Sorry, This Seat is Reserved

Place: Iceberg Drive-Inn
Lunch: Iceburger (no tomato), onion rings, red raspberry milk shake

The Iceburger is the very definition of decadant. I'm just saying.

I got to experience "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in IMAX. WOW. I couldn't believe how steady and clear the picture was on that huge screen. Pretty amazing.

The theatre in question is trying out "reserved seating". I find this to be kind of silly for a movie theatre. When you go to the box office, you pick your seats from a computer map. (If you buy online or from an automated ticket kiosk, it picks your seats for you. You don't get a choice.) I had no problem doing this because I've been in this auditorium before when it was "large format", so I knew where my favorite seat would be. But it was clear when the show started that I was in the minority. I tend to like an "in your face" presentation, so I choose seats closer to the screen than most. This show was far from a sellout, and people near me were getting up once the movie started and moving to other seats.

A man and his two teenagers were sitting next to us. His daughter says "Dad, why did you pick these seats?"

"So we could see the show."

"Well my friends and I sat up there (upper tier) last time and it was PERFECT!"

"Fine. We can move."

"No we can't. Those seats cost more."

"No they don't."

"Yes they do, Dad."

"I don't think so."

"Well you're wrong."

So they stayed.

She was wrong, by the way.

Plus, ushers have to walk most people to their seats because people are apparently too stupid to read the aisle and seat numbers for themselves. Most of them saw the map when they bought the tickets, so they should know where to go. Late comers who show up after the movie has started are the worst because the ushers have to use a flashlight and they have to climb over those of us who showed up on time instead of just picking some available aisle seats.

I guess the benefit here is that large families can be assured they all sit together. The weekend shows tend to sell out, so that makes some sense. But weekday matinees with less than a third of the house sold...Why bother?

Topeka Workrate Report

Place: Fatburger (in Aurora CO, not Topeka)
Lunch: Fatburger with egg (no tomato, no relish), chili dog, chocolate shake

If my experience this morning says anything, Topeka is nothing but a bunch of lazy people who just don't care.

First, breakfast at Steak n Shake. I order chili. "We don't have any because we opened at six (because of Thanksgiving) and it's not ready yet." Then she just stares at me like it's my fault for ordering it.

Second, Conoco. I pull in to fill up, and nine of the twelve pumps have baggies over them. So I go to one of the three that do (supposedly) work, go through the process to get the pump going, and it won't go. So I go inside and ask the cashier what's going on. He goes out and fiddles with it, and he can't get it going either. "You can try three or five, those are the only other ones that work." I try one of the two. Same deal. I leave.

So I go up the road looking for another gas station. A few blocks away, a second Conoco. It ALSO has bags over at some of the pumps. I don't even bother.

Up the road some more. No more gas stations. Turn around and hit the other main drag. Eventually find a BP. Pull in. "This gas pump does not generate receipts." Uh, yeah. I start pumping gas. The pump works for about three seconds, then the automatic shutoff happens as if the tank is full. I push it again. It does it again. Eventually, I get ten bucks of gas in and give up. I'm REALLY frustrated and want out of this town as quickly as possible. The cashier gives me a receipt. Out I went.

The rest of the day went well. Picked up a winter supply of pecan log rolls at Stuckey's, made it to Denver fairly quickly, and successfully navigated a shopping development and got into Fatburger on Black Friday. Fatburger aint cheap, but it sure is good.

And it's a beautiful day.