Yes/No Detroit

Today is my last day of being 36. 36 feels like mid-30's to me, and 37 feels like late 30's. For my birthday, Mother Nature has graciously decided to dump 3 to 6 inches of snow on the area, so that will be fun to drive in today and tomorrow ...  "Deep dish" round pepperoni pizza, from Green Lantern What I've been up to this week: Watching movies . Last Friday, I saw Migration at the theater, which was cute—I'd give it 4/5 stars. I also watched Good Grief , on Netflix, which was more of a "grown up" role for Dan Levy; I didn't like it as much as I was expecting, but I'd still give it 3.5/5 stars. I also saw the new Mean Girls in the theater yesterday. I had high expectations for it—the OG version, which came out in 2004 (when I was 17, probably the ideal age for it, too), is one of my all-time favorite movies—and it actually did not disappoint. I saw the musical with my mom at the Fisher in June 2022, and this version was loosely based on that

It feels weird to write "24" for the year in this title! Welcome to the first week of 2024: it's been a short week but feels long, for some reason.  AYCE Korean BBQ at KPot, Novi What I've been up to this week: Dining out and getting takeout . Last Saturday, a friend and I went to KPot in Novi—my second time there—for AYCE (all-you-can-eat) KBBQ (Korean BBQ). I asked her to meet me there at 11:45am, because they open at 12pm, and I'm glad I did, because by 12:15 or 12:30, every table was full. This time was as enjoyable as my last, and it's the only AYCE KBBQ place in the area, other than its second location in Sterling Heights; $29.99 for dinner pricing (Sat/Sun is all-day dinner pricing) and $19.99 for M-Fri lunch, which is reasonable IMO. Yesterday, I had a work "field trip" (site visit) to Hamtramck, so I definitely stopped by Polish Village to get takeout after—they have fabulous Polish food. I ended up getting some pierogies, potato pancakes, k

*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

Welcome to the last Friday Five of 2023! This week has been full of relaxation and family time, which has been very nice. Today I'm headed back to my condo for a bit and hopefully to see a movie—I'm thinking The Iron Claw— and then Saturday and Sunday will be busy. Chocolate hazelnut cake at Symposia, Atheneum Hotel, Detroit What I've been up to this week: TSO at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit. By my count, this was my NINTH (9th) time seeing them in concert, and they always put on a fabulous show. I started seeing them in 2014, at the Palace, and at some point they switched to LCA; I think in 2017 or 2018. I've seen them every year from 2014-2023 now, with the one exception being December 2020, where obviously (due to the pandemic) they did not have a show. I highly recommend seeing them if you never have; they usually are on Groupon too by mid- or late-year. Dining out/getting takeout . After the TSO concert, we went to Symposia, at the Atheneum Hotel—I had won a "

This week was definitely better than last week, since I no longer have COVID and was able to be out and about. Today is my last day of work for 2023, too, which is nice; we are having Christmas with my parents later, and then going to Indiana for a few days to spend time with my fiance's family. Weiss Distilling Company, Clawson What I've been up to this week: Dining out/getting takeout . Last Saturday, my fiance and I got Buddy's for dinner, because they had offered us 50% off any order, in the app, which was pretty crazy; I got like $80 worth of pizza for $40 (three of their large/eight-square pizzas, and garlic bread with cheese). I think we had enough for like 3-4 days of leftovers ... I actually ended up getting a little tired of Buddy's after that, haha, but it was still tasty, their BBQ chicken pizza especially. Last night, I was able to snag a last-minute (one day before) reservation at Weiss Distilling Company, in Clawson, which I had only been to one time befo

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for A24 Films. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I've heard good things about Zac Efron in The Iron Claw , and I'm looking forward to seeing it. I love Jeremy Allen White from The Bear on Hulu, as well. all images courtesy of: Review Wire Media About the movie: From A24 Films comes the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.  The Iron Claw stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Lily James. Rated R.        Grab your tickets for The Iron Claw opening in theaters on December 22, 2023.  Stay Connected: #TheIronClaw Visit The Iron Claw Website Iron Claw Movie

It may be a stretch to come up with five things I did this week, because I tested positive for COVID (my third time, ugh ...) last week and so have not been doing much except sleeping and trying to work a bit this week.  Blue Apron steak with gnocchi and zucchini What I've been up to this week: Cooking . Thankfully I had a Blue Apron box show up last Saturday; I've been quarantining at my fiance's house with him and he was able to cook for us. He made the Blue Apron steak with gnocchi and zucchini, as pictured above, and I helped make the paneer wraps (see below) which were also very good. I think our third meal was beef quesadillas from them. My next box is EveryPlate but it's not coming until Monday.  Watching TV shows . The Crown is back on Netflix but we hadn't seen season 5 part 1, so that's what we watched earlier this week. Six new episodes showed up yesterday and we are about halfway through those, too. We've also been watching Picard (Paramount+, bu

I've had a sinus headache for a few days now and unfortunately last night I figured out why, but the rest of the week was good at least.  Lindsey Stirling at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids What I've been up to this week: Dining out and getting takeout.  On Friday, I got Pink Garlic takeout for my fiance and I, which is my favorite Indian food in the Metro Detroit area; their butter chicken, especially, is delicious. On Saturday, a friend and I tried out 160 Main, in Northville, and it was excellent. I had never been there before, and we split a lemon artichoke appetizer—I don't even like artichokes most of the time and this was very good—the mushroom pasta, chicken limone, and a dessert platter. On Sunday, my fiance and I visited my parents and we had Hungry Howie's takeout. On Tuesday, we were in Grand Rapids for the Lindsey Stirling concert, and had Founders for dinner, which is always tasty, and on Wednesday we got Culvers takeout for a quick lunch before work. Last n

*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

How is it already December? November went by fast, although this week has been dragging, probably because last week was a shorter week. What I've been up to this week: Frozen at the Detroit Opera House. I saw this last night at the Opera House, my first time seeing this musical (but I'm a big fan of the movie), and it did NOT disappoint. Usually when things are at the Opera House vs. the Fisher or Music Hall, it means that the set design is more complicated, and this one was wild; it was very interesting, as were the costume changes (at one point Elsa changes dresses in literally 1 second). I highly recommend it; it'll be at the Opera House until December 17 . If you are a teacher, student, first responder, or military, you can get rush tickets (day-of tickets, at the Opera House box office) for $30, too . Indiana for Thanksgiving . My fiance's family lives in Indiana and we went there Friday to Sunday last week for Thanksgiving. Last year we had to skip it since we bot

*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.   The Cher Show will be coming to the Fisher Theatre in Detroit this March, from March 19-24, and one of my lucky readers will win a two-pack of tickets to opening night! Tickets can be purchased here . About the show: The stunning brand-new production of the Tony Award-winning musical THE CHER SHOW comes to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre March 19 – 24.  THE CHER SHOW is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy, and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have audiences dancing in the aisles! Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture - breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. THE

*Disclosure: Many thanks to Angel Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own. I saw The Shift was coming to theaters soon, and the premise looked intriguing, so when I received the chance to review it ahead of time, I decided to take it. The Shift will be in theaters on December 1st.  About the movie: Featuring Sean Astin ( The Goonies, Rudy, The Lord of the Rings ), Neal McDonough ( Band of Brothers ), and Elizabeth Tabish ( The Chosen ), THE SHIFT is a movie you and your friends won’t want to miss! You can help pay for other people's tickets to come to the film at angel.com/pay-it-forward/the-shift . Logline: After a tense encounter with a mysterious stranger with otherworldly powers, a man is banished to a tyrannical, parallel Earth where he fights to get back to the woman he loves. Synopsis: In The Shift , a dystopian drama and sci-fi thriller, one man is faced with infinite worlds and impossible choices.  When Kevin Garner meets a n

*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media partnership with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. This will be my second time seeing Cirque du Soleil's CRYSTAL, which is their ice performance—I believe the first time was in January 2018, also at Little Caesars Arena (LCA). This year, CRYSTAL will be coming to LCA from January 4th through 7th. One of my lucky readers will win a four-pack of tickets to see the show on Thursday, January 4th, at 7:30pm at LCA  - read on for details! About the show: Ticket are for sale online now at 313presents.com and Ticketmaster! Click here to purchase. Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL—a one-of-a-kind production that brings the circus arts to the ice for the very first time, returns to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena from January 4 to January 7, 2024, just in time for the city’s vibrant downtown winter scene. The show’s return marks the 14th time Cirque du Soleil has toured to Detroit. With seven jaw-dropping traditional circus acts all