Well, this was a surprise!
The real origin of the way we talk about our quarantine excursion is based on one of our favorite family movies -- "Waiting for Guffman"which is a 1996 mockumentary comedy by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, about the production of a stage musical for a small town celebration.
In the movie, there is a charming character played by Parker Posey, who before being cast in the town's stage musical, is a Dairy Queen employee. And when she describes her employment she says:
I been workin' here at the D.Q. for about, um -- eight months? Seven? I don't know, somethin' like that, it's fun. Just do the cones -- make sundaes, make Blizzards, 'n -- put stuff on 'em, 'n -- see a lot of people come in, a lot of people come to the D.Q -- burgers -- ice cream -- anything, you know? Cokes -- just drive in and get a Coke, if you're thirsty.
For some reason, this has always tickled our girls' fancy. And we repeat it to each other in our family often. And now during quarantine, it has come true in spades! We drive in and get a Coke EVERY DAY!!! Ok. Ok. Ok. So, it's not a Coke (a diet Dr. Pepper, really) but we do drive through -- and what a joy it is!
I think it's important for several reasons:
1) Predictability: I know that there is somewhere that we will go every day. Even though we know we can't go anywhere (not even grocery shopping) we CAN go on a drive. And to have a destination feels very comforting. There is some place that we can go!
2) Time Alone: It's true that Robert and I spend 100% of our time together these days, but somehow being in the house together and passing each other in the hall, isn't truly conducive to saying what we're really thinking or feeling. Somehow, when we are in the car in close quarters, we have conversations that we don't have when we are in the living room watching TV.
3) Self Care: I love diet Dr. Pepper (remember those commercials? 'I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, she's a Pepper, if you drink Dr. Pepper, your'e a Pepper too!" and everyday when we drive through I feel like I am treating myself. I could buy diet Dr. Pepper from the store
(I don't), but it wouldn't be the same. And I know that carbonated sugary drinks are not the best for you -- and once quarantine is over, we won't be drinking diet Dr. Pepper every day. But for now, it seems like a small indulgence.
It was a really fun excursion today! Very unpredictable though! We had to go to our second tier choice, McDonald's, to get our Diet Dr. Pepper!