Assigned seats at the movies

Assigned seats at the movies is a foreign concept in the US, and I'd imagine people would be up in arms if the theaters there tried to put it in place. I felt the same way when I lived in Spain. Why can't I just get my ticket, walk into the theater, and choose my seat? It's against my given rights in a democratic society to have the ticket booth person choose my seat for me. Even if I can choose my seat when I purchase the ticket, how am I supposed to know if Row G or Row H is better without actually being in the theater?

That was then, in 1999 (was it that long ago?). Now, with influx and flurry of online purchasing, I think assigned seats at the movies could be one of the greatest inventions of modern times.

John and I were planning a date night last Saturday night. We had the babysitter lined up and decided to go see Vicky Christina Barcelona, a Woody Allen movie that made its way here. We don't have many choices, as few movies besides the major blockbusters get released here.

In a snap, I went online, determined the movie time we wanted to go to, and had the option of reserving the seats or purchasing them. I can pick seats looking at the plan of the actual theater where the movie is showing - it's easy to see the screen and how far the seats are from it. If I reserved the seats, then I just have to show up at least 30 minutes beforehand to purchase them. If I purchase the seats, then they are mine, and I can show up at any time.We purchased, and within 30 seconds I had a text message on my phone with the record number for claiming my tickets.

That night, John and I had a leisurely dinner prior to the movie - no need to rush to the theater! Ten minutes prior to the start, we arrived at the theater and saw huge long lines for people waiting to buy tickets. Then, I saw the glorious kiosk where I could get my tickets. No line. I simply punched in the number from my phone, and there they were!

No worrying about the movie being sold out, or having to get there super early such that your popcorn is gone even before the previews start. Overall, a much more enjoyable experience. Maybe, given the chance, it might not do so badly in the US afterall.

Our Austrian Getaway

Last weekend, we had a fabulous time snowboarding and relaxing in Semmering, Austria. It is a cute tiny village not far from Vienna, and we went with our friends, Ken and Noemi who have a daughter, Minu, the same age as Chloe and Marta who takes care of both Minu and Chloe during the week. We also brought Burton, who got his first taste of snow up to his belly. He had so much fun just jumping through it! We stayed at a quaint pension/hotel that worked out perfectly for the babies - it had a restaurant and common area that - thanks to baby monitors - we were able to hang out in while the babies were sleeping.

Here's a pic of Burton in the snow next to our hotel:


We were within walking distance of the mountain, and John got his first taste of snowboarding in I think 4 years! I would definitely call it only a taste as the mountain was pretty small - only 2 ski lifts! We spent our time on basically 3 different runs, and 3 hours (or less!) per day for me was plenty. The runs were nice, and it snowed on and off both days so there was plenty of powder cover. I think I captured all the runs in one photo:

It was perfect for a short weekend getaway as it was less than 2 hours from Bratislava, easily accessible and small enough to walk everywhere. It was a preview warm up to our planned trip to St. Anton in March with my mom. It's a very famous Austrian ski area, and we are really looking forward to it.

The girls had a great time playing together - they are really crawling everywhere and interested in everything around them - especially the curtains. They could have played with them for hours! I think Marta had great fun too - she helped us out for a couple of hours each day so John and I could ski together and also just hung out with the babies and relaxed - except on our walk when Burton was pulling her every which way because he was so excited (and she's not too much bigger than he is!).


Thanks to Ken and Noemi, John and I were also introduced to Austria's own soda, Almdudler. It's very yummy, light, made from herbs and easy to drink - a little like ginger ale, but better. I already bought some for the house! It was a pleasantly surprising contast to Kofola, the national soda of Slovakia, which is a heavy, NON-CARBONATED, licorice tasting soda (think Coke that is flat and warm).

We are so thankful to be able to go to all these amazing places - and with great friends. We are truly enjoying our adventure of a lifetime!