American Pie

Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a movie.  Not an adventurous type of movie or anything, but when I see or hear things that I grew up watching on TV or in American movies, it does make me chuckle.  My, how my life has changed! 

I drive around everywhere in my big ol' minivan.  I spend hours sitting on the sidelines of soccer games on my fold up chair with its cup holder, just like all the other soccer moms.  I have a large assortment of huge, portable drinking cups and an ice dispenser on my refrigerator.  I wait in the school pick up line and hear the Principal making her Grease-like announcements at the end of the school day, this never fails to make me giggle.   Every day I see countless yellow school buses on the roads - just like in the movies.  I love air conditioning and free refills.  I even know some people who have a II or a III after their name.  For real!

Patriotism here is amazing and humbling.  While back in the UK, we are also mostly patriotic, Americans are happy to show their love of their country at any opportunity.  I love this!  Restaurants routinely offer discounts for military personnel and American flags are everywhere.  When the husband was in the military, I loved that every day on base, the national anthem played at 5pm.  The whole base came to a standstill regardless of weather conditions, put hands on heart and faced the direction that the music was coming from.  Even our children knew to do this and it brought a tear to my eye seeing this kind of respect.  In the base movie theater they would also play the national anthem before the movie began.  Again, everybody stood up, removed hats, put hands on heart and stood to attention.  I love seeing such pride in people for their country. 

Proms and High School Graduations - it's just like in the movies.  These are huge deals over here and although it can get a bit OTT, why not? 

Sports clothes, cowboy hats and cowboy boots are worn here every day and for every occasion.  Admittedly I used to think of these kind of things as pretty cheesy, but now I love the passion that people show for these kind of things.  At home, you'd get laughed at for sporting your cowboy duds for sure.  I want to take photos of random people every day, proud of their team, their country or whatever they are passionate about.  They don't care what other people think and why should they?!  I love it!  You see military folks everywhere in uniform too.  Yep, just like in the movies. 

Hot wheels, hot rods and monster trucks on the roads.  I've said it already, but it's just like in the movies, except it's for real!   Chevys, Corvettes, you name it, you see them every day.

Old fashioned diners with malts, milk shakes, burgers in plastic baskets, homemade pies - these really exist.  Especially in small, middle of nowhere towns.  I always get shivers walking into these kind of places that have usually been there for years and are the main place to go in these small towns.

Lastly, how cool are Drive In Movie Theaters?  Especially when you're in a truck and you can lay out in the truck bed chilling, eating your chili dog, drinking your big old coke and watching a movie?  There are two Drive In Theaters close to where we live, I tell you, I'm living in a movie!

So that's it for today folks, I'm off to continue to live the American {movie} dream.  Have a great day y'all  :)