how do they do it?

The last time we went to the cinema was many, many years ago. We were put off by people talking throughout the film, by the continual rustle of food-wrappers, the loud chomping of food, the slurping of soft drinks and by the dreadful aroma of burgers, pop-corn & other assorted fast "food" items. I suppose folk do this at home when watching the Idiot's Lantern and fail to realise that the cinema requires different behaviour.

I understand that I am being ripped off. I don't care. Nothing else in this world tasts like theater popcorn.

Elizabeth

Amen to that! The only thing that comes close is to pop it fresh and pour a ton of melted butter over it!!

Real treat - add a bag of M&M's to the popcorn and shake well! C

You have to pop it in an oil blend containing coconut oil. That is part of the theatre flavor secret. It is also far more fattening than other oils.

Oh wonderful....

But I suppose once a year isn't too bad for me!

When I had no children, I would take one of three approaches depending on the circumstance.

1) Read whatever book I have stashed in my purse for just such emergencies. 2) Daydream. I think up lots of stuff this way and if it looks like it's not going to be a long wait, I won't bother with the book. 3) Write. I clean out my brain on a regular basis so I always have to have paper and pencil on hand.

I never, ever took stitching projects anywhere except on the bus to work (which was the main reason I rode the bus to work), because I have a getting-out ritual and a putting-back ritual, and those just take too much time.

Now that I have young children, I'm always chasing after them or teaching them something, so it doesn't matter if I brought anything--it won't get used. Also, we don't wait long at most of the places I go. Whether it's luck, good business on the part of doctors et al, or learned timing, I don't know. (Well, I DO know to go to the post office between 12:45 and 1:15.)

The only way I GET to read books now is in the bathroom. The days of sitting in a chair for a weekend reading the whole of a monster book are gonegonegone.

However, if I were going on a long trip (especially in the winter with the threat of places being closed/shut down on account of weather), I wouldn't be caught dead without my stitching bag and a book or two.

It does make you wonder. I think just lots of people tend to zone out. Or rixate on cell phones.

How'd it go? And glad you kept yourself entertained.

ellice

I think it's just some people get restless, or need some stimulation. For me, honestly, a bit like Erika - I can just sit and ponder. But, in general I'm not good at being still for much time. And as my personality is a multi-tasker (used to think I was time-sharing my brain in the way that computers work - they go round from task to task kind of) so it's just better for me to be doing something with my hands, etc.

The knitting at the hockey games - at the pro ones anyhow - is newish for me. But, I'm much happier - even though there is lots going on, and we're right there with the banging glass, and friends around - I find that if I'm knitting I'm happier - nothing too complicated. So, I don't know that it's boredom, just being happier doing something.

I do know people (my crazy extended family aunt for one) that must be entertained all the time - and cannot just be by themselves. That's a different thing. Personally, I think that's some kind of unhappiness with life, or self, and she's someone that is constantly needing somebody to "go do something" with her. For me, while I tend to be "doing something" I'm fine just by myself. It's the people that just can't be alone, or honestly be still at all that would concern me or have my sympathy or something.

I think it's just for some of us how our attention spans run, and what keeps your interest at what level, etc. You may have been bored in school a bit, so needed more stimulus and thus were restless.

ellice

That's good. I tend to write something or sketch. I'm having to repeat a class - because a lab that I dropped was rolled into this class - which I already took for 4 credits and an A. Plus, the dept chair makes all the instructors use the canned slides from the text company - so it's very, very boring - meaning the slides are from the book. It's an important class Medical Emergency stuff for paramedics (as opposed to trauma, etc). 2 hour lab, hour break, then 3 hour lecture. I am going nuts about 15 min into this (if that long). But, attendance and participation count. There is no way I could knit or stitch in class - she'd kill me. Very, very strict with the grades person. So, I ended up sketching the tableau of the room front in the last class. I think I'm going to start bringing a sketch pad and some pencils and just do that - it won't be too obvious (I hope) and at least isn't distracting to others. And I could still keep the text open - literally I just hit stuff with an extra highlighter star to note things. Yuck.

At least I don't do math problems in my head anymore. The other thing I used to do in class is take notes in another language. Hmmm - maybe I'll start that.

ellice

Well, I have ADHD with a splash of OCD (and other things) thrown in. I have the attention span of a gnat. I DO need stimulation, but my brain can do it for me as easily as my hands.

I actually don't believe there is any such a thing as multi-tasking. My observations have led me to believe that people who think they're multi-tasking are actually doing two or more things mediocrely to badly and nothing well. When, if they'd do one thing and go on to the next, they could do all of them well in the same time frame.

The solution to that is to go to the 11 AM showing on a weekday. Last time I did that, there were only 4 of us in the theatre, and widely spaced so we couldn't hear what the others were doing.

Ah, but that's your touch of OCD throwing in. That is true for some people about multi-tasking. But, people whose brains are wired for it do it well. For me, if I'm doing one thing, and then it's critical element is done - it goes to the back so that it's getting some background brain time - maybe it's background thinking, or waiting for something to happen and in the meantime I can do something else. There are some things that definitely don't lend to multi-tasking. But, multi-tasking isn't the same as doing things half-assed. If you're not having to give 100 % concentration to a certain task, then you can do something else with the free space.

The way computers do calculations - they don't just go through one thing at a time til it's complete. They do a thing, then shift across to the next, and so forth. Think of things like arrays. For me, and some others that I know - my brain tends to work that way - and there's not much I do in a mediocre fashion. Certainly not work wise. Rudeness is a different thing - as in when talking on phone to someone while they're typing on the keyboard and your conversation is totally distracted. Or people on a cell phone while trying to have some poor clerk help them in a store, etc. But, frequently I can do something mundane while in the background thinking about something more complicated - then shift gears. But, I do believe that with some paperwork it's best to just deal with it when you get it in hand.

Ellice

Bruce ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Well this side of the Pond - it's popcorn. They have booths selling the stuff, I don't think I can even guage how large the large one is, twice as big as the Bucket of Chicken at Kentucky Chicken perhaps ?

The whole theatre has a permanent smell of popcorn. I have tried going to a noon show hoping that being the first show of the day the aroma would not be there, but it is, I suppose it is in the seats.

The other big offender is volume. There is nothing wrong with my hearing, nor do I wish there to be, so I don't like blaring speakers.

Actually I don't think I have missed much lol

"Dr. Brat" ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Case of Pavlovs if you ask me lol Brat I thought you were too discriminating for that stuff, argggh, never mind the butter that isn't.

Cheryl Isaak ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Arrrggh - next I'll find you with that other filthy habit, CHEWING GUM!

Not me - not because I don't like gum but because it dissolves in my mouth. Never really got in the habit.

My dirty secret: There are two places where I chew gum. I chew gum on airplanes to help my ears pop (which is a sound reason). I also chew gum in church when I have a bad cough and the air is very dry because it keeps the saliva flowing so I don't cough during the service. I've tried taking bottled water to solve the problem but everyone notices that. So just a very discreet little piece of Trident....

Aircraft yes, but I bet you don't chew for the duration of the flight. Church, sounds good, people might suspect the bottle of water had a little flip to it lol

It always surprises me that a woman who is always beautifully dressed, every hair in place, terribly well mannered, that I know, chews gum. Not in a loud way but she is continually moving her jaw. I have read that in fact people who do that often have jaw related problems as a result. If she isn't talking, I always think she looks like a cow ruminating, she certainly takes away all the points for her her lovely clothing and manners otherwise.

That's what I used to say. When we remodeled the bathroom, I insisted on a wall-mounted vanity rather than an under-the-sink one. As well as saving space, it had a built-in "magazine rack" (shelf), LOL!

sue (one bathroom down, one to go.)