STOP!

Goings on of the recent days/weeks:
* Philip came home from training on Friday (hooray!) - he'll be in DC now for lang. training until he leave leaves for real leaves.  crazy.
* Last weekend I got to join him for the weekend while he was camped out at a (Dis)Comfort Inn in the far parts of Virgina for a week.  While I wasn't impressed with the papertowelesque bedspread or the pillows that seemed to be filled with packing peanuts (I'm a princess, I know. . . in my defense I did think about how luxurious minimalist accommodations felt during my first exposure to third-world amenities when I was 14 and scolded myself for such pathetic self pity -firstworldproblems).  However, we were excited to get a few hours together (Philip was in training all day long but I was able to sleep/work on school and we enjoyed a couple of Chipotle dates).  I was very grateful to see my veteran on Veteran's Day 2012.  Highlights of this stretch of training for Philip included driving cars around a track at 110 mph.  The man is turning into quite the James Bond.  And I'm not really exaggerating (for better or worse. . .)

speaking of 007. . .

So with all of the buzz about Skyfall, we were excited to see the film.  We made an attempt to have a movie date night on Saturday but were met by flashing lights next to "Skyfall" that read "SOLD OUT"  Disappointing.  Oh well.  We got some Daniel Craig action anyway by renting "Defiance" (reeeeally good movie) at home via Amazon Prime.   I had remembered seeing previews for the movie in England (it's a based-on-a-true amazing story from the Holocaust).  I'd highly recommend it.

Well, tonight we decided that we'd attempt Skyfall Try 2.  It was a success.  Great movie.  However, one of the most highlighting "scenes" of the night looked something like this:

I was headed back to the concession counter for diet coke refill numero dos.  (Hey, for $5.75 - I am going to get my money's worth of that tasty poison).  Half way to my destination a young man (maybe 17???) stops me.  Like puts his hand out halt-who-goes-there style stops me.  I really just wanted to get my soda and wanted to get back to the movie.  It was one of those "I don't want whatever you're selling.  Really. " moments but the boy was pretty urgent and part of me wondered if something was wrong.  I smiled politely, unprepared for what he was about to say (with a GREAT deal of conviction):  STOP!  You are SO BEAUTIFUL!  Are you here with someone tonight?  Ohhhh. . . how sweet.  Sorry kiddo.  I told him that his comment was very sweet and quite flattering but I was attending the movies with someone:  my HUSBAND.  He looked pretty crestfallen.  But wow, what a way to make a girl's night (and seriously people, I was not looking fantastic at all - about 5% of the makeup I applied this morning was left of my face and I was wearing a hoodie that I got on a college visit when I was 16 - the picture above does not do justice to how UNglamorous I really was looking during this scene).  If you're a 17 year old boy reading this - make an old lady's night - stop her at the movies and tell her she's beautiful.

Speaking of teenage boys - a shoutout to one of my very very favorites:  Alex Pankratz (he's fairly double-o-seven himself).  Very very proud of Alex and the rest of the ACGC fb players/coaches killing it this season and going out in style  at State with a game in the metrodome.  Muchas proud of you.  Not for what you do.  But how you do it and who you are.