After shooting a couple of scenes for my friend Taylor’s film “The Hell Cat” earlier in the year, I was very excited to get to see the world premiere on the big screen. I’ve participated in the production of several short films over the years, but I’ve never gotten to see something I helped create in a proper theater on the big screen!

Taylor was able to secure some time at Central Cinema out in Happy Holler on a weeknight, and it was there that we got to see my name in lights as a supporting actor. Katie and I rode down together and her tummy got a little upset due to the bumpy ride on the roads leading to the parking lot. This was remedied, however, with a diet soda and an enormous bag of buttery, salty popcorn. There isn’t a happier Katie in the world than Katie with a snack.

We watched the film with about 40 or 50 of Taylor’s friends and family, and it was magnificent. My role was minimal – typecast as a muscleheaded goon who kidnaps a girl for a religious reform school – but it was still fun to see my parts fully edited. The entire film was beautifully shot and edited by our new-ish friend Ben with the story written by and action directed by my friend Taylor.

After the showing, a thunderous round of applause filled the room. Taylor stood on the stage and gave a few heartfelt thanks before posing for countless photos. I was very proud of him.

But I was also ready for dinner, so Katie and I snuck out the door and ran across the street to one of my favorite spots: Central Flats & Taps. It was her first time and I was very excited to share it with her.

She told me recently that she enjoys those random weeknight evenings when we go out for dinner instead of cooking like usual. In a weird way it’s almost like a vacation or a date night simply because it skews from our norm. This night definitely felt like that for me as well.

We chowed down on different flats – Katie’s formaggio & herb flat and my “Varsity” flat. We also unofficially played along with the trivia game that was happening, though we weren’t very good – probably a good thing we weren’t actually playing.

Katie did get to rib me a bit at one point regarding the trivia. I told her that I’m terrible at it, and she said that was hard to believe because I was so good at Jeopardy! I mentioned that it was different because “trivia is usually more pop-culture based whereas Jeopardy! Is more … I don’t know…”

Katie finished my thought for me “smart people shit?”

For lack of better phrasing, yes. It’s stuff you had to pay attention in school to know, for the most part.

Just before we left – round four I believe, – the question involved Einstein’s Mass-Energy Equivalence Principle. I got the answer right by explaining that the M in E=MC² stood for “mass” while the E stood for “energy” and the C² stood for the speed of light multiplied by itself. I then went on to explain how the principle reveals that mass can be converted to energy, and likewise energy into mass.

After providing my scholarly notes, Katie just gave me a “told you so” look of confirmation, which then prompted me to remind her that I had lots of friends in school and always “got chicks.”

Not sure if she ever believes me when I tell her that.

She says she loves my mind, and that’s obvious. She clearly didn’t marry me for my money or looks.

-jtf

This is post 23 of 30 in my most recent attempt at tackling NaBloPoMo. Funsies and such.