Who Am I (part 3)?

Life had suddenly gotten MUCH better for me! Here was this beautiful girl who wasn't chased off by my bad driving skills or quick wit and who truly seemed as if she really cared for me. It didn't matter to me whether or not I had a bunch of "guy friends" from the football team (I even bumped into one of them last summer at the Promise Keepers rally here in Fayetteville and what's funny...he was still putting on his cocky, awkward, arrogant "I'm a football player" act...nearly 20 years later...needless to say, the conversation lasted about 15 seconds too long). The thing that got me going each day was knowing Jennifer and I were "an item" and I was lucky to have someone as special as she was (and still is) in my life.

We dated seriously throughout the remainder of her high school years (3 proms in total and 2 homecoming dances), went through scuba diving training together, took trips with each other's families, made it through my college years at ASU and when I transferred to the U of A (Fred sat me down one summer afternoon when I told him I was considering transferring and said "OK Jim, let's figure out what you're going to be. 'A'...'agronomy'?" LOL)

Read my blog about Fred to understand the relevance to this.

We both graduated from the U of A; me in 1992 and she in 1993. I'd lost a year's worth of college credit when I transferred from ASU to Fayetteville so that's why we were only a year apart in college.

About a week after graduating, I was reading a newspaper early one morning when I lost my grip and the paper fell to the floor in pieces. The ad that twirled in the air and landed facing me said "Try the new 102 KISS radio...today!!"

I had my degree in Broadcast Journalism and wanted to get back in radio as a career. Could this be my way in? I found out that afternoon and was the new overnight jock for 102 KISS that very night!! Man, was I pumped! One week out of school and I was already on the ladder, climbing my way up a career on the air!

I did the overnight shift for several months, which was taxing due to the hours. Then I was promoted to 7-midnight but due to my boss not giving me enough to live on (I even had to sell my CD's to buy insulin, something he laughed at to my face when I asked him for a raise) I got a part time job waiting tables at a place called Muley's. It was a local favorite for incredible burgers & onion strings but alas...it no longer exists.

My life changed literally overnight as I went from 7-mid on 102 KISS (the lowest rated station) to mornings on KIX 104 (the highest rated station). I changed my on air name to Jim Hunter and my buddy Leny Fox & I became known as "Hunter & the Fox". We had a great year and a half run on top, doing everything from artist intros on stage (Clint Black, Wynonna, Patty Loveless and several others) to a nightly video segment on NBC (local) right before Leno came on to public appearances & remotes. However, with all the fun and sudden exposure, not to mention with Jennifer being in Little Rock for med school, I began to get a case of the "big head".

When people know you're the morning jock on a big station like KIX, you sometimes start getting special treatment. Donuts delivered on the air, free McMuffins, no cover charge at the local night clubs, front row seats to sporting events & concerts, girls giving you "the eye" (but no, I didn't go there but the temptation was real) and alcohol.

A LOT of alcohol. Hey, it's a country music station and think about how many songs deal with booze, night life / night clubs, beer, whiskey, shots of Jagermeister (my poison of preference back then) and the easy access to almost as much as I wanted. Now, I never became an alcoholic where I needed it to survive the day, but me and my buddies would always have something cold in our hands when we were out. It wasn't anything for us to do several shots in addition to the bottles of Corona or Bud Light we'd consume...both out in public and at friends' homes. I hate to admit how much of a lush I was becoming and how much of the "party" lifestyle I thought I needed. Funny thing...all those people who act like they are your friends while you're getting drunk with them...I haven't heard or seen any of them in years. Makes you realize who your true friends really are and who's just hanging around you for either convenience or trying to get something from you (ie: free drinks, free CD's, concert tickets, etc)

However, at a point in my life where things were starting to spiral slowly into a place I knew I shouldn't be, my very loving and patient girlfriend snapped me back to reality. It wasn't like a big blow up either or ultimatum. I just realized after spending a few weekends in Little Rock that what I really wanted was to be with her and I was filling the void in my life with booze and partying with my buds. I was beginning to see what was truly important to me and radio started to take a back seat. I thought that we'd been "dating" long enough. Christmas was coming soon and I wanted to take things to the "next level". It was time I settled down and really commited myself to her, putting her before my career.

I was going to ask her to marry me.

Now, we'd talked about marriage for years but we always had a time table of when would be the best time.

Let's wait until she got out of med school or let's see how the next year in radio goes for me and if I can get a gig in Little Rock. Let's wait another year and save up some money.

Some advice to those of you planning a wedding within the next few years.

Put your time tables on the shelf. They don't ever work. Just like when you think it's the best time to start having kids...there's never a perfect time. Just get in the water feet first and jump right in!

I had it all planned as how I'd ask her. I'd do it on the air. It was Christmas 2004 and Jennifer was up visiting me with her mother and I'd invited her in for the last hour of my show one day. Leny was in Iowa visiting his family for the holidays so it was just me and my roomate, Tom Travis, who was also my best bud and ended up being my best man. I'd asked several people from the station to join us in the studio that day to talk about what they were wanting for Christmas.

Tom blurted out he wanted bullets for his guns and other people said they wanted clothes, jewelry, CD's, etc. I asked Jennifer what she wanted and she replied, in her normal soft-spoken manner, "to spend more time with you."

Gooshiness, love and nausea hit the room instantaneously (depending on who you asked). A chorus of "aawwwww" belted forth and I made my way around the control panel to where Jennifer was standing.

"What I want for Christmas this year" I said as I lowered myself on one knee "is for you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"

I pulled out a ring and showed it to her as she nodded her head and said "yes" into the microphone.

People clapped, girls wept, tears flowed and the sweet, soulful sounds of John Michael Montgomery's "I Swear" began to go out over the air. A truly joyful day and on December 3oth, 1995, we became husband and wife.

We took our honeymoon in Cancun and then began the process of me relocating to Little Rock and looking for a radio job there. I worked a few weeks/months at a small station in Pine Bluff and finally found a 7-midnight job at the Point 94.1. It was a classic hits/rock station and I enjoyed the people and environment there. I'd intially wanted to work at Magic 105, the market's bigtime rocker, but it wasn't in the cards for me. This was the best thing too because I began to hear rumblings on the working environment there vs. how I had it at the Point. The contacts, relationships and experience I made at 94.1 were much better than I'd ever hoped and I've been able to stay friends with several people there.

Then, in 1996, Jennifer had to decide where she wanted to do her residency. She'd already completed 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, now it was time for a 5 year residency somewhere. We liked Wichita KS, Knoxville TN and Columbia MO. She ranked them Columbia, Wichita and Knoxville and was accepted at Columbia. It was close to home and family PLUS it reminded us a lot of Fayetteville, someplace we dreamed of relocating to one day.

And so, for the next 6 years, we were residents of the Show Me state. She excelled at the University of Missouri hospital, went to work at Ellis Fischel Cancer Hospital there in Columbia and I worked for Zimmer Radio Group as the program director of KCMQ. It was intially an "active rock" station (which means it played all the new rock music with a few harder edged classic rock songs for flavor) then it switched to classic rock (no new music unless it was an occasional feature song like a "now and then" segment...new Van Halen vs. old VH).

Life was going along for us pretty well. I had my radio stuff going on, Jennifer had her residency/Ellis Fischel thing...we were happy. Then came that one day when she and I were going away to the Lake for a weekend of relaxation. I came home and saw the suitcases already packed. She was waiting for me with a gleam in her eye and a small gift bag next to her.

"I have something for you" she said softly yet somewhat excitedly.

"Ohhh yeahhhh" I thought to myself. "I'm off for a romantic weekend with me wife and she got me a present, huh? I hope it's red and see-through"

Instead, it was terry cloth and rolled up. It was about the size of a bratwurst.

"Shoot...no sexy teddy" I thought. "But what is this?"

I unrolled this terry cloth "thing" and saw nothing. It was square, white with pink edging and about the size of a wash cloth.

"Uh OK...it's nice but what is it" I asked.

"Turn it over" she said.

When I did, I saw writing on the other side. It said "I Love My Daddy".

I Love My Daddy. (OK.)
I Love My Daddy. (Don't get it.)
I Love My Daddy. (STILL don't get it. )
I Love My Dad-----

"Waitaminnit. Does this mean what I think---?"

Choke...tears...laughing...kissing...hugging...reading it again and again and again...more tears and excitement.

"I Love My Daddy."

I was getting a puppy!!!!

(No honey...I'm just kidding.)

I was going to be a daddy!!!

More tomorrow...