Thought 22: Lighten Up Francis . . .

We were so young, but old enough to know that we wanted to be together forever. After we graduated college together in May 1997, I went home to live with my parents in Florida and Bob was just two months behind as he was starting a PhD program in Chemistry at Florida State University (now there is a story). I was not sure what I was doing next, but I knew I wanted to be close to Bob. The day he moved down was a big day for him. He had never lived more than an hour from where he grew up. We were both 22 years old and trying to figure out our place in the world. When he arrived, you could tell he was nervous about this big change. My mom and dad asked me to go "run an errand" and pick up some papers from a friend's house. They did a good job of stalling me. Bob wanted me out of the house so he could ask my parents for my hand in marriage. My dad told him that was fine as long as he changed the windshield wipers on my dad's car. Anyone who knows my dad will appreciate that humor. I came back and went upstairs to tell Bob that dinner was ready. He took my hand and shared the sweetest words while giving me a box. I opened it to find a Precious Moments couple of a boy proposing to a girl. I looked up at him and he was already on his knee. After I said yes and started crying, I immediately ran downstairs to tell my parents. Funny thing is, Bob still hasn't changed the windshield wipers on my dad's car. 

On Mother's Day, Bob suggested I get out of the house and go see a movie. I had been sick at home for almost a week and Megan was sick all weekend with a fever. He knew I was going stir crazy, so I took his advice. I did not want to see something that would make me sad, so I decided to give the movie Neighbors a try. It was TERRIBLE. I almost left early, but I was enjoying my popcorn and alone time. Either I am just old or it was just that bad. I don't get to an actual theater very often, so I appreciated the treat either way.

I LOVE movies, especially seeing them in an actual theater. I love how they make me feel and how immersed I get in the storyline and characters. If I could have any job in the world (and be given the talent to go along with it), I would be a movie director. I am fascinated with the behind the scenes action and how the whole thing comes together. My cousin Matt is a director and writer and I always tell him that I want to be his assistant. He thinks I'm kidding.

It's funny how you can remember where you were or who you were with when you saw certain movies. I remember my mom covering my eyes when she took my brothers and I to see Raiders of the Lost Ark because she thought it was too scary for me. I remember falling asleep to a Star Trek movie with my best friend Erica. I remember my dad and brother Mike taking me to see Hoosiers and assuring me that it was "not about basketball." I remember my brothers and I going to see Rain Man at the theater while my parents were throwing a dinner party, the only movie we ever went to see just the three of us. I will never forget going to see Forrest Gump with my parents and brothers and how blown away we all were with how good it was - not something that happens very often. I remember going to see Back to the Future in the theater and having to split up from my family to find a seat because it was sold out. I remember going to see Titanic with Bob after our honeymoon cruise through the Caribbean. We were glad we waited until we got back to go see it. I remember going to the movies and seeing The Notebook with Bob's family at the beach, our favorite rainy day beach activity before kids, and crying my eyes out.

My brother Mike and I have always enjoyed going to the movies together. It was out little date when I was younger. Bob and I share the love of going to the movies (and sharing popcorn) and always enjoyed catching a double feature when we were in college and married without kids. Once we tried a triple feature, but I think that took it a little too far. We always went through the ethical dilemma of whether or not to pay for the second movie or just sneak over. We are good kids. We always went out and bought the second set of tickets. Nowadays, we are lucky to get to the movie theater a couple times a year. We definitely need to make time for regular date nights, but we need a deeper bench on the babysitter front to make that possible.

In 2003, one of my best friends Melissa and I met in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards weekend. We hit all the sites including Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Venice Beach, and the Kodak Theater. Our eyes hurt by the end of the weekend looking for celebrities. We did see Nicole Kidman hold up her Oscar as she was getting in her car as we congregated with the crowd across the street from the Kodak Theater. It was good fun and a wonderful time catching up with a lifetime friend.

I have always wanted to take the list of "Best Picture" movies and start watching the ones I have not seen. Not that a movie's worth is based on whether or not it wins an award. Its funny, many of the "Best Picture" winners are probably movies that my dad tried to get me to watch growing up and I thought I was too cool to watch his old favorites. He gave me a copy of his all-time favorite movie recently that did win a Best Supporting Actor award in its day, A Thousand Clowns. This is not a movie most people have probably heard of these days, but this was a staple in our house growing up. As much as I complained when I was younger, it is actually a really good movie. As my dad always tells me, "You can never have too many eagles."

It is impossible for me to a pick a list of my favorites as I know I am forgetting one. I tend to lean toward Dramas as I like a movie that has a good message behind it and will bring up a lot of emotions in me. I looked through my DVD collection to help, but I would say the following movies would always be in my top favorites . . . 

The Color Purple

Shawshank Redemption

Forrest Gump

When Harry Met Sally

Juno

Rounders

Dead Poet's Society

The American President

Good Will Hunting

Sound of Music

A Few Good Men

I have so many favorites from each decade like Pretty Woman from the 90s or Can't But Me Love from the 80s. I hope Stripes fans appreciated the reference in the title of my blog. Then I remember classics like Gone with the Wind, Music Man, and Wizard of Oz. I always love a good classic, and if it is a musical, even better. My mom and I loved the movie Stepmom - talk about a movie that will make me cry. Bob and I always enjoy watching our regular favorites like Rounders and The Italian Job. I just can't get enough and the list goes on and on. It is not often a movie blows you away and it seems less and less so as the years go by. But when it does, it just lights me up inside. 

On a running note, my gym has a cardio theater where they have three rows of treadmills and you can watch the movie of the day on a huge movie theater size screen while you run. I had to run 5 miles on the treadmill the other day because I didn't have a sitter for Megan so I could run outside. I was dreading it because I prefer the outdoors and was just hoping for a good movie. I was pleasantly surprised in Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise. It was starting at the beginning, so I was able to see the first 55 minutes or so. I was pleasantly surprised and would like to watch the rest sometime. It distracted me enough to get in my best treadmill workout in a long time. I had a great running week and clocked in 16 miles total. Here I come Hollywood!

Please share your favorite movies or favorite movie memory . . . 

Check out my personal fundraising page for the Les Turner ALS Foundation -  http://ow.ly/ukTos.