Drive Inn Memories

On May 14th, country singer Keith Urban performed a show for frontline medical workers at the Stardust Drive Inn (haughtily called an "outdoor cinema in the article I read) outside of Nashville. Watching a clip of the show gave me the "feels" about the good and crazy times I spent at the Atlantic Drive-In Theater located on the outskirts of my hometown, Atlantic, Iowa.

The Atlantic Drive Inn was in a swell spot - in between the Atlantic Cemetary and the railroad tracks. I have vague memories of going there as a family. If my sisters read this, they could confirm, or tell me I'm making things up again. There was a snack shack in the middle of the parking area and a small playground I believe. Again - chime in if you remember this!

When I started thinking about writing this, I thought about one of Don McKim and my fond shared loves. Cheech and Chong - comedians of our youth. They did a gig on their album "Los Cochinos" called "Pedro and the Man at the Drive-Inn" (along with many other hilarious gigs "Dave's Not Here, Man"). Beware - in my now more aware adulthood, I wince at how insensitive we were, laughing at the expense of others. On the other hand. Some stuff is just funny. 

Putting people in the trunk to avoid paying the Drive Inn entry fee was real! I recall piling into one of the Pellett family's huge Buicks after a swim meet at Sunnyside Pool. Clark Pellett was driving this group of around 10 lifeguards and other pool staff to some third rate movie. Getting into the lot with our hijinx was much more fun than the actual movie itself. 

Photo - courtesy Oskaloosa Herald

Finding a speaker that worked could also prove to be a challenge. Some didn't work at all. Others were so scratchy you couldn't tell what was being said. And like in the Cheech and Chong gig, positioning one's car was important. Especially if you had back seat viewers! Lots of people would bring pickup trucks and back into spots. Lots of people brought lawn chairs and blankets.  

Of course, a draw to the Drive-Inn was that we could take in beer and Annie Green Springs - a cheap wine for those who weren't cool enough (like me) to enjoy a cold one. Diane Heithoff and I piled into Mona Jones' giant green station wagon to do just that one summer. When the train went by during the movie, the ground would shake, noise - blocking out the movie. The train headlight bleached the screen. 

I saw some really bad movies at that place. "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Death Wish" are a couple I recall. They seemed to have a lot of horror movies, not a genre I enjoy. At least in a car, one could hide behind the dashboard during scary parts!   

Throughout my life I've mostly been a rules follower, staying inside the box. (insert big reveal music here) I jumped out of my box one time when leaving the Atlantic Drive Inn. The beer made me do it! 

Mona Jones - middle, with Sandy Larsen and me - cake servers at Sharon Leslein's wedding (our hs bball coach)

Mona drove the getaway car as Diane and I jumped out to steal letters from the movie marquis that was stupidly set on the ground near the entrance/exit to the Drive Inn. All around nice guy, Mike McCauley was my boyfriend during my junior year. When Mona stopped the wagon, I jumped out and grabbed a big 'ol black wooden M from the sign (it was just hanging on a wire) while Diane snatched another letter or two. What daredevils! I proudly put that M up on the large bulletin board in my room. If Mom ever noticed the purloined letter, she didn't say a thing. I felt like a badass! I feel bad about it now. Do you suppose they couldn't order any movies we M/W in them after that? 

The Atlantic Drive Inn closed long ago - and sat decaying for many years. Now it's gone altogether, the land cleared. Too bad, as it may have made a comeback today. They'd need a new sign. 

Betty Lou

Betty Louise (Betty Lou) Pellett was an incredible person that passed through my life years ago. I'm sorry I was too young - and then too self-centered to really appreciate her before she passed away in 1986. She and her husband Paul were my parents' friends. Their children were our friends.

Betty was Mom's mentor in the Red Cross Swimming program. Blup (yes, we started the whole Brangelena/ making up names from initials and shortening it WAY back in the 70's) was the chief of the summer Red Cross swimming lessons. Mom was assistant chief. They both sported whistles and cut quite the figures all authoritative and shit. "I said flutter kick, dammit!"

Three Bullocks had Pellett classmates. Drew is a couple? years older than Susi. Marlene (known as Mutsy) is Susi's age, Clark is Cindo's age, Todd is my age and Christine is a couple years younger than Betso.  They were all pool rats as we were while their mamma oversaw swimming lessons. Then as we all grew up - we began to serve as teacher's aides and then instructors. In my mind's eye, when I picture the Pelletts, they're all wearing swimsuits. It's okay though - they were nice looking.

Paul and Betty Lou lived in a lovely two-story rural home just north of Atlantic. The family operated a propane and LP gas business. (My classmate Todd now runs that biz - he and wife Suzie live in Omaha). Paul and Betty had a menagerie out there - and I loved to visit their house.

In preschool or Kindergarten did a firetruck take us to their house? (Paula Bacon remembers this story). And I got to see kitties - puppies? I loved them all! Todd remembers having to invite me to his birthday party - he said he didn't wanna. Not a GIRL. I thought it was great - there was a piñata that I got to try to whack.

The Pelletts also invited the Bullocks out to their home to ice skate on the Nishna Botna River in the frosty winter. There was a bonfire and we roasted marshmallows. They had a pony with a sleigh. The Pelletts were one of those families that seemed to do all that stuff only seen on movies.

My favorite Pellett parties were the swimming lesson aide parties. These were held to thank all the teacher's helpers - the ones who got into the cold water to help the skinny kid from Cumberland try to back float. The aides did the rough stuff! Often the real teacher stood all dry and warm on the pool deck.

Every year the teachers put on the Aide party at the Pelletts - and Mom even came when she was involved with lessons. They'd feed us hot dogs and would set up "games" for us to play at various sites around the house and yard. Except the games were Punk'd. They even got Mom with the old ping pong ball war game.

You take a pan of water. Tell 2 people they're going to compete by blowing a ping pong ball - the first one to get it to the other side wins. They get their faces down by the water. The "starter" holds the ball in her hand  - ready to place it in the middle and says "On your Mark, Get Set" On GO, she splashes the ball into the water, getting the competitors as wet as possible. It was so funny seeing my mom get fooled.

Another game I remember was: have a plank big enough for someone to stand on. Blindfold somebody and tell them you're lifting them and they'll need to jump into a pile of pillows (or something soft). Have strong people to lift the person up. When they lift the person on the plank - it will feel like they are 6 feet in the air - but they will really be only 1 foot or 18 inches up. When they jump it will be a shock to hit the ground that fast. I know - sounds risky. But we didn't think of that stuff in the 70's.

The last one was a little kinky. "Under the blanket". Cover person with big blanket. Tell the person under the blanket to take off something they don't need. They start removing articles of clothing - it goes fast in summer - not much on. The joke - it's the blanket that they don't need!

Betty Lou was the instructor when several of us decided to become Water Safety Instructors (WSI). Robyn, Candice, Sally, Ted, Todd and me. Since it was spring, we took class at Harlan at the indoor pool at their high school. Betty said she would drive - uh oh! She was a notoriously crazy fast driver and she had a couple Old English Sheep Dogs. Every time we took off from Pelletts, Betty would tear out to beat the dogs. They'd chase us until we cleared the old metal bridge. The riders in the back would be howling with laughter and the front seat rider would struggle to make conversation with BL without cracking up. Whenever I swim I hear BL telling me that I my crawl stroke was beautiful - high praise and a proud memory.

Betty loved to travel - and she did. She went to China and I believe she ended up with an illness that turned into swelling on the brain. She passed away in 1986. Way too early. I didn't appreciate her enough - a strong woman like my mom, showing the way for others to follow.