The Friday Five, 3/15/24: 5 things I've been up to this week

This was a busy travel week, as I was in Miami for a conference from Sunday through Wednesday. I also snuck in dinner with friends and a few movies (one in the theater, and two on the plane).

JW Marriott resort, Aventura, FL
JW Marriott resort, Aventura, FL

What I've been up to this week:
  1. Traveling to Miami for work. Technically Aventura, FL (about 40 minutes from the Miami airport, and probably 30-40 minutes from Miami Beach area). I didn't get to see the beach this time—when I went in 2019 with a friend, we stayed five minutes from the hotel I stayed in this time (Residence Inn, across the street from the host hotel, JW Marriott), and were beachside, which was super nice. I was there for the National Confectioners Association's State of the Industry conference, which had a lot of interesting panels. Normally on work trips I'm using to running around to appointments, but this was the opposite (a lot of sitting at panels and networking). 
    I also was lucky enough that two of my Yelp friends from California happened to be in the same area this week, too! We were able to meet up for ice cream at the nearby mall. I think the last time I saw them was at Yelp Spring Break 2017, in San Antonio, so it was nice to see them again. 
  2. Dining out/getting takeout. On Friday night, I picked up Pink Garlic for my fiance and I, which is always tasty. On Saturday, we went to Bellflower in Ypsilanti for the first time, to meet my friend and her boyfriend, and I had never been there before—it was also very good, and their menu changes daily, I believe. On Sunday, I ended up getting tacos at the Aventura mall for lunch, since my hotel room wasn't ready yet, and I got pizza via Doordash for dinner. On Monday, I had dinner at the mall again after ice cream—I got a burger and fries from Shake Shack, at the food court, and also picked up some empanadas, which were delicious. 
  3. Watching movies. I saw Kung Fu Panda 4 at the theater last Friday and I'd give it 3.5/5 stars, although I'd give 5/5 stars to the 3D—it was great. We rewatched the first Kung Fu Panda that Friday night too, and weirdly I actually liked the 4th movie more. 
    On the plane, I watched Anatomy of a Fall, on Sunday going to Miami—"watched" is a loose term here, since I was very tired that day (I woke up at 5am for my flight) so I was nodding on and off, but I liked what I saw, and it was only two of the ten Oscar-nominated films I hadn't seen. On the way back, I watched What Happens Later, which is the first Meg Ryan romcom in a long time; I'd give it 3/5 or maybe 3.5/5 stars. Not my favorite of hers, but she and David Duchovny (aka Mulder from X Files!) were cute together, and the premise was interesting. 
  4. Putting my clocks ahead for DST. I'm already not a huge fan of Daylight Savings Time, and the fact that my flight on Sunday was at 8:30am, AND I lost an hour of sleep, was not great. I put my clocks ahead at my condo on Friday night, actually, since I wasn't there Saturday, and I *thought* I got to all my clocks until I got into my (2014) car yesterday, and realized it said 9pm on the dashboard when it was actually 10pm. Oops. 
  5. Watching TV shows. We started The Regime, on Max, which is weird but good, and Kate Winslet is in it. I have been catching up on The Way Home (Peacock) which I also like, because of the time travel element—it's currently in season 2, and it technically airs at 9pm on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday nights, and is on Peacock on Mondays. I want to try out Apples Never Fall, also Peacock, which is based on the Liane Moriarty novel of the same name (and currently free for Kindle Unlimited); I haven't read the novel but generally I like her books. I also watched the Love is Blind reunion, on Wednesday night, which was spicy but not AS spicy as I thought it would be, haha, and of COURSE I plan on watching The Eras Tour (Taylor Swift) on Disney+ sometime today or tomorrow; it's 3.5 hours, though, so it will definitely be split up into a few chunks of time. Girls5Eva, formerly on Peacock, is apparently back today, too, but now on Netflix, so I'll watch that also at some point.
Olive oil cake at Bellflower, Ypsilanti
Olive oil cake at Bellflower, Ypsilanti

Popular Posts

Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

Image
*Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
Read more

Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: MJ the Musical, Oct. 23–Nov. 3, Fisher Theatre, Detroit {ends 7/8}

Image
*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MJ the Musical ("MJ") is coming to the Fisher Theatre this fall, and as a fan of Michael Jackson's music, I'm looking forward to it. Tickets go on sale July 12th at 10am.  Read more about the musical below, and also see how you can win two tickets  to opening night! About the show: Producers Lia Vollack, John Branca, John McClain and Broadway in Detroit are thrilled to announce that MJ will make its Detroit premiere at the Fisher Theatre October 23 – November 3.  Tickets go on sale Friday, July 12 and can be purchased online at BroadwayInDetroit.com at 10:00 a.m. or in person at the Fisher Theatre box office at noon. He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Detroit in MJ, the multiple Tony Award®-winning musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tou...
Keep reading

GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

Image
*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...
Keep reading