Kings over Aces

#28-29

Nothing beats doing one thing when you're supposed to be doing something else.

It's what's made The Price is Right so popular all these years. It wasn't until Bob Barker came on at 11 a.m. on a snow day that you realized that you actually did get the day off from school. That you should be taking an algebra test right that moment, but instead you're trying to figure out how close to the price of a dining room hutch you've come without going over. (Hey, Bob Barker actually was teaching algebra!) It's why The Price is Right during the summertime isn't nearly as good as The Price is Right during a snow day.

It's why football on Sunday is that much sweeter when you're watching it instead of going to church. Sure, there's the pangs of guilt and the fear that you're going straight to hell as soon as the game is over, but you're supposed to be in church and instead you're watching football. What exhilaration!

And it's why The Last King of Scotland and Smokin' Aces are that much more enjoyable. I'm supposed to be at work; instead I'm at the movie theater. Not only am I at the movie theater, I'm sneaking into the second movie. That makes it TWICE as good. Or is it twice as bad? It doesn't even matter what these two movies are about, I'm supposed to be at work! I'm not supposed to be watching Forest Whitaker turn in an Oscar-nominated performance as former Ugandan leader Idi Amin. I'm doubly not supposed to be watching Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Alicia Keyes, and about a dozen other people try to get Jeremy Piven's character in Smokin' Aces. And I sure wasn't supposed to be watching The Price is Right before heading to the theater!

No, I'm supposed to be at work. Oh, don't worry, I have an excused absence. I did take the day off because I need to be somewhere in the evening. So it might be hooky, but it's an excused hooky.

But still...

It just makes these movies that much sweeter.