Cranks My Tractor

Momma Mean and the Well-Mannered Carjacker

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet a very nice woman in Colorado – her name was “Momma Mean.” At least that’s what the ladies in the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Roller Derby League called her.

I decided to take in my first roller derby match in Denver between the Dooms Daisies and the Sugar Kill Gang and while standing in line, I met Momma Mean. She let me sit with her on the front row and introduced me to many of the girls who were on the teams and busting each other up while on roller skates.

I had the time of my life…

Momma Mean and I stayed in touch and are still friends. To be honest, Momma Mean is not “mean,” her name is Virginia and she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She is a good mother and a wonderful grandmother who of course does all the things grandmothers do.

Losing, Liquor & Life

Recently, I drove south to visit my oldest daughter who is in her second year at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It was a long drive, but something I was looking forward to on the Veterans Day holiday weekend.

We stopped in Anderson, South Carolina on Thursday evening at close to midnight. I realized I had either missed “The Big Peach” in Gaffney, South Carolina due to the darkness or road construction or possibly being asleep. I hate to miss “The Big Peach.” It’s actually a water tower that looks like a peach (and a few other things).

It seems like a city would light it up if they had one (a Big Peach). Again, maybe they do and I missed it. If you ever get down that way, stop and enjoy it a little – you can almost smell it. The only thing that bothers me about it was that the City of Gaffney hired a fellow from New Jersey to paint the peach.

Tea and Cap'n Crunch in Colorado

I was in Boulder, Colorado working on a NASA project a few weeks back. We were working twelve hour shifts and I was getting pretty worn out. It just happened that I was able to take a full Saturday off. It would change my life.

This is going to take me a little while, so stay with me.

Boulder, Colorado is a beautiful place with a lot of nice things to see and do. So I started mapping out my Saturday early in the week. There were a couple of places I really wanted to see and one big thing I had always wanted to do. I’ve been to Boulder a few times, but never seem to have time to get to see anything. The view of the mountains is pretty breath-taking if you live on the Virginia peninsula and rarely get to even see a hill.