End o' week musings

Wow! Is all I can say after two very busy weeks!


Starting back at Aug. 31st. I danced at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for Paul Picasso's Blue Moon party. Joanne drummed for me and we had a good time. The crowd was into it and the other acts were interesting. The big surprise was seeing and hearing Doors guitarist Robby Krieger perform. Man, he's still got the licks!


Saturday, Sept. 1 I danced again with Joanne, plus friends Fred and Joyce at Colonnade Gallery in Pasadena. They played a mixture of grooves and I made good use of a small space... Heck, I know we were OK, as they've asked us back! After our gig we went to Trattoria Neapolis for dinner and the food was wonderful!


I had kicked off my birthday week early and spent Sunday mostly easy except for hooking up with my friend Maria who was out here on vacation from New York. We've been cyber friends for about four years or so now and it was really cool to finally talk in person. I adore her sense of humor and we had a great -though limited- time together.


Monday my friend Dean and I took off to Point Mugu and set up my tent right on the beach. We lounged, cooked over the firepit and stargazed in the evening. The next day we packed up and spent sometime at Zuma Beach watching the surfers. I was refreshed... and just in time, as I had to be at Carin and Tom's that night.


After a dip in the pool and a glass of champagne, Carin and Tom took me to the Fish Company in Los Alamitos for dinner. I loved my coconut shrimp and glass of Pimms. But the best part was Carin singing the Sheriff John birthday song, "Put another candle on my birthday cake-" not once, but at least five times during our meal. It began when a waiter stood near our table lighting a candle on a dessert. It seemed early for me, but we went with it... and he walked over to another table, placing the treat in front of the b-day person with a flourish as Carin sang. Then it happened again. Then it was my turn and next the waiters and waitresses were asking Carin to sing for their patrons. She was that good... but no tips...



Sept. 5 my birthday and we were off to Catalina Island. We ate at the Buffalo Nickel and then wandered to a bench looking over the beach so we could feed the gulls and pigeons. Boy, did they ever like Tom's leftover nachos! We also stopped in the Locker Room, a local bar with a nautical theme. There I sipped my favorite drink, a dirty vodka martini, and the bartender treated me to a shot of Jagermeister. We wandered around some more and I even stuck my toes in the water.


Last Friday you missed me because I was at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena to cover Disney's premiere of "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta!" It was a fun event because guests could bring their own dogs for free doggy massages and a training session, plus the film screening. The movie, available on DVD, is a good family romp that won't drive parents crazy if their kid has to watch it constantly. The music is pleasant, the jokes are cute and the dogs are amazing. It was filmed entirely at the Langham, so it's a bonus trying to spot all the places in the hotel that you know.


Sunday Ric and I performed at the MECDA IE dance event in Colton. It was a good warmup for our show at the Los Angeles County Fair tomorrow. And the rest of this week has been busy, but not exciting enough to share. If you're going to the fair, here's how you can see us:


Nocturra & Ric, swords & sounds
12:15-12:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15
Esmerelda's Big Top Stage, Building 4, Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona
Free with admission
www.fairplex.com


Come for the air conditioning and the chairs~ stay for the entertainment! And please stay a minute to say hello after our show.


Whew! I think that's enough....


In rotation this week: Owl City, Sunflower Dead, Lamb of God, Prodigy, Joe Walla, Oojami and Incubus.


Photos we got 'em: The view from my tent at Point Mugu- notice how close the water is!, Carin and Tom feeding the birds in Catalina, my new dog friend Daisy (she's sooo pretty and sweet) and me with Rusko and Angel, stars of "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3" who play Papi and Chloe, photo by Walt Mancini.


Thought o' the week: Think healthy rest. I've been going nonstop for days, but my slowdown last week made all the difference. Spending three days by the ocean was totally refreshing and definitely what I needed.



It's OK to be busy, but you need to vary your routine so you're not worn down. A walk in the park or somewhere away from the noise and bustle can be as good - or even better - than a two-week vacation. You have to let your mind go and just be for a while. It will refresh and revive you and have you ready to take on the world again. So think about taking a healthy rest break and

Keep on rockin'
Mickie