Friday, May 31, 2013

To Boldly Go


Two weeks ago the entire Common Household went to see Star Trek Into Darkness. I am not a big movie person, but this one I wanted to see.  It has both Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbund in it.  Hooray for pasty white guys!  It was very exciting and violent and fast-paced and explosive.  And now I’ve filled my movie-seeing quota for awhile.

My husband loves movies, though, and for several days, has been asking Youngest Daughter to go see the movie Epic with him.  She refused, but I can’t remember her reasons.

Tonight after dinner the topic came up again.  He asked, she refused again.
 
Her brother had an idea.  He suggested, “You could go to the movie just to get some snacks.”  (Once again, he manages to imply that we never feed him.) Youngest Daughter replied,  “I don’t want to spend any of my money on snacks.  I might owe $100 for a lost textbook.”

I put my head in my hands. This was the first I had heard about this transgression, a pretty grave one considering that there are only 3 days of school left.

Seeing my reaction, YD said in a contrite voice, “I’ll go look for it now.” She took a few steps, but didn’t leave the dining room.

Me:  Don’t just look for it.  Clean your room!  That’s how you will find it.

Son, channeling Obi-Wan:  Use The Force.  Search your feelings.

Me:  No!  Don’t search your feelings!  Search your room!  And clean your room!

YD came back to the table and sat down.  “It would be easier to use The Force,” she said.  Considering the state of her bedroom, she is correct.

(Later, at about 8 PM…)
Me:  YD, have you found your textbook yet?

YD: No.

Me:  Well, go clean your room. 

YD:  I do my best work at night.  I’ll look for it later.

So this weekend the Common Household screenplay will be Textbook Trek Into Darkness. I’m thinking that textbook is better hidden than the Enterprise was at the beginning of the movie.

How about you – have you seen any good movies lately?  Do you feel like you are living in a movie?

7 comments:

Trouble With Cellos said...

Yes, over here! We're living in a movie!

"Attack of the Middle School Administrators."

Seriously.

Middle kid--the one who plays cello because we refuse to allow him to quit--recently fired a rubber band during a school orchestra concert (the afternoon concert, NOT the one in the evening for parents).

I made him write a letter of apology, which he left on the conductor's desk that night at the concert for the parents.

It was never acknowledged.

But the next day, for his heinous transgression, he received a 1-day, in-school suspension, is barred from attending school activities for the rest of the year, and his friends were questioned individually by both orchestra teacher and principal, wherein they were asked if they had seen Middle Kid fire said rubber band. Basically, they were pressured to rat on their friend--over a RUBBER BAND.

So was Middle Kid. He was called to the principal's office, and was asked to name the other 3 or 4 kids who had fired rubber bands. When he refused, the principal then called me. She was clearly angry.

I think I would have preferred a lost textbook to this scenario....

Unknown said...

@Trouble: Wow. Sounds like Middle Kid seized the opportunity to exercise his constitutional right to keep his mouth shut -- and thus his integrity with his friends intact. Administrative trauma notwithstanding, what an excellent civics lesson! (And an entrée to a family discussion about situational ethics to boot.)

Angie said...

I didn't see the movie, though the men in the family did and they loved it. But I do know a lot about finding (or not finding) things in messy rooms.

The Crislers said...

We loved Star Trek! Is that really that actor's name? Surely a name like Benedict Cumberbund is a stage name... right?

Oh, I hope you find that textbook. Overdue library books stress me out; I got a sick feeling just reading about a missing textbook.

Cassi said...

We loved the first new ST movie, and I'm sure we'll see the second one at some point --we are definite Trekkies here :-)

So far my daughter doesn't have textbooks, but I could easily see one being lost in the detritus of her room. Kind of scary.

Anonymous said...

The Croods was better than I'd expected.
Star Trek, Iron Man and Despicable Me II are on our bucket list for summer--glad to hear it was good!
I have 3 kids who WISH the force would clean their rooms.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I suspect that my 13yo could NOT find a textbook in his room unless the emptied the entire room. And then he still wouldn't find it! Our resident 17yo would be missing the book until he, A) picked up all of the dirty clothes off the floor and put them in the hamper where they belong (Yes, I suspect my annoyance is showing!) and B) looked under his bed.
However, that is all a matter of the pot calling her kettles black. I am my own worst enemy. Is there a movie about that?