Corner convienience stores

As you were Skipping along in your Iron-on T-Shirt wondering what to do naturally someone in your little gang of buddies would say let's hit the Sev for treats and then we'll figure out something to do. So off you scampered to the local corner convenience store. As you burst through the doors the clerk behind the desk would gasp then proceed to eye you suspiciously the entire time you were there. First stop candy aisle... Check.

Candy
You always had to remember to pay for everything before consumption so the clerk didn't have a heart attack.
Your mouth started watering the second you eyed the myriad forms of sugary treats available. Inevitably because of low funds you had to drop your gaze to near floor level to the cheap candy. But never fear many great choices are still to be found thanks to the Ferrara Pan company.




The cool thing about the boxes is that after you were done you could use them as a whistle by sealing your mouth on one end and blowing through the closed other end.





Then the true test came to prove your toughness. You would see how long you could hold an Atomic Fireball or Mega Warhead in your mouth without crying, how many jawbreakers you could crush at once or how much Big League Chew you could possibly shove into your mouth. Now that your taste buds are sizzled and your jaw hurts so bad you speak in mumbles and you are drooling on your shirt it was time to grab other candy for later.



Old Standbys



Grab your Bazooka Joe and don't forget to read the comic inside.



Then it's off to the ball game for a Homerun and Hotdog.



Bubbletape went into the back pocket for later and looked suspiciously like a can of chewing tobacco that many a father had to "inspect". Good thing we always ate the candy cigarettes before we got home.





Your girlfriend was already pretending to apply the candy lipstick as you dumped change onto the floor to see how many Airheads, Poprocks, Sixlets and Tootsie rolls you could buy.




After quick calculations and several minutes chasing dustbunnys while trying to retrieve a quarter spied under the shelf you come up with enough for a few chocolates.



Warning never ever put your chocolate coins or footballs into your pocket or you will have a mess and an embarrassing stain later.



You dramatically drop to one knee to profess your undying love as you propose with a Ringpop to the only girl who hangs in your group. Naturally she ignores you dipping the stick into her pack of flavored PURE SUGAR and wonders why she even hangs out with you losers.



The holy grail of candy as already mentioned by Spencer in his Retro Machine Halloween Article.



Grabbing your favorite pack of cards you avoid the gum as your jaw is still sore and it is basically flavored cardboard you tear open the packages to see your new acquisitions. For me it would have been





Some of my favorites:




Slurpees

Then needing desperately to have something to wash down all that candy you head for a Slurpee.




A quick check to the bottom to snag your slurpee coin then proceed to make a slurpee volcano by building the mound, digging the hole, then inserting your straw somewhere else and blowing. Melted slurpee comes bubbling to the surface. Satisfied now with a brainfreeze and a stomach ache you get down to serious business.

Comics and Magazines

While perusing the spinning comic rack you grab your favorites, my big three were Uncanny X-Men, Amazing Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk.




Over to the magazines to grab the latest issue of Mad Magazine because you just can't get enough Spy vs Spy.




Arcade Games

In the corner there were usually one or two games. With that hold out quarter specifically guarded for this purpose you would play your favorite. I played Gauntlet. "Elf Needs Food, Badly," Valkyrie is About to Die".



Then you would attempt to play Dragon's Lair but loose miserably, but more than likely you were out of money by this time and would end up just watching the older kids play it while slurping your slurpee dregs.
"Dragon's Lair: The fantasy adventure where you become a valiant knight, on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon. You control the actions of a daring adventurer, finding his way through the castle of a dark wizard, who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles. In the mysterious caverns below the castle, your odyssey continues against the awesome forces that oppose your efforts to reach the Dragon's Lair. Lead on, adventurer. Your quest awaits!"



Finally the clerk would eject you from the store and you would look at your friends and say,
"whatcha wanna do now?" and they would say, "I gotta go home my mom's probably making dinner".