I was twenty-two and sitting in Denny's, hands clasped over a steaming cup of "mug o' coffee." It was 3 a.m. Seated around a table were all of my friends, as we laughed and ate our Moons Over Mihammy and Superbird Sandwiches. The mood was jubilant, It was a Saturday night. We were young, we were invincible and we were in our element.
One of the girls, a doe-eyed, young 18 year old, was eating whipped cream, licking the spoon suggestiively as her black hair cascaded in ringlets down one side of her face. Some of the males sat, transfixed. The women rolled their eyes. I said, "Come on baby, we'll show you how it's done!" And the Whipped Cream Eating Contest was born. The rules were simple: be as sexy as possible while eating it, to the victor went the spoils. In the months following, I was to win the contest numerous times. I also taught the girls a really important skill party trick: how to tie a cherry stem in a knot....with your tongue. Just business as usual for us, the regulars at the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Yes, the crazy midnight movie starring Tim Curry was a staple for me, because face it, in Central California, there wasn't a whole lot to do! We would go to clubs until midnight and then head to the Dream Theatre in Monterey, where we watched the Rocky, including pantomiming the Devo video- the one with the Giant Baby (giant baby, for the win!). Our "cast" was too cheap to actually have costumes, so we stood up in the front and acted out and yelled lines. This was how we spent our weekends. (Did I mention there was copious amounts of alcohol involved beforehand for those who needed it?)
"It's just a jump to the left...."
After the show, we would go to Denny's and then to the beach and finally to one of the castmember's homes to crash around 5 a.m. It was a crazy time in my life, and I was young, and stupid, and thought I was immortal. There is much I would rather forget. But those midnight flicks in a popcorn-scented luxury film palace are ingrained in my psyche like the gum stuck to my shoes from the theatre floor. I still have fond memories when I hear the opening bars...
"And a step to the ri-i-i-i-ight"
Years later, I saw the Rocky on Mtv. And I was left flat. I wondered why I ever spent so much of my life reciting lines from a cult movie when I could have been, I don't know... what the heck do people do on weekends after midnight? Sleep? Pass out from drinking? Neither alternative really seemed like much of a choice. Still, my daughter doesn't get it, to her it is an immoral movie with a bunch of weirdos dressed in lingerie, and who would watch that. It's not her cup of tea (and I need to be grateful for that!)
"put your hands on your hips... and bring your knees in tiiiiiight."
Some of my friends have been tweeting about going to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show in L.A. County. Apparently, the first weekend of the month is lingerie night. And while that gives me an excuse to pull out my black velvet corset, my days of keeping those kinds of hours are long gone. With age, comes responsibility, as I am so wont to tell my daughter, and as such, I must attend to my family, forgoing midnight movies (which means I wouldn't be home until after 3 a.m. and that's too long to leave my daughter in charge, especially since she won't sleep with us gone). So, they will have to play without us.
"But it's the pelvic thrusts...that really drive you insa-a-a-a-ane..."
Do I feel a tinge of regret? A bit, but I recognize that I have a different life now. That dance has been done. It is major reshuffling in order to jet at the drop of a hat and with my kids special needs' , it is just too hard to go out for extended periods, beyond a few hours at night. Recently, I went out for karaoke and stayed overnight in Los Angeles with JNerd. We had a good time, but not sure when or if we will do it again. There were..complications. As for the Rocky, the Sword of Damocles is hangin' over my head.
but, just one more time, for grins...
"Let's do the Time Warp agaiiiiiiiiiiiiin..."
Or, maybe not. It was the end of an era. Pretty sure it is good to keep it that way.
Tina does a pretty mean Time Warp and still has time for sarcasm. If you enjoy her shining wit, you can get more if you want.
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