Sit on Your Butt and Watch Movies Day

photo credit: Usonian

A few years back (I can't really remember exactly when), my lovely wife looked at the calendar, and, seeing my birthday a week ahead, asked me what I wanted to do for the day. That wasn't the first year she'd asked that question. However, it was the first where I came up with anything other than a shrug an "I don't know".

When she asked that time, I stopped and gave it some thought. A few moments later, an answer tumbled out of my mouth, "What I really want to do is spend the day sitting on my butt and watching movies, with the laptop in front of me".

Once said, I realized that it was really exactly what I did want to spend my birthday doing. Holidays all celebrate something. Birthdays are celebrations of specific individuals and the things they enjoy. For lots of people, that celebration involves large groups of people, noise, loud music and a great deal more activity than I have ever really enjoyed.

I do, however, really enjoy chilling out and watching movies in my home theater, while messing around online and writing code for my own purposes. Thus was born the first Sit On Your Butt and Watch Movies Day.

The first one turned out to be an amazingly great day, humble though the activities may be. I chose movies entirely based on what *I* felt like watching, had a couple of tasty meals, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

After that, when people asked me how I spent my birthday or how I was going to spend an upcoming one, I would relay my new tradition. What surprised me is just how many people seemed to stop for a second, think about it and say, "You know, that's a really good idea.".

Clearly, this day has an appeal for lots of people and every year, more and more people join in. However, I have been asked for what the "rules" are. Given how I didn't exactly start this as some sort of grand vision, I have pretty much just made on-the-spot rulings on people's questions.

My birthday is coming up this coming Sunday, and I figure I might as well share a more "structured" version of the holiday for those who want to join in on the laid back fun. Since the main day is on the weekend this year, things are wide open if you'd like to join in.

Suggestions on this list are welcome and those that strike my fancy will be included in next year's revised definition.

Your Guide to Sit On Your Butt and Watch Movies Day

1. Sit On Your Butt and Watch Movies Day is a laid back holiday. Where any rule would cause you stress or discomfort, the rule should be deleted.
2. Sit On Your Butt and Watch Movies Day is celebrated on October 5th (J Wynia's birthday), your birthday or the birthday of someone nearby.
3. If those days are inconvenient, choose the nearest weekend day.
4. There is no limit to the number of celebrations in a calendar year.
5. Whenever possible, the day should be without work, either employment or house-related.
6. The number of movies to be watched must be at least 2, ideally 5-8 and limited only by your definition of "day".
7. The primary celebrant shall be the holder of the remote control and, should an all-in-one universal remote not be available, the holder of all of the remotes for the duration of the celebration.
8. The movies to be watched must be either personal favorites or movies you haven't seen before. Any movie which might inspire a "meh" should be left in the DVD stack until later. There are to be no compromises or sacrificial choices for the sake of others in the room.
9. Any movie which causes the celebrant to think to him/herself, "Why am I still watching this?" should be ejected immediately and the next movie on deck begun. Letters to the producer/director/lead actors about how they ruined your own personal holiday are entirely optional, but should wait until the next day.
10. Because the movies can't be paused while you visit the bathroom or get snacks at a theater, Sit On Your Butt and Watch Movies Day is best celebrated in a home theater.
11. There should be a comfortable seating arrangement, temperature adjustment and lighting levels. Suggested configurations tend toward dimmed lights, slightly cool temperatures and an overstuffed recliner or sofa. Seating choices which allow the feet and heart to be on the same level are optimal.
12. There shall be no talking during the movies. Or, if the celebrant is one who is prone to talking during movies, there shall be little silence. Whatever. Either way, recitation of catch phrases and favorite lines along with the actors are welcome, but should only begin when the celebrant starts it.
13. The snacks must be many and diverse, covering all of the snack groups: salty, sweet and savory.
14. The meals should be delivered or otherwise easily obtained during short intermissions.
15. The celebrant's beverage of choice must flow freely. While the official beverage of Sit On Your Butt and Watch Movies Day is Coke Zero, that should in no way influence the beverage choice.
16. In case the snacks and meals may prove to exceed the digestion capacity of the celebrant, antacids and/or Pepto Bismol must be readily accessible.
17. To provide the best movie roster, the movies should be planned in advance, saving particularly desired movies just for the day.
18. Showering or communicating anything more sophisticated than grunting is entirely optional.
19. Finally, should the nearest celebration be too far away to be bearable, emergency celebrations can be declared at any time. It's *somebody's* birthday.

This year's stack of DVD's looks like this, with a couple of slots still open:

• Iron Man
• Run Fatboy Run
• Leatherheads
• The Forbidden Kingdom