Chillin' at the Starlight Drive-in

This time of year I start remembering the Starlight Drive-in. It's gone now, of course, as are most of the drive-ins in California. I don't know how many are left in the rest of the country, but I'd guess not many. It's too easy to get a movie from Netflix or the Red Box and watch in the comfort of your own home. The Starlight was just down the road from where we lived, and on a clear night, we could hear the movie from our yard. There was a field where some kids would go and see the movie for free. We weren't allowed to do that. We'd load up the station wagon with my parents, me and my bro and a couple of times even my grandparents went along. We had plenty of snacks and sodas, because why pay snack bar prices when you could bring your own? We'd park and put the speaker in the car window and settle down to sweat in the hot summer evening and bat at the mosquitoes. There would usually be some movie first for kids and then a more grow-up movie, during which my brother and I would usually fall asleep in the back end of the station wagon.
After getting married and moving to Oroville, Marv and I went to the local drive-in a couple of times. It wasn't until a friend told us how to really enjoy the drive-in that we learned about bringing lawn chairs and sitting OUTSIDE the car with an ice chest full of frosty drinks. Man, that was a LOT of fun! We were only able to do that a couple more times, though, before that one closed down as well.
I have to admit, though, now that I'm a tad older....(ahem)....I really enjoy sitting in my recliner in an air-conditioned house, the kitchen or bathroom only a remote control button and steps away, my cats on my lap, and watching a movie and then being able to go right to bed afterward. No line of cars to get out of the drive-in, no popcorn to clean out of the car, no soda cans to collect....
But the memories remain.