More Kissology ...

Here you go, Kari! I was searching your blog for a picture and came across this one of you and Derek Smith. I just want you to know that this gets addicting. A sure sign that you've gone too far is when you start putting make up on family members pictures or you use Eric Carr's or Vinnie Vincent's make-up!

Derek Smith was a real character and a very nice kid. I hadn't seen him since college, and I talked to him briefly a couple of weeks ago under some sad circumstances. I have some real nice memories of Derek in college.

He appeared on a live TV show that I got to have in college. My brother, who also went to college with us, was the director. The night Derek was the guest, Dave got mad at something, threw a fit, and walked off swearing.

While you can't hear really hear the profanity specifically, you can tell something's going on. Derek's reaction is priceless when Dave up and leaves! I can't remember how we got out of it, and to a break, because Dave was the director and he ran the board.

Derek married one of the girls from the Minot State University theatre department - Aili Davidson. I was in a play with them both called the Musical Radio Comedy Murders of 1940. I was the goody guy comedian, and Ali was the evil German maid.

The climatic scene of this play involved me hitting her over the head with a bottle and saving the day. Every time that I had to do this, I think I borrowed a move from the great Dynamite Kid and stomped my feet as I pretended to to bonk Aili with the bottle.

This bottle was so thick, I swear, it was like something Orson Welles would have drank out of. ("Ahhhhhhhh, the French ... Youtube Orson Welles if you're curious. It's the first thing that comes up.)

At the last performance, I go to hit Aili with the bottle, and THUD! I had actually hit her on the head. I remember not being able to say some of my last lines because I kept looking back to make that I hadn't knocked Aili out.

Afterwards, she said she was fine, and hopefully, she didn't have any permanent damage. I feel like a jerk thinking about it now.

Another time, for reasons that I can't remember, somehow Derek and I ended up getting hired by SRT - the local telephone company - to appear at their annual dinner.

The theme was connected to 'Back to the Future' ... therefore, we were hired to be characters from the movie. Derek was Michael J. Fox and I was Christopher Lloyd.

I remember that I had a horrible fever, and I was really sick, but the entertainment value alone of doing this was worth it.

The special guest speaker at the dinner was former Minnesota Vikings halfback Chuck Foreman. After Derek and I finished our 'Back to the Future' bit, Chuck got up and started his speech by saying, "Those were the two craziest white guys I ever saw.".

I guess Chuck Foreman's never met Phil Spector.