Monday Morning Stories With Mookie - Episode 113

The Time Mookie Found Russ All Partied Out

During my sophomore year of college, I shared an apartment with my pal "Russ.*" I have mentioned in previous stories that Russ was sort of an "odd duck," but the honest-to-God truth is my friends and I totally loved him for this reason. He was an aspiring musician, and had been playing electric guitar for several years prior to he and I sharing an apartment. Therefore, in addition to a pile of guitar equipment lying in our room, he had an ample amount of various rock CDs that we often cranked to all hours of the night.

One particular night we had a bunch of people over to the apartment, and Russ was knee-deep in his usual concoctions of beer, vodka, and cigarettes. At some point during the evening, Russ decided we needed to hear the drum solo on Ozzy Osbourne's most recent CD - "Live and Loud." He cued up the song and all you could hear through the apartment was Ozzy screaming out "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MR. RANDY CASTILLO ON THE DRUMS!" Moose then proceeded to rock out to Mr. Castillo's drum solo. Then he kept just playing the part where Ozzy introduced Randy Castillo and impersonating Ozzy. Like I said, Russ is an odd duck and you had to be there to appreciate it - but it got pretty funny.

As the evening progressed, all of the party-goers devised a plan to set out on the town and head to other parties or to the bars (I don't totally recall).  What I do remember is this:

"Megan*" and I came back to the apartment very late that night and found Russ lying in the middle of the living room floor totally passed out. It was as though he just decided he was tired and lied down right there in the middle of the room. I noticed the stereo was on but there was no music playing, so I figured he probably was listening to a CD when he passed out. I can still picture him laying there with his long hair everywhere and his drunk-ass mouth wide open.

I tried to wake him as he was right in the middle of the room with no pillow, blanket or anything. "Russ. Get up." I got no response. He was breathing so I knew he wasn't dead, but still he didn't look comfortable.  I tried to stir him again and got nothing. I looked at Megan, and then I looked at the stereo and I knew what I needed to do.

I put in the Ozzy CD Russ had been playing before, cued up the aforementioned drum solo, turned the volume up, and hit play.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MR. RANDY CASTILLO ON THE DRUMS!"

Without opening his eyes - a smirk appeared on his face and the drunken and partied out Russ raised his arm into the air and began to pump his fist with the beat of the music.

Megan and I laughed and laughed, and when I turned off the music he stopped and continued to lay there on the floor. It appeared he was content, so we left him there.

It was Classic Russ.

(*) - Names changed to protect the guilty/innocent.

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