Yes/No Detroit

Apologies for no Friday Five the past two weeks, but I'm back at it today, even though I have to leave soon for an equipment supplier visit for work, in Shelby Twp. (a 45- to 55-min. drive). Two weeks ago I was in Rhode Island, so I had planned on not doing a Friday Five, but last week was 4th of July and I completely forgot. (oops) East Matunuck State Beach, RI What I've been up to *the past two* weeks: Visiting Rhode Island . My parents, husband, and I went because my cousin was getting married, but it was also an excuse to visit family. We arrived on a Tuesday and we were there until Sunday, with the wedding being that Saturday night and the welcome party being the night before, on Friday. It was a good visit: I got to see like 99% of my Rhode Island family, which is rare (most were at the wedding/welcome party) and we also drove to Massachusetts one day to see that side of the family (my mom's brother, aka my uncle, and my aunt and cousins and their kids). I didn't ...

all photos courtesy of Disney/Marvel I saw Thunderbolts*  in the theater and overall enjoyed it. Thunderbolts * is now available on Digital, and will be released on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD July 29. Read on to see how you can win a digital copy—there will be FIVE winners! About the movie: Thunderbolts* turns up the heat this summer as it blasts onto digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on July 1, before making its explosive entry on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 29. The Thunderbolts are The New Avengers, the ultimate surprise to both audiences and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as this misfit team of burned assets rallies their powers and unites against all odds. Their namesake movie Thunderbolts* is an action-packed, international adventure, with audiences embracing the film’s super-powered humor and adrenaline. Critics lovingly call Thunderbolts* “one of the best Marvel movies of all time” (BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm) and “one of the most...

This was another busy week, and today I am working at our Birmingham office—we are required to go in once a month, which isn't bad at all (generally I work from home), but it's getting harder for me to walk around and shlep stuff (laptop bag). Costco cake at our baby shower What I've been up to this week: In-laws visiting . My mother-in-law came up from Indiana about two weeks ago now, on a Saturday, and stayed until this past Monday (so, about a week), and my FIL and SIL came in on Thursday night. It was nice to see everyone (they live in Indiana) and my MIL helped out a lot with my move, too (see below). Closing on my condo . A bittersweet thing for sure; I owned it for almost nine years, it looks like I closed on it on September 8, 2016. I had never bought and sold a home before, and the closing took longer than I expected (the actual sit-down, I mean; about 1 hour and 15 minutes) but the new buyer seemed very sweet, and is excited to live there, so that helped. The weir...

I saw The Amateur in theaters in April, and overall enjoyed it. It's now available on digital and will be available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on July 8. One of my lucky readers will win a digital code—see below for details! About the movie: There’s no need to decrypt any intel to watch 20th Century Studios’ The Amateur starting June 10 via digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home, and on 4K UHD and Blu-ray beginning July 8. Fans of smart, high-stakes action thrillers will be drawn into the gripping journey of CIA codebreaker Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), who channels his intellect into a relentless pursuit of justice after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack. Under the tactical guidance of seasoned CIA operative Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), Heller evolves from analyst to avenger in a riveting story of love, loss, and retribution. Set against a visually striking global backdrop, The Amateur is brought to life by acclaimed director James ...

Somehow we are almost halfway through June. I took off a half day from work yesterday to see The Accidentals, one of my favorite bands, in Ann Arbor, and today I'm taking today off to hang out with an out-of-town friend who is visiting. The Accidentals at Sonic Lunch, Ann Arbor What I've been up to this week: Seeing Taylor Jenkins Reid in Ann Arbor. Last Friday, a friend and I went to Rackham Auditorium (a UM building) to see one of my favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid. Tickets were about $30, which IMO is a bargain since the hardcover copy of her new book is about that price (and a signed hardcover copy was included!). Her new book is called Atmosphere and I've been reading it this week—it's a little different than some of her others but it's very good. The conversation with her (it was a Q&A live on the Rackham stage) was very interesting, too ... this book focuses on NASA and she said how she was able to talk to a head honcho there to get some background...

We are already one week into June, and I need time to slow down a bit ... I'm heading to Ann Arbor with a friend later today to see the author Taylor Jenkins Reid speak at Rackham (UM campus), though, which I'm excited about, since I love her books. Taylor Swift-themed cookies at a friend's birthday party What I've been up to this week: Attending a Taylor Swift-themed birthday party . One of my friends celebrated her birthday this weekend, and everything was Taylor Swift-themed, which was a lot of fun. We started off at her house, and then moved to the Novi library for an artwork hour (the party had both adults and kids there), then back to her house to eat the cookies pictured above. Attendees were encouraged to dress up like the theme—I wore my "Karma is a cat" t-shirt that I wore when I saw Taylor in concert a few years ago, at Ford Field, but others dressed like her album artwork themes, which was fun.  Preparing to move. I bought my condo in Clawson in 20...

This week went by fast (maybe because it was a 4-day work week?) and now it's basically June, and I am not entirely ready ... the spring/summer is going by fast.  Bloom Bar at my friend's bridal shower What I've been up to this week: Bridal shower for a friend . The friend that had the engagement dinner last Thursday had her bridal shower on Saturday, in Marshall, MI (a bit of a drive, about 1.5 hours for me) at The Millhaven, which ended up being a very nice event venue. They had the Greenhouse, where we were situated, and the Pickle Factory, which was more for wedding receptions. My friend is a great party planner and no detail was spared here (the shower was Bridgerton -themed!) which was a lot of fun—I wore a green floral dress which I've had for a few years, and a green fascinator that I bought off Amazon. I was glad to be able to celebrate my friend again, because her wedding is over Labor Day weekend when I will most likely have a one-week-old baby (or, a few wee...

It's been another busy week, and I'm glad for a three-day weekend to hopefully do some relaxing, although I have a bridal shower in Marshall, MI (about a 1.5-hour drive) to go tomorrow, so it'll still be a bit busy. Engagement dinner at Royal Park Hotel, Rochester, MI What I've been up to this week: Engagement dinner at the Royal Park Hotel, Rochester. Last night I attended an engagement dinner for my friend Margarita—I believe we met in line for movie screenings, so probably around 2009-10 or so, and we've been in touch since then. It was a beautiful party—I had never been to the Royal Park Hotel, but I had seen it before, because I have another friend who lives very close by, and it ended up being gorgeous. My friend is hosting a bridal shower tomorrow too, which I'm also attending—I'm glad she's having these events because her wedding is over Labor Day weekend, in Saugatuck, when, ironically, I might *be* in labor (my due date is late August), so unfo...

Wheel of Fortune Live! is stopping by the Fisher Theatre in Detroit for its 2025 tour, and one of my lucky readers will win two tickets to attend.  I have never seen the Live show (just the televised version) so I'm looking forward to hopefully attending.  About the show: Sony Pictures Television and Right Angle Entertainment have announced that Wheel of Fortune LIVE!® will be stopping at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre on Thursday, November 25 at 7:30 p.m. as part of its 60-city national tour. Hosted by a celebrity guest host, Wheel of Fortune LIVE! brings the excitement of everyone’s favorite TV game show to life, giving fans the chance to solve puzzles, win prizes and possibly become a Wheel of Fortune®  TV contestant. Tickets are currently on sale, and will be available online at BroadwayInDetroit.com .  At Wheel of Fortune LIVE!, audience members will be randomly selected to come up on stage to spin the famous Wheel and show their skill by calling consonants, buying ...

All photos courtesy of Disney/Getty Images I saw Disney's Snow White in the theater back in mid-March, and overall enjoyed it. It's now available at digital retailers (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home), and read on below to see how you can win a digital code. Film synopsis: Disney’s Snow White is a vibrant live-action musical reimagining of Walt Disney’s groundbreaking full-length animated classic. Experience the timeless adventure as Snow White (Rachel Zegler) journeys into magical woods to escape her stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot), and meets the beloved Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey, Grumpy and Doc who join her quest to restore the kingdom and bring kindness to the land. Bonus features*: Sing Along with the Movie: Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with onscreen lyrics. Deleted Scenes: o   Anguish and Opportunity o   Danger in the Woods o   Hunt for Snow White Fearless, Fair, Brave, and True: Maki...

I'm in a Cinetopia Film Festival hangover today, meaning I watched six movies this weekend (really like 5.5; you'll see why below) and missing both that and Ann Arbor. I've been attending the festival since 2014 —it was on hiatus from 2020-2023, then came back last year and this year. This was the first year that the festival was only five days, though, from Wednesday through this Sunday. I was in Indianapolis for work through Thursday, and needed a "recovery day" (plus had to work) on Friday, so I went in Saturday morning for it and left yesterday around 5:30pm.  I would say that you will be able to find some of the below on streaming at some point—with festival movies, some I see everywhere afterwards, and some of them I never see again on streaming/etc., which is always interesting. What I watched, and my reviews: The Spin : This was a great movie to start off the festival with—it was an Irish comedy about two friends who own a records store together (and are a...

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...