Yes/No Detroit

I am guessing I am probably not the only one in Southeast Michigan who is tired today: tornado sirens went off around 12:15am last night, then abruptly stopped 5-10 minutes later. In addition, our power went out for maybe an hour or so. I just got back from my work trip last night so today will be a busy work day, as well.  Mascots at the Expo What I've been up to this week: Traveling to Indianapolis for Sweets & Snacks Expo . This was the big thing this week, my work trip, since I was there Monday afternoon through Thursday afternoon. I attended the Sweets & Snack Expo, one of the biggest snack/candy industry conferences in the U.S., from Tuesday morning through Thursday early afternoon. This was my third time at the Expo, and it used to be in Chicago; now their schedule is every two years in Indy, and every third in Vegas, so next year it'll be in Vegas. I prefer it being in Indy vs. Chicago because it's a lot more walkable (it was at McCormick Place, so if you we...

This my one technically "free" weekend before I head to Indianapolis for Sweets & Snacks on Monday—by "free" I mean I have my Crohn's infusion tomorrow, and will see my parents and pack for Indy, but it's not a traveling weekend like the last two. I will also work a half day on Monday before heading to DTW. Blue Apron pesto rigatoni with peppers and ricotta What I've been up to this week: Traveling to Cincinnati . As I mentioned in last week's Friday Five, I believe, we drove down to Cincinnati on Friday and came back Sunday, for a friend's dad's memorial on Saturday. We got to hang out with said friend and other friends that came down for it, too, which was nice. On Sunday, we headed to Jungle Jim's, one of my favorite grocery stores (it's like Costco meets Epcot, is how I usually describe it) to buy some tasty cheeses and other things (we definitely brought a cooler with ice for that!), they have a massively huge store with groc...

I saw Drop in the theater last month and really enjoyed it. It's now out on digital, and two of my lucky readers will win a digital code for it! About the movie: From Blumhouse, producers of M3GAN, and Platinum Dunes, producers of A Quiet Place, comes DROP, the action-packed thriller that proves dating can be deadly. The “tightly plotted thrill ride” (IGN) will be available exclusively on digital platforms to own or rent tomorrow, April 29, 2025, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The blood-chilling action also debuts on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on June 10, 2025. Own DROP with never-before-seen bonus content featuring the filmmakers and cast discussing the making of the film, only when you purchase from participating retailers nationwide including Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Movies Anywhere. First dates can be rough. In this mind-bending action thriller from the director of Happy Death Day, they can also be dea...

This was a busy week and this weekend will also be busy, as we are heading to Cincinnati sometime today for a memorial tomorrow.  Machi Koro 2 game What I've been up to this week: Going to Indiana. Last weekend (Friday through Sunday), my husband and I drove up to Indiana for a birthday get-together, as his birthday, plus my in-laws', are all in April and May. Even though I have a January birthday, I actually received a few gifts as well, including the board game Machi Koro 2, pictured above (Machi Koro, plus the expansions, is one of my favorites!). We also had Dairy Queen ice cream cake, which is another of my favorites—at a job I worked right after college (2009-12), it was a small office, so we'd always celebrate birthdays with that, and it was always delicious. Watching movies. I saw The Accountant 2 at the theater on Wednesday, at the Riviera, and it was good but had a very different vibe from the first one. I rewatched the first one the day before that, and would act...

Today is April 25th so it's not too hot and not too cold—all you need is a light jacket. (bonus points if you know what movie that is from!) April 25th is also my mom's birthday, plus my cousin's, plus his wife's, so it's a memorable day all around. We are headed to Indiana later for the birthday celebration weekend (after I crank this out, and we pack some more stuff), and it should be a fun time. Pizookie Platter at BJ's, Livonia What I've been up to this week: Dining out/getting takeout. Last Friday, my husband and I drove 25 minutes to MOD Pizza Livonia—the Northville location is now permanently closed, and we had $20 in gift cards to use from Christmas last year. On the way there, we also got cheap gas at the Costco across the street (like $2.65 per gallon!) and checked out JoAnn Fabrics—all of their stores are in the midst of permanently closing, so they had some good deals, and I even got some earrings.  On Saturday, he and I and my parents went to BJ...

Captain America: Brave New World is now available on digital platforms, and will make its debut on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 13. Read on for my review of the movie, and enter to win a digital code for the film!  Film synopsis In Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World , Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) – who now wields the shield of Captain America after events in “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” – meets with newly elected U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and soon finds himself in the middle of an international incident. In a race against time, Sam must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. Bonus features: Deleted Scenes: A Heartfelt Thanks The Mission Stick Around Assuming the Mantle Old Scores, New Scars Gag Reel Audio Commentary *Bonus features may vary by product and retailer My review I saw this one in the theater back in February, and overall enjoyed it. The cast was great, ...

Somehow it's already April 18th, and today my Alexa said the high is going to be 78 degrees, which is kinda nuts because this week it's been like 35-40 degrees at most ...  What I've been up to this week: Some big news. I had been holding onto this secret for a while, though we started telling family and close friends at the end of December. I'm currently 21 weeks pregnant, due with a baby girl at the end of August! My husband and I found out in early December (and it definitely happened AFTER our Louisville trip, which was a lot of drinking, haha) but I wanted to wait until baby's 20-week anatomy scan, which was Friday, before telling my Facebook and Instagram friends. We are both very excited to meet her, and I feel like there's still a lot of things to do before August, but we have the whole summer to get things done. Pictured above is the announcement I posted on FB/IG (Momo can be cooperative for photos, Gregory the tabby cat usually is not, so she got to b...

April seems to be flying by, which is bad because I have a lot of things I still need to do, LOL. No travel this month at least, although we are going to Indiana at the end of the month to celebrate my in-laws' birthdays. Pesto chicken pasta at Pops for Italian, Ferndale What I've been up to this week: Birthday party for a friend . A friend had her birthday party at Painting with a Twist in Ferndale last Saturday, which gave me an excuse to visit Ferndale—I hadn't been in a while, but parking was a PITA because there was also a protest going on (it was a national day of protest). I've only done a Painting with a Twist-type of place one other time, in 2016 for a friend's bachelorette in New Orleans, and it was a lot of fun, even though I am definitely not artistically inclined, haha. I ended up taking home two paintings, actually, because I won a contest they had going on, and the other painting was more professional-looking, and I really enjoy it. We also went to Po...

I have been a fan of Postmodern Jukebox for a long time, and finally got to see them in concert last summer at the Fillmore Detroit. This year, they're coming back to Detroit, this time at the Fisher, and one of my lucky readers will win a pair of tickets to attend! About the show: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: Today’s Hits Yesterday is coming to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre Tuesday July 22, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 11 and will be available online at BroadwayInDetroit.com at 10:00 a.m. When New York City pianist Scott Bradlee created Postmodern Jukebox out of a basement in Queens in 2011, his goal was simple: to remake the pop hits of today into the classic sounds of the legends of yesterday. Miley Cyrus became The Platters. Bruno Mars became Frank Sinatra. The Spice Girls became The Andrews Sisters. Guns ’n’ Roses became Bessie Smith. Now, nearly a decade later, Postmodern Jukebox has grown to become a pop culture mainstay in its own right, having play...

March went by super fast, I'm not sure how it's already April. This week was moderately busy, and the weekend will be very busy, as I'm going to a friend's birthday get-together tomorrow, and then meeting other friends for dinner on Sunday night. Madtown Grilled Cheese at HopCat, Royal Oak What I've been up to this week: Touring Ford House . I had never been to Ford House before, but I did a blog post for them a few months back in exchange for tour tickets ($20 each, normally), and my husband and I went to check it out on Sunday. The grounds ended up being very beautiful—if you're a member there, you can walk them whenever you want, and even bring your dog—and they had a shuttle to bring you from the main residence, to the garage area (five classic cars!), back to the Visitors Center, so that was super useful too. I highly recommend checking it out sometime—from me, it was a little bit of a hike (Grosse Pointe, MI, so about a 40-minute drive) but was worth it. T...

I had to miss Beetlejuice the Musical the last time it was in town, because I had COVID, so I'm excited to see it this time - it'll be at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit from August 5 to 10. Read on to see how to win tickets to opening night! About the show: It’s showtime! Back by popular demand, the ghost-with-the-most is returning to Detroit in this edgy and irreverent Broadway musical comedy. BEETLEJUICE will play Detroit’s Fisher Theatre August 5 – 10. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 2 and will be available online at BroadwayInDetroit.com starting at 10:00 a.m. Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, BEETLEJUICE is “SCREAMINGLY GOOD FUN!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, ...

Another busy week, and today I'm working in the office (about a 30-minute drive, including parking in the parking structure in Birmingham) so I have to crank this week's post out quickly. The weekend is shaping up to be a bit busy too, including a Ford House tour; I've never been, so I'm interested in seeing it. Steak board! At WL Socialhouse, Kzoo What I've been up to this week: Cooking . We finished up a Blue Apron box from last week and we had Green Chef this week. Green Chef used to be one of my top favorites, but it was a bit expensive; I got this box for $32 or so, which isn't bad, but I do feel like they're a little more limited now in meal choices compared to their sister companies, Hello Fresh and EveryPlate. Last night we cooked an Asian peanut chicken and udon noodles meal, and sometime this weekend we still have chicken tacos to cook.  Friends get-together . On Saturday night, we headed to South Lyon to hang out with some friends, one of whom is...

I can't believe it's already March 21st—this month is flying by. I'm looking forward to resting a bit this weekend, but we are seeing friends on Saturday night and I usually see my parents on Sunday nights, too. 4-sq. lunch pepperoni pizza from Buddy's What I've been up to this week: Dining out/getting takeout. Last Friday, I met up with two friends for lunch at Buddy's in Farmington Hills—I don't usually go out during work, for lunch, but a different friend was supposed to be visiting that weekend and then was unable to make it, plus I had a doctor's appointment in the AM, so I kept my lunch plans and worked a half day. On Saturday, I went to check on my condo and drop my HOA check, so I swung by Pink Garlic to get us Indian takeout. On Sunday, I was at a birthday party and we had sushi and Hungry Howie's pizza, and on Wednesday, I was in Ann Arbor (more about that below) and had Chela's takeout for lunch.  Returning to U of M. I'm a 2009 Un...