These shoes are hot! I really don't know where and, for what occasion, I will wear them. Does it matter? Nah. I am of the belief that shoes are art for the feet. Sometimes it is enough to just try them on and admire them. Occasionally, you have to buy 'em and adore them. These beauties will rest comfortably in my closet. When I have a bad day, I will pull them out and wear them around the house. Their animal print, sassy red leather, stacked heel and all-around sexiness will make me feel better. Where does this come from? Is it a by-product of playing dress-up with my Barbie as a child? Are we hard wired to love shoes from the moment of conception? Hmmmm. Sick, right?
Remember this post back in April? Yeah, well I totally caved and bought myself an iPad. After months of witnessing all the cool functionality and convenient access, I just couldn't hold out any longer. Less than a week into the experience and I have been struck by:- The helpful calendar settings. I can view an easy-to-read overview of my workday schedule on one side of the screen and get all the relevant details of where, who, when and why on the other side. It shows me who accepted meetings I have called and who declined. I also like the weekly and monthly views.
- Excellent visual clarity and richness. Colors are vibrant. Photos look amazing.
- Reading my Kindle books has never been better. With the Kindle app, I can view any of my downloaded books and the device syncs up so if I jump on my Kindle at a later date, it automatically knows where I've stopped. It's also very easy to highlight sections or take notes. Just simple drag and you are done.
- The go-anywhere, do anything benefits can't be beat. Mr. Oz and I were out visiting friends this weekend and used some downtime to check airfare and plan a weekend getaway for this Fall. A few clicks and I was able to book our airfare and reserve a rental car. I felt super productive.
I'm sure I'll discover more fun features in the days and weeks to come. My one complaint would be the rude treatment I received at the first Apple Store I visited when I decided to purchase the device. No one would help me and, even when I asked someone for assistance, I was brushed off. Luckily, the next store I went to was much better. Just because Apple products are in such high demand, it doesn't mean good customer service should go by the wayside. High tech deserves high touch and being nice to people will never be obselete. Apple would be wise to remember that small fact.
What to do on a hot and humid summer night? Well, we decided to go old school and hit the Cottage View Drive-In, one of the last remaining drive-in theaters in the greater Twin Cities metro, possibly the entire upper Midwest. I can't claim to know if this is actually true, but I did feel like I was taking a cruise in the way-back, Marty McFly time machine, ala the Delorean from Back To The Future fame.
It was pretty darn cool. Mr. Oz and I grabbed the pup and shoved off round about dusk. The theater's website warned us to get there early in order to avoid getting one of the bad spots right up in front of the screen. This would cause unnecessary neck crankage and, no doubt, partial paralysis and tremors. Shivers. No thank you. Of course, on our way we stopped to pick up a few snacks -- Twizzlers and Mike & Ike's. Isn't that standard drive-in movie fare? We also packed a cooler full of soda. Loads of high fructose corn syrup and bug spray in tow, and we were off.
Fortunately, we arrived in time to secure a respectable spot in mid-range of the screen yet adjacent to the concessions and restrooms. $8 per person for a double feature. Those are like 1978 prices, right? After some puppy play time and always fun people watching, the sun set and the movies began. Now, I remember back in the day you'd get these wonky sound boxes that attached to poles so you could hear the movie playing. Not anymore. Today's drive-in is much more modern. Just tune your car radio into a specific station and turn it up. It's not Dolby surround sound, but it does the trick. I also recall going to the drive-in with my parents and hiding out under a pile of blankets in order to smuggle a few extra bodies in for no charge. Nice example my parents set, eh? It was kinda thrilling, in a 007 spy thriller sorta way. Mr. Oz and I did not do that on our trip to the movies. We paid. Maybe next time :)
For those of you who might live near a drive-in, I highly recommend adding a visit to your Summer to-do list. Something about it felt timeless and classic, dripping with nostalgia and hearkening back to an almost forgotten era. A little slice of Americana. I have to think that in the not to distant future, the drive-in theater will be no more. We'll all be watching downloads on our Smartphones or accessing films via a direct comm link surgically implanted in our cerebral cortex. Drive-in's don't strike me as a money making venture, but rather a way to cling to a small glimmer of a past where, in retrospect, life seemed easier, more tranquil and far less complicated. Who knows, maybe they are or will make a comeback. What's old is new again. Whatever happens, I'm glad I got to experience it one more time.
