Denver, summer 1977

I remember Denver better than I do Philadelphia. Wow, was it hot! There was a drought on – restaurants now charged for a glass of water. That was the first time I’d heard Cicada-song. 

Our family lived in the student apartment at the University of Denver. We saw others do it so we wrapped our windows in foil. 

We were just south of the ILIF library which had central air conditioning. The basement, where they shelved The Lord Of The Rings, was incredibly cold and had fluorescent lighting. But ILIF had a Pop Culture section with comfy chairs by the entrance. I remember a large comic with Tarzan in it and the Logan’s Run novel. I could borrow these by showing the key fob to the librarian, but I would typically shut the place down and walk back in darkness to our stifling apartment.

That key fob also got us swimming lessons. I walked with my little brother to the indoor pool. When it wasn’t lessons it was Public Swim. This one time during Public Swim a young woman in a two-piece bikini held court with a couple of fellows. Needless to say she had a phenomenal rack. 

No babysitter for us kids, just our long-suffering mother. She once packed bunches of pancakes in WonderBread bags for the elephants in the public zoo. I was so embarrassed — this wasn’t popcorn like other kids had! But I fed the elephants pancakes and we put the newly empty plastic bags in the public trash can. 

Denver was where I saw Star Wars for the first time. Our father took us kids to the cinema at the Cinderella City mall to see The Rescuers. Oh, he also took the bus every morning to toil on his D. Min. at the Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary. Postgraduate work — I thought that was just something parents did.

I have plenty of other Denver memories — today Casa Bonita is a South Park punchline but back then it was a very big deal (although the food was always yucky). And that’s just the beginning. 

Blame Robert Pirsig!

I didn't see this -- but maybe you did? Denver Post 1977.  

Links: This is a tape recording of Star Wars in 1977; This is the Instagram page for the Cinderella City Project (sh — don’t tell anybody but apparently Cinderella City got quite seedy);  this is the Boing-Boing page (with pictures!) of Casa Bonita; and this is my tribute to Star Wars '77.