Lo Nuevo, Nuevo @Downtown Jett Sales

There is a store in downtown Laredo that has some pretty cool, old stuff but at some pretty high retail prices. Most of the items sold here were top of the line in 1990. However, it is a new millennium but this store is adamant at selling their wares at top dollar, no matter if they are no longer in high demand.

Need a VHS rewinder? They can hook you up with for a mere 35 dollars! Gotta have a Cassette Walkman to rock out some Anthrax on your way to 4th period Algebra class? A mere $60 can get you a yellow Sports player.

If this VHS rewinder is on special at $35, they I shudder to think what they everyday normal price might be.

As a big fan of the 80s and 90s, and as someone that pines for the past century, you would think I'd be all over this store. But, it just seems like this place is out of touch, a time capsule that needs to be shaken awake.

Pizza in Laredo circa 1980

    It seems that all the good times in Laredo have passed us by. Judging from an old phone book, circa 1980, that I came upon, I guess all the cool pizza places in Laredo no longer exist. Locally owned, mom-pop places have given way to stale and predictable pizza from national chains such as Pizza Hut, Dominos, Cici's and others of their ilk.

However, this was not always the case. Back in 1980, Laredenses could choose from a variety of different pizzerias, both local and national chains. Unfortunately, I have no idea how any of these tasted or whether they were around for a long time. At least the ads in the phonebook look pretty neat and enticing. Take a look at some of the pizza choices we had 30 years ago.

Rustic Cedar atmosphere? How quaint..

1) Pizzazz Pizza actually looks pretty fun. Wine, beer, "rustic cedar atmosphere". Heck it even rhymes! How awesome and how so 1980. This place seems to have been located on Clark St, somewhere in the Heights area of town. Anyone out there remember this place? I sure as heck don't. It's a shame though. It seems like it was a fun place. They even had "Chicago style pizza". Now that kicks Pizzazz..

2) Another pizza choice we had in 1980 was a place called Shakey's. By the looks of it, this was a pizza chain that had games, movies as well as the "world's greatest pizza". Pretty bold statement, I know. I've never heard of this place either, for it seems to have been long gone by 1989 (that's as far back as I remember). Watch a video of a TV commercial here.

3) Sal's Pizza of course is a local landmark that according to a buddy of mine, had some pretty neat bands play live there back in the day. Is Sal's still open? Not sure if it is, but I think I'll call the number on the phonebook Ad (727-4600), just to see who answers. I feel like having a pizza anyway. I hope they deliver...

La Carreta Bakery

Last Sunday, I was out and about, roaming the streets of Laredo when I stumbled upon "La Carreta" Bakery, over by Sanbernardo. Not being one to pass up good pan dulce, I entered the doors to this palace of pan and was immediately delighted by the smell of pleasant pastries.

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What happened to the TortaMex?

While I am on a low-carb diet, I was too weak to resist the pan dulce temptation and I succumbed to the my past sins of conchas and cuernitos.

So many sweet choices

Choralas para tu pan, I like it

Cuernitos ricos, conchitas suaves

The Hand does Carreta Bakery

Bridge Crosswalk

Downtown crosswalk to Nvo. Laredo

Looks better in a picture than it does in person. Nonetheless, I'm going there later today to take some pictures. (Pic found on city-data.com)

Follow me Around Laredo

BluePimpnChick, a video blogger and budding movie director, has apparently watched one too many "Jersey Shore" episodes and decided to chronicle her life on the digital landscape. She takes her camera phone, POV style, and films everything she encounters around her city as she drives " her tia and her Grandma's sisters" to the store.

Along the way, we are treated to some informative nuggets as BluePimpn and her 'lil sis share their insights as they make their way down the busy streets of Laredo.

Sample dialogue from the video is found below.

Things I learned while watching this video:

1)      “Walking down stairs, this is where my grandma fell.
She fell all the way downstairs”

2)      “its payday, but we aren’t allowed to cash our checks till Monday”

3)      “For all your Mother’s out there, happy late Mother’s day”

4)      “You know how they say we Mexicans have big families..well everything is bigger in Texas”

5)      “Oh my God, my ex BF works at HEB”

6)      “Look Tony’s truck, que aguite en el bank”

7)      “In a little bit more, I’ll take you guys to your favorite section, the makeup section. Holla!”

BluePimpnChick may be on to something here. Watch her follow-up video, here. She ventures downtown and even encounters some prostitutes walking the West Side.

In her words, "Im not kidding there's sometimes  prostitutes here. I don't even know if I'm supposed to be saying that or not".

Wow, gutsy! Good for you BluePimpn, keep saying it like it is y no te aguites. Someone had to say it.

No esperes que manana vuelva

No esperes que mañana vuelva porque no lo haré!

It was sometime in late 1990 or early 1991 and I was down visiting my cousins in Laredo. At the time,I had a Sony Walkman Cassette that I carried everywhere and my primo let me borrow his copy of La Mafia's tape, 'Con tanto amor'.

I heard the track 'No lo Hare' for the first time that summer, and since then I was hooked. I hadn't heard that cassette in close to 20 years, but behold the power of the internet and semi-illegal file sharing, I ran across a digital copy of it.

I remember 1991 and me walking down the south-side of Laredo, walkman in my ears, with the wind in my face, sun on my back and enjoying being 12 years old. Good times, good times.

(disclaimer: I did not upload this myself. Downloading music illegally is not good, friends.)

http://hotfile.com/dl/36415862/187ec19/La_mafia_-_Con_Tanto_Amor_1990.rar.html