vcr

How did we all manage pre-vcr days? And we were among the last of the tv owners to get one. I must admit that there is a downside, the house has become flooded with video cassettes of recorded shows, movies and other programs.

In our dating days and early years of marriage we would go to the movies, sometimes even two in a session. We even took nursing babies, at least the boys, since living in Shiloh meant too many hours to be away from home for me. I think that they saw "Star Wars" or was it some of the "indiana Jones" series.

Years ago, there was a lot of smoking in the movie theaters, and I became really good at flaunting my pregnant belly, when there was one, to insist that they obey the law and put it out.

After a while, I used to find the benches, chairs, seats uncomfortable. Even after smoking was no longer an issue, and people didn't smoke during the shows, I would get annoyed by all the noise people made. And I also didn't think much of what was being shown. I fell asleep during "E.T." and was bored by "Dances With Wolves."

The last time I went to a real movie theater, if you can call those modern ones the size of large livingrooms cinemas, was to see the Andy Kaufman movie, "Man on the Moon," starring Jim Carey. Andy and I were classmates, so I had to see it.

Today I ran a little movie theater at home. First a friend came over in the afternoon and we saw "Two Weeks' Notice," a cute comedy with Sandra Bullok and Hugh Grant. We had some good laughs. Then another friend came over and we continued watching at least three more episodes from the old classic tv detective series, "Homicide." She also ate dinner with us while watching. Chicken soup with knaidelach, sweet potato, salad and chicken. Not quite the popcorn of our youth, but it's Pesach.

It was good to be able to get up whenever I needed to move around, sure lots healthier than sitting in a movie theater.

Chag Sameach