While on my way to my sister in law Megan's house the other day, I turned on to University to see the end of the old Riverside Country Clubhouse. The entire building was being demolished, flattened, vanished into the cold, dark recesses of history.
Before the new clubhouse is built I'd just like to ask for a moment of silence for the old structure. A moment of silence, here, on my blog. Start your sixty seconds now:
You might wonder, what is with c jane's sentiments towards the old edifice? I reveal this to you. Much of my high school life was spent eating at that clubhouse. My family went there for the Monte Cristos and a slice of grasshopper pie. Come to think of it, I might've eaten there more than my own home in those formative years.
Nevermind that it was more like an Old Folks Home than a Country Club. Decorated to the hilt with turquoise silk flowers and stuck with a funny, musty smell.
Nevermind that it served mostly denture-friendly food, soft cordon bleu and salted steamed veggies.
Nevermind that only two percent of the time my order was brought to me as I had ordered it.
Nevermind that we were the only Bulldogs in a sea of T-birds.
I shall always remember it fondly, with green awnings and jazz music in the ballroom. And I can never forget the raspberry vinaigrette, best in all the world.
Adieu old clubhouse.
Until we meet again in my memory . . .
13 comments:
I went there for dinner for my first prom. The prom where I was a sophomore and was asked to the junior prom- thank you very much.
I remember the food being just like you said. Bland and old. We sat in the room where there were pictures of past country club presidents. It's like they were haunting the very room we were in. It reminded me of the hallway outside the city council chambers with all the pictures of the past Provo royalty.
I had no idea they were raising that place. I've asked myself more than once how they've gotten away with that clubhouse for this long. I too bid a fond adieu!
(T-bird till I die baby)
Last week they tore down the warming building next to the toboggan slides (which were torn down a few years ago) that I went to as a kid. I also went there with my future husband as a teenager. So sad. I wish I had my camera with me so I could take a picture of the two fireplaces standing lonely as the rest of the building was gone. The next day the fireplaces were gone. Now everytime I go to the forest preserve to exercise I will look at that empty spot and reminise.
But there was that dip they'd bring out with some sort of pita chips, remember that? They stopped making it a few years ago and I was bummed.
And being the only Bulldog in a sea of T-birds is especially evident when you go to the pool. I was always suddenly aware that my body was pale and in a one piece swimsuit, while the other girls my age were usually the opposite.
What?!! I took swimming lessons there, golf lessons, tennis lessons. My grandpa was president of the club way back when! I had my reception there! And every time we'd go through that "old folks home" entrance so many great memories of that place came back.
Many times I would take my roomates in college to get food there when we didn't have any funds for more than top ramen and I knew I could go there to get a Cherry Fresh Lime and a yummy dinner (with a turtle dessert) and just give them a four digit number (or was it 5) instead of cash!! bland food or not it was better than ramen again...though it did always smell of rich old people.
I think my cousin's wedding reception was there when I was 6. I remember the lime frappe. I thought all wedding food included chicken salad sandwiches and lime frappe after that.
No more Sunday brunches with cheese balls? No more family Christmas parties? No more summertime swimming and eating licorice ropes from the snack shack? There goes my childhood. I feel ya, c jane.
Parker's Dad has spent the last bajillion summers working for Steve Budge as part of the grounds crew.
All that beautiful and those finely tuned greens do not happen on their own.
Many members tend to treat the grounds crew like dirt. They don't realize that some of them, such as my husband, hold other jobs that required years of schooling, but don't pay all that well here in our grand state.
The flowers around the Club House? Planted by my fil for the last 20 years. He worked there after he retired from teaching almost to his very dying day.
When Reed and I were first engaged we spent hours and hours 'caging' rocks for the banks of the river that runs through that course. That was back when the river would flood the course out on a regular basis.
Did you ever wander around Mrs. Foot's old house? She the one who sold the land to the course to begin with. We went and grabbed some of her almost 100 year old flower bulbs before they tore her house down.
I wanted to keep a piece of her legacy alive.
Tammy and Parker
www.prayingforparker.com
@ParkerMama on Twitter
I was married there. Yes very fond memories of "Shirley Temples" and a crock of cheese. I also took golf, swimming and any other lessons taught there. If I ever wondered where my father was I took comfort in knowing he was golfing, at the club. I also worked one summer at the little shack that the golfers and swimmers came to for snacks. In my latter years I wouldn't be caught dead there in a swimming suit, fine for my kids but definitely too many hot bodies, I'm better suited for the public pool. LOL It will be nice to see the change but the green awnings will be missed. *sigh*
Sad day! I now live out of state, but would go there every summer with my grandparents who were members. LOVED that place! I'm coming back to UT this week and will be driving by to visit my grandparents. I'll pay my respects proudly.
Junior prom dinner. Dan Moody, a total sweetheart and a gentelman. Aww.
I used to frequent Riverside with my Grandma. She passed away 15 years ago this month. I was just thinking yesterday that we should get all our family together and go to brunch there for a fond memory! So sad it is gone. I remember the delicious blueberry muffins with a crumbly topping. The Chocolate pudding in some fancy dishes. We were kids and we thought it was super fancy and delicious.
And the halibut...
Post a Comment