A winter day in 1993

On a cold winter day in 1993, a white 1990 Ford Taurus, which has completed the evening pick-ups, pulls onto Gilmore Road. The heavy tunes of Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way" are easily heard in the surrounding area, for all four windows of the car are down, an unusual scene for sub-freezing Cincinnati winter weather. Occupants of passing cars peer into the Taurus, known fondly to its riders as the "Nuj," revealing that the car is full of young men who have removed their shirts, seemingly energized by their music and cold wind blasting their bare skin.

The first stop of the night would not part from tradition...the McDonald's drive-thru across from Forest Fair Mall. A stop at this McDonald's would likely be repeated later in the night, for there would be no feasting on the greasy goodness of fries and burgers yet. The Nuj pulled up so that a rider in the rear driver-side passenger seat could speak into the intercom. After the typical McDonald's welcome and query about how they could be of service, the rider restrains any urge to laugh and asks, "Do you have any fresh nugs?" As usual, this confused the poor McDonald's cashier, and the riders knew that they had accomplished another successful "fresh nug run."

Then on to the mall. After parking in the garage of Forest Fair Mall, the Nuj riders disembarked and entered the mall. The night's main goal was likely to catch a second-run movie at the Super Saver Theater, but they would first pass the miniature golf from above. It was time for "penny golf." The object of penny golf was simply to toss a penny from the mall's second floor. If there was time the riders would wait and watch for someone playing mini-golf to pick up the pennies that missed their mark.

Either before or after the movie the riders would challenge each other to a four-person racing game or air hockey in the arcade.

Then back to McDonald's to feed the hungry bellies of teen-aged boys.

Finally, the Nuj would return each rider to their homes, but not before a quick pass for the Nuj to honk its horn to greet the Moore family and their neighbors, no matter how late it was. The last rider of the night would typically engage the driver in a long discussion about girls (who of course had their codenames and rankings) and about what the future had in store for them. Then the Nuj would retire home, ready for the next adventure.