The Friday Five, 5/28/21: 5 things I've been up to this week

This week has seemed long, and it's cold and miserable out today (47 and raining ... at the end of May? #PureMichigan), but this weekend should be fun. I forgot that I get Monday off of work, too, so I'm going to see my boyfriend and also see A Quiet Place Part 2 ... in EMAX, at Emagine Royal Oak!

Crumbl Cookies, from its Rochester Hills location
Crumbl Cookies, from its Rochester Hills location

What I've been up to this week:

  1. Antibody bloodwork and Crumbl Cookies. I finally had my COVID-19 antibody test on Tuesday, at the LabCorp at the Walgreens in Rochester Hills. Normally it takes them 2-3 days to provide results, but I'm in a study through UNC, and UNC said they batch ship blood samples, so I should have results in 2-4 weeks. I'm a little scared that I have no antibodies, even though I've been vaccinated, because that's been the case with a few immunocompromised people, but I try to tell myself that I shouldn't worry about it until I actually get the results. As a nice bonus, Crumbl Cookies was about a half-mile up the street, so I stopped by and got some cookies (pro tip: at 9:30am, it's pretty empty!). Pictured above are Kentucky Butter Cake, Confetti Cake, Rocky Road, and Chocolate ft. Andes Mint. My two favorites ended up being the Butter Cake one and the Andes Mint. I just was accepted for a Yelp pick-up event for Crumbl too so I'll be heading back in a few weeks to get four free cookies! 
  2. Frankenmuth day trip with friends! As I wrote last week, on Saturday some friends and I went to Frankenmuth for the day. It was really nice to get out of the house and have a mini trip, and I hadn't been to Frankenmuth since January 2014, for their Snowfest (basically an ice festival). We had chicken "dinner" (lunch, at 2pm) at Bavarian Inn and also did a lot of shopping. I thought it was going to be super hot out that day but it ended up being around 80, which was nice. 
  3. Movies and TV shows. So many new/returning shows this week! Yesterday, I watched Hacks (on HBO Max, with Jean Smart; if you're not watching it, you should be, as it's really good), Younger, The Bold Type (back on Freeform/Hulu!), and the Friends reunion, which made me a little sad. It was pretty interesting to learn some "behind the scenes" stuff but I think in my head the cast will always be the ages they are in the TV show.
    I also have been watching Physical, on the AppleTV+ press app. I can't say anything about it but I will be writing a full blog post soon it. Just know to keep an eye out for it, it's worth watching and will be debuting June 18th on AppleTV+. I also watched one episode of Schmigadoon, loosely based on the musical Brigadoon, apparently, and AppleTV+ will have that in July; it stars Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong. 
    Also, my boyfriend and I went to see Wrath of Man at AMC John R for Ticket Tuesday ($5.50/ticket), and on Memorial Day next week we are going to go see A Quiet Place Part 2—T-Mobile ended up offering $4 tickets through its T-Mobile Tuesdays app, and a friend gave me an extra code, so we are going to go to Emagine Royal Oak and see it in "style" at their huge EMAX screen! (yes, EMAX—it's basically like IMAX, Emagine just calls it their EMAX theater)
    I was able to get two other codes for my parents, too, and they're going to see it at the EMAX at Emagine Novi. It will be their first movie in a theater since March 2020. 
  4. Cooking and dining out. Like I previously mentioned, we went to Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth; that and Zehnder's are the two big fried chicken places. The chicken was nice and juicy, and fresh, but it doesn't compare to my all-time favorite fried chicken place, The Southerner, in Saugatuck. My boyfriend and I also got Mr. Kabob on Tuesday, before the movie, and my parents and I had Hungry Howie's takeout on Sunday. This week I had Dinnerly, for cooking, and I will have it next week too. 
  5. Book Club. The book club I'm in with some friends met online this week to discuss The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz. I was not a huge fan of the book but parts of it were definitely interesting. If you like "magical realism" as a genre, you might enjoy it, though. Next month's book club is my turn to host, and I chose Unchosen by Katharyn Blair. Hoping to have it at Three Cats Cafe in Clawson, they have a nice patio area although I have not tried it out myself yet. 
Horses in Frankenmuth, MI
Horses in Frankenmuth, MI

    Popular Posts

    Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

    Image
    *Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
    Read more

    Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MAMMA MIA! will be playing at the Fisher this April, from April 23-28, and I'm excited to see it—I'm a big fan of the movies but I've never seen the Broadway show. About the show: Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. MAMMA MIA! opened on Broadway in 2001 where it played for a record-breaking 14 year
    Keep reading

    GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I had a great time at Duel in the D last year—I'm a UM alum, but I had only ever seen ONE hockey game in my life at that point, and this was the second one.  I'm looking forward to it again this year, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it as well! About the game: The return of college hockey is headed to Little Caesars Arena with the annual “Duel in the D,” presented by Meijer, set for Saturday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m.  The fans of Hockeytown will be treated to one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in college hockey, as the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey teams will add another chapter in their storied rivalry and clash for the “Iron D” Trophy.  The “Duel in the D” matchup features the most-played rivalry in college hockey. The game will mark the 346th all-time meeting between the h
    Keep reading