I'm boldly going...but unfortunately, probably not with you...

The first (and arguably most anticipated) of the summer films hits theaters this weekend, Sac-Town Summer Movie Gang! And that is the J.J. Abrams monster re-ignition of the once-failing Star Trek franchise.

It would have been nice of me to be in town this weekend, then, huh?

Big apologies, gang. It's the opening volley of the season, I was planning to get a big group thing organized, and then I realized I had my weekends wrong, thinking Mother's Day was the FOLLOWING weekend. It's easy to get dates mixed up when you sit on your ass at home all day and don't pay much mind to the calendar...

My folks will be coming into town Friday morning to take care of some of their big-city business, and then I'll be following them back to Lakeport (about two, two-and-a-half hours) to spend the weekend at their place up in the woods - my Mother's Day gift to Mom (no, I'm not just cheap...it was her request!). I won't be coming back until Monday sometime. So the weekend movie action is, sadly, out for me.

That being said...just as I was getting ready to start putting this blogapology together, I remembered that the movie actually opens on Thursday. Thursday nights, of course, are not a serviceable gang movie night, since people have these things called jobs (I'm going to look up the definition of that later, as the word is a mystery to me), and some have these other strange things called kids...and those often require equally bizarre things called babysitters (that's just a disturbing word, isn't it? Who are these people, and why do they sit on babies?). Seeing as how this is all last-minute and on a week night, I don't imagine that would work for many, if any, of you.

However, I, myself, am going to do it. Even if it's got to be solo. I don't want to sit up in the woods all weekend thinking about it, after all this time waiting, while spoilers and reviews are stacking up and filling the web, my voice mail and my email. And I'm not expecting anyone to wait around an extra week for me, since the luster of the opening weekend excitement will be over, and THAT's no way to start the movie season.

So I jumped on Fandango and got myself a ticket. I'm going to the 7:30 PM show on Thursday (May 7) at the Century 16 theater on Greenback. You know, the one right by I-80? I repeat...the Greenback one, NOT the usual Century theater on Ethan that we normally go to. This is mainly because this one's right by my place, and if I end up the only one going, I don't see the need to give myself a freeway drive. I just went ahead and jumped on that ticket because I suspect the Thursday night shows will sell out pretty fast. The 7:30 show there is a DLP (digital projection) showing, so while that won't be an IMAX viewing, it'll still be nicer.

So if anyone feels they can sneak out on a school night without getting busted by their totally square parents and join me, that'd be great. That's where I'll be (are you taking notes, TMZ? I know your cameras will, once more, be all over me as soon as I park...). I would advise doing like I did and going to Fandango.com and getting your ticket secured that way. And then just letting me know that you're coming, so I can keep an eye out for you. You can either email me or just post up in the comments right on this blog.

Sorry, again, that this is last-minute, and that I won't be able to go with you all. And by you all, I mean the regular gang, who can, of course, still coordinate and get together. I'll get an email out to the regulars with notes on how things were looking best for some folks, day- and time-wise. Sorry that, unless you get on my schedule, I won't be experiencing what, so far, is still a 100% film on the Tomatometer after 30 reviews (woo hoo!) for the first time. It sounds like one hell of a ride. But if you decide to skip this weekend and see it next week, I have this sneaking feeling that I won't mind seeing it again at all. So let me know!

Love long. Prosper. All that.