Of course taking a sub-compact to the drive-in was the problem. While my nephew Garrett and his best bud Jordan were sitting in the front seats of my new Saturn Ion, I was sitting outside in my beach chair, well bundled up in my snazzy 76ers parka (just $20 at the newly opened Forman Mills in Egg Harbor Twp.).
However, I forgot to pack blankets and my sneakers did not protect me from the cold—next time I’m bringing blankets and wearing my work boots. Still, I was delighted to see that the Delsea Drive-In, http://www.delseadrive-in.com/ opened three years ago and the only drive-in in New Jersey, is doing well.
There were plenty of people also braving the cold, and the concession stand was busy dispensing tea, coffee, hot chocolate and hot apple cider at reasonable prices. Of course I had to break my rule about eating in the new car, but the boys did a good job of keeping things neat. Both the animated movies were tons of fun (read my review of Happy Feet in Atlantic City Weekly). Having already seen and panned Man of the Year, the Robin Williams’ comedy that is not actually a comedy, I tried to convince the boys to pass on the last flick but of course they had to see for themselves. They did agreed with me about the merits of the movie, and I avoided frost bite by putting down the back seats and keeping my feet relatively warm in the trunk as I rested in the back seat. As the boys conked out on the 45-minute ride home, I decided the winter chill was a small price to pay to introduce Jordan to the communal fun of going to the drive-in.