End o' week musings

It's been a whirlwind week, mostly because I chose to make it that way.

As you know, I've been a little down lately, so there is nothing better to boost my spirits than a lot of adventure. No sitting around for me-- it's up off the couch to enjoy life, friends and fun.

On Saturday I went to the police open house at the heliport in Pasadena. I didn't even know there was a heliport there until Friday and it was well worth the visit. I got to watch a SWAT demonstration and check out all the cool helicopters, motorcycles and other things that cops use to catch the bad guys.

I was quite impressed by the helicopter demo. As the whirlybird circled, one cop leaned out and remained in position even as the helicopter's turn steepened. He was almost looking face-down at the action below! I'm not sure if I could do that.

The canine unit dog was comfy, laying under a canopy with a ball in his mouth. I think he was worn out on all the attention, but was taking things well. And I have to add that there were free hot dogs, cookies and lemonade and mmmm the hot dogs were really, really good.

After the air show, I went with my friend to the Getty to check out the show on illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages. It was a tiny show, but interesting. The best part, however, was a display of two books that looked very similar except one was small and the other was oversized. My friend looked and said, "Oh, it's the large print edition." I laughed and the security guard in the gallery glared at me.

Later we took the walkway to the next gallery and there was a seating area that faced a large window looking out to L.A. We sat there a while and chuckled because there was all this art around us, but here we were looking at the city-- it just seemed wrong.

On Sunday I went to Venice with a friend and we walked along the beach, as well as the canal. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather. Later, I got to sit in on Peter Dills radio show at KABC studios. He talks about food, from where to eat to how things should be prepared. It was interesting and Peter was very nice. After the show, he took everyone out to dinner at Burger Continental in Pasadena. It was hard, but I restrained myself from overeating, as the spread was gracious and everything tasted wonderful.

Tuesday I teamed up with my reporter friend Dean and attended E3, the electronic entertainment expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We got to try out some of the new video games and did interviews with various people in the industry. You can read my story and see some video from the event at http://www.sgvn.com/

We attended one of the after-parties held at Club Nokia L.A. by Gree. It featured a lush spread of gourmet sandwiches and sides, plus huge cupcakes and an open bar with specialty cocktails. The highlight was a performance by GirlTalk. I nibbled, sipped and danced... boy, did I dance.

I'm not big into all this deejay/emcee stuff, but GirlTalk is amazing. He has an extensive music catalog and comes up with the most interesting mixes, combining old stuff that you may have all but forgotten with the latest grooves. The show is super high energy and lots of fun. I was exhausted, but ecstatic.

Wednesday, I discovered that I actually could still walk, although my knee was a little stiff from all my jumping around... I met with the Strategic Monk Greg Richardson for an interview about his upcoming retreat at the Huntington in San Marino and Chef David of The Royce at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena for a tour of his kitchen garden and snail farm. Both men were very interesting and should make for good stories.

This weekend my big plan is attending the Diamond Jubilee Tea at the Langham with Joanne, Tamara and Linda. We're all planning to dress Victorian or in something else appropriate with hats and all the acoutrement required for a proper tea. It should be fun. And as for the rest of the weekend... maybe I should get some sleep... yeah, right!

In rotation this week: Penny Nichols, Beautiful Creatures, Miss May I and The 69 Eyes.

Photos we got 'em: Pics of me at the police open house and with Hello Kitty and Skylander Giants character Pop Fizz at E3, plus a cute pet photo from the web.

Thought o' the week: Busy means happy. I'll admit, I'm still fretting over last week, but I'm doing my best to push it aside. I find that whenever something upsets or angers me, the best cure is to get busy. Cleaning house when you're mad burns off the steam and helps you put things in perspective, just as wandering on the beach with the breeze in your hair blows away sadness.

In some ways I have purposely filled my calendar with activity so I don't have to confront my loneliness and sadness, while in other ways, I find I am happiest when I have lots to do. Either way, busy means happy and I have a smile on my face today.

I'd like to give a shout out to all my friends for their support when things get rough and for sharing the joy when things are good. I'd especially like to thank Bobby Boy for the CD with a mix of music to make me happy-- big hugs!

Keep on rockin'

Mickie