End o' week musings

It has been a long - and sleepy - week! I have been varying between delicious dreamy sleep to rolly polly insomnia... guess my brain is working overtime!!

McGinty's Gallery at the End of the World in Altadena was the place to be this past weekend. I danced with drummer Ric Sarabia on Friday night and the venue was packed. Lots of friends came out to join my fun, including http://www.dabelly.com/ columnist Bob Davis and his wife Pat, art innovator Julian Bermudez, KPCC's "Off-Ramp" host John Rabe, House of Rock instructor Daryl Hernandez and artist, floral designer and Doo Dah Parade Princess Louise Grijalva. I also met drummer Durand Stewart and had a nice chat.

Saturday was fancy dress day and it was rainy and cold so I dug out my velvet Victorian gown and paired it with my cape, proper shoes, veiled hat and leather gloves. I added a needlepoint purse and a lacy fan for extra effect. The attire made the day special, but the treasure was a visit by a tour group led by Tom Coston and Patricia Hurley of Light Bringer Project.

On Sunday I dressed rocked out, yet warm and spent the day sipping bloody marys. I had lots of little conversations with the different people milling about at the gallery and a lot of laughs. It's always kind of sad when things are coming to a close- sort of like seeing your best friend off at the airport....

On Wednesday my big adventure was going to the Mother Plucker Feather Co. in Los Angeles for a story. I wanted to learn about their business and just where feathers stand in the world of fashion today-- is it OK to wear white feathers after Labor Day? I will be writing a perky and informative story on feathers which will publish soon at http://www.sgvn.com/

This week I also interviewd Andrew Strong ("The Commitments"), guitarist David Pritchard and Shorty Rossi of Animal Planet's "Pit Boss." Strong and Pritchard will both be playing in Covina next weekend. Strong will be at Nick's Taste of Texas, while Pritchard will be at the Fret House. Shorty was a joy to speak with- he's tough, yet has a great sense of humor and his passion for pit bull dogs and rescuing them is inspiring. He even had two pups waiting for his to finish our interview so they could have their baths!

Today I will be calling Dave Mustaine of Megadeth to talk to him about his upcoming tour, which will feature a live performance of "Rust in Peace" in its entirety. I have met him a few times and he was very gracious and, like Shorty, he's straight-up and answers everything honestly without remorse or excuses.

Tonight I'm going to see my friend Byron Spearman and his improv group Corporate Recess at Old World Village in Huntington Beach. They do a show there every other Friday and I haven't had a chance to see them yet. I will be sneaking out of work early to avoid the traffic, then swooping by and picking up Carin and Tom for the show... shhhhh...

My big thrills for next week so far include my department's St. Patrick's Day luncheon- I'm bringing dessert. I believe they think that since I'm young and live alone I can't cook. I can cook, I just don't have a lot of time to do it because I'm young and live alone. Hey, there's way too many other exciting things to do!!! And then I have to see my doctor and dentist for checkups- I hope they don't hurt me lol!

In rotation this week: Melissa Manchester, "Almost Alice," "Headwig and the Angry Inch," David Pritchard, Megadeth, The Slackers and Dropkick Murphys.

Photos we got 'em: A pic of Durand Stewart that he sent me, plus one of me that he took with his phone at the gallery and a sprinkling of pet pictures from the usual Web sites.

Thought o' the week: Enjoy the unexpected. Are you one of those people who hates to break their routine? Well, lighten up! OK, I know it's not easy, heck, I have the organized gene as well, but change can be good. I've learned to be flexible and to switch my schedule around so I can get in some extra adventure and many times it has paid off.

Friday night was a good example. I was ready to leave the gallery when a guy asked to take my photo. I could have smiled, let him snap and gone on my way, but instead we chatted for a while. This chance encounter will probably lead to a good story for me to write and maybe even lead to some other dance opportunities and perhaps even a new friendship.

Now of course, you can also do something unexpected. I have two friends who do not celebrate their birthdays in a big way, so I've always just wished them well. This year I mailed them cards. Yeah, it was a little thing, but they called me to say they got a kick out of the surprise. That made me feel happy inside.

Let loose, live a little and revel in the unexpected things in life, you never know what kinds of joy and adventure they might bring.

Keep on rockin'

Mickie