The Unofficial Summer Schedule of a Lubbock Kid in the 90s

Before Smartphones, social media, and streaming services, summer vacation in Lubbock followed a simple schedule. It wasn't written down anywhere, but somehow, all of us knew exactly how it worked.

7:00 AM - Your Parents Kicked You Outside

Not because they hated you, but because they were tired of hearing you tell them you were bored before breakfast. The only rule was to be home before the sun went down and the streetlights came on. Ultimate freedom.

8:00 AM - Bike Time

By 8, you'd already nailed down a neighbor kid to play with, and now it was time to grab your bike and disappear into the wild. Nobody was tracking your location, and nobody was stopping to charge their phone. Glorious.

10:00 AM - Find Someone With A Trampoline

Hanging out on the trampoline with friends was social media of the 90s. If you had one, chances are, we were at your house. All of us. Bonus points if you had a sprinkler to put underneath it.

Noon - Attempt to Survive The Heat

The playground became molten lava just around lunchtime, but you'd hold out as long as possible before figuring out what you'd do for food.

1:00 PM - Lunch

Sandwich and chips at your house, a friend's house, your grandma's house, or at whoever was within biking distance AND had Snack Packs for dessert.

2:00 PM - Nintendo Time

At this point in the day, it was far too hot to be outside. Whether Nintendo, Sega, or Super Nintendo, you were sitting cross-legged in front of a TV with a sibling or a pal, battling it out in a video game.

3:30 PM - Knocking On Doors

There was no such thing as texting. Most of us barely even used the house phone. This was the part of the day when you'd go find more neighbor kids to play with. Maybe you'd sell lemonade at the park. Maybe you'd get lucky, and the rich old lady down the way would let you swim in her pool.

Read More: Memorable Sounds Of 1990s Childhood In Lubbock

5:00 PM - Basketball, Baseball, or Whatever Game You Invented With Your Friends

Whether you were pretending to be the Spice Girls in your best friend's basement or playing an actual game of something out in the yard, you were making up rules, changing them constantly, and probably getting into an argument over someone bringing their little brother along.

6:30 PM - Hearing Your Name Yelled Across The Neighborhood

Every parent had their own unique method of conjuring their child inside.

My mom just yelled "CHRISTIN!" at the top of her lungs until I arrived at the front door, apologizing for being late to set the table and make the iced tea.

7:00 PM - Dinner

This was the one meal everyone was expected to be present for without question or negotiation. You'd really watch your P's and Q's because you were probably planning to ask if someone could stay the night afterward.

8:00 PM - A Trip To Blockbuster

After successfully securing sleepover plans, your mom would take you to pick out a movie or two at Blockbuster. Sometimes, she'd even run you by United for candy and popcorn. Thanks, Mom!

9:00 PM - Build A Blanket Fort

You and your pal would build a fort out of tables, chairs, pillows, and blankets. Once you got settled in, you'd play video games and board games until you passed out. It was the friggin' best of times.

11:00 PM - Fall Asleep Knowing You're Going To Do It All Again Tomorrow

Tomorrow, it was all going down again, unless you had to head off to summer camp, and in that case, you were in for even more adventure.

It Was Epic, Wasn't It?

Growing up in the 90s in Lubbock meant long days, scraped knees, bicycle adventures, and awful sunburns, but finding a way to stay entertained was easy peasy lemon squeezy. Looking back, that's a pretty badass schedule. Don't you think?

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