To this day I remember so many things
about a grocery store called Safeway
at Southwest Ninth and Leland
on the south side of Des Moines
where I grew up
There was a 15 cent pop
vending machine
that sold a brand of soda
no longer in existence
called "Hi-Q"
there was a drinking fountain right next to it
that had properly chilled water
talk about a long tall cool drink of water
It was the neighborhood grocery
store of the late sixties
and early seventies
They sold triple packs of potato chips
in a large cylindrical package with a lid
the package was large enough
to cut out room for a large visor hole
and to be used as an astronaut helmet
in the months after the moon landing
This was an era in which the Pillsbury company
marketed a product called
"Space Food Sticks"
they were glorified flavored Tootsie Rolls
however you combine them with Tang
you have one hell of an imaginary space adventure
perhaps far greater than reality
This is where I bought my first football cards
when they came with a stick of actual bubble gum
a combination poster and game sheet
and a football game card
man I spent a lot of allowance money on those things
after I got my first tape recorder
I would use the cards to broadcast imaginary NFL games
perhaps far greater than reality
It was dawn of a processed potato chip product
called Chippos
which vanished into thin air
it was a General Foods product
and while Pringles a Proctor and Gamble effort has survived
all these years
somehow the protestations of the regular potato chips manufacturers
and there paranoia
drove Chippos to the grave of spuds
because it was in a cardboard box with a foil
inner packaging
It does my heart glad
to be able to wax poetic
about the neighborhood grocery store
of my childhood
The reality is that Safeway's at least in Des Moines
are no more
like so much from that era
Safeway eventually moved down the street to
Southwest Ninth and Park Avenue
then got bought out by Super Value
who eventually ended up in La La land
The building is still there
having morphed into
one thing after the other
However you can`t take away my memories
after all nostalgia grows on trees
and it is for us to reach up
pull off a piece of fruit
and munch on it
about a grocery store called Safeway
at Southwest Ninth and Leland
on the south side of Des Moines
where I grew up
There was a 15 cent pop
vending machine
that sold a brand of soda
no longer in existence
called "Hi-Q"
there was a drinking fountain right next to it
that had properly chilled water
talk about a long tall cool drink of water
It was the neighborhood grocery
store of the late sixties
and early seventies
They sold triple packs of potato chips
in a large cylindrical package with a lid
the package was large enough
to cut out room for a large visor hole
and to be used as an astronaut helmet
in the months after the moon landing
This was an era in which the Pillsbury company
marketed a product called
"Space Food Sticks"
they were glorified flavored Tootsie Rolls
however you combine them with Tang
you have one hell of an imaginary space adventure
perhaps far greater than reality
This is where I bought my first football cards
when they came with a stick of actual bubble gum
a combination poster and game sheet
and a football game card
man I spent a lot of allowance money on those things
after I got my first tape recorder
I would use the cards to broadcast imaginary NFL games
perhaps far greater than reality
It was dawn of a processed potato chip product
called Chippos
which vanished into thin air
it was a General Foods product
and while Pringles a Proctor and Gamble effort has survived
all these years
somehow the protestations of the regular potato chips manufacturers
and there paranoia
drove Chippos to the grave of spuds
because it was in a cardboard box with a foil
inner packaging
It does my heart glad
to be able to wax poetic
about the neighborhood grocery store
of my childhood
The reality is that Safeway's at least in Des Moines
are no more
like so much from that era
Safeway eventually moved down the street to
Southwest Ninth and Park Avenue
then got bought out by Super Value
who eventually ended up in La La land
The building is still there
having morphed into
one thing after the other
However you can`t take away my memories
after all nostalgia grows on trees
and it is for us to reach up
pull off a piece of fruit
and munch on it
That last verse if truly poetic.
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