End o' week musings

Doncha just love going through things and finding mementos, letters and photographs that you all but forgot about? I sure do. I've been sorting through some boxes I had and remembering some of the highlights in my life so far (as well as throwing out a lot of junk!). And it seems I'm not the only person in this mode right now~ my friend guitarist/singer/songwriter extraordinaire Joe Walla sent me some old promo shots of his band that he stumbled upon. I think they're pretty good, so I'm sharing them with you. Now 'nuff 'bout Joe, it's my time...

Last Friday I met my friend Cindy Lou Who (as I affectionately call her) for dinner at Applebee's and then we headed out to the Pasadena Playhouse to see "Of Mice and Men." I ended up sitting next to the director and his wife, which was pretty cool. His version of the Steinbeck classic stayed fairly true, with the only major change being Braceros as the farm helpers instead of white migrant workers. This of course moved the time from the 1930s to the 1940s, but the setting itself has that timeless appeal, so that didn't matter.

I thought the director's choice worked well and was very impressed with everything- the sets, the music, the costumes and wow! the acting. "Of Mice and Men" is what I would call a tough play to watch, but this production is definitely worth the price of those extra tissues in your pocket. For more, visit http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/

Saturday my brother dropped off my mom to me at 7 a.m. Geez, how's a rocker chick like me supposed to keep her reputation when she has to get up with the sun?! Anyway, it was mom's birthday so I took her to the Huntington Library, Art Galleries and Botanical Gardens in San Marino for a special bird walk with the Audubon Society. The sounds of the birds' singing was very pretty in the otherwise quiet morning air. And for two hours we wandered the gardens finding lots of the winged creatures. Among my favorites were the hummingbirds busy in the Desert Garden, a yellow and green parrot perched high in the trees and a red robin pulling a worm out the lawn for an early breakfast. Yes, it's true- the early bird does get the worm! yummy!!

We planned to stay and enjoy the day at the Huntington, which was extra interesting because my friend Andrew joined us. He's an avid golfer, so I knew he would like the long green lawns and he's into art as well, so I expected him to enjoy the gallery, but then I learned something new about him...

I have long made jokes of my mother's passion for cactus. A few years ago I took her to the Huntington for her birthday and it was pouring rain. She's English, so the rain doesn't deter her the least from doing anything. Only we ended up spending the bulk of our time in the Desert Garden. I tried telling her we're in California and there's cactus everywhere, perhaps we should go in the galleries for a while, but no, she wanted to see her darn cacti! Well, what do you think happened this time?

Andrew lived in Arizona for a while and began telling my mother about the different kinds of cacti and succulents there. They ended up wandering through the entire Desert Garden chatting happily, while I just plodded along. It was just too funny! I didn't really mind either because my mother was happy and that was the point of our journey.

To end her big day, my mom and I met my brother Jason at the Dockside Grill in West Covina for dinner. Then we went into the lounge to see one of my favorite bands- The Subs. They greeted me with a "Hey, we have something for you!" and launched into an acoustic rendition of "Crazy Train" - it was quite good, actually. After learing it was my mom's birthday, they asked her for a song request and she meekly replied, "Anything, anything is fine." The Subs laughed and said that it wasn't really appropriate for a birthday song, but they would obliged and - as their usual weird humor goes - they launched into a rowdy version of - what else? - "Anything." Too much fun!!

Sunday I practiced my dancing and the rest of the week has been filled with interviews, including hanging out with local bluegrass band Wreck N' Sow, and more dancing. I returned to the Huntington Wednesday for a private tour of the gallery which is set to reopen later this month- very awesome! and yesterday I checked out the Marcel Duchamp exhibit at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena - very interesting...

Tomorrow I will be dancing at Raqs L.A. in Glendale, a huge belly dancing event. There will be two stages of continuous performances, vendors, food and more! It's open to the public, so if you have any interest in the art, I would recommend that you come down because you will see a wide variety of dance styles, costumes and beautiful women. For more information, visit http://www.raqsla.com/ or http://www.almasearabesque.com/

On Sunday I will be attending the Renaissance Faire in Irwindale as my Doo Dah Queen royal self, escorted by Sir Benjamin McGinty, Knight of the Arts and accompanied by entourage. It's the last day of faire, so don't miss it if you haven't been. Oooo and also don't be shy about coming up and saying hello if you see me!

Next week I am looking forward to the new Indiana Jones movie~ I just LOVE Indy! All that action and adventure, plus cool clothes....

Photos we got 'em: Joe Walla and his boyz as mentioned and a cat photo that my best friend Valerie sent me- it made my day!

In rotation this week: Steve Vai, Trash Brats, Tantric, Song of the Year, Night Ranger, Tenacious D, Tribe of Gypsies and Megadeth.

Thought of the week: Make someone feel special and you'll feel great. On Saturday it was all about my mother and she loved every minute of it! I didn't mind getting up early, looking for birds, spending a long time in the Desert Garden or hanging out in the gift shop, as my mom was enjoying herself. The next day was Mother's Day and I had secreted a gift for her with my brother- a book that mom wanted. I called and she was bubbling about the book, the garden, everything!! I had made her feel extra special. I hung up the phone and smiled, I felt good too. It doesn't have to be your mom or even any relative, you can spread joy to a co-worker, the cashier at the gas station, your waitress or even someone stuck in traffic next to you. It doesn't have to be a trip and presents, it can be as simple as asking how their day has been, thanking them for their kindness or just giving them a grin. Try it and you'll be happier for it.

Keep on rockin'

Mickie