don’t get to go to the movie theater very often and when I do I always stress over getting there early enough to get those particular seats. However, last night we ended up being in a side section a little more than halfway back. I can honestly say I had never, ever sat anywhere other than the very center of a theater before.

Second lesson learned: There are no bad seats in a theater. Stop fretting, find one and SIT DOWN ALREADY!

Perri and Tori have known each other for a while but never really hung out together a bunch due to Tori’s busy cheer schedule and Perri’s hectic gymnastics schedule. Since Perri recently left the gymnastics team she is really getting to do a lot of things she couldn’t do before. (And this has been great! We miss the team and so many things about gymnastics, but since there really was no choice in the matter due to back problems, we’re making the very best of it and that hasn’t been so difficult to do.)

One of Perri’s birthday presents was an extra ticket she could give to any one of her friends and she asked Tori to join us. I was a little nervous about it because we don’t know her well and I thought her parents might hesitate to allow her go with us on such a late night excursion. After all, they don’t know us any more than we know them.

Since the only time they ever had together was typically at school, I hadn’t spent any time around Tori at all. Let me tell you, that kid is AWESOME! She is funny, articulate, well-spoken and just a pleasure to be around! Brie and I enjoyed her so much last night. AND she and Perri really, really had a blast. That alone was a real blessing to witness. Two giggly 12 year old girls at their first movie premiere, and certainly their first MIDNIGHT movie premiere!
Here they are with Edward:

Third lesson learned: It is entirely possible for a 43 year old mom and her 12 year old daughter to experience a ‘first’ together.

And it is pretty cool for that to happen.

And yes, it is true. I had never been to a blockbuster movie premiere OR a midnight movie.

Shocking, isn’t it? I mean hey, I lived through the Rocky Horror Picture Show craze, too. Never went.

One of the biggest pluses of the night was that I stayed wide awake throughout the entire ordeal! This is an excellent thing, too, since I was driving. But don’t think I didn’t worry about my ability to do so.

Especially since I’m typically in bed by 9.

Fourth lesson learned: This old dog still has a few new tricks left in her.
So what will be next?

I can't wait to find out!