Back in 1989, when I was 8, I took a trip with a couple friends to the local 711 that would forever change my life. There are a few events in our childhood that shape us and we remember certain details about the day forever. This one day, it was supposed to be a quick trip around the corner but ended up being a voyage of awesomeness.

The reason for the trip was to get a cherry Slurpee. My parents would sometimes take me to the local K.Mart and try to pass off an Icee for a Slurpee...look just because you didn't want to stop on the way home, don't try to tell me they're the same thing...because they are not and neither is a coke slurpee, unless you froze them...then they're ok too. But the flavor of the cherry Slurpee still, to this day, reminds me of this day in 1989.

Me and my buddy skated around, tryin to at least, and the sound of the skateboard rolling around with the neon colors on the bottom really bring me back. I wish i still had that skateboard, but my mom threw it away at some point...just like some toys...thanks mom. We thought we were bad ass skating around, thinking we could grind sidewalks and railings but never really considered the fact we were going to get Slurpees.

When we got to 711, i remember they had a rack in the back of the store with some comics on it. Marvel and some smaller titles, like Archie comics were there. This is the exact copy i grabbed that day. I still have the comic and in the back i filled out the subscription part, its one of the only comics i ever filled that out for, I never had any subscriptions growing up, but i guess it was worth a shot. Although i never sent it in, it was for the best, looking at my 2nd grade handwriting and seeing the old address at the time is awesome to reminisce. This kicked off my obsession with the Amazing Spiderman comics, and I always wondered why the Scorpion wasn't in more of them. He was a great villain and in this comic caused so much drama for Spidey, putting not only his life in danger, but also that of Aunt May's. The style of the illustrations were my favorite of any comics, the late 80s, very early 90s had that awesome feel to them, that comics today lack. Comics today are SO nicely drawn that i can't even get into em.

I also grabbed a pack of Big League Chew and never looked back. The shredded goodness is something i'll always miss about that day. Slurpees, Spiderman comics and Big League Chew I started buying on the regular after this, but much like drugs, I was always just chasing the high, never matching it. By the way, the grape Big League Chew was really good, but wasn't sold everywhere. Usually I had to settle for the regular or watermelon. On this glorious day, I now had the cherry Slurpee, Big League Chew and the Amazing Spiderman comic...I was ready to go home and enjoy my score. By the way, yes I used foodstamps to buy food sometimes and use the change they'd give you to buy comics and toys...I learned to hustle for the wonderful things in the 80s and 90s.

I remember the taste of the Slurpee and gum and the brightness of the day, it was very bright out that day. I also remember the sound of the skateboard and the neon colors under it when I had to carry hit home because we couldn't actually skate very well, so we just walked the few blocks to our apartment and were ready to call it a day when we remembered...Nintendo. I specifically remember playing Friday the 13th for NES to death that day...pun intended. The campers were dropping like flies but we could care a less. We just wanted to throw some rocks at zombies...why were there zombies? Then when my buddy left, because it was a weekend, my day wasn't over yet.

I brought out the wrestling ring and a few of my favorite wrestlers and someone caught a Rude Awakening son! I remember playing with them until i had to go to sleep, which was late since I was wired from my trip to 711. I still have a ton of these figures, they were probably some of my favorite toys growing up. I wish I still had the ring though, now I have to wrestle them in my living room on the floor...I mean, i would...if I was going to wrestle them...I'd do it on the floor since I don't have a ring...Ok, I still have Royal Rumbles on my living room floor.

Yeah, my mom worked 3 jobs so my grandmother watched my sister and I. So when she got home, she had no idea of the sugar and junk i'd eaten. I remember my sister picked the cherry and i had the orange and we fell asleep watching some cartoon, not sure which one. I guess my mind couldn't handle any other memories from that day. All I know is it was one of the best days growing up and I can still remember all the sights, sounds and flavors from that day. I wish they still made these Disney pops, they were fantastic. Whenever i go to the food store with my wife, I glance over the frozen foods...just hoping one day they'll put these out again. Good thing i can play the Friday the 13th game on the moded Wii and read my Amazing Spiderman comic, why was J. Jonah Jameson such a dick?