Bagels and Bongos

By Mandi
Bagels and Bongos!
Just drove in from Detroit.
Greetings from Pittsburgh, the location of the official launch of Black & Bleu (now Pearl) 2010 trip to and through New England. We are hoping to score on some fresh Maine lobster before BP oil finds it’s way up coast. But before I go on about our future I want to take you back a bit to our last year finale. Barb and I literally had to Kamikaze our way back it was a tight trip and seemingly a blur as I write this. However I do recall a pinnacle moment. I think it is one of those melt downs you experience on every long trip that requires a bit of grit. Barb and I had stopped on one of our delirious hammering afternoons in some state I don’t quite remember it wasn’t Kansas I can tell you that for sure but it wasn’t Texas either. Any way we stopped at a non descript gas station for yet another can of Amp energy elixir which by that time made up 90% of our bloodstream and hurts my teeth just thinking about it. We were both checking out cell messages and txts when Barb got this look on her face I will never forget of pure pained emotional surrender. Barb had stumbled upon a voice mail she had saved from her mom who passed away earlier in the year, Barb is actually her mother’s namesake. Barbara Nicholas the II. And they look so much alike. We both just hugged and cried. We cried from exhaustion, emotional fatigue and the bit of relief we needed from our most awesome trip. That was difficult to leave behind us, the beauty of Colorado in exchange for reality. So on that note I won’t give Barb too much shiite for buying a new motorcycle. I swear she goes through motorcycles like some women go through purses (I will let her tell you about it). And since I am not privy to any dynastic wealth that I know of, I am elated to have my Sportster running like the fine oiled machine it is (touch wood). I am at my mom and John’s who are now away for the weekend and I did the little treasure hunt around the house in their absence ( I know she is regretting leaving me here unattended and this entry is a true test to her keeping up with this blog). I was looking through junk in the attic found the bowling ball with my name engraved found Tana’s old diary (my sister) hey she had an entry written in pencil that I (Mandi) was finally good when the babysitter came, like, shaa as if I was ever not good when the babysitter came (can you hear the resentment in my tone?). Though we did go through a lot of babysitters, I can assure you I wasn’t the reason. Sorry, I digress. I also found my album collection vinyl that is…very cool. Beatles, Sex Pistols, Joan Armatrading, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles and of course Bagles and Bongos. What the what? Bagels and Bongos? Not mine. Or some thrift shop dynamo perhaps! The best score however was a little block of wood. Something I must have devised as a last minute mother’s day gift circa 1979-80?. It has a spark plug (Champion n-3 for you bike nuts) from my old Yamaha TY-250 trials bike screwed into a block of wood kind of trophy like and a note scribbled in ballpoint pen with my shouty hand writing. “Voted No 1 Motorcycle Mama of the year” You should know she helped me to buy that bike when I was 12ish, a huge sacrifice back in the day. I know dad was disapproving (they were divorced) but he must have had some cheddar in there too. I felt that was a significant archaeological find and appropriate for this coming trip. I left it at my mothers place sitting at the kitchen table where she and John will find it after her get-a-way weekend. A spark of good juju.
Thanks Mom and John thanks Dad and Becky, thanks Annie and Lynn for the great hospitality and food for my send off. Love you all!!