By now everyone should have their clocks set to the correct time. You’ll notice that you are probably getting up in the dark and watching the sunset around 7 PM. It would be nice if this could have been the last time we had to reset our clocks.
We are approaching the season when we are able to get out and enjoy our free-time more, because we don’t need to worry that much about the cold weather. Like everything else, the cost of getting out has become more expensive. The days when a Dad can take his son out to a Major League baseball game for just a few bucks are gone. The dollar hot dog is a thing of the past. Here are some ways you can take the family out for some entertainment without arranging for a second home mortgage.
When it comes to a sporting event, you may want to wait to buy your tickets until closer to the event. For most regular season games across all major sports, prices usually drop as the event approaches. Watch for tickets leading up to the game. When it comes to baseball, you might consider taking in a minor league game in Kalamazoo. Make arrangements to get a group together and take in a ballgame. You’ll be entertained and I’m pretty sure you can get a great hot dog for around a dollar.
If you enjoy attending a concert, this isn’t the same. Tickets for top musical acts almost never drop in price as the event approaches. In fact, your best bet is to buy tickets the first day they go on sale and buy them directly from the venue, or its official ticket-selling agency, both to get better seats and to lock in more reasonable costs. If you wait, you’ll likely pay more to ticket resellers.
Going out to the movies can be quite expensive. Admission prices aren’t that bad, but if you want popcorn and a coke, take some plastic with you. Early afternoon matinees have long been the way to save on movie tickets, but some theaters also offer discounts on evening shows playing on, say, Tuesday or Wednesday. The concession stand might also offer a break.
Buy lunch takeout for dinner. Restaurants often offer more food for less money at lunch. A lunch special may include a soup or salad and side items. Plan ahead and order takeout at lunchtime, then stick it in the refrigerator until the evening meal.
If you want big-name entertainment, you’ll probably want to check out the Grand Rapids, or Kalamazoo areas. St. Joe County has plenty of venues when it comes to entertainment. Sturges-Young Auditorium always has something in their lineup and if you want to see a good play, the Three Rivers Community Players Theater has musical and drama productions in rehearsals at any given time. There is first-rate entertainment and some fine dining without having to drive for at least a half hour.
The travel season will soon be upon us. If you are planning to travel to the deep south, you’ll soon discover that in some cases, it’s a different world south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The folks are more than friendly, but the language is a bit different. Here are some examples of what you might expect. You might want to write some of them down.
- Onced and Twiced are words.
- Fixinto is one word. It means I”m going to do something.
- The word “Jeet” is actually a question meaning, “Did you eat?”
- All the festivals across some of the states are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect, or animal.
- The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require six pages for local high school sports, motorsports, and gossip.
See you Out and About!
Norm Stutesman lives in Three Rivers. He receives mail at P.O. Box 103 in Three Rivers.
