Let There Be Rock

I knew it was a CD, of course, before I pulled off the paper. After all, it was the right shape and size. Todd looked pretty excited for me to open it, too. Hmmmm. When I unwrapped it, the new AC/DC Ironman II CD (don’t forget the bonus DVD video footage!) was in my hands. Todd reached out and grabbed it, “Let me see! Oh look, there’s a little book and pictures!” He was all over it. Music blared from different CD players throughout the day as Todd worked on his different projects. The next morning as I was headed to work I texted him, “Where’s my CD?” His response, “In my pickup.” And a minute later, “Oops.” Tuesday morning, however, when I turned the ignition, Bon Scott was screaming at me in time with the guitars and drums.

In 1986 “Who Made Who” along with the Stephen King movie, “Maximum Overdrive”, was released. I’m a huge Stephen King fan so when it came to the Showtime Theater in Hugoton, I was there. Now I was raised with three sisters but my parents were introduced by Gary and Janice Porter so our families grew up together. Jim was the closest thing I had to a brother. As kids we played baseball, fished, swam, and often pretended we were the Six-Million-Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. As teens, I remember when he got that powder blue step-side Ford. I think he drove it straight to my house to show me. Well, he offered to go with me to the show. As I think back, I’m sure he was more interested in the soundtrack than the movie itself. And I became an overnight AC/DC fan.

Julie and I made lots of trips to Liberal in those years. During one trip soon after purchasing the AC/DC album that first caught my attention, I decided to buy an older release. So the second addition to my AC/DC collection was “Let There Be Rock”. As we drove home, I had it cranked up (as usual). After all that loud music (my dad was great at picking vehicles with awesome stereo systems) you would think that I would be hard of hearing. Julie often got tired of the blaring guitars but I didn’t take kindly to people messing with my volume knob. I remember pulling into the drive, turning off the pickup, and Julie and I both commenting something like, “That sucks.” Then laughing. But, that cassette often ended up playing on those crazy high school weekends…and we soon knew the tunes and the words.

My life took some unexpected turns over the next several years. When Tiff caught up with me in college and talked me into getting a babysitter and going out with the girls, I’ll never forget cruising to the Golden Q in her red 1988 TransAm with “Thunderstruck” vibrating our seats. For the first time in a while, I felt young and alive. Little did I know that within the last several months she had went to see AC/DC in concert with my future husband and his buddies. She introduced us to each other on a blind date a few months later.

They had gone to the “Razor’s Edge” concert in Manhattan. I’m not sure who all was with them but I’m pretty sure of Andy (Jack), Jeff (Macster), Wade (Hipper) Todd, Todd’s girlfriend (I won’t name names to avoid embarrassing her), and Tiffany. There may have been others but, of course, I was not around yet. The Scrüe made their way to the front row. Brian, Angus, Malcolm, and Cliff were close enough to drip sweat on them occasionally. Somehow (and honestly I don’t want the details) Todd ended up with his girlfriend’s black, lacy, strapless bra in his hands. After getting Brian’s attention, he threw it up to him. Mr. Johnson wiped the sweat off his face and threw it back to Todd. The poor girl’s underwear immediately became a trophy and hung on his dorm wall until she came to get it after they broke up.

This past year when I saw that AC/DC was coming to Kansas City right after Todd’s birthday, I bought the perfect present--tickets. Sadly, I can’t keep a good secret so he found out pretty quickly. After waiting through a six-month postponement, we walked into the Sprint Center.  Although there was an opening act, it was completely unnecessary.  They took the stage and "they, they, they blew our minds." As we watched and sang and danced, memories flooded both of our minds. When they played their new song, “Big Jack”, I looked over and tears were streaming down Todd’s face. How can it be that music can touch you so deeply that you can completely relive moments from your past? We weren’t just there with Kris and Lisa, all of our friends were there with us…grinning like fools.

Tonight as I tore down wallpaper, Todd came in and said, “Hey, do you want to watch the AC/DC special bonus DVD while you’re doing that?” “Sure,” I said. Throughout the next hour or so, I listened and sang and stopped to watch every now and then. But my favorite part of the evening was periodically glancing at Todd to see him mesmerized by the live footage and smiling at his own memories.


And it came to pass that rock 'n' roll was born.
All across the land every rockin' band was blowin' up a storm.
And the guitar man got famous. The business man got rich.
And in every bar there was a superstar with a seven-year itch.
There was fifteen million fingers learnin' how to play,
And you could hear the fingers pickin' and this is what they had to say…

…Let there be rock

--Bon Scott, 1977

Jack and the Scrue

February 3, 1997 was one of the days that you never forget. The imprint of it is forever in my mind, like the day the Challenger exploded or the Twin Towers fell. On this date, I had to tell my husband that his best friend since high school had died in car accident--leaving his beautiful young bride, their 2-year old son, and their 10-day old baby.

Todd didn't function right for most of a year. The pain of it was excruciating and he wasn't able to talk about Andy, probably better known as Jack.

Of course, I had heard all of the stories about the Satanta Crue--which came to be known as simply "the Scrue". (Yes, two dots are always placed over the "u" for all of you Motley fans.) The boys would get together and repeat the same ones over and over and over. Most of them involved Jack's truck. She wasn't just any old pickup, her name was Roxy. The poor girl was put through Hell, but she always got the boys back home. It didn't seem to matter that the stories never changed and they were repeated each time we all got together, they were their stories...the adventures of Jack, Roadie, Macster, Jeremy, and Hank with many other characters sprinkled throughout.

I wrote this poem back in 1997 to express for my husband the things he could not express for himself. Maybe I didn't capture it completely...but I tried...and, God knows, I cried. It's hard to believe that he's been gone for 12 years this week. We miss you, Jack.

I remember the days of high school football games, homecomings, and track;

We were the "Scrue" of Satanta and we called him "Jack".

Jeremy, Jack, Hank, Macster, and Roadie (that's me)

Could do anything and be anything we ever wanted to be.

There were wild rides in the Caddy and some were sure to say

Those boys knew how to party when it was Satanta Day!

We had double dates, blind dates, and even went to prom together;

I always assumed he'd be around to be my friend forever.

Then we went to college--Jack went to K-State.

We'd all go up to see him and stay up way too late.

To basketball games, football games, concerts, and more;

Time spent with Jack was never a bore.

Back in 1990, Roxy (the blue Chevy pickup) was bought;

She was a good truck but she was abused a lot.

We made road trips to Denny's in the middle of the night;

And sometimes barely made it home by the break of light.

Then in 1992 Andy married his sweetheart;

Her name was Tamra and we knew they'd never part.

I was in that wedding and I will always remember that day;

We decorated Roxy and then sent them on their way.

In 1994 it was my turn to say, "I do."

Jeremy, Jack, and Mac stood with me, but when it was through

They found my Monte Carlo (I thought they never would)

And Jack certainly got even by putting pancake syrup on my hood.

Heidi Grace was also born that year but God took her above;

Although we dearly miss Andy, his daughter is there with him to love.

On Christmas Day they were blessed again with a beautiful baby boy;

Cooper Jace is his name and he was his daddy's joy.

That March we received Tana Carol--a beautiful baby girl;

Andy, Tamra, and Cooper came to see just who had changed my world.

We were glad they came to see our new home back in September;

And we stopped by to see if they'd had that new baby yet in December.

The last time I talked to Andy, he had called to say--

Jacqueline Nicole had finally come...she was two days old that day.

I never got to see him hold that precious girl in his arms;

But I know he's holding Heidi and learning all her charms.

My wife told me the bad news early on Monday night;

And for a while it's going to seem like nothing in the world is right.

It was a cold day in February when we laid his body to rest;

I will always love him because, as my friend, he was the best.

Cooper is a Freshman this year. He is the spitting image of his father. According to mom, his best friend could be a reincarnation of Todd with blond hair. She loves watching the boys together....it feels like she watching Andy and Todd. Jacqueline (better known as Jacque--pronounced "Jack") is a beauty at 12. She was blessed with just the perfect combination of traits from both her parents.

That year the Scrue decided that another year would not go by without them getting together to tell the old stories and enjoy each other's company. Each Memorial Day weekend we all meet at one of our homes for the annual Scruefest. The Scrue has grown to include wives and children. It's so great that all of the children know each other from these annual celebrations. The goal of the weekend is simple--to golf, tell stories, listen to some of the old tunes, eat a deep-fried turkey, and throw back a few beverages...but not before raising a glass to Andy and making sure that Jack is never forgotten.