Friday, June 22, 2007
Thunder Bumpers
You know how some songs just conjure up memories? I was listening to some older Madonna music when I came across the song "Secret" and wow, I just had all these images rush into my mind. I do not now if it is still there now but in my hometown of Gilmer, Texas there was a roller rink. It was the hangout. Mostly intermediate and Jr high kids were there. The teens that could drive were at the Sonic. The building was all made out of sheet metal so it looked like a huge machinery warehouse from the outside. Thunder Bumpers was graffitied on the sign. The line to get in to door was insane on Friday and Saturday nights. They had all the classic junk food and fountain drinks. I would gorge myself on nachos and ring pops. The drink of choice was called a suicide which was all the flavors added together. You could buy souvenirs that were about the same quality at the 25 cent machines outside of Walmart. I bought a hot pink lucky rabbits food that stayed on my key chain for years. I never stayed for the lock ins that Thunder Bumpers was famous for because I was not about to sleep on that nasty floor. The bathrooms were so tiny and you did not use them unless your bladder was about to burst. Many a heart was broken at the roller rink. Couples got to together and split up in the course of the four hours the rink was open. I had two boyfriends there that did not see again until I was in high school. That was a tad uncomfortable since by then we all knew just how childish our roller rink romance had been. With all the time i spent on Rollerblades you would think I would learn how to stop but nope. I did however get a nice little concussion when I fell and a speed skater used my forehead for a brake. Ouch! I was a little disoriented after that one.
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A Suicide... Oh, the memories. I wonder if this is a Texas thing? Even when I was a kid, and a couple of decades before you (I hate admitting that), we drank suicides. Only the town I grew up in wasn't big enough for a roller rink. We had to go to the fountain shop in the drug store.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking me back!
Man, those were the days. I used to eat those giant pickles from the snack bar, yum! And I LOVED making suicides! I was just thinking of that the other day as a matter of fact! And the bathrooms at the roller rink, what the heck? How can they expect you to be able to get into the shoe box sized stall and then squat onto the toilet without your feet rolling out from under you and you busting your a#@?!?! Which I did a few times! And when you do land on your rump you are practically out of the stall and in view of every other female waiting to pee! HATED those things. But loved the stupid skate romances and couples skating and the birthday parties at the rink and requesting songs to be played, etc. etc. Those were great times! I used to play in the arcade area and play air hockey with the "guys" and I used to always buy glow sicks for my skates for like a buck from those machines. Begging for money from the parents always had to include enough for the arcade, glow sticks, and snack bar food! You brought me back my dear, yes indeed!
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