A little bit about me, Dave Hamby

About me now

              I live in Round Rock, Texas with my wife Teri, my two daughters, Caitlin and Nanoo, my two dogs, Hannah and Emily, Caitlin’s rat Joan, (You’ll notice that’s a lot of females.) and the only other male in our household, the cat Geppetto. He and I do our male bonding thing with him urinating on the windshield of my car every chance he gets, and with my squirting him with the water hose every chance I get.

             I work for a company called The College Authority.  We advise parents of juniors and seniors in high school on how to best pay for their children's college education.

              I presently write a regular humor column, a regular human services column and various automotive pieces for the Round Rock Leader, a local newspaper.   I’ve also written numerous how-to’s on body repair, the latest of which was featured in “Car Craft” magazine.

              As a civic minded individual I’m involved with Rotary, Sertoma, Partners in Education, The American Cancer Society, For the Love of Christie, and various other charitable and civic organizations.

Before that

              I opened my second body shop, Premier Autobody in Round Rock, Texas, in April of 1987.

              Teri and I were blessed with a daughter, Caitlin in 1987 and another daughter, Nanoo, in 1989.   These are the folks who have inspired a lot of my writing and given me what I need to keep smiling.

              My civic involvement at this time included being a volunteer teacher for the Round Rock Independent School District.   It was during this period that I received the bulk of my awards and recognition.   Sometimes the recognition would only amount to, “Hey, isn’t that fat fellow over there Dave Hamby?”   “Yup!   That’s him all right.”

              I sold that second shop to Caliber Collision in May of 1999 for a sum of money great enough to allow me to take a few years off, see the United States, and embark on this writing career.

              At the time of that sale I had enjoyed a run of successes which resulted in my business growing from a one man operation in 1986, to one of the largest collision repair facilities in Central Texas with a 40,000 square foot facility employing 22 people.   These accomplishments came in the face of stiff competition, bad economic times, and a fast changing repair industry.

              While there are numerous factors that contributed to my business success, one that stood out was a business creed I’ve always attempted to keep in the forefront of my mind.   It is, “ If you always do what you’ve always done, you’re always going to get what you’ve always gotten.”

Earlier still

              I graduated from Crocket High School in 1971 and went from high school to the body shop that summer.   I was lucky enough to get a job that not only taught me the craft, but actually allowed me to go through a formal training process through a traditional apprenticeship program.

              I married my high school girlfriend in 1972 and we had a daughter in April 1973 that we named Lisa Marie.   No, we did not name her after Elvis’s daughter.

              I graduated as a “Master” body man in 1976 and like so many other technicians in so many other fields, made the transition from technician to business owner.   I did this by purchasing the shop I had worked in as an apprentice.

              While my formal education gave me the necessary skills to fix an automobile properly, it did little to prepare me for the challenges of owning a business.   Like so many businessmen before me and so many since, I had to learn the hard way.   Part of that education resulted in my selling that business for a pittance only a few years after I bought it.

              Lisa’s Mother and I divorced in 1977, almost exactly five years to the day after we were married.   While I was never certain I wanted to be married to her, I was always positive I wanted a divorce.

              The next five years of my life were spent in drunken debauchery.   In my spare time I attended classes at ACC and attempted to broaden my horizons.   While I’ve got material for a number of good stories from this period in my life, I’m afraid you’ll not find them under my name.   Perhaps I’ll share those some day under a pen name.

              In 1981 I met Teri, my wife, actually she wasn’t my wife when I met her, she was just Teri.   We married in 1982 and I began my heroic effort at living a sober, responsible life.

Even before that, back when there were alligators around these parts.

              I was born on November 1 st , 1953 in Edar-Oberstein in what was then West Germany.   I wish I could tell you more about that, but I really don’t remember.

              In August of 1966 my dad retired from the military and we settled in Austin Texas.