Sick Days

I'm feeling weirdly nostalgic for movie rental places right now.

I used to go to Blockbuster almost every Friday on the way home from school, just to browse around for 30-40 minutes. Sometimes I would rent something, sometimes I would buy  used game, but for the most part, I just liked wandering around Blockbuster.

But I think the main reason I'm feeling nostalgic for rental places is because it was a sick day ritual.

I didn't have many sick days when I was a kid, in fact I had sort of an iron man streak where I didn't miss school from 1st-4th grade. (I have the awards to prove it) And even then, I would maybe miss 1-2 days a year at most. But the days I was sick, there are certain things that would always happen. Rituals that still make me feel a bit better.

7Up (or Sprite) and saltine crackers. These are a must for getting me better. Luckily my mom went to the pharmacy on our way home from the hospital and had the foresight to grab both. I just killed off the 2 liter or Sprite and I have enough saltines to last me well into the summer.

I used to curl up with this ugly (but comfy) brown blanket in my parents room and watched their old CRT TV. That obviously cannot be replicated for that house is no longer in the family, that TV has long been trashed, and I'm sure that brown blanket is around somewhere, but it is probably being used to keep old furniture in a basement somewhere from getting scratched up.

And finally, and this is the most important, VHS rentals. Those ugly faded boxes, handwritten film title on the cover, rented usually from the grocery store. Even in sickness, the moment the tracking was off, I'd perk right up and fight through all the crappy VHS settings just so I could see Grumpy Old Men or Eraser in all of its edited for home use glory.

Today, I really want to go to Blockbuster or the grocery store video department, but sadly neither exist. There was something magical about choosing the films, standing in line, and having to rush the film back before you got late fees. It's something that Red Box, Netflix, and Amazon Instant just can't replicate.