Coolest Job Perks, Volume One
A couple weeks ago, my latest Barbie movie came out, Barbie: A Fairy Secret. The movie is a DVD release, but about a week before it hit the shelves, it was screened at an area movie theater, and the fab producer asked if I wanted to go.
Fact: I've been writing Barbie movies for years, and Miss M has never been into them. At all. Simply not interested.
However, I knew several of her friends were really into the movies, and I thought it would be a fun thing for Miss M to take them to see one of the films on the big screen. Miss M loved the idea. We rallied two of her closest friends, their moms (both close friends of mine), and my 91-year-old grandmother, because I thought she'd get a huge kick out of A) seeing Miss M and her friends running around together, and B) seeing my name writ large in the opening credits.
The event started off as a major debacle. I have no sense of direction, and ended up parking as far away from the theater as humanly possible. Of course, because I'm directionally challenged, I had no idea I'd done this until Miss M, my grandmother, and I were halfway through our marathon trek… in the bitter cold ("bitter cold" by L.A. standards)… with wind gusts that blew down signs in our path.
Did I mention my grandmother uses a walker and can't walk very far?
After forty days and forty nights, we made it to the front of the theater, where my grandmother was aching to sit down… but all the chairs were covered with water from a storm the day before. Thankfully, her walker doubles as a seat. Even more thankfully, the first of Miss M's two friends showed up a minute later, and nothing perks up my grandmother like watching Miss M and her friends play.
Miss M's other friend soon arrived, and we got the kids and my grandmother Wetzels and lemonade — breakfast of champions — while we waited for Tiffany J. to arrive with the tickets, then we trouped in. The kids and the other two moms snagged seats in the middle of the theater, while I grabbed a seat in the handicap-access area with my grandmother… who was getting herself situated in the chair and missed my name on the screen.
About five minutes in, she fell fast asleep.
Five minutes later, she started to snore.
Loudly.
I kinda loved it. I couldn't stop giggling.
Luckily, the sound in the theater was REALLY loud, so I don't think anyone else heard either one of us.
She woke up two minutes before the movie ended, and when the end credits rolled, she smiled, put her hand on my knee, and declared it the best movie she'd ever seen.
I love my grandmother.
By the time she and I made our way out of the theater (after a much needed pit stop for both of us), Miss M and her friends were racing around the courtyard in front of the theater… playing A Fairy Secret.
At lunch, one of Miss M's friends told me the movie was the best movie she'd ever seen, which amused me highly because this girl's father is a brilliant screenwriter who has written some of my favorite movies in the world. Miss M chimed in with a more specific review: "It was the best Barbie movie I've ever seen."
Miss M is awesome.
What made the day such a cool job perk for me wasn't seeing the movie, it was getting to do something fun and unique with my grandmother, Miss M, and her friends — something that meant a lot to them and they all really enjoyed. I even include my grandmother in the "really enjoyed" description. She didn't see the movie, but she loved the experience of going out and seeing the girls play together. Even cooler, it HAILED on the drive home. How often do you get to drive through hail in L.A.?
So tell me… what unique job perks have you gotten to enjoy with your family? A unique trip, maybe? A fun take-your-child-to-work-day visit? A craft service table feast? Whatever it is, I'd love to hear all about it!
