End o' week musings

Gee whiz! The end of this week just snuck up on me!! I guess it's because I've been so busy and so happy.

Last Friday I had a blast playing vampire for my friend haunted house. Kids didn't have to go through the maze to get candy, but most of the them did and enjoyed it. I had my own lair filled with creepy dummies, bats, spiders, body parts and lots of fog. I would stand very still under the black light waiting for people to come by. Many of them would argue whether I was real or not and then... I'd move and hiss at them!

If they had little ones, I'd offer cheap babysitting services. For the bigger ones, I'd ask them to stay for a bite or whine "But no stakes, they give me heartburn!" Yeah, yeah, the jokes don't get any better....

Saturday was a wash. The HorrorPops show was canceled and I had to miss Godhead too, plus it was pouring rain. But Sunday made up for it, as my friend Angela and I went on a "Thelma and Louise Adventure" without the sex, gun, car chase or suicide. We headed out to Canyon Country with a sketchy map to see Joe Walla. There aren't many street lights when you get off the freeway and after a few turns, there were few houses, buildings or much of anything. When we finally got to the VFW Post, I needed a vodka tonic!

But the band made it all worth it. They chatted with us and played two terrific sets. I just can't get enough of Joe and neither can Angela. Joe's releasing a new holiday song, visit http://www.joewalla.com/ or find him on YouTube to learn more.

Monday evening I caught up with Andrew from Andrew's Bad Stuff to discuss the upcoming Doo Dah itinerary. He asked me to sing with his band at the Pre-Doo Dah Parade Party at the Old Towne Pub in Pasadena on Jan. 10. I'll be doing two numbers, as will some of the other former queens.

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No Doo Dah Party and Queen Tryouts
1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23
Tryouts begin at 2 p.m. with crowing at 5:30 p.m.
American Legion Post 280
179 N. Vinedo Ave. (between San Gabriel and Altadena Drive)
East Pasadena
(626) 792-9938
$5 cover, except for first 25 queen hopefuls. Cover goes to American Legion's charity of choice

There will be performances by Snotty Scotty and the Hankies and Horses on Astroturf, food, drinks and more. Come out and audition or cheer on your favorite hopeful.

Queen hopefuls please register by calling (626) 205-4029.

Also, entry forms for the 32nd Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade are now being accepted. $10 per marcher. Proceeds benefit Light Bringer Project. Be creative and innovative! Homemade conveyances are encouraged. Pets and motorized vehicles must be approved. Call (626) 205-4029 or visit http://www.pasadenadoodahparade.info/

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My friend Ben McGinty headed off to Italy Wednesday, so we met for dinner Tuesday night. We dined at Gale's in Pasadena and omigawd! it was sooo good!! I had gnoucci, while Ben went for the lamb. We also enjoyed two appetizers, dessert and coffee. And no, I didn't roll out the door, as I brought half of my dish home. I highly recommend Gale's and plan to go there again soon.

Tonight I'm going to see Angela again and we're going to stop by the Dockside in West Covina to catch part of The Subs' set before going to the Buccaneer in Sierra Madre for the Wrecktangles, Plastic Hearts Forever and T.C.'s Living Room.

Next week I'm hoping to catch Civet with Aiden at Chain Reaction in Anaheim on Thursday, but otherwise my calendar is fairly open... for a change.

Visit http://www.sgvn.com/ for my stories this weekend on Blues Traveler, Karolyn Berkman, Lakota Souix Dance Theatre and my experiences on the cable television variety talk show "Marty's Corner." (You can see me in action on the program if you do a search for Doo Dah Queen or Marty's Corner on YouTube).

Photos we got 'em: This week I'm sharing a photo by Mike Mullen of me with Marty Shields on his show, "Marty's Corner," a shot of me cutting it up with singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Joe Walla and a few animal pics that made me smile.

In rotation this week: "Repo: A Genetic Opera," Godhead, Beat Union, HorrorPops, Necromantix, Juan Chapa y su Conjunto and Girl Talk.

Thought of the week: Let it go. I've spent a good part of my life learning to calm down when faced with obstacles and trouble and also breaking things down into what's important and worth the stress and what's not. My life is still not problem-free, but my attitude has been helping me relish the good things and deal better with the things I cannot change.

I'm trying to teach this to my mother as well, who has been going through a lot of big changes in her life, including some that she cannot control. There are some things that I have to do that I really don't want to and I'm determined to put a big smile on my face, be nice and find some part of the events that I enjoy. My mum is facing a similar situation and I have encouraged her to be cordial and gracious. It's important to "bite it" sometimes. Especially if it will affect a relationship in the future or anything that could come back to haunt you. It really doesn't take much and you just may find that it wasn't so bad after all.

As for my "let go and let things be" trend I'm on, it seems to be working. Things seem to be coming back around my way and I am feeling much more peaceful and, more importantly, happier.

Keep on rockin'

Mickie