A Dollar’s Worth of Memories

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A Dollar’s Worth of Memories

July 2, 2009 by alsboy

Back in the day, after we completed his afternoon paper route, my friend Sean M and I would pedal our bikes up to the neighborhood 7-11 on San Bruno Avenue. We would park our Mongooses (or is the correct term Mongeese) and head into the convenience store. Dollar bill in hand, I would belly up to the counter and order my usual Dr Pepper Big Gulp. The thirty-two ounces of sugary caffeinated goodness would set me back 59 cents plus 4 cents tax for a grand total of 63 cents. Twelve of my 37 cents change would find a new home in the linty depths of my front pants pocket while the quarter would be inserted into the coin slot of the Galaga or Gyruss video game near the double glass doors. We would sip our drinks and shoot at wave after endless wave of insect-like alien invaders until it was time to ride home for dinner. Tomorrow would come and we would do it all over again. Maybe this time, one of us would get a high score.

Posted in Memories | 7 Comments

7 Responses

on July 2, 2009 at 5:00 pm | Reply Traci

In my case, it was after school with my friend Cynthia V. — we’d walk to Long’s in Bayhill where we’d buy SweetTarts (or other high-sugar-content candies – Lik-M-Aid, anyone?) and play Ms. Pac-Man or Centipede ’til dinnertime. Good times.
on July 2, 2009 at 10:58 pm | Reply A.N.

I’m old school:

would go to the corner store (no chain) – actually a PINK drugstore – and buy Hostess Cupcakes and then go hit and throw a softball until time for dinner.

AN
on July 3, 2009 at 3:26 am | Reply Sean

I am that Sean M. A simpler time old friend. And thank you for bringing Us back to such a fond memory. Happy Anniversary.

With much love…………

Sean
on July 6, 2009 at 5:26 pm | Reply Julie

I’m going old school too – no video games nor chain stores … we’d head to Hazel’s (a real old time luncheonette) with shelves of actual penny candy! (It was depressing when things went up to a nickel.) We’d buy about fifty cents of Swedish fish to share. Then we’d roll down the hills at the old high school or search for crayfish in the creek (pronounced “crick” for the philly-accent deprived).
on July 7, 2009 at 10:17 am | Reply Arnold

older school… my brother and i would pick up returnable bottles along our walk to the local market for their 3 cent deposits. remember, this wasn’t “recycling” in today’s parlance… these bottles were returned to be reused (thick and scratchy models). As we neared the store we’d also peek into the brown bags tossed along the road, knowing some folks threw their receipt and change in the bag before littering.

the reward: peanut butter cups for me and red licorice for my brother. if funds allowed, then we’d add a couple cokes. we hated to share a coke, so would sometimes go without rather than share. backwash and uneven sip sizes were an insurmountable problem.
on July 7, 2009 at 12:05 pm | Reply Traci

Backwash. Ew.
on July 12, 2009 at 9:38 pm | Reply Karen Zack

I spent almost every summer day at Wrightsville Beach (in North Carolina), and we’d hit the corner Kwik Mart for a Moon Pie and Yoohoo chocolate drink. Sometimes we’d stop at the roadside produce stand on Oleander Drive for some boiled peanuts. Then it was down to the beach where I’d get out my 2 SPF Hawaiin Tropic tanning oil, spritz on some Sun-In (expensive lemon juice to lighten the hair), and settle in my lounge chair with a good book and my radio. A snack of a frozen Snickers bar later in the day was perfect.

On the way home we’d make a stop at Flip’s Barbeque for a bbq sandwich with slaw on it and some hushpuppies.

Oh, and gallons of sweetened iced tea.

Ah, summer! Thanks for the memories!