Yes/No Detroit

This was a busy week, as we were in Rhode Island and Massachusetts from Saturday through Wednesday. I haven't been home yet this week either but I need to, because tomorrow is my infusion. Ribeye at Matunuck Oyster House What I've been up to this week: Seeing friends and family . Sunday was mostly our day to do that: we drove up to Worcester to see a high school friend and his husband and son, and then drove to Sharon from there, where my mom's side of the family lives (my uncle, aunt, and one of his sons and his family). It was nice to have 99% of the family together in one room—one of the kids couldn't make it but otherwise everyone else was there. They also gave us a cake for our engagement, which was really nice.  On Saturday, we got to see my aunt, as well (my dad's sister), in Rhode Island, and on Tuesday night we had dinner with cousins (her son and his wife), too. Eating a lot of good food . A lot of good meals this week but my favorite was actually the ribe...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I was in Rhode Island this past week, from Wednesday, June 12th-19th, and I was fortunate enough to be able to drive the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD while there. The car got dropped off on a super rainy day, so I wasn't able to explore it much that day, but the next day it was bright and sunny out, and I was able to take it around town. This is a nice-looking car, especially with the paint job ("Deep Crystal Blue," which I believe I had last year when I drove the Mazda3 Grand Touring , also in Rhode Island).  There's also plenty of trunk space, which you don't always get in an SUV (or crossover, which this technically is). Although Rhode Island is a small state, I joked with my aunt that everything is either a 5-minute drive or a 45-minute one. For example: when I went to Dunkin' Donuts down the road, it was 5-...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. This week, I was able to try out the 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, a hybrid vehicle, and I had a bit of driving to do, so it was nice to be able to do it in style. We've literally had weather from the 30s to the 70s this past week, so I was able to try out many features on this vehicle! The first thing I noticed about it was the color—the official title is "Mercury Gray Metallic/Black" and it makes for a handsome car. The car also has a touchscreen, which includes Sirius XM radio, so I had fun listening to satellite radio this week—my personal car does not have that. Near the beginning of the week, the weather was in the 30s-40s, so I especially enjoyed using the heated seats and heated steering wheel. The gear shift was definitely interesting ... there's a button for Park, rather than a gear, and so the first tim...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Last week, I had the week off of work, and was able to try out the 2018 Mazda6 Signature sedan, which was quite a treat—not only is it a gorgeous car, but it also has quite a few special features. My original plan for last week was to drive to Portage for New Year's Eve, but schedules unfortunately didn't allow for that, so instead I stayed local with the Mazda6. I did quite a bit of shopping and eating, and also drove it to South Lyon for a friend's New Year's Eve party. The first thing that I noticed about the car, of course, was its exterior color—the official name is "Soul Red Crystal," and my pictures don't really do it justice; it's very, very pretty. Red is one of my favorite colors, and my personal vehicle is dark blue, so I was excited to drive a red car for the week. I'm familiar with M...

This has overall been a relaxing week—I don't have to return to work until January 2nd, so other than responding to some emails, I haven't been doing much except hanging out with my parents and seeing movies. Homemade chicken piccata, from Home Chef What I've been up to this week: Cooking and eating out . Last weekend, I went to MOD Pizza, Granite City, and Stoney River. Stoney River is a new place in Troy and a bit expensive, so that was my Christmas present to my boyfriend. On Sunday, we cooked chicken piccata from Home Chef, which came out pretty well. On Monday, my parents and I went to Jersey Mike's, which is always tasty, and yesterday, we tried out Diamond Jim Brady's, in Novi, since I had won a gift card through Novi Town Center; DJB's was also tasty.  Watching movies . Obviously :) especially since I have the week off. Last Friday, we saw The Mule , which I'd give 4/5 stars; Saturday was Aquaman 3D, which was cheesy but also fun, and I...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I was in Rhode Island for the past week visiting family—my parents and I are originally from Massachusetts, and my dad's side of the family still lives in RI, and my mom's in MA. I stayed with my aunt and didn't want to have to rely on her for rides, so I was very fortunate to be able to review the 2018 Mazda3 Grand Touring 5-door while staying there. Almost everyone I met up with over the past week remarked on how good looking this car is, and I'd have to agree. The exterior was a Deep Crystal Blue Mica color, and it was both sporty and stylish. This is the 4th Mazda car I've reviewed , and maybe one of my favorites. The 5-door in its title refers to the fact that its a hatchback—however, I was surprised at how roomy the hatchback area was. There's also a privacy shield to cover anything you might leave in there, wh...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. This weekend was super busy for me and I had a lot of driving to do, so I was glad that I had the 2018 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD  in which to do it.  On Thursday, I drove from Clawson to Ann Arbor for the opening night of the Cinetopia film festival, and I stayed there overnight at a friend's apartment. On Friday, I drove to Farmington for a doctor's appointment, then to Walled Lake to see my parents and do some last-minute trip shopping with my mom. I then drove back to Ann Arbor, and stayed there for 2 days for the festival, driving home to Clawson on Sunday. I also drove to/from Dearborn on Wednesday for one more Cinetopia film.  One of the first things I noticed about this car was its luxe interior—it has nappa leather-trimmed upholstry, and the leather was a dark red color. Very pretty, and very striking. The outside ...