Thing 58: Screen on the Green

Oh sweaty humidity! Oh warm red boxed wine! Oh bad movies, great friends, five kinds of cookies and cute puppies! Oh HBO dance!

It's only just ended, but I miss Screen on the Green already.

I've already written that this activity is my favorite thing to do in DC in the summer, and now with another season under my belt, I stand behind that statement more than ever.

Rather than write a summary of the last five Mondays, which would be rather tedious for me to write and for you to read, I will simply give you some suggestions for making your own SotG experience the best that it can be next summer (only 47 weeks away! But who's counting?).

1. Do the HBO dance. What is it? How do I do it? When do I do it? Why does everyone do it all at once like that? Well, I still don't know the mystery of its origin, but for those of you curious about technique, I have made this instructional video:
   
   
   
   See? Easy enough! Once you've gotten the hang of it, this is what it looks like in practice:
   
   
   
   
2. Invest in one of these chairs that support your back when you lean into it. I haven't yet, but I sure wish I had, every year.


3. Get there early for a good spot, especially if it's a really good movie, like Casablanca. The people who arrived later for Casablanca had to sit about three blocks away from the screen. The movie will actually start around 9pm, when it gets dark enough to see the movie projected on the screen.
   
   


4. Bring your dog! If your dog is relatively small and well-behaved, he or she is a welcome addition to the party.
   
   



5. Fried chicken makes an excellent picnic food.
   
   



6. Maybe don't bring your dog and fried chicken at the same time, unless you want to see a very sad looking dog.
   
   



7. Bring enough box wine that it doesn't matter when the movie turns out to be about a carnivorous carrot from another planet that drinks blood.
   
   



8. Wear light, comfortable clothes. We lucked out somehow and it was downright chilly for one of the movies, but for the most part it is very very hot and very very humid. I favor dresses or shorts and I pity those poor saps who wear jeans. Also, bring lots of water. Man cannot stay hydrated with box wine alone.


9. Bring your bug spray! I practically bathe in the stuff, and I still get a bite or two by the end of the evening, so be warned.


10. Enjoy the view. Other cities show outdoor movies, but we're the only one with a view of the Capitol and the Washington Monument as our backdrop.

Side note: In addition to the DC365 City Guide, keep an eye out for some more new features and changes coming to the site! Exciting changes are afoot!