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11:35 a.m. - 2006-06-04 For over a year, I have been getting weekly updates and often when there is a good movie playing, I think �we should go there�. Being tired and stressed from the new job, a house hunt, house sale, house purchase and move on top of the act of moving in, moving Mom in, dealing with Alzheimers and moving Mom out to a nursing home always got in the way of pleasure and not only haven�t we gone to the drive in but we haven�t gone out and done anything. Everything is work, work, work, house, house, house, Mom, Mom, Mom, and yard, yard, yard. The occasional family party breaks this up but most of those are �have to�s� and not �want to�s� putting them in the realm of �WORK�. This week I found myself completely and utterly BURNED OUT!!!! So, when the email arrived showing the Cascade Drive-in�s movies to be �Over the Hedge� and �The DiVinci Code�, and the Weather Channel determined that it was going to be one of the nicest weekends of the year, I told Mike �we�re going� and he readily accepted my offer of a date to the drive in. Upon further thought, we realized that we had not been to a drive in since we took my daughter, then 6, to see a re-release of E.T. with a little friend. Michelle had an accident on some rusty playground equipment and instead of watching E.T. we spent the evening in the emergency room of Holy Family Hospital getting a tetanus shot and stitches in her ankle. So, it has been 20 years since we have last been to a drive in and more like 22 or 24 year since we actually saw a movie in one. A feeling of Dejavu overwhelmed us as we got into the line stretching down North Avenue leading into the gravel lined drive way of the theater. We took our turn inching forward and paid at the little hut that had been there since the 50�s. A smiling fresh faced teenaged girl leaned out the window, took our money and gave us our ticket. We pulled past the gate into the familiar graveled lot with row upon row of white painted posts each holding two dull metal speakers. The crunching sound the tires made rolling over the gravel brought it all back. As Mike drove along trying to select the perfect spot for our movie viewing pleasure, I saw kids throwing frizbees and small toy footballs. Families had their hatchbacks backed in and opened up revealing children cozily tucked in to the back with their P.J.�s on, sitting in a nest of sleeping bags and pillows. There were people tailgating, eating their dinners out of the backs of their cars. Lawn chairs set about next to coolers designated the evenings �party spot�. The mood of the place was festive, family, fun and exactly the way I remember it. Nothing, save the styles of the automobiles and the clothing on the people had changed. We went for a walk to check out the concession stand and bathrooms. 50�s and early 60�s music blared from speakers. The night..had a thousand eyes. And just who did put the bomp ba bomp ba bomp in the ramma lamma ding dong right from the heart of his boogety boogety shoo? Mike went to pee�. I people watched. Children ran and played. Adults conversed with each other in complete confidence that their children were safe and sound and having a good time. A lady walked by with a little blond 4 year old in a pink night gown. A handsome young couple went into the concession stand�..I wonder if they would abandon the movie later for a passionate make out session. Everything was the same. The signs on the concessions stand�original antiques from the 50�s. The painted white posts�original. They even still had the original promotions for the concession stand featuring pictures of our Mothers as little girls munching on popcorn with their Patty Duke style up-flipped hairdo�s. The intermission presentation still showed animated boxes of popcorn juggling kernels, then pouring a cup of hot butter on itself and taking a bow. An armed and legged ice cream bar marched around a stage twirling a spoon like a drum major, leading a battalion of little ice cream cups carrying their spoons like soldiers carry their guns in parade�Sticks of gum held a jump rope for chocolate candy bars to jump over. All in all a wonderful experience, which we plan on enjoying again. But one day when that piece of property becomes too valuable and the real estate taxes outweigh the income, that drive in theater too will disappear only to become a memory. I am glad this one is here�now�. so that the experience of drive in theaters will be yet again enjoyed and remembered for another generation. Oh, And the movies: �Over the Hedge��thumbs up�..�The DiVinci Code��..SUCKED!!!!!
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