End o' week musings

It's been a long and wild Friday and here I am sitting late at work to finish up my blog for the week.... Just for you! Yeah, I'm a giver....

Last Friday I danced at the Gallery at the End of the World in Altadena. It was a great night with lots of cool art on exhibit and interesting people to speak with, plus my drummer, Ric Sarabia, got to do his own set and Wreck N Sow played. Wreck N Sow is a really awesome bluegrass band. Now, don't wrinkle your nose, as even my hard-core rock friends dig this group. They have a great stage presence and offer up a nice mix of humorous tunes to keep you amused in between their more serious ones and their harmony is tight! Check 'em out when you get a chance, they play regularly at Pike's in Long Beach and often make it out to The Press in Claremont as well as other local venues.

Saturday I went to the Galaxy in Santa Ana to see Orange Sky. Their performance was fantastic! They played a lot of songs off their latest album, "Dat Izz Voodoo," as well as a few "oldies." I hung out with Orange Sky the rest of the evening and it was neat to hear all the different comments they were getting from their new fans (most of the people at the venue had never heard them before). The most interesting thing I kept hearing over and over was that they were the best band so far.. through three other groups' performances up to King's X stepping on the stage! My review of the show should be posted at http://www.dabelly.com/ after this weekend.

My mother wanted to go to the Gallery at the End of the World on Sunday, so I obliged and you remember Eve Kessler's mermaid painting of me? Well, my mom bought it and gave it to me as a super-early birthday present. It's sooo beautiful!

Monday through Wednesday I was camping at Leo Carillo State Park and Beach. I had a terrific spot with lots of nature. There were squirrels which I handfed too many peanuts, quail walking through twice a day and bunnies peeking out from behind the bushes, plus bats hunting insects at night. At the beach I saw dolphins and seals swimming. I barbecued on a little grill, as well as used the fire pit. It was restful and I am fairly recharged.

Tomorrow I will be dancing at the Queen Mary in Long Beach as part of the Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association's Cairo Caravan. If you go, look for Almase Arabesque on the Luxor Stage at 1:38 p.m. and don't be shy- come over and say hi! For more information, visit http://www.mecda.org/ and http://www.almasearabesque.com/.

Sunday my rollercoaster club friend Lynn invited me to go to another of her group's days, this time at Magic Mountain. Hope I can handle all those wicked coasters! I'm a bit of a daredevil, but I haven't been there in years so I'm not all sure what the venue has... other than a lot of fun.

Next week is fairly quiet except for work and dance practice and hopefully some extra sleep!

In rotation this week: Orange Sky, The Randies, Chickenfoot, Beat Union and Wreck N Sow.

Photos we got 'em: A couple of cute cat photos I came across at http://www.stuffonmycat.com/ and a nice photo of Orange Sky by Keith Durflinger (want more pix of them, plus an interview? Visit http://www.dabelly.com/).

Thought o' the Week: Don't neglect yourself. I had a bit of a wake-up call today when I went for my doctor's appointment. It was just for a checkup and I already knew I was going to get at least a stern look from my physician, as I've put on a few (15 actually) pounds since my last visit. Now to defend myself a tad-- I have been dealing with a hurt knee and then I mangled the same leg's ankle so I've not been able to work out like I should. And then, I confess, I haven't been eating so well.. food can be a comfort when you're feeling out of sorts.

Well, it's time to pay the piper. My doctor didn't give me too much grief, but he did ask me to start taking better care of myself. He wants me to do as much as I can without causing my ankle too much stress and work back up to my routine. He also wants me to eat better. He also encouraged me by showing how my weight had been going down and I was doing very well before my knee injury.

I'm going to really focus and get my mind set in the right direction over the weekend and try to start fresh next week with a new healthier attitude. It takes two weeks to make something a habit... I can make healthiness a habit.. can you? Or is there something else you'd like to make a "habit" in your life, such as smiling more, giving someone a compliment, getting enough sleep? Join me, won't you? Make yourself better in some small way and then together we can take on the world!

Keep on rockin'

Mickie