7 Comments
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Murr Brewster's avatar

Perfection.

Mary Dansak's avatar

Excellent as always.

Tara's avatar

My husband grew up in Coralville and then lived in Boston for 20 years. When he came back here in 2010, we’d have friends ask us to meet them at Basta. He’d ask where that was, and I’d say, “That’s where Burger Palace used to be…Or he’d ask where the India Cafe was, and I’d say, that’s where Amelia Earhart’s used to be. It would sometimes take me a minute to remember what business had been in a particular building in the 80’s when he lived here last. It’s even harder now.

Joe Blair's avatar

I think NODO was Fries. We used to hang out in there. There was a Pizza Hut on that corner, and then, I think, Atlas. And through it all, Deadwood.

Chris Offutt's avatar

Good one. "Used to be." The way we describe the past now.

My favorite is when it's in verbal directions: "Go past where

the pizza place used to be, turn onto that new road that used

to be gravel, then go past the old Miller place. If you lose

phone reception, you went too far."

Joe Blair's avatar

Exactly, Chris

kren's avatar

Kicker of a last line.