As we all know, entertainment options are limited right now. Everyone is working to keep a social distance to help their communities stay healthy.
But for movie lovers like me and my roommate Sara Schilling, our living room, streaming services and homemade popcorn just aren鈥檛 cutting it.
We felt a real stroke of luck two weeks ago, when our local theater chain in Washington鈥檚 Tri-Cities handed out bags of popcorn over the weekend. As soon as work let out on Friday, we lined up in the parking lot, while volunteers at Kennewick鈥檚 tossed bags into cars.
They later said they鈥檇 passed out popcorn bags about every 20 seconds. There鈥檚 just no beating popcorn from a theater.
But that night, as we chowed down and watched one of the many movies we鈥檝e streamed recently, we realized we really missed seeing movies with our friends.
Little did we know, the would fulfill our wish. And that of about 200 others.
The theater , with a few restrictions in place from the Umatilla County Health Department. No more double features. Only 100 cars allowed each night. Social distancing at the concession stand and only one person allowed in the bathroom at a time. An employee cleaned the surfaces after each use.
We jumped at the opportunity for a relatively short road trip.
But first, a confession: When I say we really love movies, I鈥檓 not exaggerating. We saw 64 movies in the theater last year. We even wrote a very silly newsletter that we sent out instead of those end-of-year cards. No one asked for it, but we sent it anyway.
This experience would be different, but we could still see a movie at a theater with friends.
Fellow movie lovers Jaime and Shane Picker and their 12-year-old daughter Cadence caravaned to Milton-Freewater with us.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have Shane driving so we can just follow,鈥� Sara said.
She pulled up a John Prine song as we headed down the freeway.
鈥淭his is for the late, great, John Prine,鈥� she said. of COVID-19 on April 7 at age 73.
鈥淢ake me an angel that flies from Montgomery,鈥� .
We crossed the border from Washington into Oregon and quickly found the theater. Cars lined up at the entrance.
鈥淗ere it is! Here it is!鈥� Sara exclaimed. 鈥淚鈥檓 so excited.鈥�
She wasn鈥檛 the only one.
We parked and checked in with our friends, yelling between the cars.
鈥淗ow鈥檚 it going?鈥� Sara asked the Picker family.
鈥淕ood. Can you see there?鈥� Jaime Picker asked.
鈥淵eah. Can you guys see?鈥�
鈥渊别补丑.鈥�
鈥淐辞辞濒.鈥�
This was Cadence Picker鈥檚 first time seeing an outdoor movie, a momentous event in any movie lover鈥檚 life.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited also because I really like dog movies, and this is about a dog,鈥� Cadence said.
The theater was showing 鈥淐all of the Wild.鈥� Cadence brought her Maltese, Scout, to enjoy the film as well.
鈥淲e hope he doesn鈥檛 bark,鈥� Cadence said.
鈥淚t鈥檒l just add to the ambience,鈥� I told her. 鈥淲ell, hope you enjoy the movie.鈥�
鈥淭hank you. You too.鈥�
Then it was time to get snacks 鈥� donning facemasks, of course. The employees also wore masks and gloves.
People stood pretty far apart from each other. There was one spot to order your snacks and a separate place to go pick them up. I put in an order for popcorn and a lot of candy. The popcorn smelled great. Why not live it up?
Back in the car, the sun began to set behind the screen. The sky lit up dusty rose.
Then cars honked, all over the theater.
鈥淚s it starting?鈥� Sara asked, noticeably excited.
Retro ads played after the 鈥淪tar Spangled Banner,鈥� and then the familiar 20th Century Fox theme music.
Sara was getting giddy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so much fun!鈥�
鈥淲hy do you think it鈥檚 fun?鈥� I wondered.
鈥淚t鈥檚, in a weird way, something that you鈥檙e sharing with the people you鈥檙e going with 鈥� and even all these strangers 鈥� because you鈥檙e all seeing something together,鈥� Sara said.
And that鈥檚 a special feeling right now, because we can鈥檛 share as many things in a socially distant space.
I won鈥檛 spoil anything for you in case you really want to see the movie and haven鈥檛 read the book, so we鈥檒l just fast forward to the end...
We applauded as the credits rolled.
鈥淲hat鈥檇 you guys think?鈥� Sara yelled across to the Picker family.
鈥淲e loved it!鈥� Jaime Picker told us.
鈥淚t was fun seeing a movie with you guys,鈥� I called out, before rolling up the windows and parting ways.
We headed home to the Tri-Cities, with a much-welcomed piece of advice blaring from the car speakers:
鈥淥b-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on,鈥� .
And so it does.
Courtney Flattcovers environmental and natural resource issues for . She is based in Washington's Tri-Cities. On Twitter:
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