I hope everyone enjoyed the 4th of July. The fireworks for the Central PA 4th Fest were outstanding this year. Great musical selection and nicely choreographed. I'll be publishing a podcast shortly with my conversation with Matthew Lindenberg of the 4th fest crew.
I did something if not uniquely American, certainly part of Americana, last weekend -- I went to the drive-in. When I was a kid, I lived along I-290 north of Buffalo NY. Just off my exit was a drive-in called the "I-290 Drive-in." The I-290 had two screens -- one which could be seen as you drove by on the 290 and the other with its back facing the 290. The one which could be seen from the road generally showed the G- or PG-rated movies and the other PG- or R-rated movies. Of course, you could always go in to the PG side and watch the R-rated movie. My brother and his friend would offer to ride in the trunk to "decrease" the admission price. Of course, the Chevy Impala we rode had holes in the trunk, but everyone lived to tell (Kids -- don't try this at home).
There appears to be a new etiquette at the drive-ins based on our SUV/Minivan society. Everyone parks backwards and "opens the hatch." The way the hatches open, the aerodynamic bump outs create obstructions for the folks behind you. Don't forget to take some twine or rope to tie down the hatch. Be sure you know how to turn off the inside lights with the hatch open.
Call me a Luddite, but I still prefer to sit on a lawn chair next to the van. A great time was had by all and I hope to do it again this summer.
Although we lived to tell the tale of a ride in the trunk of a '70s Impala, the resulting carbon monoxide exposure has left me unable to scream the correct child's name in anger when my children are acting wild. Of course, that might simply be a genetically inherited defect from Dad.