Dinner and a movie

Mom's birthday was the 19th. We went out to Longhorn for dinner. Keeper and I got there first. I need to write the manager a note about how great it is to go to a restaurant and have the waitstaff utterly ignore the service dog except to ask if I want a booth with tile or carpet under it. It's nice to be just another customer, not to spend the first several minutes fielding questions about the dog.

Had to ask Keeper to resettle on my side once Mom and Dad came. She's a big girl, and she has to work at it to fit once there's several sets of feet under the table. Chatted a bit, had a nice meal, shared Mom's dessert, and then she and Dad went home as I went to see Kingsman.

I had the option of trying to get in to one showing just a couple minutes before the movie would start (assuming 15 minutes of previews that are now standard), or to wait a half hour. I chose to wait, so I could see where I was going and what I was doing with the lights on. The concession area was full of people, and one lady cried out that there was a 'big ol dog'. We went on to the theater without breaking stride as people turned to look, and grabbed the accessible seating. I set down my coat and sweatshirt, then waited for the crowd to clear before hitting the restroom.

There was some weird whispering in a corner stall, but other than having her ears pricked hard to listen, and one attempt to look under the stall dividers to see what was happening, Keeper did well with the weirdness. She's almost got the idea of automatically tucking under the sinks as I wash my hands, but it's not quit there yet.

She did well with the movie, though she turned to watch people come in. She's not really sure what that's all about, or how to handle it. I did a lot of rewarding for down with attention. It was our first movie as a team without someone else along, and I think her second movie in a theater ever. (We went to Guardians of the Galaxy in August, and I don't go that often.) I love movies, but the theaters can be a bit overwhelming now. It's really nice to have her along, and to have her help.