Top Gun on the USS Intrepid

What could be better watching than Top Gun?

Watching it on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Seriously! And it's the film's 25th anniversary to boot! And it's Memorial Day weekend -- which means it's Fleet Week. Score, score, score!

Alexis, the French guy I met on Match, joined the Intrepid Air, Sea & Space Museum. As a member, he was eligible for advance tickets to the museum's popular summer movie series. When we met up at 7, the line was impossibly long, but he had picked up tickets (and sent me this cute pic) last Saturday.

So, we got to skip to the front of the line for members, which meant we were some of the first ones on the deck. We spread out the picnic blanket Kurt loaned me and got an awesome spot close to the big screen. As the crowd filed in, I thought I saw my friend Allison from my 2009 China trip -- sure enough, it was her and another member of our tour group, Suzette!

The setting couldn't be better...watching the sun set, checking out all the planes on deck, and seeing the city skyline light up for the night. 

They played an interesting video about the history of the Intrepid to start the night, so we got a nice reminder of what Memorial Day weekend is really all about.

I'm not sure I've seen Top Gun in 15 years, but it was amazing how much of it I still remembered -- largely due to the fact my friend Amanda and I watched the beach volleyball scene so many times we wore out the VHS tape.

Not sure Alexis and I are really a "match," but he is a true gentleman and a pleasant date. It was one of those perfect summer nights when you feel so lucky to be outside in the warm breeze -- a great way to kick off the summer!