End o' week musings

I've planned my weekend just right-- sleeping in, run a few errands, work on my Web site (http://www.dabelly.com/ ), do some sewing and basically take it easy. This is because my next few weeks are going to be blur. I'm on final countdown now for my big day as Queen of the 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, which is Jan. 20 and I have many duties to fulfill along the way. You can read my Diary of a Doo Dah Queen at www.insidesocal.com/doodah to follow my adventures and my thoughts during this time.

This week was busy. Last Friday I went to Mr. T's Bowl in Highland Park and saw Andrew's Bad Stuff, See It Through, Rover's Pinky, The Thingz and Punk Whores. It was a good show and there were lots of people in the venue- most stayed for the entire thing too!

Saturday I went with my friend Byron (he's also the creator of the Naughty Mickie comic strip you see here) to his family's Christmas gathering. Oh my goodness! There must have been 50 people in his sisters' house. Many of them remembered me and we caught up from when we last saw each other. I also met new members of his family. We ate a wonderful feast and played Catch Phrase -- I kicked butt, by the way.

On Sunday, Valerie and I got together for our little Christmas "party." We drank coffee (she makes the best), watched "Myth Busters" on television and chatted and giggled. When it came to present time I was totally shocked- Valerie gave me a beautiful wood jewelry amoire. I have wanted one for years! Adding to her sweetness, she told me to open the drawers and I found two pairs of pretty earrings, a bracelet set and three animal print hair scrunchies. Thank you again, Valerie, words cannot truly express my appreciation and surprise!

Christmas Eve I went with Andrew to his family's celebration. What a meal! There was prime rib, turkey, tons of side dishes, pies, fruit and more. Later, Andrew's brother's sons distributed the gifts and wrapping paper and ribbons flew all over the living room. I haven't seen anything quite like it, as my family is more reserved (read on and you'll see). It was fun, though. I laughed as I watched everyone going crazy and then showing off their gifts with plenty of thanks and hugs to go around. They all seemed to like what I had given them and I was moved by the thoughtfulness of the gifts they had given me.

Tuesday - Christmas - was family day for me. My mother and brother share a house in Fontana. It's a good deal for them, as my mother doesn't drive and my brother takes care of her and her errands, while my mother keeps the house clean, does laundry and all the other things that my brother doesn't have time for because he works so much. Jason was totally bummed out because he was planning to deep fry a turkey, but the winds were gusting so hard that it wasn't safe. He had marinated it overnight in cajun seasoning and popped it in the oven with a sigh. Meanwhile, I plunked myself in their jacuzzi for an hour. Oooooo! It was sooo nice!

Dinner was served late afternoon and it was wonderful. Jason was funny because he was carving the turkey and trying to entice me into taking a leg. When I finally gave in, he said, "Yes, that's my sister!" The turkey came out moist and tasty and the sides were nice too. I ended up taking home most of the leg and my mother packed a baked potato, some fancy bread and a few other goodies for me, including what was left of the wine.

Our gift exchange was quite different than my previous affair. We sat in a circle of sorts and unwrapped our goodies one by one with the others watching. My mother took her time smoothing the paper so she could save it for next year. We really stretched it out, even though there were plenty of little gifts to keep us busy for a while. My best gift was a check for my car payment. My best gift to my mom was a fuzzy blanket with a wolf design and for my brother a thing for his car that will give it a jump start, inflate a tire and more. It has a flashlight and a plug so you can run a worklight or other electrical item from its power.

As I said before, this weekend is on the much-needed quiet side. I still haven't made plans for New Year's as there was a chance I would be working.

Photos we got 'em! Enjoy these two fun pics I found at two of my favorite spots on the Web, plus the comic.

In rotation this week: Same holiday tunes as last week, plus Tha Riks, Ross Anthony and Orange Sky.

This week's thought: We're on the verge of a new year so I guess I should offer a few words about resolutions. I think it's good to start off thinking about what you like and don't like about yourself and considering how you can change for the better. But I don't suggest trying to do anything drastic or too quickly, as this often leads to failure. Set your goals and make them do-able. Small steps or one tiny tweak of change each week (or month) will make it easier for you and will also turn trials into triumphs. Things become habit over time - slowly - so bear this in mind whether you vow to lose weight, not get mad in traffic, quit smoking or whatever. Good luck to you. I wish all my readers a wonderful New Year filled with happiness, health, success, prosperity, laughter and love.

Keep on rockin'

Mickie