New Links & New Thoughts

As I prepare to venture into the Sunny South (over the next few weeks I'll be seeing Memphis for the first time, and yes, Graceland is on the goal list - and then Atlanta, the city where I participated in my one and only car chase at speed)...

I love Atlanta - the summers are vile, but such a lovely city and such wonderful food (a confessed foodie, I am). Granted, it's not the HEALTHFUL end of the scale...but it's a merry path nonetheless.

The car chase was years ago, when I was back in Atlanta on business and ended up on a date with a delightful attorney kinda guy - well read, witty, cute, and definitely non-parasitical (all characteristics I favor in a guy). After a lovely evening, I dropped him off at the Armory for a show and dancing (I was in training early the next morning, so no clubbing for me!), and as I dropped him off, we kissed good night - both of us from far different climes, forgetting local mores.

He made it into the club just fine, but as it turned out one of the locals was all offended - I discovered this as a jacked up truck locked onto my rear bumper and began revving his engine...and showed an amazing tendency to make every turn that I did. Recalling my locale, I came to the conclusion this was perhaps a bad thing and that it was unlikely my new friend suffered from an uncontrollable desire to present me with a platter of Krispy Kreme's or some pecan pie.

Unarmed (corrected by careful permitting before my next trip, and something I need to see to again) and without cell phone, departure seemed the most valid option. Unfortunately, a great big pick'm'up truck (even jacked up) running a monster 8-banger of some flavor will usually outrun a rent-a-riceburner of decidedly anemic character.

Physics is our FRIEND.

About the time I was rolling down Peachtree with the giggling Goliath thundering along on my tail at around 90mph, this thought occurred to me. 'Bout this time I was coming up on a nice broad intersection...lots of room for error....for me.

Turns out that a low-slung lil' rent-a-riceburner will corner at speed a heck of a lot better than a great big jacked up pick-up with a high center of gravity. Heh. heh. heh.

Last I saw of my knuckle-dragging buddy in my rear view mirror he was having fun spinning out while I toodled off to my hotel for a nice case of the shakes.

Carry a cell phone. And a little something to ward off the forces of idiocy.