End o' week musings

Gee, what happened?? It was only Monday yesterday... Yeah, that sums up my week, but I'll give you the Reader's Digest condensed version.

Saturday night was quite interesting. I went to a private party that boasted nine bands, including Andrew's Bad Stuff, members of Surrender the Pink, Beatnik Jr. and more. There was a huge spread of food and an array of beverages. It was held at an old Victorian house with gorgeous architecture. I was truly amazed that things never got too loud or out of hand-- you could talk over the music and everyone seemed on their best behavior. There's a little more to this story, but you'll have to talk to me in person to get the "juicy bits."

On Sunday I went with my favorite movie critic Vernor Rodgers to see the new "X-Files" film. My biggest thrill was when Vernor was driving into the theater parking lot and spotted me, he yelled out the window, "Hey, Scully!" We have a little inside joke that we're the Mulder and Scully of the newsroom, as we're both huge "x-philes." OK, I know it's sorta nerdy, don't push me!! As for the film, it was pretty darn good. You can check out Vernor's review in the Tickets Please column at DaBelly.com (http://www.dabelly.com/). If it's not posted yet, please check back over the weekend, it should be up soon.

Another thrill for my week was interviewing Ernest Borgnine about his new book. We were chatting away on the phone when the room started to shake. I calmly told Ernie that there was an earthquake and I had to crawl under my desk. We kept talking and then he began yelling- the quake had hit him too. You can read and hear my interview with Ernie Sunday by visiting http://www.sgvn.com/ on or after Sunday, Aug. 3. Look under the Weekend section.

Tonight I'll be dancing with Zaynah and my friend Rick Sarabia will be drumming for us- how cool is that? Here's the scoop if you want to come join the fun:

1st Friday Art Club -
Group show featuring more than 25 artists, plus performances by the Sundowners, Alamase Arabesque and Rick Sarabia
7 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, August 1
McGinty's Gallery at the End of the World
2475 N. Lake Ave.
Altadena
$5
(626) 794-8779
http://www.galleryattheendoftheworld.com/, http://www.almasearabesque.com/

Also at the gallery this weekend:

Noon-late Saturday - potluck barbecue, open mic and Foothills Artwalk. Free, please bring a dish to share.

Noon-6 p.m. Sunday - mimosa and Bloody Mary brunch. Free.

The group show will be up during these events, so stop in a get some eye candy!!

Then next week, you can catch me trying my hand at standup comedy:

The Joke Gym - comedy open mic night

7-9 p.m. Thursday, August 7; performer signup 6:30 p.m.

Zapata Vive Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

101 S. First Ave.

Arcadia

No cover. Full bar and menu.

(626) 574-1363

http://www.jokegym.com/

In rotation this week: Little Joe y La Familia, Bjork, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, Jimi Hendrix and 69 Eyes.

Photos we got 'em: My friend Valerie sent this photo of The Brickyard at the Indianapolis Speedway where you spent the weekend, there's also a belly dancing photo by Richard Lowe and two cute pet pics. Enjoy!

Thought of the week: You can't always tell... This is sort of the don't judge a book by it's cover thing... or perhaps sometimes you can. I had an eye-opening experience at the party last week that, well, let's just say it was like something out of a movie! I could have reacted by spreading the news or just keeping mum. I chose the latter. I was and wasn't surprised by what I had discovered, considering the company I was keeping... I know I made the right decision by not over-reacting and staying quiet. But what did I learn? The biggest lesson might be that I need to be more picky about who I spend my time with or perhaps just more cautious. Yes, this is vague, but I think you'll get the jist of what I mean and think over who you hang out with and where you go, as it reflects on who you are.

Keep on rockin'

Mickie