I was living in Lagunitas, Calif., in Marin County. We had a big old two-story wood shingled house at the end of the road. I had a baby July 30th, Cheyenne, and counting her, there were around nine people who lived there. Our heat consisted of a wood stove and space heaters.
One of the women in the house had a big dog she would often lock in her room. She was told over and over, by me especially, not to leave the dog locked in the room with the space heater on. Thanksgiving 1978, she did just that and the poor dog knocked over the heater. The house, being old and wood, went up immediately. By the time the fire engines got up our windy road, the house was gone. The only things that were saved, were my daughter’s birth pictures and my Dead records. All the Fillmore posters, of which I had many, were gone, so sad.
I had spent New Year’s with the Dead every year they played and did not expect this year to be any different.
After the fire, everyone who had lived there scattered. My old man and I had nowhere to go. A very kind neighbor, who I think was named Steve, took the three of us in. I had spent New Year’s with the Dead every year they played and did not expect this year to be any different. Even though tickets were being distributed by a lottery, I was positive I would get them.
One day, Steve came home and found me sobbing on the couch. He sat down to comfort me and began to say what people say, “it’s only stuff, you can replace it, at least you’re alive, etc., etc.” I looked at him, struggling to talk through my hysteria, I said “that’s not why I am crying, I am not crying about the fire.” He looked at me very puzzled and asked, “then why are you crying?”
“I am crying because I didn’t win tickets for the Dead on New Year’s!” Honestly, I don’t remember what happened after that, but I will never forget the next day! Steve came home from work and said I have something for you. He then handed me two tickets to New Year’s!
I have no idea where or how he got them, as I was too caught up in ecstasy to even ask. All I know from there is that my old man and I were at New Year’s for the closing of Winterland! And a fabulous time was had by all.
~ Ginger