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In 1992 I was working at Red Lobster. A guy came in and sat down at my bar and ordered a Jack & Coke tall, asking that I add a lime. I joked that he could have ordered a Cuba Libre tall and gotten the whole thing and that set us off to talking about just general stuff. He cracked a couple of jokes and my expense and I immediately fired back at him. He then asked me if I liked music and I said yes. He asked me several questions about music - name a couple Frank Sinatra songs, who were the Beatles, etc. I didn't think anything of this because, well, that's what people at bars do. But this guy had different reasons.

"Dave, " he asked, "have you ever thought about being a DJ?"

I had. Of course, I was thinking more like a radio DJ but it turns out he was talking about becoming a wedding DJ. Again, I had never thought of doing anything like that but maybe it could be a stepping stone, right? Not knowing, of course, that the two skill sets were totally different.

Anyway, I said yes. The next Saturday night I was out on a gig with him as a trainee. I loved it. Sure, the hauling in of the equipment sucked ass and I got to hear a lot of terrible music, but the fact that I was getting paid to dance around like an idiot, play awesome music and have fun. Plus, I took seriously the fact that these folks were relying on me and trusting me to entertain the guests, read the crowd and make it a memorable party and celebration.

Yes, there were bad times. Such as hearing the chicken dance about a million times, the Achy Breaky Heart phase and drunk idiots who want me to play crap like Jethro Tull (nothing against Tull, it's just impossible to dance to so I won't play it). In my time as a DJ I only had to call security once, one gig was shut down early because of a fight and I once had my car vandalized. (On the car vandalizing...I probably earned it. It is a long story but I fucked up BAD!)

Saturday night was my last gig ever. I had met with the bride & groom twice and got to know them pretty well as people and not just clients. They were aware that this was my last gig and we all anticipated a killer party.

The night was amazing. There was an energy that's indescribable. This was truly a celebration and everyone was having a good time. With about 1/2 hour left I cued up the final two songs, got on the mic and announced that we had time for about 4 requests. I let everyone know that no song was out of bounds - as long as it was a good song I'd play it. "This is your party, let's go out with a bang!"

The first song was "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and the place went nuts. Singing at the top of their lungs and getting into it. The next song was "Shook Me All Night Long" and I called for all the air guitar they could find. The groomsmen all got in the center of the dance floor and were shredding the air guitar - it was great!

Then it happened.

I still don't know whether it was a slip on beer or if it was simply a misstep from a radical dance move, but one of the guests - a tall bald man - fell to the floor, hitting his head and hitting it hard on the floor. This happened right in front of me and I was looking right at him. When his head rebounded off the floor all I could see was the crack in the back of his head and the blood flying out in a fan of red. I immediately ran to the bar and grabbed several clean rags, using these to compress the wound. The guy's wife was an EMT so she took over. The groom is an Omaha police officer, so the guests were cops, EMTs, etc. They got directly to the dispatch and rescue crews arrived soon after. They picked him up to put him on the gurney and the movement made him puke. It was at LEAST a concussion.

The place was very quiet, people were milling around talking and a pall had fallen over the place.

Remember when I said I had the last song already set up & ready to go? I hit play.

[/SPOILER]

The whole place stopped, turned and looked at me. Then they started laughing. The injured guy even gave me a thumbs-up.

Then I stayed about another 1/2 hour or so playing upbeat music low in the background while the crowd just kind of shuffled out. Then I shut the power off, packed up and went home.

Sounds like that was some party.

HA! Sounds awesome Dave... sorry to hear that chapter of your life is over, but it sounds like it was a good one. Thats more than lots of people can say.

Cool story, Dave.

And so another chapter in the life of Dave draws to an end and everyone here at Halforums sits anxiously awaiting the next chapter to start so we can read it and start to mock and congratulate when necessary

I've had way too many endings and not enough beginnings lately.

Harumph!

Time to pick something to begin, then! Time to right a novel or how-to book, perhaps?

Dave said:

I've had way too many endings and not enough beginnings lately.

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Reverse that and you have my wife's sex life.



:meh:

:'(

Dave, you CAN tell a story. Have you ever thought of writing small texts, journalist like*, telling about stuff that has happenned to you during your life? Almost like a memoir or autobiography written in little narrative capsules? I think it can be a pretty nice way of tying up the "too many endings and not enough beginnings" thing you were saying, and even if you didn't have much time to write, the shorter format may be helpful.

*Like an opinion journalist, I mean, not like telling the news!

Well. Now I'm sad.

Well, shit. Now who's going to DJ my wedding?

I will come out of retirement for you. If it's within driving distance of Omaha.

---------- Post added at 01:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:01 PM ----------

And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make anyone sad. This kinda goes back to my stress thread. My normal "think-before-you-speak-a-tron" is broken.

I'm paying to fly you out to California and pull your ass out of retirement when I get married

Dave said:

I will come out of retirement for you. If it's within driving distance of Omaha.

---------- Post added at 01:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:01 PM ----------

And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make anyone sad. This kinda goes back to my stress thread. My normal "think-before-you-speak-a-tron" is broken.

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It's okay, man. We're all just kind of touched at your loss of what's been a part of your life for almost 2 decades.

You know, maybe it's the ridiculous optimist in me, but reading this didn't make me sad.

Dave got to do something he seemed to genuinely enjoy for a reasonably long amount of time. Seriously, how many people get to do that? Sure, it's a bitch hanging up the disco ball, but it sounds like he made the most of it while he was at it.

Besides, now we all get to look forward to his budding career in online pornography. I'm pre-ording "Dave and the Mystery of the Disappearing Disco Stick" the second I can, baby!

What's sad about it? It's just Dave's retirement story.

makare said:

What's sad about it? It's just Dave's retirement story.

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Well, admittedly, he did edit out the part where he took his turntable out for one last walk, deep into the park, where they'd spend many a summer's afternoon romping through the grass. There was a single shot, and Dave returned to his turn with watering eyes, a dirty shovel, and no turntable.

Yeah, it does make me a little sad, but it is my decision and I'm doing so for good reason. It seems to me that maybe I've never told why. At my age I don't know what stories I've told and which I haven't.

When I started DJing my kids were 1 and -1 years old. They are now 19 & 16 (17 in December). For their entire life I've been gone all day during the day and almost all Saturday nights, a great number of Friday nights and some Sundays. I've missed music contests, camping trips for scouts, family gatherings, birthday parties, etc.

During that time my wife has been mommy to the kids. Now that they are older they don't need her anymore. They go and do their own thing and my wife is...lost. So I am giving up DJing to be with her. To reconnect. To date. To reclaim my marriage. I'm giving up something I love for something I love even more. Nothing to be sad about.

I'll miss the money but what can you do? Maybe I'll write a book or something and sell it. (Because it's just that easy, right?)

When you have a family you have to prioritize and possibly make sacrifices. I gave up stand-up comedy because I didn't want to tour and be away from the family when the kids were little. Who knows? Maybe I'll get back into it and my wife can travel with me.

---------- Post added at 02:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:02 PM ----------

Null;443850][QUOTE=makare said:

What's sad about it? It's just Dave's retirement story.

Click to expand...

Well, admittedly, he did edit out the part where he took his turntable out for one last walk, deep into the park, where they'd spend many a summer's afternoon romping through the grass. There was a single shot, and Dave returned to his turn with watering eyes, a dirty shovel, and no turntable.[/QUOTE]

Close. It was more like this:

I see at as more of a bitter sweet thing. Lots of those in a lifetime.

Ah, that's right, I had forgotten that Dave was raised as a foundling by wandering Quaker monks, and as such is against guns for religious reasons.

Endings and movings-on are always sad to me. Not necessarily in a negative way, mind you. Like the end of a really good book. Plus, it was a compliment to your story-telling.

Dave, just reading that last post of yours... Wow. I'm impressed man. You are a good man.

My Saturday night story involves a woman falling out of a 4th floor window and impaling herself on a cast iron fence. It's not a pretty story.

But I hope your reconnect goes well Dave. Good luck to your new beginning.

I like this story much better than Dave's story about when he and three friends went to see a dead body when he was a young adolescent.

Didn't that one end with Dave becoming the most annoying teenager in space?

I don't know. I'm touched and inspired by Dave's tale, but I remember feeling the same way when I heard about him peeing on a cat, and we all know how that turned out. Fool me once and all that.

fade said:

Didn't that one end with Dave becoming the most annoying teenager in space?

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Yes, but after being freed from hack writers who hate him and overcoming a couple substance abuse issues, he re-matures into a pretty cool guy.

Fun Size said:

I don't know. I'm touched and inspired by Dave's tale, but I remember feeling the same way when I heard about him peeing on a cat, and we all know how that turned out. Fool me once and all that.

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I love you.

That was worth an internet - if only I had one to give.

Dave;443888][QUOTE=Fun Size said:

I don't know. I'm touched and inspired by Dave's tale, but I remember feeling the same way when I heard about him peeing on a cat, and we all know how that turned out. Fool me once and all that.

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I love you.

That was worth an internet - if only I had one to give.[/QUOTE]



Here you can give FS one of mine I have several.