A Night of Magic to Come
Saturday night is my mom’s 25th birthday (right Mom? wink. 
wink). We are going to the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood for a night of magic, entertainment, adult conversation, and maybe an adult beverage or two. My parents have been members of the Magic Castle for about 15 years now. A couple times a year, we get to go with my parents and it is always a lot of fun. We are going to have dinner at University City Walk, stay overnight in Hollywood and Mr. Bear’s mom is going to watch our littlest bear. We are looking very forward to it. We have a lot to celebrate. (Congratulations Mr. Bear on your awesome review at work. I am so very proud of you! Thank you for being an amazing husband, daddy, and provider! We love you!)
The first time I invited Mr. Bear to go to the Magic Castle, we were both barely 21 years old (you have to be 21 to get in). I had told Mr. Bear that he needed to wear a shirt and tie. Evidently, I was not clear enough about the strict dress code, and the night was headed for disaster. I arrived late to pick him up (because at 21, I was always late, ALWAYS). He was waiting at the curb for me—-Levi’s, tennis shoes, shirt, and tie. What kind of idiot wears Levi’s to a formal occasion? I argued I had told him what he needed to wear. Meekly, he told me I had not been clear. I berated him the entire way to Hollywood from Oceanside (about two hours by car), because at 21 years old, what a beeeyotch I was. hangs head in shame. Seriously, I was so not worthy of his love or friendship.
We arrived at the Magic Castle and no surprise, they would not let the bear in without a suit jacket, slacks, and shoes. They were very accommodating and offered him a suit jacket. Mr. Bear stands 6′5, perhaps taller when he does not slouch. The jacket they gave him were 3/4 length sleeves on him. They found a pair of slacks. Highwaters. They could not, however find a pair of shoes to fit. Mr. Bear has really big feet. You know what they say about big feet, right? Yeah, REALLY BIG SHOES. He wears a size 15 if he has to (often he has to) and a 16 comfortably. They did not have shoes big enough for his feet to fill.
The Magic Castle is one block North of Hollywood Boulevard and one block North of the Mann’s Chinese Theatre. Fortunately, there are many shops that sell shoes on Hollywood Boulevard. Unfortunately, even on Hollywood Boulevard, few stores carry an enormous selection of size 15 or 16 shoes. We set off on foot to find a pair of shoes so that Mr. Bear could join us for a night of magic and fun. That night, I was not particularly pleased with Mr. Bear’s inability to read my mind about the dress code and had limited patience for his misdeed. That night, Mr. Bear was being picky. “I do not know if I like these shoes. What do you think? I do not know if I want to spend $100 on shoes” blah..blah…blah…blah….blah….blah…blah. Finally, I just told him, “Pick a #%&*ing pair of shoes,” only I did not say,
“#%&*ing,” I said the mother of all curse words. Alas, we had the stupid outfit, misfitted as it may have been.
We walked back to the castle with new shoes and I fit a silent treatment on Mr. Bear for size. I was living on campus in the on-campus apartments during this time and had invited my opportunist college roommate, Katie. She was the type of person you invited somewhere and would show up with no money. You would go to the movies and say, “Two students for the matinée showing of X movie,” The cashier would say, “That will be $11.00, please.” I would show my ID and pay my $5.50; she would show her ID…blink. blink. blink. blink blink. She would not pay. AWKWARD. UHHHHH. So, whomever it was with her, would say, what the heck, we are here, and pay it. It was not that she did not have money to bring, just that she held the belief that she should have someone buying things for her, “I am a girl, I should not have to buy anything for myself.” She often invited YOU somewhere and then did not pay her share. That philosophy, however, she used on ME, A GIRL, on many occasions, until I finally got it, but this night, she made the mistake of using it on MY DATE.
While I was giving Mr. Bear the silent treatment, Katie was flirting with Mr. Bear. I had effectively made him feel stooopid and he was glad to have someone being nice to him. She asked him to buy her drinks, he obliged, and I was beyond livid. How dare her! That was my guy! Unable to break my silence, I gave them both glares.all.night. Mr. Bear ate up the attention at $5.00 a drink. Katie, fueled the fire on both sides, like a good friend should (roll eyes). Mr. Bear is a nice guy and difficult to be mad at. He is a difficult person to find flaw in, so I made up reasons. Maybe I was afraid I would like him too much. Regardless, I was too stupid to not cause a big scene.
After that night, Mr. Bear and I did not talk for some time. He moved on and for six subsequent years, we went to the Magic Castle, “as friends.” It changed our relationship for a long time. We almost lost touch forever. Katie never went to the Magic Castle again.
Since that first night at the Magic Castle, Mr. Bear always has his suit cleaned, pressed, and ready far in advance. He has invited friends to the Castle and makes doubly sure they know EXACTLY what the dress code is, to assure no one endures that wrath again. It was a night that almost ruined our friendship forever. We have been going to the Magic Castle every year for the past 13 years now. The Magic Castle is where we had our engagement party. It is rather ironic, as that is the place I almost sealed my fate to losing Mr. Bear forever.
Here is to a wonderful evening on Saturday! Here is to Mr. Bear having the right suit and shoes! Here is to Mr. Bear giving me a second chance. Here is to magic! Here is to more babies!
Happy birthday Mom!
Cheers to my birthday and babies!!!
Love Mom
what a nice walk down memory lane! great to know your stars lined up perfectly, albeit years later
belated happy birthday to your mom! hope you all had your fill of adult conversations and drinks sans baby
It was a great time of yours. Very very happy return of the day to your mom. I hope all the best to her future. Thanks for recommending.