A trip to the movies, in just under two hours
I didn't work today and my aunts were willing to watch the boys this afternoon. I headed out for a 1:45 showing of The Queen in Montrose (Akron area). I arrived about 1:40 and immediately stepped to the ticket window. Upon requesting The Queen, she politely informed me that the first showing of The Queen wasn't until after 4:00. I looked at showtimes on-line yesterday and forgot to factor in that movie times change on Fridays. Ouch. Completely my fault and I should know better. A quick glance didn't offer much hope. The Last King of Scotland started a half hour ago. Notes on a Scandal did show at 1:45 but Kelly wanted to see it too and I knew she'd be disappointed if I saw it without her. I glanced at my movie time notes. I had jotted down that Volver played at 2:15 at the Cedar Lee in Cleveland.
Volver would have been my first choice but I had decided I didn't want to drive the hour from home. Circumstances had changed. I hopped into my car. Montrose to Cleveland in a half hour was a possibility. The biggest problem was that I didn't know how to get to the Cedar Lee. I had my step-dad's cell phone with me (from my recent car problems) so I called information. She confirmed the showtime hadn't changed and transferred me so I could get directions. Unfortunately, she transferred me to an automated recording that listed each show's title, actors, rating, running time, and catering budget (only the last item is an exaggeration). Then after 4 minutes of this, the recording finally got to the number to call with other questions. After clearly pronouncing everything else, he speed through the phone number just one time. I jotted down what I hoped he said, but that number led to someone's personal voicemail. Ahhh. I called my sister at work so she could look directions up on-line. I got her voicemail. I tried again but no luck. I gave my sister-in-law a call on her cell phone, followed by my Uncle Jim at work. No answer either place.
So I called information again and explained they had given me a recorded line and I needed the live line for the theatre. No problem, she said, adding they would remove the charge from the first phone call. She then proceeded to transfer me to the same recorded line. So, again I listened to four minutes of worthless info waiting for that brief moment to come when I could try to check the phone number I had written down. I heard 321 this time, instead of the 221 I originally called. So I called the revised number and got a different person's personal voice mail.
All the while, I'm arriving in Cleveland and needing to make decisions. I remembered glancing at the directions on-line when I briefly entertained the idea of driving to Cleveland to see Volver. I was pretty sure it told me to go 480 West. So as I'm cluelessly driving west on 480, I try my sister again and this time, to my delight, she answers. She checks for directions and I ask her where I go from 480 West. "Lee Rd, Exit 24," she tells me, along with the rest of the directions. I thank her and hang up. I hadn't been paying attention to exit numbers yet, so I glanced at the next sign: Exit 10. The following one: Exit 9. I'm going the wrong way!
I hop off at the next exit and ring my sister again while I'm changing directions. "It said 480 West, didn't it?" It did, in fact, but it hadn't taken me up 77 as I had gone, or even up 71 which I had passed. The directions had me going up 271 which goes east of 77 and then you come back on 480 West. I had been going the wrong way the whole time. It was, by now, about 2:15: when Volver was to start. I'd be late but with previews, maybe I wouldn't miss much. Normally, I hate walking in after a movie has started but at this point, I was going to take what I could get. So I'm driving down 480, East this time, and eventually I start getting close. Exits 21, 22, 23, and next: Exit 25. What?! I glanced behind me, and sure enough I could see Exit 24: Lee Rd that only exited westbound. I took Exit 25 to turn around and head west. Of course, it was a right turn only at the end of the exit and I had to take a quick turn through a gas station to get headed towards the 480 East ramp.
Now, with no time to lose, I'm finally on Lee Rd and have five miles to go. Immediately, I hit a school zone. In a little bit, there is a train crossing with lights flashing and the bars down, but alas there is no train. The cars in front of me, at least ten of them, start driving around the barriers. It gets to be my turn and sure enough, no train in sight. I follow suit. Missing only the previews is no longer an option. I continue on. Now I slow down for a van stopped in the opposite lane with smoke coming out of its charred hood. Behind it sits a fire truck and two firemen stand beside the van with the water hose putting out what used to be a fire. I drive on and eventually see the Cedar Lee on my right. Parking is in the rear, I know this from the four minute message I was forced to listen through twice. It is now 3:00.
I park in the rear but have to scramble for enough lose change as the parking lot has parking meters. Finally, I enter the Cedar Lee and request a ticket for Volver. "The 2:15 or the 4:45?" the man asks. I enter just in time to hear Sole's mom calling to her from the trunk. I stand for awhile until my eyes have adjusted enough that I can confidently feel for a seat without sitting on someone. I sit for a mesmerizing movie that I thoroughly enjoy. It ends. I call home to update everyone on my delayed return. Then I wait, with the ticket taker's permission, for the 4:45 showing and watch, from the beginning this time, until after Sole hears the noises from her trunk again. I would have gladly finished the movie a second time, but I needed to get home.
On the slightly shorter, but still long, drive home, I again passed that same van sitting in the same spot. The smoke had stopped and the firemen had gone, but the van still sat right in the middle of the lane. I knew with a fair amount of certainty that my day's driving experience had at least gone better than the owner of that van.
Volver would have been my first choice but I had decided I didn't want to drive the hour from home. Circumstances had changed. I hopped into my car. Montrose to Cleveland in a half hour was a possibility. The biggest problem was that I didn't know how to get to the Cedar Lee. I had my step-dad's cell phone with me (from my recent car problems) so I called information. She confirmed the showtime hadn't changed and transferred me so I could get directions. Unfortunately, she transferred me to an automated recording that listed each show's title, actors, rating, running time, and catering budget (only the last item is an exaggeration). Then after 4 minutes of this, the recording finally got to the number to call with other questions. After clearly pronouncing everything else, he speed through the phone number just one time. I jotted down what I hoped he said, but that number led to someone's personal voicemail. Ahhh. I called my sister at work so she could look directions up on-line. I got her voicemail. I tried again but no luck. I gave my sister-in-law a call on her cell phone, followed by my Uncle Jim at work. No answer either place.
So I called information again and explained they had given me a recorded line and I needed the live line for the theatre. No problem, she said, adding they would remove the charge from the first phone call. She then proceeded to transfer me to the same recorded line. So, again I listened to four minutes of worthless info waiting for that brief moment to come when I could try to check the phone number I had written down. I heard 321 this time, instead of the 221 I originally called. So I called the revised number and got a different person's personal voice mail.
All the while, I'm arriving in Cleveland and needing to make decisions. I remembered glancing at the directions on-line when I briefly entertained the idea of driving to Cleveland to see Volver. I was pretty sure it told me to go 480 West. So as I'm cluelessly driving west on 480, I try my sister again and this time, to my delight, she answers. She checks for directions and I ask her where I go from 480 West. "Lee Rd, Exit 24," she tells me, along with the rest of the directions. I thank her and hang up. I hadn't been paying attention to exit numbers yet, so I glanced at the next sign: Exit 10. The following one: Exit 9. I'm going the wrong way!
I hop off at the next exit and ring my sister again while I'm changing directions. "It said 480 West, didn't it?" It did, in fact, but it hadn't taken me up 77 as I had gone, or even up 71 which I had passed. The directions had me going up 271 which goes east of 77 and then you come back on 480 West. I had been going the wrong way the whole time. It was, by now, about 2:15: when Volver was to start. I'd be late but with previews, maybe I wouldn't miss much. Normally, I hate walking in after a movie has started but at this point, I was going to take what I could get. So I'm driving down 480, East this time, and eventually I start getting close. Exits 21, 22, 23, and next: Exit 25. What?! I glanced behind me, and sure enough I could see Exit 24: Lee Rd that only exited westbound. I took Exit 25 to turn around and head west. Of course, it was a right turn only at the end of the exit and I had to take a quick turn through a gas station to get headed towards the 480 East ramp.
Now, with no time to lose, I'm finally on Lee Rd and have five miles to go. Immediately, I hit a school zone. In a little bit, there is a train crossing with lights flashing and the bars down, but alas there is no train. The cars in front of me, at least ten of them, start driving around the barriers. It gets to be my turn and sure enough, no train in sight. I follow suit. Missing only the previews is no longer an option. I continue on. Now I slow down for a van stopped in the opposite lane with smoke coming out of its charred hood. Behind it sits a fire truck and two firemen stand beside the van with the water hose putting out what used to be a fire. I drive on and eventually see the Cedar Lee on my right. Parking is in the rear, I know this from the four minute message I was forced to listen through twice. It is now 3:00.
I park in the rear but have to scramble for enough lose change as the parking lot has parking meters. Finally, I enter the Cedar Lee and request a ticket for Volver. "The 2:15 or the 4:45?" the man asks. I enter just in time to hear Sole's mom calling to her from the trunk. I stand for awhile until my eyes have adjusted enough that I can confidently feel for a seat without sitting on someone. I sit for a mesmerizing movie that I thoroughly enjoy. It ends. I call home to update everyone on my delayed return. Then I wait, with the ticket taker's permission, for the 4:45 showing and watch, from the beginning this time, until after Sole hears the noises from her trunk again. I would have gladly finished the movie a second time, but I needed to get home.
On the slightly shorter, but still long, drive home, I again passed that same van sitting in the same spot. The smoke had stopped and the firemen had gone, but the van still sat right in the middle of the lane. I knew with a fair amount of certainty that my day's driving experience had at least gone better than the owner of that van.
posted by Keith Allison at 9:48 PM
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