One of the best things about summer growing up, was the drive-in. The adventure would begin, on Friday, around the time my Dad got home from work, say around 7:00 p.m. My Mom would have us 3 kids fed, bathed, and in fresh pajamas.
We would have long since had our dinner, but Dad would have a leftover before He carried us one by one, out to the Travelall. For those of you that don't remember or weren't born yet, the Travelall was sort of a station wagon/early SUV type of thing. Mom would have readied the backseat that folded down, into total comfort with pillows and blankets. Perfect. Off we would go, anticipating the dusk that signalled the start of the movies.
We were told before leaving home to use the bathroom as the ones at the drive-in were filthy and God knows who was waiting in there to do God knows what to us. Also there were characters of dubious quality that worked there and would have snide remarks about our movie viewing attire. (It goes without saying that I couldn't wait to see the girls and guys who worked there, even though most were dentally as well as mentally challenged. It just seemed both a romantic and dangerous career choice, that I would consider to be in my top 5 back-up choices what with all the new movies for free and unlimited popcorn! Bonus!) (Plus you got to wear hiphuggers, tube tops and black eyeliner!! Double bonus!!)
Snacks were paramount, and we always packed because then as now, the snack bar was a total ripoff. There would be an ENORMOUS brown paper bag with fresh popcorn. If you haven't heard, our family was and still is, famous for our uncanny ability to eat GINORMOUS amounts of the stuff. And it's always made on the stove with real butter and lotsa salt. My Dad would have Pepsi and us kiddies would have kool-aid in the cooler and ready to go, or save us if we happened to inhale a wild popcorn hull.
Upon arriving, we would drive around looking for a "good" re: working, speaker to hang in Dad's window. Some had no volume, others were crackly sounding, and even others were not connected. We always had a giggle picturing some dufus driving off with the speaker still in the window until the cord snapped. After some trial and error, a perfect spot somewhere close to the middle with a good speaker was found. The movies were always a double feature with a family show first followed by an adult feature. After the previews, Mom passed out the kool-aid and popcorn and we settled in for our show.
Soon I would have to use the bathroom and was let out of the Travelall with a 5 minute warning to GO and GET back. I had to run to do my job AND observe the snack bar workers in that time frame. My some miracle, I avoided all real danger AND got to indulge my future job aspirations. Back to the Travelall, I would go, plans for my future secure. Mom would be dozing out and my little sister was long gone. My brother would last a little longer before joining in the snorefest. Great! More popcorn for me and Dad! I would then climb into the front seat and make Mom get in the back. Dad could hardly enjoy the movie for all the questions I would ask. Luckily for him, eventually I feel into a deep carb induced sleep and he could finally concentrate on the movie.
The next thing I knew we were leaving Hubbard Lake for the 5 mile trek home. Dad would then carry us, one by one back into the house thus ending the night the same way it started. Sleepy and happy, we were off to bed until next Friday night, when probably, if we were lucky, we would do it all over again.
As teenagers we had 2 drive-in options. As you can imagine, it was a totally different scene. Choosing the locale ahead of time, around half of our high school met up there for the festivites. A carload of girls usually met up with a carload of guys. We dressed to please (hiphuggers, tube tops and black eyeliner), (HUGE bonus!), and ate very little popcorn. Our drink was usually Boone's Farm, and we paid very little attention to the movie. I got to flirt with the projecter guy unsupervised. As you can imagine, it was totally a different scene.
I said different. Not better. xoxo
P.S Thanks to my blogfriend, Erik's Choice, for the drive-in idea inspiration. xxoo
12 comments:
oh the drive in, what fond memories. The last drive in around here is now Russ Milne Ford. I was telling Sarah about the drive in on saturday. We would fill the station wagon with snacks, drinks and of course your blanket and pillow. The kids would play at the playground until it got dark. We would barely stay awake for the second movie. I did have a few dates at the drive in before they became shopping malls and car dealerships. Those were the days.
Jodi...Now that you have the PG-13 rated version of the memory out...let's here the unrated version...circumspectly of course.
What a great memory. My family didn't go to movies. I remember we went only once, to see The song of the south.
those were the days. load up the wagon, gonna be a late nite. that had to be 45 years ago. i dont remember the movies in hubbard lake, but others tell me of it. i dont believe i ever saw the credits of the first movie. maybe it was the cool aid. see you soon. steve
Hey Jodi, so cool. Fun, fun. Love the details, down to the speakers. Hanging them in the window and all.
Happy cinco de mayo!
We HAVE to load up the truck and go the the drive-in on M-46 THIS summer! We keep saying that we are going to go, but that Tiki Bar and the bon-fire just call to us! Have a great time with Mom and the fam this weekend! See you next and have a HAPPY MOTHER's DAY!
Kel
We've went from the big screen to those tiny little screens on an ipod. How the hell can anyone watch a movie on that thing? They certainly can't enjoy the movie with others.
As for comments - I've been laying kind of low lately, trying to work out some problems in a story.
Wow it looks like we had the same upbringing...we went regularly to the drive-in in our pj's also. Now that is a fond memory. But, Ivan & I still make it a point to go once a year. It is now back to the 2 of us and that is so okay with me. Great Date Night! So-happy warmer days & evenings are finally back & we can spend some quality times with our treasured friends around the Great TiKi bar and Bond Fires. June will be kind of hectic but we must, we must, treasure every weekend because summer just escapes all of us. Our 2009 will be filled with a college graduation, bridal shower, bachelorette party, weddings, high school graduation, grad partys and my 25th anniversary party. Wow I'm tired and it has only just begun. Great times to come, but I can so wait for everyone of them because time just goes way too fast. All our Love, Lori
Rose-exactly! Sexy-save it. WM-never mind, you don't want to know! Charles-You and Lana should go see one of your sci fis on the big, outdoor screen! Steve-it was Lou Cramer's drive in. Eric-it WAS cool. Thanks again! Kels-we have to work on that one! JR-I fear our techie kids would be bored with such a night. More used to thier own gadgets, in their own room. Hope that story is getting it's kinks worked out! Mrs. Ivan-Wasn't the drive in cool? Yes, you have a busy one lined up! It's gonna be a fun one though. Love the "bond" fire-gotta get the s'more stuff! Maybe I can talk you into breaking your diet! xoxoxo
Oh the memories your blog entry brings back. I too have those fond childhood memories of getting in our jammies and loading the car to see a movie with my two hellish brothers and my parents. Of course I'll never forget the time my brothers got in trouble and Mom stayed home with them while Dad and I went to see Dr. Dolitte. I felt like such a princess. Just me and my Dad. And then of course when I turned 18, my then boyfriend (now ex-husband) introduced me to a drive in of a different color... the Scio Drivein in Scio Township, near Ann Arbor... a XXX rated drive in. Kinda weird watching an XXX movie in a car surrounded by other cars. Of course there wasn't a whole lot of watching going on at all! ~ Savanna
Savanna, sounds like the XXX was a totally different take on the drive-in. In our area, it was rare to even see an R rating on our family drive-ins.
What an awesome memory! I've only been to a drive-in once and it was TERRIBLE! It was the new willy wonka movie and we saw it in august. the guy I was with spent most of the time taking pictures of me spitting starbursts. cool pictures, bad movie. We left early.
I also can't remember the last time I had the good kind of popcorn. it sounds so good right now!
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