Hot Mama's Day

Yesterday might have been Father's day, but today is MY MAMA'S BIRTHDAY. YEEHAW! How can you salute someone who has lived more lives than anyone else you will ever have the privilege of knowing? As the song goes, it isn't easy, but I'll try.

All my life my mother has been an incredible source of intrigue for me. As a kid, I could pour over her childhood photos for hours. Her life seemed so VAST and FASCINATING. And who am I kidding? I STILL find it vast and fascinating! Take the picture above, for example. I have NO IDEA when this picture was taken. Was it while she was in Pennsylvania or was in Berkeley, California? Was it in Alaska or was it in Washington, D.C.? Which ERA of her life does it depict? Was it when she was dating a FAMOUS old Broadway crone, having dinner with the likes of Lawrence Olivier, or was it when she was student at University of Pennsylvania? WHO KNOWS? Six months later, she might have been somewhere else entirely, hacking her hair off and bleaching it orange with Ajax! Such is the nature of her life.

When I was six years old, my mother started going on tour, as a rigger for rock bands, building the epic stages and sets, and breaking them down at each show. The first tour that I remember her going on was for Eddie Money. I can remember sitting in the living room watching some variety show with Eddie Money rocking out, and my caregiver saying, "You're mom's there somewhere." and me STRAINING to try to see OFF STAGE, where she might be standing beyond the pink floodlights.

Since then, she has toured with some of the GREATS of rock n' roll: the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, JOURNEY, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and Mariah Carey, just to name a few (there are TOO MANY to name). She has traveled the world, working a physically demanding, male dominated industry, kicking ass and working her tail off. She was the first woman to be inducted into her working union. Basically, she is one STRONG INDIVIDUAL who has always BURNED HER OWN TRAIL.

One of my favorite things to tease my mom about is that despite her TOUGH BROAD exterior, she is a TOTAL SAP. I will never forget her taking my brother and I to see Song of the South, and her BAWLING her eyes out when the little boy is delirious in bed, calling out, "Uncle Remus, Uncle Remus, I found my happy place. I found my happy place!" She also has an ANNOYING, but ACCURATE way of shifting my brother and I from misery to AGGRIVATION, by reciting the same HORRIBLE joke: "Two pieces of string walk into a bar. The bartender says, 'We don't serve string.' and kicks them out. The two pieces of string tie themselves together and walk back in. The bartender says, 'Aren't you two the pieces of string that I just kicked out?' And they reply, 'I'm a frayed knot." ARRRRGHHHH! Just writing it down makes me SQUIRM.

As some of you know, she lost most of her home and belongings to floods in Sonoma over New Year's. Her goal was to get back into her house by her birthday. I haven't talked to her yet, but my hope is that when I call, she will be basking in her newly assembled home, having a cold glass of lemonade. Knowing her, she probably won't be though--there's TOO MUCH TO DO and TOO MANY BATTLES STILL TO BE WON and MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB. What can you expect from someone who has toured the world and back again? A quiet afternoon on the couch? HARDLY.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Keep burning your trails!