Friday, October 5, 2012

It's Friday Night

Which at the Brave Astronaut launchpad means pizza / movie night for LBA and SoBA.  However, growing up on Long Island, it often meant a night out at the movies, perhaps a stop at the diner, or maybe the game room in Bayville.  Game rooms were a popular destination during my youth - they could be found in all the malls and a nearby Nathan's had an entire game room attached to the restaurant.

I learned recently the game room in Bayville, which used to be a game room, a small miniature golf course, and some batting cages - is now a destination, a "theme park."  I guess it is true what they say, you can't go home again.  Gary - did you know about this?

I was having a discussion at the work lunch table the other day about high school hijinks.  There were several Friday nights spent where I and my two friends would be out in our friend's car doing various sorts of teenage frivolity.  There was the one occasion that we were "cruising" on Hempstead Turnpike and we were stopped at a light.  There was a car in a parking lot that had its high beams on, pointed directly at the cars on the Turnpike.  I looked over and said out the open window - though definitely not at a volume so as to be heard - "turn off your f*&king brights, a@$hole."  Then the drivers side door opened.  And the driver, a large man, yelled, "what did you just say to me?"  I implored my friend to jump the light.  Luckily it changed before he made it to the car.

There were other evenings, where we would take turns riding in the trunk of the car, then when the car would stop at a light, pop out of the trunk to scare the beejeezus out of the people behind us.  Or we might dangle one of our arms out the trunk to see if people would notice.

I know, it's amazing we didn't have more luck with the ladies.  Happy Weekend everyone!

No comments: