Movie Interrupted

I met my friend A at the local mega-movie theatre to see "The Queen" this morning. First showing of the day, about two dozen women in the theatre. The actress playing Queen Elizabeth is wonderful... the hair, makeup, clothes, mannerisms.... totally amazing.

Less than 15 minutes into the movie, the film snapped. Just broke right into pieces and all of us there were looking at a white screen. Where did the Queen go? They were just at the part where the Queen's staff wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her about Princess Diana's car accident.... and we're looking at a white screen.

We all looked to the back of the theatre, up at the projection window... no one was in there. I got out of my seat and went to the front desk to tell them about the broken film. "Not a problem... we'll have it fixed in five minutes." I went back to the theatre and told that to the rest of the ladies in there, and then we all started chatting at once.

Five minutes... ten minutes.... Next thing we knew, one of the employees was telling us that they couldn't fix the film and the person who could fix it wasn't in the theatre yet. They offered us a choice... either a full refund, or a "rain check" to come back and see it. Oh well. A and I opted for the rain checks...... we'll go back on Wednesday to try again.

A had been running around all morning before she met me at the theatre, so we said our goodbyes in the parking lot. I was driving along, going to pick up some food at a nearby Chinese restaurant, but then I realized I was too close to the shoe store to not stop in for a look-see, so that's what I did.

Of course I found shoes... one pretty brown pair of heels in particular with a clump of beads at the toe... don't know what I will wear those with, but they will be spectacular. I also found a pair of beige shoes to wear with jeans, to replace the ones that have gotten ruined with all the recent rainy weather--- those are now Gracie-walking shoes.

I found one pair of shoes there that I just knew young Miss C would love.... flat shoes, closed toe and closed back, in a light-colored camouflage fabric... it had a little buckle at the toe, with a thin metal chain attached to it that ran along to the side of the shoe. I know Miss C, and I knew she'd love those shoes. Not my taste, but definitely hers. However, I had no clue about the size she wears. Couldn't call her, because she was in school. Couldn't call her dad because I knew he'd be working on installing a set of French doors leading to their backyard... and besides, I doubted that he'd know her shoe size anyway.

I knew her mom would know, of course, but she was at work. Jeez.... I broke all my cell-phone rules and got my cell phone and called L's cell phone. She was indeed at work, and I apologized for interrupting her, but I made it quick and got the shoe size and bought those shoes. They had just three pairs of those shoes, and only one in C's size.

After driving then to the Chinese restaurant for the to-go meals for tonight, I drove to C's house and left the shoes by her front door. C found them when she got home from school and she was so excited when she called me up to thank me... so excited that she could barely get the words out. The funny thing was that she had seen those shoes when she was shopping with her mom... she asked if she could buy them and L said she'd "think about it." Oh dear... I cringed when I heard that, hoping that L's feelings wouldn't be hurt because I had bought those shoes for C.

But I had no idea that C had even seen those shoes. I just knew when I saw them that she would love them, and I just wanted to buy them for her. C seemed to be more thrilled that I knew she would love those shoes than with the fact that I did indeed buy them. I always tell C that if her mom doesn't approve of what I buy for her, then the item goes back to the store. I'm keeping my fingers crossed here that L doesn't feel badly because I bought those shoes for her daughter. C said she felt like Cinderella... trying those shoes on and realizing that they fit her perfectly.

C and her parents are coming to our Valentine's party this weekend. I'm betting that C will be wearing those buckled, chained, camouflaged shoes, no matter what outfit she happens to be wearing for the party.