A CRANKIN' GOOD TIME
By Dan Miller
August 9, 2007
It was quite likely the hottest Sunday since cave dwellers sweltered as lava oozed from craters in prehistoric Tennessee.
Yet, thousands turned out for ice cream.
Maybe the extreme heat convinced folks that sampling dozens of varieties of homemade ice cream would be the perfect way to cool down.
When it was over, I'm guessing somewhere between three and four thousand people had braved the heat for the 2007 version of the Purity Miss Martha's Ice Cream Crankin' to benefit the Martha O'Bryan Center.
My wife Karen and I served as co-chairs for the event.
For Karen, that meant....
attending numerous meetings....
helping to organize and solicit volunteers....
seeking out and signing corporate sponsors....
helping book entertainment and security....
working at the festival site, setting up tables and signs, even picking up sticks, and countless other duties.
She even bought and set up bubble machines, to make the entrances a little more fun for the kids.
For me, it meant occasionally lifting a heavy box for Karen, and whatever else she asked me to do.
Those cute little girls in the photo are the inaugural corp of "Purity Popsicle Girls" who spent the afternoon passing out colorful popsicles and other free refreshments to all in attendance.
They did a good job, even though -- by the end of the day -- their shirts, lips and faces were stained with an interesting shade of grape or cherry.... sort of a "popsicle-ish" color.
We're still trying to figure out how that could have happened.
Near the end of the day, it was almost time for Karen and me to take the stage to announce the winners in the various ice cream categories.
I was a bit concerned because I couldn't locate Karen, who was making her rounds in the crowd.
I mentioned to emcee Jim Day that I didn't know where Karen was.
Jim graciously said, "I'll look around and help you find her... what is she wearing?"
I thought for a moment, then admitted, "You know, for the life of me, I can't remember exactly what she has on."
A few minutes later when Karen showed up, Jim took pleasure pointing out to the crowd, "Dan couldn't remember what his wife is wearing."
As we walked on stage, the humor in his observation was obvious....
Karen and I both had on identical "Ice Cream Crankin' t-shirts".
It just goes to show that, unless I glance down, I'm usually not even sure what I have on!
It was a fun day, with lots of money raised for an important community effort.
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