#89: Go to a midnight movie premiere

Last spring, I read - make that devoured - the Hunger Games trilogy. I was so totally drawn into these books that I convinced Steven to read them as well, just so I could have conversations with him about them. Naturally, when I heard the books were being turned into the next blockbuster film franchise, I put them on my "must see" list. And when I realized the teen target demographic would lead to a midnight premiere, I realized I had the means to cross #89 off of my list.

I must say, Steven was a total trooper about this. I pulled a not-completely-intentional bait and switch, buying our tickets before the other friends in our group had given a solid confirmation, but he took it in stride and still agreed to brave the theater with me on Thursday night.

This wasn't my first midnight premiere - just the first in a long time. Definitely the first since I've started working in the professional realm. I was ready for lengthy lines of costumed teens, so you can imagine my surprise when I showed up to my theater at 10 p.m., breezed up to the kiosk, and collected my tickets without even glimpsing a velvet rope. I asked the ticket taker whether she expected any lines, she pointed to four teens sitting on the floor next to Theater 1 and said "not really."

Steven and I quickly adapted and took advantage of the short line, heading over to Cheesecake Factory so I could caffeinate. (I'd been up and going since my 6 a.m. yoga class!) We waltzed back over to the theater when Cheesecake Factory closed at 11, headed straight to Theater 5, and picked our seats - from a totally empty theater. Seriously.

In all, about 40 people filed in at a quarter of midnight, making for a much quieter - and frankly, much more enjoyable - experience than either of us expected.

The movie was completely worth the late "curtain call" - it stayed true enough to the book to win over Suzanne Collins' fans, and it was really wonderful to see the pages come to life on-screen. There were a few pieces I wish had been better portrayed (but no spoilers here), but overall, I'm glad we braved the premiere. And I'm proud to say I survived the next day at work as well, getting lots done and even making it to my 9 a.m. meeting alert and on time!

#41: Go to a concert

Last night the husband and I had a mid-week "date night," complete with dinner at Cosi, drinks at Duffy's and a concert from one of our favorite Texas artists - Mr. Pat Green.

I've seen Pat Green live a few times before - once at the rodeo in Dallas and once here in D.C. at the 9:30 Club. His D.C. shows have become an annual occurrence, and an informal Texas reunion for all of us who've relocated to the Beltway. It was such a blast bumping into former Archer Fellows and Texas Exes friends, as well as old friends from my days as a White House intern and staffer.

No matter how many times I see him live, hearing Pat Green play "Southbound 35" and singing along with a packed room of energetic, die-hard fans gets me every. single. time.

I was too busy singing and dancing and drinking (and being jostled and spilled on) to take any pictures of my own, so I snagged this official show photo (not from D.C.) from Pat Green's Facebook page.

#46: Watch all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees in a given year

This weekend the husband and I kept our eye on the prize and cranked out the last two Best Picture nominees before I leave town for a whirlwind of trips for the remainder of the month.

On Friday night, we kicked off our Best Picture weekend by watching "Winter's Bone" in the comfort of our living room. We'd heard from friends that the film was "good but gritty." Y'all, neither of us liked this one. At all. I'll admit that Jennifer Lawrence did a great job acting mature beyond her years, but that's about the only positive thing I have to say about this slow, stagnant downer of a movie.

Last night we trekked out to Georgetown to catch "The Fighter." I'd been eager to see this one since it first hit theaters, just knowing that it would end up with a nomination or two. The husband was less excited, insisting that we wait until the Academy gave it the nod before adding it to our must-see list. The verdict: I'm so glad we saved this one for last because it was excellent.

So now that we've seen all 10 of the Best Picture nominees, here are our big award picks:

Actor in a Supporting Role
P: Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
S: Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

Actress in a Supporting Role
P: Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
S: Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"

Actor in a Leading Role
P: James Franco in "127 Hours"
S: James Franco in "127 Hours"

Actress in a Leading Role
P: Anette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
S: Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"

Directing
P: "Black Swan" Darren Aronofsky
S: "The Social Network" David Fincher

Best Picture
P: "127 Hours"
S: "The Social Network"

There are still a few movies we want to see from this year's picks - "Blue Valentine,"The Town" and "The Illusionist" to name a few. But for now we're putting a pause on our movie-watching spree and just holding tight until the Academy Awards air on the 27th.

In Progress - #46: Watch all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees in a given year

Today the husband and I had a fun afternoon date, heading to DC's E Street Cinema to catch the afternoon showing of "127 Hours."

Neither of us was sure what to expect - we both knew the story of Aaron Ralston, but we weren't eager to see the self-amputation that would ultimately free Ralston from the canyon. (Hope that wasn't a spoiler for anyone, but really - if you don't know that much about the movie and its true story, why in the world are you seeing it?) We left saying "wow, that was intense... but also great."

James Franco gave an incredible performance and he definitely has my vote for Best Actor.

Eight down... just two more to go!

In Progress - #46: Watch all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees in a given year

In 2007, I - along with a handful of my fellow intern house mates - watched all five Oscar Best Picture nominees back-to-back (to back) at the AMC Theatres in Alexandria, Va. Even with the unlimited soda and bottomless popcorn, it was a long day. But despite the popcorn-induced tummy ache and the numb rear, I was hooked. In the following years, I watched every Best Picture nominee, rooting for an informed favorite on Oscar night.

Then last year, the Academy changed the game on me, upping the category from a manageable five nominees to a much more intimidating 10. Steven and I got close to watching all 10, but no cigar. (We still haven't seen "A Serious Man" or all of "The Blind Side.")

This year, refusing to be bested by the Academy, we've been more proactive in our pursuit. We've employed a truly scientific method (mostly just jumping on every "Oscar buzz" bandwagon that came along) and following this morning's announcements, I'm happy to say we've already seen 7 of the 10 nominees.    

In the next four weeks, we plan on watching the remaining 3 films, beginning with "127 Hours" this weekend. But first, we have to watch "Kick Ass" and get that back in the mail to Netflix.