What's Up This Weekend?

Mom offered to come over and help me clean my house. It was an unsolicited offer but one I didn’t even consider not accepting. That is what Mom does. She loves to do housework and she loves to do things for her children. Even at the age of 85. Don’t let her age fool you. She works out at the spa for a couple hours four days a week. And she doesn’t look her age even with the pure white hair. I’m sure I get my indefatigable energy from her although something tells me I won’t hold up as well as she has if I should ever reach that age. She is a former Navy Wave, dietitian and dental hygienist who, other than having 5 children, has never abused her body in any way, quite unlike her dissolute son. She loves housework but she has been using someone to do a lot of it at her home so I suspect helping me was partially a way to satisfy that old feeling. Also, she had purchased these bargain steam cleaning devices which her helper uses at her home and I think she wanted a chance to use them herself somewhere. It was comical when we tried to figure out how to use the hand-held fabric cleaner gun and it unexpectedly shot a hot steamy stream of water across the room. And then she left the floor steamer standing in a couple spots that caused white marks in the wood. It was amazing to see her time and again bending over with ease to pick stuff up off the floor. And it was fun working with her as I moved stuff around, followed her orders and consulted on the best way to do things. But what really made me feel like her little boy again was when she came in the den, sat down beside me on the couch and we just talked about my life. My mom, she’s always on my side.


Thursday, tonight, Jim Maneri & Friends doing Salsa, Brazilian and American Jazz plus an Irish Tenor at Gateway Film Center's "purple-box", as Jim likes to call it, for Dan Dougan's Listening Hour. Many great musicians in a great performance space. The George Elliot Underground, Love Culture and Alert New London are at Circus and Miss Molly is at The Shrunken Head.


Friday, I'm going to catch my buddy Lee performing with Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk as they open Hookahville followed by that great band from Colorado, Oakhurst, then hopefully get back in town in time to see The Washington Beach Boys comprised of Jesse Barr, Happy Chichester and Joey Hebdo at Rumba. Lovely vocal harmonies are promised. The Summit has Guinea Worms, Ravari has Muzzleloaders and Hoodoo Soul does the happy hour at Rumba.


Saturday, Moon High and The Alwood Sisters are at Rumba. I think I will go back to Hookahville to see Government Mule and maybe stay late for a reprise of Oakhurst. They are that good.


Sunday, Michael Franti & Spearhead and ekoostic hookah round things out at Legend Valley. The place to be between 4 and 8 will be Alana's restaurant for the John Boerstler Benefit. Alana is serving up a delicious Italian meal for $20 to benefit our good friend who is still recuperating at the Cleveland Clinic. The Derek DiCenzo Trio will be providing the music.


Your mother should know.


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