Taking a risk to see a movie; learning to quarantine together

Hello everybody. I hope you are all getting through this crazy time with a little style and grace. I don’t think I am, but at least I am styling with my masks when I go out in public. We have a mask that domes over your face and closes in the back with Velcro. I feel very Bane from Batman. So, in a way, I am living my supervillain fantasies.

I know we have to stay vigilant because Covid is still very much a threat to our lives. But we did something last week that worried me and freaked me out a little: We went to the movies!

I know right?! Horrifying!

Going to the movies has been the thing I have missed more than actually being on stage and performing. So, when I got an email from Cinemark saying they were opening the theaters, I was excited but nervous. They opened showing classic movies like Ghostbusters and Goonies … movies I love, but I’m too skittish to go out to see a movie I own on DVD.

But then they sent me an email saying they were finally releasing the Marvel movie, The New Mutants. I had to. I bought our tickets online and was thrilled to get the seats we like to sit in, in the XD theater we like to watch movies in.

I was even more thrilled to see that when you pick your seats online, they automatically block out the two seats next to you on both sides. Yay for social distancing! I actually went ahead and got us tickets to see the long anticipated new Christopher Nolan film, Tenet, too. So we saw two movies within a week.

Now before you all start to read me for taking chances with going out in public for something that is technically not essential — I know. We wore masks through the entire film and only lifted the mask to take a drink or eat popcorn. We know we were taking chances with our health, and I will regret everything if we get sick. But I cannot tell you what the simple act of going to the movies did for my mental health. It is so easy to get into a downward spiral of feeling meh if you don’t have something to look forward to.

Both times we went to the movies it felt pretty safe. They are doing a lot to keep things sanitized. The bathroom doors stay propped open, so you don’t have to touch them. They are not accepting cash, and since it wasn’t very busy, the kids that work there literally clean the counters between each customer at the concession stand.

The real bonus is everything was so cheap. They have majorly knocked down the prices on everything from the concession stand — except liquor. Whomp, whaaa!

Now for the sad part of all these exciting theater experiences: I did not love either movie. I didn’t hate either, but they were just okay.
The New Mutants had great characters but a lame story. It couldn’t decide if it was a horror movie or an origins story, and it failed at both.
Tenet made my head hurt. Two-and-a-half hours of being razor focused to keep up with the story is exhausting. I love a good time travel story, but this one just goes overboard. I think it is still worth seeing but don’t think about it too much. And maybe wait to see it at home where you can rewind parts to see if they make sense to you.

I’m still waiting to get my Wonder Woman 1984 tickets. That is something I am positive will be worth the risk!

Now to answer a letter I got a few weeks ago (after all, this did start out as an advice column).

Dear Cassie,
My boyfriend and I have been together for two years and two months. We moved in with each other back in January, then by April we were both working from home. Most of the time things are great, but when we argue it goes from 0 to 100 so fast.
Do you have any advice for us? I love my man, but I also want to kill him some of the time. Thank you, and I miss the Rose Room.
Signed, the Quarantined Couple

Dearest Quarantined couple:
Bless y’alls hearts! Y’all went from the honeymoon stage to the “I’ma kill him” stage real quick. That usually takes at least a year to get to.

This pandemic has put many relationships into hyper drive. Being quarantined together for so long forces you to sink or swim when it comes to whether you are meant to be together.

My husband and I are together a lot! I am home 24/7. We have been together almost 18 years, and this quarantine has tested us too. I’m honestly surprised we are doing as well as we are considering he never gets any time to be completely alone. I am always here.

I think the true trick to spending so much time together is to not always say what you are thinking. There is never a good reason to make a situation worse. Sometimes it is best to just bite your tongue. Because in the end, that is the person that cares for you more than any person on this planet, and you never want to hurt them by saying something mean when you could have just walked into the other room.
We all blow up from time to time; it’s human nature. But a few deep breaths and a little space can do wonders.

Do you have a pet? I have found that when we are in a little tiff, one of our dogs can usually break the silence between us. They are a reminder of what we have together. Love like ours does not come around often, and not everyone even gets to experience what we have.
Small arguments are fine; they lead to make up sex. Say you are sorry when you are wrong, and let things go when you are right. Don’t dwell. When the argument is over, let it stay over. Be patient: Quarantining with someone is a blessing; imagine having to go through all this alone.

By the way, shout out to all my single friends. Quarantine has proven you are a badass.

Remember to always love more, bitch less and be fabulous! XOXO, Cassie Nova