Retro Ramblings
Small Town Theater Memories
Growing up in a small town, going to the movies wasn’t just entertainment, it was an event. A rarity. A lifeline to the outside world. We didn’t have a megaplex …
Teenager
Retro Ramblings
When This Free Bird Got Grounded
Spring of 1994. I had just turned sixteen, and like most kids that age, I was riding high on a mix of newfound freedom and teenage defiance. I had my …
Retro Ramblings
Summers at the Lake
Being nestled deep in the Appalachian mountains, going to the beach might as well have been like going to the moon. But while we don’t have beaches and oceans to …
Retro Ramblings
The Early ’90s Were Peak MTV For Me
I already know some people are going to get mad when they see the phrase “The Early 90s Were Peak MTV.” I can practically hear the keyboards warming up. I …
Retro Ramblings
My First Date
When I think back on my first date, I usually tend to skip those ones when I was younger and had to have a parent drive us around. While those …
Front Porch Philosophy
Soup Beans
While laying out a bag of beans this afternoon so I don’t forget to soak them tonight, it dawned on me that I’ve never written about soup beans before. First, …
Retro Ramblings
Banned in the USA…And At Home
Back in the glorious year of 1990, I was twelve years old and finally starting to find my own way with music. I had grown up riding shotgun with my …
Retro Ramblings
My First Ride: A Love Letter to a 1987 Nissan Hardbody
For my generation, there were a handful of milestones we counted down to like holidays. Your first bike. Your first crush. Starting high school. Getting your driver’s license. And finally, …
Retro Ramblings
Hungry Jack Biscuits and Grape Jelly
When I was growing up, Mom had breakfast on the table every morning. As sure as the sun rises in the east, you could count on my mom to have …
Special Feature
MTV’s 1992 New Year’s Eve Special
In those years before I had my driver’s license and could go hang out with friends on New Year’s Eve, my plans always included finding some New Year’s Eve special …