Happy Birthday, Mudfinger!

[mudfinger]

Time for a bit of confession.

No, not what you're probably thinking. Today IS my birthday, and every word of Roberteax's beautiful post is true, as is everything I've posted in this thread.

I was fully expecting that the date being what it is, there'd be lots of bemused posts regarding how absurd and improbable the story was. I figured it'd be a perfect time to just lay it all out there, safe in the knowledge that very few would believe it.

Robert and I have said as much on a few occasions, that no one would be crazy enough to believe even half of the truth surrounding his part in the Mojocaster.

Joke's on us, especially me!

You guys didn't even bat an eye when I mentioned how the guitar got the "Red Violin" treatment, which is totally true. I also used crematory ashes, but I'll post the details of that in the build thread, which I realized today is incomplete.

That makes it all the sweeter, as I love surprises, and I certainly got one today. It only serves to double the lovely gift that each and every one of you gave to me when you expressed your good wishes while displaying a degree of tolerance and even indulgence that I truly didn't expect, given the usual MLP drill when something even vaguely religious or spiritual comes up.

You guys are the bestest, and I'm truly privileged to be a part of this community. I have often modulated my remarks in the past in an effort to get along, but I learned today that MLP is a place where I can be much more like myself than I realized.

That's a gift that goes far beyond anything I was hoping for, and I'm grateful for it. Thank you.

 

[Leendrix]

Happy Birthday Mudder Ficker!

 

[Roberteaux]

Speaking of tomorrow, you up for a call?)

Absolutely positively, Thumpa-- you just ring when you've got the time and I'll talka you then!

What an excellent birthday present, this thread.

I'm very happy that you enjoyed it, Lefty!

I see that I really should have worked more on editing it, and apologize that some of it was so loose and funky... but then again, by the time I finished punching it up I was a little snoozy, and could feel myself fading. But eh, at at least you know my heart was in it, and again: I'm really pleased that you got a few grins while reading it!

I hope, by virtue of some modicum of success in my work, to meet the lot of you ruffians in person at a gig near you someday.

Heh! Be careful of what you wish for!

I'll be seeing you shortly, my brother-- early in the summer. I plan to invade California then, with one of my primary objectives being to finally meet you in person!

Here it is, the finest electric guitar I have ever played, nevermind owned. My partner and companion.

My gawd, that guitar is awesome!

Gonna be reading your build thread in its entirety... I kinda kept forgetting to check on it, and almost never leave the Backstage area anyway-- and so am not quite in the habit of thinking of the other fora on this site. I'm a little funny like that... but will now be sure to visit your thread. My apologies for the oversight!

Besides: I need to visit the thread again. To this day, I have only the haziest notion of what you used the mud for, and that's even though you've told me about it three or four times on the phone, already...

It prefers Mojocaster, and who am I to argue?

Honestly... I can't imagine it being called anything else either...

Of course I remember the special ingredients you added to the mix... I remember our discussion well, especially with regard to your concerns regarding the significance of one specific item that ended up in it. But in love there is no disrespect-- and so now that git screams like a cat looking for company.

You deserve that guitar of yours, Lefty. You have earned it!

Every single post upthread has brought a smile to my face, and made my day that much sweeter. Keep 'em coming MLP brothers and sisters! Thank you so much, and bless you all!

Robert and I have said as much on a few occasions, that no one would be crazy enough to believe even half of the truth surrounding his part in the Mojocaster.

Hell's bells, Lefty-- I was there and couldn't believe some of the stuff that happened!

Phillip told me that the bit that took place on the levee that night had a surrealistic character to it, and that he felt as though he might have been dreaming or something. At first, I figured that it was just that he was a bit shocked to find himself being stopped-and-frisked for the first time in his life and it boinked him into a different state of mind than what he's used to. Because of his former profession, Phil has always maintained a certain amount of reserve in his doings and personal comportment, especially while in public... I think that when the police FI'ed us that night, it kind of flipped him right out... he'd never been a criminal before!

Six months later, when he learned that I was heading back into the city to take that one last shot at locating the elusive tomb of Marie Boscho, the gypsy queen, Phil more or less bulldogged himself into being part of the expedition-- even after I warned him that we'd be heading into the 9th Ward and could easily end up in some kind of shit once again. His response was to say that he wanted to feel like he was dreaming, like he had before... that he felt as though he was supposed to come to some sort of realization by doing so, but only grabbed a handful of cloud the last time. Then he offered to pay me if I would take him!

I did a thread on this subject right after it happened, but here's one thing I didn't mention: Phil got his wish. After I stumbled into that tomb, and Phil realized that it did indeed exist after all, he pretty much zoned right out-- and in fact, I joined him. I sat down on the stoop of the old girl's long home, and chain-smoked three or four cigarettes without saying a word. I suddenly felt very, very tired. I had been looking for that tomb for almost five years by then, and was somehow exhausted by the search. The mental dialog that usually rages within me ceased altogether. So instead of dancing for joy, I just kind of sat there, more or less stupefied-- barely even thinking.

I was finally jostled back into my normal state of awareness by the thought that my behavior might be bringing Phillip down, so I looked up to see that mentally, he was also Somewhere Else... he was just standing there about ten feet away, motionless, eyes pointed at the wall of oven tombs in front of him... but I could tell he was seeing nothing. So I just kind of sat there and waited for him to come back up out of it.

He finally shifted around a bit, and then turned to look at me as I sat there watching him. And he said, "There's a reason that I'm down here. Just like last time, I kept thinking that I was here for the original reason... like, to find this missing tomb of yours, or to go get mud or something... but no: that's not really why I'm here. Not at all. This is all about something else."

I smiled. I had gone through the very same thing two years earlier, that morning in the Holt that I once told you about.

Thus began a very long and interesting conversation. Phil realized that he had just gotten one of those really hard shoves that you and I were talking about the other night. And once again, he found himself dreaming, only this time he stayed that way for several hours-- he was goofy as hell the whole time, too-- dazed and childlike. It was a lot like having a toy balloon for a while there... you had to kind of make sure he didn't float away on you.

That boy ain't been the same since. For one thing, he's a lot happier these days.

Life is a curious thing, my brother. I'll just leave it with what Mrs. Ricard said to me that time when I found her at the St. Louis Number Two cemetery: there are no coincidences.

Anyway, I'm very pleased that you enjoyed your thread so much, and I hope that we are able to speak again very soon!

I'd also like to thank all those who joined the party! Thanks, everybody!

--Robert

 

[HenryHill]

Sorry I'm late with birthday wishes, Mud, Happy Birthday!

 

[Gyroman]

Belated birthday wishes Mud, and Roberteaux, that OP was as fine a piece of storytelling as any I've seen on these pages

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

It prefers Mojocaster, and who am I to argue?

I somehow suspect that it's you casting the mojo, brotha. You play with what one of my favorite trios called "passion, grace, and fire".

 

[Blackie]

..Happy Birthday !! ..

 

[paruwi]

Belated Happy Birthday

took some time from the other side of the pond

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

happy birthday, brother!!