1st date, still so great!

Justin:  It's no secret that I am a huge movie fan and since being with me, Nicole has seen more movies in the past 3 years than she has EVER in her life.  I love her for embracing my love of cinema and wanting to share in the romance, action, and drama of it all.

Movies continue to play a big part in our relationship but they were most important in the beginning.  I've talked previously about how we started to have feelings for each other when we began watching films at my parents' house.  Heck, the first thing I ever gave her was a copy of The Dark Knight. (Yeah I'm cool like that.)

We eventually moved on from watching movies at the house to watching movies in the theater.  Just as friends of course.  It wasn't until I mentioned this thing that AMC Theaters was doing where they showed all the Best Picture nominees on one day, that we would have our first official date. It was called the Best Picture Showcase.  I think it was 2 years running so not a lot of people have heard about it.  I've always wanted to go and seeing as Nic had become more than just my "movie buddy", I thought I'd ask her to see this with me.

I'm fuzzy on the details but I'm pretty sure we both decided right away that an event like this would mark our first official date.

We packed a lunch grammar school style and had a day at the movies.  It was incredibly fun and we decided to make this one of our traditions, to celebrate our first date every year with a day at the movies.

This year, we get to celebrate not on one day but two days!  We are very excited.

As I sit back watching Slumdog Millionaire (one of our favorite movies and Best Picture winner in 2009), Nic is already sleeping getting the rest she needs for tomorrow.  We will be watching the first four of the nine films and the remaining five next Saturday.

I am not ashamed to say that movies (amongst other things) have defined important moments of our relationship.  The first time she gave me something for Valentine's Day (The Princess Bride).  The first time we said, "I love you" (I Love You, Man).  The first time we made out. (Superbad...for reals). Heck we even spent this past New Years in a theater (New Years Eve).   Movies have been a huge part of our relationship and they continue to be.  We watch a lot of films and we laugh, love, and cry through them...together. 

Any thoughts Nic?

Nicole: ZZZZzzzzzzz

Justin:  Well, she will share her thoughts on next week's post when we talk about the second weekend of our third first date.  Woah...wrap your head around that.

To Mars and back...

Nicole: Alright, I'm failing a little bit here on keeping up with the posts.  Let's see if I can get back on track for your reading enjoyment!

We went to see Bruno Mars!  In the previous post Justin mentioned going to see some KSmith for his birthday/anniversary gift. And he surprised me with tickets to see Bruno!  It was fantastic and really great performing from all three bands.

The show was at the Aragon Ballroom here in Chicago, which neither of us had been to so we didn't really know what to expect.  I had read some reviews on the place and wasn't expecting much because people kept talking about the awful sound quality, the lack of seating, and how there was only one bathroom aaaaaaaall the way on the first floor.

I had a half day the day of the concert due to the holiday weekend and Justin left work early so we could head uptown and try to get in line early.  So we get there and we see this short little line full of fans and we think "Yes!"  We're towards the front this will be awesome.  While we are in line, I ask around just to make sure we are in the right line and everyone seems to agree even though no one really knows for sure.  Then a girl comes up to her friends and explains how she asked the bouncer guy and the real line is actually on the other side of the building!  So we get out of that line and hightail it to the other side before everyone else from the wrong line gets there.  We walk around the corner and the line is like 57497529 times longer than the first one we were in!  We make the long trek to the back of the line and start waiting and making friends as we have about 2 hours till the show starts.  Even though the line was sooo much longer, we actually lucked out because as the minutes passed the line grew and grew to a crazy extent.

 We finally make it inside and head to the merchandise area because we both know we want to get something and while we are deciding on what the get and heading to the bathroom (which really wasn't that bad) the place fills up fast!  We walk out onto the main floor and its already getting crowded.  Even though, we knew there weren't many seats in the balcony area, we decided to take a chance and check it out.  So we head up there and all the seats are taken, maybe we can just stand behind the chairs?  It was a pretty good view.  So we are walking around trying to get the best view standing up and not be in people's way when, in the corner of the area we are in, we spot three empty seats and a girl hovering over them with her Eagle Eye.  We brave the Eye ask if they are taken and only one of them is, we're in luck!  We managed to get really decent seats close to the balcony front and stage and we get to sit for the concert! They also had large screens just in case you couldn't see from far away, but we really lucked out and didn't need them.

The opening acts were both amazing.  They were Janelle Monae and Mayer Hawthorne  Two very different styles but very good.  We actually bought the Mayer Hawthorne album and they have a fun contemporary jazz vibe.

While the reviews were right about the acoustics, everything was waaaaay to loud and you couldn't make out a lot of the words being sung, the whole experience was a great time.  The crowd was singing along with Bruno and you could tell he really loves performing.  He was having as much fun as the audience was.  It was great to hear his songs live and an overall great experience.

I would definitely go see Bruno Mars live again if I had the opportunity.  As for the Aragon, unless it was someone really really amazing, I think I'd have to pass, just because of the awful acoustics, or maybe just bring some earplugs ;o)

Thank you Love for the great gift!  I absolutely loved it  :o)

A 2 Year SManniversary Present!

Justin:  So Nic and I thought it would be a good idea to talk about our two year anniversary present that we received from the other as individual posts.  My anniversary present was actually more like an early birthday present that I knew about earlier.  I had already known (sort of) that Nicole was going to buy me tickets to what was back in November of 2010, going to be a Jay and Silent Bob Get Old tour.  Months past and writer/director Kevin Smith went on tour with his new movie, Red State this passed March.  I so badly wanted to go to that I got all upset about it when I couldn't because we were in a big "save money" phase at the start of the year.  OBVIOUSLY not knowing that she had already purchased tickets to the Get Old show months prior.

So when she busted out these tickets earlier then she wanted to so she can make my whiny ass shut up about missing Red State, I felt like total turds.  Well, I'm glad she got the tickets that she did because the show had evolved into the Jay and Silent Smod Tour which now featured Scott Mosier and SModcast.  Two shows, one ticket.  It was fan freakin' tastic and hilarious as one would expect.  Throughout the night I kind of got a feeling Nic was in to Mewes...so watch out as he might make an appearance on The List.

So this was kind of an anniversary more of a late birthday present but it was a great way to spend an evening.  Prior to that we ate at the Elephant & Castle Pub just off of Wabash by Millennium Park.  It was good eats and a recommended by Nic who ate at a location on her Seattle trip.  I had the Salmon Burger...which was a little dry but it still had great flavor.  We also split some nachos like a couple of fatties haha.  I love how into the things she gets that I am into...it makes me loves her more.  Thanks for the great birthdaynnversary gift love!

P.S. to hear what we heard head to SModcast and listen to episode #170:  SMod-3D @ The Harris Theater.

Wanna know what I got for Nic?...