By Mary Pannabecker Steiner
Seems like a very long time since we've been to a movie theater, despite the fact that we have such a great one here in town. This is not my husband's choice. In fact, he is usually game to join me at whatever movie I mention wanting to see, including the improperly dubbed "chick flicks".

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He claims that it's simply a matter of an excuse to sit close to me; I suspect it's more likely the promise of heavily buttered popcorn.

I think the last movie I saw (in a theater) was "Eat, Pray, Love." I'd read Elizabeth Gilbert's book and her sequel, "Committed." Daughter number 2 hadn't read the book, but since she works in a bookstore, had had plenty of exposure to it, and was eager to see it. We left Fred at home, guarding the dog, but he later saw it on DVD. AND liked it.

So...let's see. This means that at least a year has passed since I've been in a theater or my memory is failing me...which is possible. There have been some movie nights at home - including my 50th viewing of "Under the Tuscan Sun". I can't help myself. There's something so intriguing about the idea of buying a run-down house in Tuscany, renovating it with the help of sweet Polish immigrants, and then writing the book that's been on the back burner forever.

Well. Things are about to change....at least briefly. Last week I asked my friend, Pete Suter, who just happens to be the Shannon Theater's head honcho, how soon they'd be showing "Bridesmaids." He said that it was a toss-up between "The Zookeeper" and a double showing - "Mr. Popper's Penguins" for the early show and "Bridesmaids" at the late show.

Well, apparently, I have more pull than I thought. Pete told me last night that I got my wish. Penguins and bridesmaids are on their way.

Here's the glitch. I can't stand Jim Carrey but I must have read "Mr. Popper's Penguins" at least once a week in the summer when I was a kid. In fact, I probably still have my original hardback somewhere up in the depths of our attic. I might have to cave and pretend that Jim Carrey is someone else, just so I can see how skewed this movie version is.

I'm realistic enough to know that nothing can top Richard and Florence Atwater's 1938 tale of a poor house painter and his family who acquire a penguin from the zoo. But hey, they use real penguins in the movie and as a kid, my wish was that our family would get a penguin.

Here's the other glitch, or quandary, if you will. Should we pull a double feature and sit through both movies at once? The bigger question is "can Mary stand to sit still for that long? And can she stay awake? Probably not.

More likely, we'll spend two evenings at the Shannon. Besides, then Fred gets a double whammy of extra buttered popcorn. That might even make up having to put up with Jim Carrey.

One more thing: Fortunately, they've got those new seats at the Shannon. Nothing - not even the promise of a real penguin - would coerce me to sit on those lumpy, old seats with mysterious springs popping out at the most inopportune moment.