It's been a few years since I caught a movie at the Hi-Way 18 Outdoor Theatre in Jefferson.  It's really quite a schlep, a good 50 minutes from Milwaukee.  But with the number of drive-ins in Wisconsin and around the country rapidly dwindling, it's a tradition I try to keep alive.

Not every movie is suitable for the giant screen.  I avoid movies in which special effects, excellent sound or even intricate dialogue play a big part in the telling the story (the last movie I saw at the drive-in was "Talladega Nights," a perfect choice for that venue).

That's why "The Simpsons Movie" seemed like a great film for a Friday night in Jefferson.

Mostly, it was.  But viewing the screen through the windshield, with a handful of distractions omnipresent -- it made me rethink my decision.  The move was much more rapidly paced than I imagined, and the dozens of inside jokes would be better suited for inspection on DVD.

On the other hand, maybe I'm just never satisfied.  My biggest problems with the movie were that it felt too cinematic (but yeah, I guess it's a movie) and that it didn't involve enough characters (can't please everyone).

I went into the movie with high expectations, having seen every single episode of "The Simpsons" at least once.  Though I didn't drive away feeling 100 percent satisfied, it made for a fun and memorable evening -- and you get to see two first run movies for a paltry $7.

Fortunately, the Highway 18 seems to be bustling and in little jeopardy of going away.  Still, every time I go, it becomes a reminder to not ignore this quickly disappearing slice of American nostalgia.  Take the kids, take a date … just make sure to go while you still can.

Since the hostile takeover attempt from AirTran toward Midwest Airlines began, I've assumed this is a done deal. With the blood in the water, I expect Milwaukee's hometown airline will soon be a thing of the past -- whether it comes in the form of an AirTran acquisition or from another carrier.

Emotional responses aside, these are the risks a business runs when it goes public. And despite pledges to community, Milwaukee will lose a major corporate citizen and the fringe benefits that come with it.

Everyone else has talked about what that means to tourism, our city's identity, chocolate chip cookies and flight prices.

What I want to know is what will happen to my Midwest Airlines frequent flier miles?

Like so many others, I practically stockpile these things. As holder of a Midwest Express (then Midwest Airlines) Mastercard since 1996, I've accrued (and spent) hundreds of thousands of miles. Whenever possible, I've flown Midwest. I've signed up for the "Rewards Dining" programs, charged big down payments I'd pay off that month -- I've done everything I can to fly to good places for free.

I've used my miles for my honeymoon, trips to Mexico and Spring Training in Phoenix. Right now, I've got more than 50,000 miles burning a hole in my wallet -- just waiting for the perfect trip.

But what will happen if and when AirTran takes over? I asked that very question to my colleague, Steve Jagler, the executive editor of The Small Business Times, after posting his blog about AirTran's promises this morning on OnMilwaukee.com.

Jagler passed my question on to Tad Hutcheson, AirTran's vice president of marketing and sales.

Said Hutcheson, "We would convert them to AirTran credits and he could use them on the combined airline (if the merger goes through)."

"Our goal is to keep the customers happy," he added.

So, there's the official answer, but please understand my skepticism. I fear that AirTran will say whatever it tak…

This weekend, I flew to Warwick, R.I. to attend my 15-year high school reunion.  For this blog to make sense, you should know that I lived in the Ocean State for five years, to the day, between 1987 and 1992.  Born in Milwaukee, my family moved to R.I. when I was 13; I stayed on the East Coast for college, then moved back to Milwaukee in 1996.

I went solo to the event, opting against bringing my wife, who would know perhaps two people at the party. (It's not that I didn't want to prove to people that the kid with braces, big glasses and "A Flock of Seagulls" hair married a beautiful wife -- rather I'd like to show her where I lived during a less stressful, more laid-back trip).

So, for the first time, I sought to pay enough attention to my surroundings that I could properly explain what it's like living in this tiny state. It's been five years since my last trip (and just my fourth or fifth in 15 years), so I finally had enough distance, I thought, to view the weekend with an objective eye.

Arriving Thursday night, the first thing I noticed, of course, was the accent.  When really strong, picture how a New Yorker would sound -- after he's been punched in the mouth.  It's not just different pronunciation -- it's the syntax, colloquialisms and entirely different words that we're used to in Milwaukee.

Above and beyond the obvious dropping of R's, Rhode Islanders drop G's, too ("shopping" becomes "shoppin").  They also use adjectives like "wicked," "retarded," and "queer" with reckless abandon, as they did when I got there in '87.  The concept of "PC" language doesn't resonate even with educated, enlightened people like it does here -- which isn't to say these people are homophobes or insensitive, because the majority are not (full disclosure: I found myself slipping these words back into my vocabularly within just a few hours at the "bah").

They call purses handbags. Subs are grinders. Milkshakes are cabinets. Cream for coffee is cal…

Whenever I see a peculiar headline like the Associated Press' "Minor league coach dies after being struck by line drive during game" in my Brewers RSS feed, I take a quick look.

But this morning I read that the coach was former Brewers infielder, Mike Coolbaugh. According to the report, the first base coach of the Tulsa Drillers was hit in the head by a line drive and was pronounced dead at a North Little Rock, Ark. hospital.

I had never met the 35-year-old Coolbaugh, but I was certainly familiar with him.  He traveled through the minors for 17 years, but had a stand-out Spring Training in 2001, and I was there to see it.  Every year, my friends and I pick one Spring Training favorite, and Coolbaugh was the guy in '01.  He earned a spot on the Brewers' roster, playing 39 games that season.  The next season he played five with Cardinals.

Coolbaugh was married with two young sons and another child on the way.

Tusla Drillers president Chuck Lamson put it well: "He just joined the staff and was a former Driller player. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

“We came to know Mike both from his time with the Brewers and the Texas Rangers organization, and the news has hit us very hard,” said Brewers Special Assistant to the General Manager and Director of Player Development Reid Nichols. “Mike was a kind and hard working individual who lived life and played the game with great passion. He will be greatly missed.”

I always wished Coolbaugh would pan out after a long and challenging career in which he never gave up hope.  It apparently wasn't meant to be.  I share the thoughts of Lamson, Nichols and Brewers fans who saw Coolbaugh's one month of glory back in March 2001.  Truly a sad story.