Step 1: Kick balls, take names
What's summer without feeling blades of grass between your toes?\nAfter spending last summer in Manhattan, kicking off my shoes and playing in Dunn Meadow was an absolute must. Going barefoot in NYC just seemed a bit too dirty and broken-glassy for my liking. \nWe chose kickball as the main event for this Fun-Fest, but frisbee, soccer, softball, tag or any other fourth-grade recess activity works just fine. \nI'd love to share stories of a triumphant game-winning blast or a splendid, diving catch, but a lack of participants limited us to some batting practice (or kicking practice, rather). Which is an important lesson: Bring enough people for your game of choice. It helps. A lot.\nThat said, everybody still had fun just getting outside and running around awhile. Plus, I broke a sweat so it counts as exercise … right?\nQuick Tip: Fewer accessories, the better. Use sandals for bases, a folded shirt for a pitcher's mound or any other impromptu instrument. I highly recommend traveling light (just a ball) and making due from there.
Step 2: Drive-In, Make Out
Driving up to the Starlite Drive-In, a thought occurred to me: "I bet this place doesn't take debit."\nAnd, no, it didn't. But as we scoured the car seats for 30 more cents, the man at the gate cut us a deal, charging us for one adult instead of two -- saving us another five bucks for concessions. \nIf anything wins me over it's kindness … and popcorn. Kindness and popcorn. \nI came to find that the generosity of the Starlite employee was quite befitting of the entire establishment. We pulled up to a slew of children running around chasing each other, couples perched on the hoods of their cars and Motown radiating out of the radio. Somewhere along Old State Road 37 we must have hit a time warp. \nThe entire scene radiated "down home-i-ness." A part of me thought "Sound of Music" would project on the screen instead of "Spider-Man 3." But it didn't. \nThe movie seemed a little hard to see, but to be fair, we had parked a little far out and "Spider-Man 3" is a generally dark movie to begin with. Hearing, however, was not a problem, as Starlite has it set up so you can tune your radio to 97.5 and get Peter Parker pumped through your speakers. \nQuick Tip: Bring a date. No drive-in experience is truly complete without rounding a base or two … or three. Just don't go overboard. You are paying $12 --you can make out for free at home.
Step 3: Ice Cream, Dead Ahead!!
I'm sure you know about Jiffy Treet. And if you know your stuff, you probably know about Chocolate Moose as well. \nBut do you know Bruster's?\nOn our way to go boating, we stopped off on Third Street, just before 46 and 446 split off a mile or so past College Mall. My mission for the employees: Biggest. Ice cream. Possible.\nThey passed with flying colors. Literally.\nMe and a couple compatriots armed ourselves with some plastic, red spoons and dug into almost half-a-pound of psychedelic explosion that looked like something off the dessert menu at the Grateful Dead Diner.\nThe flavors included Cotton Candy Explosion and Purple Dinosaur, among many, many, many others.\nQuick Tip: Go during the down time and challenge your server. The lovely ladies at Bruster's took my early afternoon order as more of a freaky, fun science experiment and not a petty, exhausting task.
Step 4: Pontoon Town
A lot of factors worked against my maiden voyage on Lake Monroe.\nWe had no sun, no music and no food source aside from a few sandwiches. We did have a bottle of wine and a jug of sangria, but no corkscrew for the wine and no cups for the Carlo Rossi. \nBut none of this bothered me for three reasons. (1) I found a boat with a slide for less money than a regular one. (2) We ran into a far more raucous, ridiculous boatful of people. (3) A lack of cups doesn't prevent you from swigging sangria straight from the jug. \nIn all seriousness, pontoon trips deserve more respect on the front end than I provided. A lot needs to be accounted for. How many people will be out there? What will those people do? How do you entertain those who don't swim? How else, besides a slide, do you entertain those who do swim? How do you keep people fed? What aren't you thinking of that you will think of after three drinks?\nHaving not thought about this before the trip, I'll share my findings in hope that you never end up saying, "I wish we had _______." \nFor starters, get as many people as possible. More people equals bigger boat equals cooler boat equals more fun. And more people also means less cost per individual. Lake Monroe Boat Rental is your best value for pontoons and double deckers, but its largest boat holds 16 people. Four Winds Resort & Marina offers a 26-person double decker with a bathroom, carpets and other amenities. This is the boat we made friends with.\nBeyond that, don't forget music -- a boom box at the very least. The people we met also had a cool little grill that has a portable propane tank that filled me with envy. Make sure you can open all the containers you bring. And fun magazines are handy for the loungers in the group. May I suggest this copy of WEEKEND?\nQuick Tip: Get four or five inflatable rafts, but make sure they have handles. Then buy four or five lengths of rope. Once you anchor,
Weekend Indoor Select Step 5: We are Laughing
I'm a fair-skinned fellow, so too many outdoor activities don't bode well for my epidermis and send me scrounging for some indoor fun. I'm also a fellow fond of the drink, so when it's time to take things inside, it's always a bonus if booze is involved. \nThat's why I ended my journey at Bear's Place for its Comedy Caravan. \nAs mentioned before, I spent last summer in New York so I grew accustomed to great live music and stand-up comedy -- two things I never took advantage of in Bloomington. And what I've realized since last summer is that, sure, B-Town may not bring in John Mayer or Chris Rock, but with music and comedy live is always the way to go.\nOn the evening in question, the lineup didn't floor me but it kept me chuckling enough to leave me feeling like I got my $7 worth. And with a Hairy Bear added into the equation, the hilarity escalated with every sip. Oddly enough, so did the deliciousness of every nacho.\nQuick Tip: Just like with real bears, never get aggressive with a Hairy Bear. It will maul you. After one you feel good, and you can hardly taste the liqour in that final sip. But buyer beware; a second round is rarely a wise choice. \nThe first drink might have you laughing more than you normally would, but the second drink will have you heckling more than you normally would. Which, in turn, will probably get you kicked out of the bar more than you normally would. There's not an exit right next to the stage for nothing.
