Julie and Julia

A friend gave me a card for $20 worth of movies at AMC theaters. I’ve been dying to see “Julie and Julia” so we schlepped down to Ft. Lauderdale to the only AMC theater within 15 miles. Where did all the AMC theaters go?

The drive was horrendous. I hate driving into the big city, even on weekends. I don’t do well with crowds or crazy drivers and of course we ran into both.

Even though two movie tickets only cost $14.50 I still ended up shelling out an additional $28 for nachos, hot dog, and drinks. Not such a free movie.

I don’t know that I would drive that far again.

Still, we loved the movie. It was delightful and entertaining. I wouldn’t say it was thought-provoking for most, but it was for me.

Since both Julie and Julia were both authors and going through the trials of trying to get published, I could commensurate. I burst out laughing when Julia’s husband asked if she’d get an advance of $10,000.

God, I wish!

Aspiring authors seem to think they’ll be a millionaire once they get the publishing contract. First, that they’ll get a huge advance. Second, that they’ll sell a ton of copies immediately.

Honestly, I’m sure some do. It’s not true for me or most of the writers I know, unfortunately. We write because we love to write. Or because we’re obsessed. You’d have to be to write after a long hard day at work and on precious weekends. It’s very much a second job.

Like Julie, I’d love to have my books made into movies. Maybe one day, but again, I don’t think that happens for the majority of us.

Like Julie, I work in an office customer service department where people scream at me and lay their problems on me. Lots of times I feel insignificant like Julie did in the beginning of her story.

Like Julie, my husband (and kids) sometimes get fed up with my obsession. They think I’m ignoring them, that I spend my home waking hours on this machine. It doesn’t matter that I’m earning money that helps pay the mortgage and allows us extra income for fun, like movies.

Unlike Julie, I haven’t had a day with 52 comments on my blog. Not even close. No editors or agents have left voice mails for me.

Hopefully, that will happen one day.

For now, I am happy to give “Julie and Julia” a high recommendation. I think women like me will very much enjoy it. I don’t know that my sons or my husband would.

Sshhhh! Don’t tell my friends I already saw the movie. I’ll still join them for our girls’ night out Wednesday and see it again.