Round Robin Challenge: Theaters

Berkeley Repatory Theater, Berkeley, Ca

"You need three things in the theater... the play, the actors, and the audience. And each must give something."

~Kenneth Haigh

RRC: Theaters.

Theaters. The THEATER is pure magic to me, whether I am attending an amazing play, or a wonderful movie. In any case, a trip to the THEATER is at least 2 hours of relief from the real world. It's a marvelous escape and I love it! I always marvel at the architecture of the buildings, and I enjoy reading about their individual historical presences. There is a lot to appreciate about going to a movie or play, and I always go home smiling after the show has ended because a wonderful new memory has been made, just by going to the THEATER! :)

The Grand Lake
Oakland, California

I was an uncredited extra in the Brad Pitt movie, Moneyball. This is the theater in Oakland where they held the movie premiere. I wasn't able to be there to watch all the movie stars arrive, but I did get to see local coverage on the news. :) Oh my, it looked like fun! The Grand Lake is a gorgeous theater that has inspired me many times over the years.







United Artists
Berkeley, California

I just love the Art Deco styling of this theater!



Regal IMAX
Dublin, Ca (Hacienda Crossing)

One of our favorite theaters to watch a great movie!



I thought it would be fun to add some popcorn to this post, because who doesn't love popcorn at the theater? ;)



Finally...

The Fremont
San Luis Obispo, Ca

The Fremont, in San Luis Obispo, California, is one of the last Streamline Moderne theaters built by architect S. Charles Lee. It is a gorgeous theater day or night, but at nighttime it is particularly lovely. I had some wonderful evening photos that I took of it back in the mid 1990's, but unfortunately they were lost when our storage room was burglarized a while back. That's okay, I will hopefully be able to visit SLO sometime later this year or perhaps next year, and I will do a new series of photos to share! I would love to attend the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival later this year! Doesn't that sound like fun?



Okay, now that you have seen my post about THEATERS, be sure to visit the other Round Robin participants! Just click the link at the beginning of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog. You can find all the information there!

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: Give It Up

"There is no failure except in no longer trying."

~Elbert Hubbard

RRC: Give It Up

The Art Of Giving It Up...

Funny how things work. Most motivational advisers, gurus, and speakers will insist that you should keep soldiering on, except things for what they are, and never, ever, GIVE UP! But I can tell you, there most certainly is a time and season to do just that... GIVE UP! In my case the message to give up came by way of an email from my doctor telling me that despite my relative good health, low cholesterol numbers, and average weight, I was now, at the age of 45 a diabetic! Stupid genes or something... not sure... but facts being facts, my body simply doesn't process food the way it used to, so it was time to grow up, and make a few changes. One of the easiest adjustments to my life came in the form of snack foods. When. Where. If. It was all something that I needed to put some thought into.

I have a sweet tooth. Alan has a salty tooth. Well, movies and snacking pretty much go hand in hand... right? And when you belong to rewards clubs, such as My Coke Rewards program, some of the rewards involved offer movie theater packages, which include, drinks and popcorn. So, instead of ordering a Coke Classic, Alan and I share a large Coke Zero. And instead of ordering 2 large popcorn, we share one small popcorn, and set goals for actually leaving the theater with some left over! We simply have a nice, healthy lunch before we go to the movies, and we have the best of both worlds... in moderation! It works pretty well for us, but lately we have been passing on the snacks altogether! Yes, popcorn smells wonderful, and yes I believe it's addictive, but we have been counting our calories, sodium, sugars, and fat, and acting accordingly.

I have to admit, we haven't given up completely, but we are working on it. Change doesn't just happen over night, not even during lint! But the effort is making us smarter people, because more thought is going into our health! It doesn't hurt that now theaters have to display the nutritional values of their concession offerings. It's never been easier to do the unthinkable and GIVE UP!

Regal Cinemas Nutritional Values

(Calories)
Large Buttered Popcorn: 1640
Small No Butter Popcorn: 400

AMC Theaters Nutritional Values

(Calories)
Large Buttered Popcorn: 1640
Small No Butter Popcorn: 370

For me, I love GIVING UP, it has made me a smarter person! Who knew GIVING UP could be so motivational? Go figure!

Now that you have seen what I am giving up on, be sure to visit the other participating Robins! There are some awesome photographers that join us! Simply click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog. You will find the participation list there and all the information you need to join in the fun! :)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Dating Alan

"Cinema should make you forget you are at the theater."

-Roman Polanski

Alan and I were talking the other day, and it occurred to us that we haven't been on an actual date in a long time. We went to dinner and a movie on my birthday a few weeks ago, but we haven't just gone on a regular date in months. There has been a lot of stresses in our lives. Alan has his work, which he loves, but lets face it no job is stress free. Then there is Elvis and his cancer. While he is doing pretty good right now, it is a constant concern for both Alan and I. It's sad knowing we wont have our little man a year from now. We try not to dwell on it too much, but it's there, hovering, if you have ever lost a pet, you can probably relate. Then lets add in world events, George Bush, and food and gas prices... well... you get the picture.

I saw on The View the other day, that couples who spend time together end up with more solid relationships. Well duh! Alan and I have always shared each others hobbies and interests. We both love to read, we enjoy the same taste in music, we have always debated politics together. Remember, he was a republican when I met him. LOL. I have always taken credit for bringing him into the light. Tee Hee. He will tell you that he merely saw the light for himself! Either way, we share a lot, not just politics. But couples do not live by politics alone, a good movie and a bite to eat out can be very inviting as well!

Momma Mia came out last Friday, so Alan and I decided to make it into a date. He got off work in just enough time to make the last matinee showing, so we drove out to Dublin to see it. When we go on dates, we always leave town to do it. It makes it a little more special to go just one or two cities over so we aren't seeing the same old places and sights. Just a little trick we do to shake things up a bit. The movie was wonderful, despite what the New York Times said. It was a chick flick, that Alan enjoyed too. Hey, we grew up listening to ABBA, so the music in the movie was fun, and the story just was what it was. It was a good time, at a good movie. The things I hate about critics is their inability to just pull the stick out and just enjoy a movie for what it is. You know? That's why I rarely listen to critics. You should have seen the smile on Alan's face, as I sang "Dancing Queen" with everyone else. Alan has a great smile.

After the movie, Alan and I grabbed a slice of pizza, at Me-N-Ed's Pizza bar. We sat outside and just people watched. Can you believe it? We went a few cities away, and we still ran into an acquaintance! LOL. Oh well, I guess we aren't the only ones who needed a little getaway that night. :) Hi again, Wilton! It's been a long time since we grabbed a slice of pizza together. As you know, I don't like restaurants too much, but Me-N-Ed's makes really yummy pizza, I just love the plain cheese, while Alan gets the all meat combo. I could get addicted to their pizza really easy, I think I will be saving it for date night. The movie must have been fun, because I checked my blood glucose level just before I ate, and it was 96! Woo Hoo. And the pizza must have been good because my after dinner reading was 101! Go date night!

After dinner, Alan suggested we walk across the parking lot to Old Navy. I have been needing some new clothes, and so has he. I LOVE Old Navy. I like casual comfy clothes, and their stuff is just that. Comfortable. I picked out a few things for autumn. A black skirt, and a cropped sweater with silver threading. I also bought a brown cropped cardigan, and two silver threaded t-shirts. I am going back tomorrow to hopefully get a trench coat, if they still have one in my size. It was gorgeous, but I wanted to think it over a bit. I still need some camisoles and a couple more skirts and blouses, so I might pick some up this week. I also need a new pair of dress heels. I love skirts, but somehow I seem to live in my jeans and shorts in the summer. It's time to update the wardrobe for autumn and winter to be sure! I love it when Alan comes along to help me pick out clothes, he has better taste then I do! Besides, he has to see me in it. LOL.

We had a good time the other night, I think we will be doing that again soon. :)

So tell me, do you still date your spouse? Where do you like to shop? Do you enjoy picking out clothes, or do you think of it as a necessary evil? What's your favorite store? Will you be doing some wardrobe updating soon? What movie release are you most looking forward to? What's your favorite pizza topping? Let's get to know each other better... tell me everything?

-OndineMonet
"Regal Cinema Hacienda Crossing"
Dublin, California
July 18th, 2008
Early Evening