The Friday Five, 7/28/23: 5 things I've been up to this week

It has been a busy week, and this weekend I'm going to Petoskey with two friends for a girls' trip—I have been to Traverse City before (about an hour and a half southwest of there) but Petoskey will be a first for me, and it should be fun.

Sausage and peppers pizza at Mootz, Detroit
Sausage and peppers pizza at Mootz, Detroit

What I've been up to this week:
  1. The Friends Experience at Great Lakes Crossing. Last Saturday, six friends and myself checked this out—one of my friends who attended got me hooked on "Friends" in college, and since then I have rewatched it a lot too. This was a pretty cool setup—they had recreations of a few sets, including Monica and Rachel's apartment, Joey and Chandler's apartment, and the famous "PIVOT!" couch scene—as well as some actual costumes from the show, and a few trivia tidbits. We were also able to take as many photos as we wanted (check out the picture of the girls' apartment, below) and they have someone on site for professional pictures too, if you like. I believe the Experience runs until September. 
  2. A lot of dining out. On Saturday, I had lunch at the GLC food court with my friends, and then my boyfriend and I had dinner with some friends at Witch's Hat in South Lyon. On Sunday, my parents and I did Hungry Howie's takeout, and on Monday, I met up with a friend at Beyond Juicery in West Bloomfield for lunch. On Wednesday, a friend and I unexpectedly ended up at Mootz Pizzeria in Detroit, one of my favorites, after an event. And last night, I met up with two former coworkers for dinner at HopCat—my first time trying the new Royal Oak location, and their grilled cheese is my favorite. 
  3. Whiskey tasting event for Duke & Dame, at the Westin Book Cadillac. I actually got an invite on my work email for this, and after explaining that my magazines don't cover beverages, I asked if I could attend on behalf of my own socials, and they said yes. Duke & Dame is a salted whiskey brand, and I tried a few cocktails with the whiskey in them and they were really good. The whiskey is sold in Florida, Michigan, and I believe one other state, so you may be able to find it around here, too. I have been to the Westin two other times, both times for dining—Roast, by Michael Symon, when it was open, and their other restaurant—and it's a very nice hotel. 
  4. Packing for my trip. Or I will be, anyways, after work today! I'm tentatively seeing Oppenheimer today or Haunted Mansion but I have a feeling it may not be happening, because we are getting bad storms again starting at 2pm today. 
  5. Watching TV shows. I have returned to Good Trouble again, on Hulu, and am enjoying it, after seeing one of the ladies in it in Joy Ride, which was quite hilarious. Today there are new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Too Hot To Handle, and The Crowded Room, also, so I'll be checking those out too. I also started a show called Full Circle, on Max, which I have been liking—it has a fabulous cast (Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Dennis Quaid, and more), too.
Recreation of Monica and Rachel's apt. on Friends!
Recreation of Monica and Rachel's apt. on Friends!

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