I’m riding for Mindy.

(second in a series)

Mindy was my home away from home back in the early days of my freelance career. She lived in Encino and was an EMT with the Pasadena Fire Department. I’d go to LA to work, and I slept on her couch, and she would loan me her Ford Expedition while she worked her 24 hour shifts. That way I had a place to stay and transportation. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to work in LA in those early days.

She died of cervical cancer. It broke the hearts of a lot of people. I stayed in her apartment, visiting her every day at the hospital the week before she died. The last time I saw her, I kissed her bald head, leaving a big ol’ lipstick mark, and told her I loved her. I’m glad I had the chance to do that.

I still miss her very much. She was funny, bawdy, and generous. There are on-going jokes about her. She drove the ambulance for her team, and having gotten used to having a siren and traffic getting out of her way – she was massively impatient with traffic. She’d go ballistic if caught in a jam of any kind. We used to refer to people getting angry as “going Mindy on their ass.”

She was also known as the woman who lost the mountain. She drove by landmarks. Once she was on her way to Studio City and she was involved in a conversation with the people in the car and suddenly found herself nearly to Glendale. She looked around confused and said, “Where the hell was that mountain?” From that day forward, we teased her about “losing the mountain.”

I don’t have any photos of Mindy. She hated having her picture made. But I’ve got loads of memories and a lot of love in my heart for her still.

I’d like to people to know about her. Thanks.

And I’m glad to know about a funny, special person, and proud to ride the LIVESTRONG for her.

Thank you, Sarah. I hope Mindy lets me borrow some of her ferocity on those hills!