Mother's Day

Pinky's Homage

MOTHER'S DAY PARTY FOREVER!

Apparently Pinky was eager to Party.

I discovered this because the day before I was rushed to the emergency room in labor, was spent being driven in a car with no shock absorbers and no seat springs around the Hudson Valley leading to cramping and eventual exit from the womb. No holding her back once she heard how fun life would be.

Wanting to shake off the inertia of that day, I suggested to anyone available by telephone that we meet at Tony Raimone's El Corso Home of Latin Music after dinner and do some dancing.  There was an enthusiastic response.  

Of all the vanished institutions of the Upper East Side, El Corso is the one I miss the most.  Louis's The Toy Bar Ltd
(to which George Goldey and I took The Clash), and Elsie Rennie's Okey Doke are close seconds, but El Corso is a pair of giant pointy toed boots that have never been filled.  

I sent Reuben Blades there (met him on the QE2), saw Tito Puente, the Fania All Stars, Ray Barretto, and went to a birthday party for Jerry Hall there when the Rolling Stones took it over for the night.  

And the nicest thing that happened there for me and for Pinky is that the long long long line for the bathroom parted when the women saw that I was pregnant and they let me go first.  The ONLY TIME any one did anything nice in NYC while I was showing my bump.

I must believe that the incredible music and dancing was heard and felt by Miss Guest and she decided that she would not stay inside another week.

The next morning I felt particularly weird, and the Dr sent me to the hospital. They admitted me immediately and stitched me shut.  This was a little worrying when I went into labor two days later, but Pinky didn't let that stop her and she was born at 12:37 a.m. March 18, just missing being called Patricia by 37 minutes.

 

For Years Pinky Called These HYACINTHIA

It was exactly as everyone says.  The best day of my life, I was awash with endorphins, crazy happy, had no idea how critical it was, and will forever feel blessed when I smell hyacinths as they were the flowers waiting by my bed after her birth.

Rubén Blades

Fania All Stars

If I have inspired a wish for a similar experience, I highly recommend visiting Ginny's Supper Club, a speakeasy in the basement of Red Rooster in Harlem.  A friend, Gregorio Uribe, has a big band that specializes in Cumbia, is made up of amazing musicians and will make your feet dance by themselves, should you remain in your seat.  They play at Ginny's on the first Friday of every month.  GO!

Gregorio Uribe Bringing Back el Son

See Hear Gregorio at the Red Rooster in Harlem