Jet Writes

It was a Popcorn and Coke party during 2nd-5th grade. If the class reached a certain goal within a test score, or behaved well for a lengthy sub, you were rewarded with popped starch and sugar water. By elementary school the treats came with a movie to watch as well. Such greats as the Sandlot, Babe, and the latest Disney movie were wheeled out on a 6ft tall TV cart with not but some manner of seatbelt holding that massive CRT down.

Then came the real prize days. Middle school brought on the notion of the Pizza Party. Whichever grade brought in the most canned goods, read the most books, or won any sort of class vs class contest the grand prize was a Pizza Party. Oh yes. The only place in town to get that was Pizza Hut, and it was (and still is) one of the best ones to go to. They have the red roof hat shaped building and interior dining. Never had a bad pizza from there.

Anyway. Pizza Parties. Children would do anything for the chance to eat real live pizza during lunch or at the end of the school day. As an adult the allure of getting pizza has diminished since I can order it anytime and the places here aren't anything to write home about. We get it every other week. But I think back at the kids in school and realize that they probably rarely got pizza, making it even more of a big deal to be in the class or group that won.

Cokes aren't allowed in schools now. My kids never ask for snack money or quarters for the coke machine because they don't have them. We had a lady wheel around a cart filled with candy at recess that we could buy for 10-50 cents every day. We had a Lance vending machine with cheese crackers and chips at lunch. Coke machines sold every flavor of Shasta for 50 cents a can.

1995 was a wild time.

(We don't call them sodas or pop, they are all cokes and you have to specify the flavor/brand afterwards.)

27/100 #100daystooffload