• One million page views on A News Cafe for November? I just found one million reasons to smile. It’s great to write for a site that I’m also addicted to reading. Congratulations to everyone who writes here, comments here and reads here. From my perspective, the site has really enhanced our community.
• It’s 5 p.m. and almost dark here in Redding, but what an amazing day Monday was. Temperatures in the 60s and so fantastically clear. I’m in the Shasta County Library looking at the last light of the day turning Mt. Shasta white and pink. These types of days are why we put up with the triple digits in the summer.
• Earlier today I asked for my Panang Curry to be spicy and they didn’t mess around at Janya’s Thai Cuisine on North Market Street (formerly home to Caruso’s and La Gondola). Owner Janya Chaimanont walked by the table and asked, "hot enough?" Uh huh. Just right for me. Redding is loaded with Thai restaurants (I think there are about 10), and I was impressed by this new one. I’ll be back.
• On the subject of restaurants, I find myself returning to Taco Barn (66 Hartnell Ave. in Redding; in front of Raley’s) again and again. Can’t seem to get enough of these hefty carne asada tacos and something about the refried beans and rice reminds me of my favorite Mexican place growing up in Colorado. (Of course that place turned me into a chubby kid, but I’m trying not to think about that right now).
• I’ll be writing more about "A Cascade Christmas" this week (it opens Friday at the Cascade Theatre), but after witnessing a portion of a rehearsal last week, I was reminded of how professional this whole production is. Why does it keep improving year after year? Amazingly hard work and dedication, for one thing.
• I stopped by and played a new song at the Traveling Bohemians’ Third Friday Open Mic at Old City Hall last week. This goes against my policy of letting my songs age for awhile before turning them loose and torturing people with them in public. But I hadn’t written a new tune in months, so even if I later determine that this one completely sucks, I had to celebrate the fact that I’d muscled through something new.
• Pretty funny name for a band — The Dixon Chicks. They play Wednesday night at the Downtown Eatery in Redding (8 p.m., $5). A pair of fine area players, Redding’s John Brandenberg and Andres Acuna, play the the Eatery at 7 p.m. Tuesday night.
• I have a friend who has completely pushed himself out of his comfort zone to attempt two new challenging endeavors. He is doing really excellent work with both. So often we fight to stay in our safe zones, but often it keeps us stuck and we don’t grow. Sometimes you’ve got to take a chance.
