On Friday morning (aka Black Friday), Joe and I drove to Saint
Michael Cinema 15 for their annual popcorn bucket sale. This was the only
shopping we did for Black Friday.
Normally $40.00, the cost of the 2025 refillable bucket was
on sale at $25.00 with a $5.00 concession coupon. The grands (Caleb and
Charlotte) each get a treat and a soda at our movie outings. Caleb ALWAYS loves
to have popcorn with extra butter. The refillable popcorn bucket is a deal! I
figure it will pay for itself the first two movies we see in 2025 - with or
without the grands. With two FREE refills per visit, we can easily share. If we
want to take home popcorn, we can re-fill it for $1.00.
We got on the road for the 7-minute drive at 8:15 am. When
we got within two minutes, about half of a mile from Cinema 15, we noticed cars
were on the shoulder. Up ahead we could see flashing lights. Joe thought it was
an accident. We cautiously proceeded on and quickly discovered the cars on the
shoulder were in fact in line for the drive-through pick up of their popcorn
buckets. The flashing lights came from the Sherrif's car providing traffic
control for the popcorn sales event.
Joe was totally amazed. I was not too surprised, given that
I grew up in Ohio with popcorn as a primary snack food. I told him
"Midwesterner's love their popcorn." A synopsis of Joe's comments:
"Wow! I was expecting to get here and there would be like four cars."
"Wow! Do people really eat this much popcorn?" "I can't believe
there are this many people willing to get up early to buy empty popcorn
buckets.” These phrases were repeated and repeated and repeated. Joe’s wonder
did not cease during the entire experience.
We had no difficulty making our way into the drive-through
line as eventually the people on the shoulder had to merge back into traffic to
get to the cinema parking lot. Once in the lot we had the opportunity to
pretend we were at Disneyland or driving an obstacle course as we weaved around
the parking lot. Eventually we could see where people were taking the money and
handing out the empty buckets. About four cars from reaching the pickup point,
the workers suddenly began waving people on. The pickup point was out of
buckets!
Fortunately, there was a second pickup point at the back of
the theater. We paid $25 cash, the worker asked the number of buckets we wanted
(only one for us), and we were on our way back home. I was driving, Joe was
ogling the backed-up traffic and marveling at the even longer line of cars as
we headed home.
I do not know if annual popcorn buckets are a thing in
California. I just know my sweet California boy was amazed and I think for the
very first time the cultural difference of living in Minnesota may have hit him
like a ton of bricks. In a positive way!
By the way, we were home with our bucket by 8:45 am. I
marvel at the efficiency.
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