Black Friday...
I vaguely remember a Psych Professor who said that "Distractability" was a desirable quality, to a certain extent. Today, I've got it.
There was a little piece on NPR this morning about The Black Keys that caught my ear while I was in the shower (yes, I'm such an NPR Addict I have a radio in my shower), and I had a blogger post on my mind, but at lunch, I got distracted.
I also got to leave work this morning and go to Wal-Mart in Skiatook (beautiful small-town-super-store they've got there) for an uncharacteristic Black Friday Experience. I've never seen My Mom willingly go out to brave the Christmas Crowds, but this morning, we did, and it was nice. That's what's nice about Skiatook; it's a "Supercenter," but it's not crowded like the others, and it doesn't have that strange smell like the one at 244 & Memorial.
Good Gawd, see? I got distracted again...
On my way to lunch, I was glad to get in the car and away from this "Country" radio station that's always on in here -- they've gone all-Christmas-all-the-time now, and it's already wearin' thin. If it was up to me, there'd be Christmas music in little bits; don't go full-on 'til a couple days before the actual 25th. I just wanna hear Cheech & Chong's Santa Claus bit every once in a while; and a classical highschool band copy of "Sleigh Ride," and I wanna hear Mrs. Holman sing "Oh Holy Night." By the way, if you found me by Googling for her, E-mail me! That's one of the things I miss the most about the little church where I grew up -- Millie Holman singing "Oh Holy Night," and I can't even remember if there was any music with it or not, there may have been somebody playin' the piano, but her voice is what stands out in my mind. When I think of that song, I think of her...
Where was I going with that?? Oh yeah!
When I was headed outta here to go get lunch, NPR was playing an interview with the guy who created DeadMalls.com. I'd just about bet that anybody near Tulsa is just like me -- when we hear the words "Dead Mall," what's the first thing that comes to mind? "Eastland!"
Sure enough, there's a page on that site for our rapidly declining Eastland Mall.
Eastland was the first mall I ever saw; the first place I ever saw a movie in an actual Theater -- which, if you care, was "My Stepmother Is An Alien," which I went to with my middle brother and his wife because Mom was not about to go near "one of those places." I remember going there on Friday Nights with Tonya and her Mom in sixth or seventh grade, years and years before I had bills to pay and shit to worry about. When I got a driver's license, it was one of the first places I wanted to go -- and come to think of it, that's where I discovered NPR. I'd got in my truck (my little black Ford 16th birthday present) and was about to head home -- I couldn't find anything I wanted to listen to, so I flipped through stations and landed on "Car Talk," and I was hooked.
Last time I was there, even though I've lost that junior-high "enjoyment of mall shopping," I was sad to see it lookin' so bad. Stepping into the ladies room was like stepping into an abandoned building -- there was barely any light, and a huge hole in the ceiling almost as if someone had fallen through. The Dillard's Outlet has some good deals on some things, but the two things I'd hoped to find cheap (Handbags & Levi's) are not there. The pet store is gone, there's no more Chic-Fil-A, and no more Cosmo's Cafe, and there's not even any evidence of the Canary & Elephant store that we were so crazy about.
And hey, remember when those ____'s crashed through the doors and made a lap in that stolen car then smashed open a jewelry store and stole all they could load up before driving back out? Heh heh... What a news story!
Anywho... Check out DeadMalls.com, and also Lost Tulsa. I'm fascinated with both of 'em!
More Later! _\,,/
There was a little piece on NPR this morning about The Black Keys that caught my ear while I was in the shower (yes, I'm such an NPR Addict I have a radio in my shower), and I had a blogger post on my mind, but at lunch, I got distracted.
I also got to leave work this morning and go to Wal-Mart in Skiatook (beautiful small-town-super-store they've got there) for an uncharacteristic Black Friday Experience. I've never seen My Mom willingly go out to brave the Christmas Crowds, but this morning, we did, and it was nice. That's what's nice about Skiatook; it's a "Supercenter," but it's not crowded like the others, and it doesn't have that strange smell like the one at 244 & Memorial.
Good Gawd, see? I got distracted again...
On my way to lunch, I was glad to get in the car and away from this "Country" radio station that's always on in here -- they've gone all-Christmas-all-the-time now, and it's already wearin' thin. If it was up to me, there'd be Christmas music in little bits; don't go full-on 'til a couple days before the actual 25th. I just wanna hear Cheech & Chong's Santa Claus bit every once in a while; and a classical highschool band copy of "Sleigh Ride," and I wanna hear Mrs. Holman sing "Oh Holy Night." By the way, if you found me by Googling for her, E-mail me! That's one of the things I miss the most about the little church where I grew up -- Millie Holman singing "Oh Holy Night," and I can't even remember if there was any music with it or not, there may have been somebody playin' the piano, but her voice is what stands out in my mind. When I think of that song, I think of her...
Where was I going with that?? Oh yeah!
When I was headed outta here to go get lunch, NPR was playing an interview with the guy who created DeadMalls.com. I'd just about bet that anybody near Tulsa is just like me -- when we hear the words "Dead Mall," what's the first thing that comes to mind? "Eastland!"
Sure enough, there's a page on that site for our rapidly declining Eastland Mall.
Eastland was the first mall I ever saw; the first place I ever saw a movie in an actual Theater -- which, if you care, was "My Stepmother Is An Alien," which I went to with my middle brother and his wife because Mom was not about to go near "one of those places." I remember going there on Friday Nights with Tonya and her Mom in sixth or seventh grade, years and years before I had bills to pay and shit to worry about. When I got a driver's license, it was one of the first places I wanted to go -- and come to think of it, that's where I discovered NPR. I'd got in my truck (my little black Ford 16th birthday present) and was about to head home -- I couldn't find anything I wanted to listen to, so I flipped through stations and landed on "Car Talk," and I was hooked.
Last time I was there, even though I've lost that junior-high "enjoyment of mall shopping," I was sad to see it lookin' so bad. Stepping into the ladies room was like stepping into an abandoned building -- there was barely any light, and a huge hole in the ceiling almost as if someone had fallen through. The Dillard's Outlet has some good deals on some things, but the two things I'd hoped to find cheap (Handbags & Levi's) are not there. The pet store is gone, there's no more Chic-Fil-A, and no more Cosmo's Cafe, and there's not even any evidence of the Canary & Elephant store that we were so crazy about.
And hey, remember when those ____'s crashed through the doors and made a lap in that stolen car then smashed open a jewelry store and stole all they could load up before driving back out? Heh heh... What a news story!
Anywho... Check out DeadMalls.com, and also Lost Tulsa. I'm fascinated with both of 'em!
More Later! _\,,/
posted by Debbie at 11:16 AM
2 Comments:
Hi !
My name's Xavier and i'm from France.
I've seen that you have one hearse Buick 64 ! I've got 2 hearses here ( plymouth fury 70 and dodge polara 71 ) and i just want to tell you how lucky you are to live in america ! :)
and having some much great cars !
Eastland was one of our favorite malls in the early days. Since we live in Claremore, it was the closest, and therefore the most convenient, and oh how I loved to visit Service Merchandise there! My favorite store.
Ah, yes. Shopping in the eighties and nineties at Eastland Mall. Some good memories there. I, too, am sad to see it in the shape it's in.
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