1980s Aurora, Colorado

I grew up in Aurora, Colorado in the early 1980s. Near my house at Iliff Ave and Buckley Rd there was a "Movies on Call" video store.

LeMans, a coin-op arcade by Albertson's grocer, was where I classically became one with the Force and mastered the original Atari "Star Wars" wireframe arcade game as well as the game "Tron." Peter Piper Pizza. Their zucchini sticks were the best I ever had.

Aurora ... Buckingham Square Mall... The memories. Those memories float up to me.

The hydrotubes. Yes! Many fond youth memories do I have at Buckingham Square Mall, one of them being the 2 green tube waterslides placed upon the roof of the old Safeway store. They were the HydroTubes!

I spent countless hours climbing up the yellow metal stairs listening to “Drive” by The Cars before sliding in a loop-de-loop whilst banging my head on the sides of the tubes and plummeting semi-conscious into the filthy brown-green pool below. It is a fond childhood concussive adventure in which I really traveled in tubes. The waterslide stayed open for less than a year.

There was Mile High Comics at that mall also. Sweet Mile High Comics… And God Fathers Pizza if I recall. And wonderful Christmas decorations.

The mall demolition ceremony was Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 1306 South Havana Aurora, Colorado 80012. The mayor of Aurora, Ed Tauer, was there. So was I.