End o' week musings

This week has been a bit of a bumpy ride and I'm definitely ready for the long weekend.

Last Friday I spent my day at the Warped Tour at the Fairplex in Pomona. There were so many great bands, I had a hard time deciding who to see and tried to take in as much as possible, along with an iced lemonade and a large shaved ice. Yeah, it was a bit hot out there, but not as bad as last year.

Saturday I was awakened by a phone call. My friend John invited me out for a ride on his new Harley. We went to Baldy Lodge for lunch and then to Tom's Farm in Temecula, where we wandered, shopped and checked out the band.

Early in the evening Atticus and I played with the hose. He just loves jumping through and biting at the water. His friend Indiana Bones is really afraid of the hose, so he just watched from the doorway. I don't blame him, as one day Atti lured him to pat around in the mud being created from a running hose and then grabbed the hose in his mouth and gave Indy a big squirt! Bad dogs, funny, but bad!

When we tired of the water play, Atti and I coaxed Indy out into the garden and chased him all over. Indiana loves to be chased. He will poke you with his nose to try to get you to chase him- it's pretty funny.

On Sunday I went to Shahira's yacht party. My former belly dance teacher's friend Bill lives on his boat, which is moored in Huntington Bay. The yacht is amazing-- it has two living rooms, five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen and two decks for sunning or just enjoying the sea air. We had a big potluck and enjoy a trip around the harbor.

Bill decided to take the yacht out into the open ocean hoping we would see dolphins or seals, but it was really choppy so he eventually turned back. The party-goers were not disappointed because we ended up traveling all through the bay area, seeing gorgeous homes along the shore and other boats.

I thanked Bill and teased him that "I didn't expect the three hour tour" when I left. Still enjoying the day, I couldn't resist driving my car with the top down and Judas Priest in the stereo.

It's been a Judas Priest kind of week, as I interviewed KK Downing Wednesday about the group's upcoming tour. They will be performing "British Steel" in its entirety. I also spoke with actress Suzzanne Douglas about her role in "Crowns" opening July 17 at the Pasadena Playhouse.

I don't have too many plans yet for tomorrow (I'm off from work) and the weekend. I may go out to Sierra Madre tomorrow to see the Aluminum Marshmallow and the Age of Aquarius Horns at the 3rd of July event in the evening at the park. I also have exciting errands that I need to do like laundry and shopping.

Sunday looks the most promising, as I will be meeting Vernor, our movie critic, for a screening of "Ice Age" (we have decided to forego the 3-D version in preference to an earlier showing, which is cheaper). In the evening I have been challenged to a miniature golf rematch. Maybe I had better go practice... hmmmm....

Next week is up in the air, with no set things to do except for dance practice. Zaynah and I will be performing at the Tex Mex Grill in Glendora 7:30 p.m. July 18. Just a short set, so if you plan to catch it, be on time. Oh, and it's free.

One last special thing to share. My friend Bill Cagle likes to make appearance at open mics occasionally. He has a very pleasant voice and is very supportive of others taking the stage as well. He forwarded me a link to YouTube where you can see him warble and strum two tunes at the Folk Music Center in Claremont. He said it was a lot of fun. Check out Bill at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLhdVAmUU7I

In rotation this week: Judas Priest (yeah, I know you know already), Joe Walla, Calaveras and Beat Union.

Photos we got 'em: A couple of cute animal photos that were sent to me by one of my friends and photos of me and Valerie being party girls on board the yacht and on the road in my car (yeah, I know it's not safe to scrunch down for a photo while driving, but we were stopped at a light).

Thought o' the week: Take care of yourself. I've been really good the last couple of weeks, watching what I'm eating and doing my workouts. At first it was hard, especially in the evenings when my brain was telling me to snack. Instead, I've been drinking a glass of milk. I've also been getting my veggies and fruit and avoiding all the junky stuff. My mom even offered me a coupon for ice cream and I declined. If it's not in the house, it has no chance of ending up on my hips lol!

Working out hasn't been all that easy either. Sometimes I come home and I feel worn out and other times my knee or ankle are bothering me. Still, I forge forward and do my walk, weights, dancing, etc. and by the time I'm done I actually feel pretty good.

OK so what's the payoff? Well, this morning I realized that I feel much better physically and I know I've already lost a few inches here and there. It's sooo wonderful to be able to work out again!!

Now maybe you don't need to work out or watch your diet, but I'm sure there's something you can do to be better to yourself. Do you get any real quiet time? Sit still and breathe deep for just 10 minutes each day. Feeling sorry for yourself? Call up a friend who you know needs some support right now and tell them how much you care about them. There's many other things you can do and the end result will be not only that you will feel better, you will make the world a better place. Attitude counts and often starts with caring.

Keep on rockin'

Mickie