WICKER in the Big Apple!

Sorry. I owe you a posting on this latest adventure. I've been busy - cleaning house, and looking for rabbits to pull out of hats.
Today, I'll be busy, too. Because Santa Claus, in the form of my brother, has just delivered a ton of groceries, and I'll be getting busy making apple pies and quiches. Lots of them - some to give away as Christmas presents. (yay!) I'm calling this sweet and random act 'Santa' because my brother, Marcus, got all of this beautiful produce from the shoot he just finished working on - and I happen to be broke beyond belief just in time for Christmas - to the point where I am worried about groceries for the rest of the month.So his arrival this morning, little Madeline (his 1 yr old daughter) in tow, with armfuls of pineapples,oranges,bananas,apples,eggs,potatoes and onions was a little Santa miracle. I had NO business spending money on a trip to NYC right now. But I'm glad I did it.

My son's band, WICKER, was flown out to NYC and put up in a hotel by Sony/Jive music in order to play a showcase for their East Coast people who had never seen the band perform live. The drummer's dad, Mitch, sent me a link for $200 round trip tickets and I was on board. My daughter is in college there, too, and I was dying to see her - check out her dorm and friends, the whole nine yards. Turns out, I got a VERY close look at her dorm and friends - I ended up sleeping there.

The rickety single bed in a tiny room of cement block walls took me screeching back to my dorm room at Interlochen. Izzy (my daughter), shares a "suite" with 3 other girls - just like we did at IAA in TJ (our dorm building). And the other memory that was so present for me was actually VISITING a friend of mine when I was her age at that SAME building. As soon as I saw the outside of her dorm - a flood of NYC memories rushed over me. Being so cold my first winter there - visiting people like Brad and Emily - or Stuart in their dorm rooms so I could get WARM. The dorm buildings were always kept obscenely warm. And still are.

The band and I arrived at JFK at roughly the same time, so we shared a car service into the city. Met up with Izzy and Max's long time friend, Jeremy and his wife at the band's hotel - the Sheraton. As soon as I saw Izzy's reaction to seeing us all - up in the hotel room - I knew I had done the right thing by coming.

My daughter, Izzy, is so beautiful. She is a petite little thing with very dark hair these days (she dyes it dark). She arrived with big, beautiful cat eyes, red lipstick and lots of sparkles shimmering on her pretty face.
"Momma!" was the first yelp of delight out of her mouth when she walked in the door and threw her arms around me. She held on to me so tightly it broke my heart into a million pieces. If you are a mother, or a father, you know there are no words to describe that feeling that comes from such uncensored love from your child. I was bursting with pride for her and aching with love and gratitude for such love from a brilliant creature. I stopped myself from crying, but just barely.
"Max!" was her second cry. Arms flung around him. Happy laughter. Then, one by one, hugs for all of her "brothers".
The band, WICKER, is made up of extraordinary lads. They are all crazy good looking, talented and KIND. The love of these young people that surround Max - and our whole family - is something to be treasured. And I do. I treasure it beyond belief. Meaning, I find it hard to believe that I am surrounded by such wonderful and beautiful artists all the time. They make up a huge part of my life. Some of them have gone on to be movie stars (and I actually mean, like, HUGE movie stars), some have already begun fun and successful businesses, some are fashion or jewelry designers, some are still struggling to get their careers off the ground - as Max and WICKER are ....but they all love each other and are loyal to a degree that is VERY, VERY rare these days.

And this is how the New York trip was. My friends, their friends, fathers, mothers, cousins, and uncles (and fans) - all coming out to support and play with a band that they deeply believe in and love.

to be continued...later, when my whole house smells like apple pie.