I Stopped Having 'Get-Things-Done' Days | The Reason for Seat M-7 in Screen 11

The place where my self today
felt a quiet thrill.

That was
seat M-7 in Screen 11.

One of my favorite movies is
"The Devil Wears Prada."
Now, 20 years after its 2006 release, the sequel
"The Devil Wears Prada 2" is the talk of the town,
and I had been curious about it.

I love movies, but
I'm generally the type who is fine just watching them on streaming services,
but for this one, I had a vague thought that
it would be nice if I could see it in a theater.

Today was my first
day off alone in months.

I love my children, but
sometimes I want to be set free.

The number one reason why being a solo parent is so tough is
because when the kids are around, my monitoring switch is always on, so my brain never gets a rest.

It's not that I hate being a solo parent.
It's this restless state of mind that is exhausting.

"Let me rest for just 10 minutes~"

Even when I ask my kids that,
I've experienced many times that I still can't relax.

For example, will they fall off the balcony? Or,
will they accidentally swallow a snack? Including things like that,
my nerves are always on edge unconsciously.
Let's get back to the story.

After dropping off my younger child at nursery school in the morning,
I went to the dentist for a regular checkup.

I opened note in the waiting room for no particular reason.
Then the words "The Devil Wears Prada 2"
suddenly caught my eye.

It clicked,
and I looked up the movie showtimes.
It said 11:15 to 13:30.

Even including the travel time from here,
and the time to buy a discounted employee benefit ticket on Seven Ticket, I would definitely make it in time.

It was as if it was telling me to go.

Actually, after the dentist, during the day, I had planned to do:
photo orders (for the entrance ceremony, recital for lessons),
checking and downloading video data (nursery school, performances),
shopping for school swimsuits and daily necessities,
and since I'd be getting home an hour later than usual due to evening lessons, housework like prepping dinner, cleaning, tidying up, and driving to lessons,

I had decided that today would be a day to clear at least one of my mountain of tasks,
organize my brain, and feel refreshed!

But.
It seems today was different.

The vibe was that Mom should take a break.
I see, I shouldn't push myself; now is the time to rest.
I felt like someone was telling me that.

So.
I decided to change my plans to 'me time'.

Anne Hathaway as Andy
is as cute as ever, and I love her character.

Meryl Streep as an older Miranda
has a dignified beauty that makes you forget she is 76.

And the glamorous fashion,
and the gorgeous and stylish designs,
they don't fit my current life, which is far from 'mode,' but they still make me excited!
It even brings back nostalgic feelings

from my younger days when I watched The Devil Wears Prada over and over.

"Because you are an icon yourself."

Being able to watch that line
all by myself from seat M-7 in Screen 11.
(This is super important. It's going to be on the test!)

Ah, that was such a good change of pace!
Solo time is the best.
Hehe.

Well, while soaking in the afterglow of the movie, my mother
found herself holding a '500 yen coupon for two bags of souvenir popcorn with a movie ticket stub'
before she knew it,
and was standing in line at the food counter.
It's strange. I wonder why.
And 1/4 of one of those 1/2 bags (I'll keep it between us that I was shocked by the fairly large size) ended up being my lunch.

(What kind of lunch is that! Lol)
The other one was a souvenir for the family,
and I converted the money saved from the employee benefit ticket discount

perfectly into souvenir popcorn.
Even though I resisted having popcorn during the screening.
Since rising prices are putting a strain on the household budget,

I want to use the budget for my family.

In a sense, the goal was achieved.
But as a result, it didn't save any money. Lol

Even though I called it 'me time',
in the end, my family never left my mind.

Ah, shoot, this is the part.
It seems I still need more training
to fully enjoy 'me time'.

If I were single and having 'me time',
I wouldn't buy souvenir popcorn because it would be a hassle to carry.

When I got home, I prepared curry in the pressure cooker,
and while my child was doing homework,
I opened my PC,
and finished as many tasks as I could at lightning speed,

made two round trips for pick-ups and drop-offs,
and in between that, I handled my younger child's individual parent-teacher conference,
aiming for a 9 PM bedtime!

With mom mode in full swing,
like Miranda Priestly,
I work hard at my motherly duties. (Annoying, right? ♡)

Maybe I'll try inviting a mom friend next time.

That is, if there's someone whose timing and mood match mine.
I probably won't make a firm plan to go.

No plans,
a vibe like 'My timing and mood matched, so I'm going!'
is probably comfortable for both of us.

Distance is super important.

I recommend everyone take a breather sometimes.
Strangely, I feel like my performance afterwards improves too. Heh.