There were two specific girls who I knew during my Junior year at Beavercreek High School. Both attractive, both blond, both with good senses of humor. I had no idea at the time that they even knew one another. Angie Crowder was in my American History class with Mr. Holliday and Jennifer Grimes was in my Math class with Mrs. Boff. As you might suspect, I liked to tease girls back in high school. Actually I did that well before high school…and well after. But nevertheless, I liked to tease them. Angie, I quickly found, was one girl who liked to tease back.
We would exchange many barbs throughout our year in History together. It seemed that no matter how many times we might have rearranged seats throughout the year, we always sat near each other. Fortunately, the teasing and poking fun always stayed good-natured. I think the essence of our association might easily be summed up by what Angie wrote on the back of her 11th grade picture:
Brad – You’re a shit! But you make me laugh hysterically and history is boring as hell – so thanks! I know you’re a really sweet guy (cough!) Just kidding. Hope you’ll always rag on me – I won’t rag on you – cause that’s gross! – Angie
Meanwhile in math class, Jennifer Grimes was a short, cute, and peppy girl who generally took the teasing more than dished it out. It so happens that my friend and partner in crime Jeff Flinn was also in the class, and probably due to mild crushes form both of us, we took to calling her by the nickname Mopp, referencing her bob haircut (seen below in her Senior picture). I might add that her hair actually in no way resembled a mop. In fact, on one occasion Jennifer and her Mom came into Kroger where I was working and Jennifer identified me as the boy who referred to her as ‘Mopp.’ Her Mom’s response was brilliant…”That guy’s making fun of your hair!” True, mullets had probably already gone out of fashion.
To compound the impact of the nickname, Jennifer’s friend and project partner’s name was Jennifer Moss. Therefore, it made it all the more humorous to refer to them as “Mopp and Moss.” They proudly proclaimed the project they did together as a Mopp and Moss Production. A big M and a big O with little ‘ss’ and ‘pp’. How very clever.
It was at the Beavercreek High School reunion in the late Summer of 2005 that I first ran into both Jennifer and Angie again. As I said, I never knew that they were friends, but they had become the best of them, living in the same area around Mason, Ohio. When Jennifer first caught my eyes, the first thing she said with a huge smile “so…do you want to call me Mopp??” Both Jennifer and Angie were the life of the party – and I think I hung out with them and their husbands more than anyone else that night.
Angie and Brad Grimm. Coincidentally, Brad went to school with my sister. Such a cougar Angie is…
Rick and Jennifer Hunt – showing us what results too many beers will yield
I lost touch with both of them for a while after than and although I tried, I didn’t reconnect until they first joined Facebook a couple of years ago. We still never had the opportunity to meet up, so it was a special treat that I was able to help convince them to show up at the 20-year reunion on Saturday, July 17, 2010, even though they hadn’t planned on it. Same old girls. Same old fun. Once again I enjoyed socializing with them and their husbands, mostly at the bar at the Holiday Inn after the official reunion had ended. They are all such fun people that I hope that we really can get together again sometime before we’re another five years older.
Return to the BHS reunion here…
Continue to the next reunion…
I have always been crude and lewd, but reading that yearbook pic post, makes me ashamed. Thanks for sharing such great memories! As I’ve said before, you amaze me with your passion and skill for writing…not to mention your memory. I can’t remember high school much anymore, though there were quite a few good ole’ days. Thanks for being part of them. And thanks for celebrating my friendship with Jenn. She is truly my oldest and dearest!
Angie (nka Angela)
September 5th, 2010