Four Hours in Detroit

One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is how I’ve lived in southeastern Michigan for roughly 23 years out of my 26 on earth, and yet I’ve only gone to Detroit a handful of times – and basically just to go to Comerica Park (and Eastern Market once).

Randomly, last weekend, two friends and I decided to go explore Detroit for a few hours. What I loved about this was that we did both tourist-y things (like the Ren Cen and RiverWalk) and completely non-tourist-y things (like driving through some of the neighborhoods where my friend works). We saw the good stuff and the bad stuff, and though Detroit always gets a bad rap – there is lots of good stuff. I won’t pretend to magically understand Detroit after a few hours, but I’m glad I saw a little more this time around.

Along the RiverWalk:

The Ren Cen:

Around Hart Plaza:

The Spirit of Detroit Statue:

The Guardian Building:

Eastern Market:

Dequindre Cut:

Packard Plant:

Heidelberg Project:

The old Detroit train station:

Comerica Park + Astro Coffee:

A2 Bucket List: The Blue Nile

What is it with me, Ann Arbor restaurants, and When Harry Met Sally? When I went to Amadeus, all I could think about was Billy Crystal saying “paprykash.” And when I went to number 55 on my Ann Arbor Bucket list, the Blue Nile, all I could think about was Billy Crystal telling Meg Ryan about a horrible first date:

And I was making jokes, you know like, “Hey I didn’t know that they had food in Ethiopia? This will be a quick meal. I’ll order two empty plates and we can leave.”

All this, of course, has nothing to do with my meal. Just setting the scene here…

Anyway, last weekend, I went to the Blue Nile with two friends. I wasn’t quite sure that I’d like it, but I ended up thinking it was delicious. We got the “Ethiopian Feast,” which meant we got a platter of meats and veggies and dips, and then we tore off pieces of bread to scoop it all up. I tried a bit of everything, and there was nothing I didn’t like. I would definitely go back!

(Sorry about the questionable-quality iPhone photos)

Also of note? Mary Sue Coleman was eating at the restaurant when we were there. As three Michigan alums, we were all kinda excited about that one. My burning question is: did Mary Sue get the Ethiopian feast and scoop up meat and veggies with her hands? She’s such a smart and dignified lady, so I seriously hope she did – that would be awesome.

16 down, 44 to go!

Travel Notes: Sevilla

I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is the last in that series.

Sevilla was the last city I visited in Spain, and, it seemed to me, the most atmospheric. What do I mean by that? Well, it’s hard to actually describe, but I just felt Sevilla had a more distinct, more intense personality than the other cities I went to. I feel as if I only scratched the surface there – I’d love to go back, explore more, and take more time just to stroll around. In fact, Sevilla seems to me a place that is meant for leisurely evening strolls where you can take in the colorful buildings, well-dressed Spaniards, and general loveliness. Yes, I’d definitely like to return.

Here are some highlights from my all too brief day in Sevilla:

The Alcazar Palace so reminded me of Morocco – the Arabic influences were very prevalent.

The Palace had a lovely array of flowers. I spent a bunch of time wandering around the garden – it was an extremely hot day in Sevilla, but the garden was cool and peaceful. Perfection. I thought this flower was especially unique:

The colors of the palace were so vibrant – I couldn’t get over all the brightly painted walls and archways.

Sevilla’s Cathedral was quite grand. I wouldn’t have guessed it from the outside, but it’s apparently the 3rd-largest cathedral in the world! It’s also (allegedly) where Christopher Columbus is buried.

When I said Sevilla was “atmospheric,” the pictures below are what I was thinking of. Everything is so colorful and vibrant. I just couldn’t get over all the colors of the buildings – so many yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds.

I also spent some time wandering around the Jewish Quarter. The area is filled with tiny “kissing lanes” (seen in the picture on the left), and you can see why they are so named – the buildings are so close together, they are almost kissing. The little back lanes of the Jewish Quarter were so quiet. As I walked around, I almost felt like I had stumbled onto some secret place – it was basically tourist-free. I loved this little glimpse into Sevilla.

I also did a fair amount of shopping in Sevilla – I didn’t take any pictures in the stores, and I so wish I would have. I headed out of the main tourist area and down a street where, my guidebook promised, the locals shopped. The stores there were very lovely. My major purchase was three beautiful fans. There was such an array of colors and designs; I had a difficult time choosing. The saleslady was very patient with me, and she seemed to enjoy getting fan after fan out for me to examine.

As I walked back to the taxi stand so I could grab a cab to the train station and then return to Madrid, I passed this building. I thought it was very cool – the pictures were elegant and oh-so Spanish to me.

If you’re visiting Madrid, Sevilla is such an easy day trip – the train zips you there pretty quickly. I’d highly recommend it and, like I mentioned, would love to go back. And that’s the problem with travel and me – even the places that I visit and can cross off my list, I want to go back to all over again.

My Weekend in Photos

My weekends lately have been filled with more reading and writing and internship-applying than fun times, but this past weekend was an exception. Some old friends from college were in town and we had a wonderful time – catching up, eating delicious food, taking a million silly pictures, cheering on a Michigan basketball victory over OSU, and exploring both Ann Arbor and Detroit. I’ll have a couple more detailed posts in upcoming days, but for now – here’s a look at the weekend in photos.

• Row 1: Dying to buy this hat for my puppy, making a new friend at M-Den, eating a salted caramel cupcake from the Cupcake Station, and celebrating with a birthday cupcake
• Row 2: Buying coordinating earrings from Ten Thousand Villages, spotting Michigan-themed cherry candies, having cocktails at the Jolly Pumpkin, and snapping the cute sign at Cherry Republic
• Row 3: Hanging out at Bar Louie with 727 alums, loving this Detroit-themed tee shirt, stopping by Comerica Park, and walking along the River Walk in downton Detroit
• Row 4: Posing for a picture on the Detroit RiverWalk, admiring the sculptures near the Ren Cen, crouching under the gigantic hand, and generally loving Detroit
• Row 5: Browsing Detroit-themed tee shirts, chatting with Barack, shopping at Eastern Market, exploring Packard Plant
• Row 6: Finding a gigantic pile of old shoes at Packard Plant, looking skyward, hanging out at the Heidelberg Project, and agreeing there’s no place like Detroit
• Row 7: Following the Yellow Brick Road at the Heidelberg Project, loving brightly painted piano keys, sipping lattes at Astro Coffee, and stocking up on Girl Scout cookies
• Row 8: Enjoying a cocktail at the Jolly Pumpkin, making a midday Starbucks stop, loving the view of Detroit from Belle Isle, and hanging (precariously) from the Cube

Who Would Google That? Vol. 2

(image via Casting & Downing)

I always find it entertaining to look at the search terms that bring folks to my blog – some are hilarious, some are mildly (or majorly) disturbing, and some are just plain odd. I’ve recapped some of my favorites before; now, here’s round two.

Things That Make Me Laugh:

• “i’ll wave your decapitated head on a stick parks and rec” (I love when people Google quotations from my favorite shows and wind up here. So great.)
• “trebek yourself before you wreck yourself” (Is this a saying? I want to incorporate this into my arsenal immediately. Love it.)
• “love you like a fat kid loves cupcakes” (Indeed. Cupcakes are deeee-licious.)
• “ron swanson ben jerrys” (Oh my goodness. The next new flavor should totally be Ron Swanson themed. I’m thinking ice cream with chunks of bacon?)
• “fuck civ pro” (I concur.)
• “busy phillips cornrows” (Has she ever had this hairstyle? Laurie Keller would definitely rock this look.)
• “laura pepperoni” (If only this were my name.)
• “learn all the laws” (I get a crazy amount of hits based on this one. Just think of all the desperate law students out there, using the internet to procrastinate.)

Things Internet Creepers Google:

• “shailene woodley pool scene” (I have gotten a LOT of these. I was commenting on her acting skills in the pool scene, people!)
• “amy poehler ass” (Don’t disrespect Amy like that!)
• “what bra size is nina dobrev” (I truly do not know. Or care.)
• “sexy girl singing carols” (Don’t ruin the holiday season for me, internet.)
• “daniel radcliffes apartment new york” (Stalker alert! Alas, a little part of me wishes I knew the answer to this myself.)
• “maisie williams sexy” (Too far, internet creepers, too far. She’s like 14 years old. Come on!)
• “should i wear a see through lace dress for valentine’s day?” (Your boyfriend would probably say yes. Guys are predictable like that.)

Things That Make No Sense Whatsoever:

• “drinker love backgrounds” (Whaaaat?)
• “i am a cupcake freak in words” (They are delicious, I’ll give you that)
• “movie wow very good girl chunk” (Whaaaat, part two?)
• “cupcake before and after” (Before and after what, exactly? Baking? Eating? Ogling?)
• “two dogs in a bucket of soup” (But how would they fit?)

Miscellany:

• “kate winslet unflattering dresses” (People can be so cruel. I still love you, Kate.)
• “pictures of tropical fish diseases” (A, that’s gross. B, I’ve never written about tropical fish ever. Internet search engines are a mystery to me.)
• “children shining a light through cellophane” (I’ve gotten this a couple times. Is this, like, a science experiment kids are doing nowadays?)
• “did new years eve movie suck?” (Yes.)
• “i wish my life was exciting” (Me too. No, wait – it is! I swear.)
• “laundry tv scenes from the 90s” (Are there really that many? The only one I can remember is Ross and Rachel on Friends. Uberweiss!)
• “michael fassbender douchebag” (No!!! He’s the best.)

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 21

(image via Twitter)

The semi-weekly roundup of all that is awesome on the internet:

1. Bring back Community! I mean, seriously, NBC.
2. I am semi-obsessed with this sketch from last week’s SNL – “Bein’ Quirky with Zooey Deschanel.” All the impressions are so spot-on, but I think I love Kristen Wiig’s Bjork best. This line kills me: “I made a sweater for an octopus. Plus I left one extra hole for its dreams and ideas.”
3. I adore Daniel Radcliffe because he’s so awkward and enthusiastic in every single interview his does. This one, with Andy Cohen, is great. I love that he can’t chose between Ron and Hermione!
4. Sonia Sotomayor visits Sesame Street. This has been making the rounds in law school land, and I have to admit I think it’s great, in a nerdy way. I also love how there are comments on the video saying things like “I don’t think the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over this case.” Oh, law school.
5. What if people read articles from The Onion and thought they were real? This would happen. Things like this make me worry about the future of the human race.
6. What really happened with Jack and Rose. SO TRUE. I know it’s just a movie, but she totally could have made room for him on that door. “I’ll never let go, Jack”?? Hello, you just did.
7. 50 People, 1 Question – what makes you happy? I love how some folks seem baffled by the question, while others answer like it’s the simplest thing in the world. And I love the range of answers, from the silly to the philosophical.
8. If you’re not watching Cougar Town already, you should be. Here are 10 reasons why. And in case those weren’t enough for you, how about 26 more? Seriously, watch it.
9. I have said it before, but I think Mr. Carson is my favorite Downton Abbey character. Naturally, then, I would buy this CD in a minute.
10. A lot has been said/written about Whitney Houston in the last week. But I prefer to let this speak for itself. Stunning.

Looking for more awesome? I’ve got your back.

Project Runway All-Stars: Episode 7

This week on Project Runway, the designers were tasked with creating a look that could be worn in the Broadway revival of Godspell. I thought this challenge was promising, but I wasn’t ultimately wowed by anyone’s looks (in fact, the only one I really liked was Michael’s – I put the other two in my top picks by default). And, as per usual, the judges and I disagreed greatly on the results. Here’s what I thought:

My Top Three:

• Michael: Headpiece aside, I liked it this look quite a lot. I loved the flouncy-ness of the skirt, and the top was fun as well (though the bow in back was a bit much). I also loved his color palette – from the bold and bright skirt to the pattern of the top.
• Kara: I loved the red skirt, though I agreed with Georgina when she said it had an odd slit in the back. I also enjoyed the fur stole and the nice pinstriped vest underneath. Isaac said this was the best Kara’s done all season, and I have to agree. The misstep for me was the silver bow – it being glittery and paired with a red skirt was a bit too Christmas present-y.
• Mila: Okay, yes, the skirt is heinous. But, I adored the faux fur jacket and I didn’t mind the gold top either. Mila said, “I hope the judges notice I pushed outside my box.” And I couldn’t agree more – she totally did. This look was very un-Mila, and since I don’t like her typical stuff, I actually liked this one.

My Bottom Three:

• Jerell: This look was dowdy and drab – it made the model look ancient, particularly when paired with her ridiculous hairstyle. As this came down the runway, Jerell said to himself, “Job well done, Jerell, yet again.” His delusion knows no bounds.
  
• Kenley: This is probably who I would have sent home. I absolutely hated the white fur trim on the jacket; it looked cheap and tacky. But, my biggest problem with the outfit was that the patterns of the coat and skirt really clashed. I thought they looked garish together.
• Austin: UGH. The judges loved this look, but I did not get it. I thought it was so weird, and as it came down the runway, they cut to Sutton Foster (this week’s guest judge), who had a look of absolute bewilderment on her face. That was about how I felt. It was WAY too puffy, and I thought the leggings looked tacky.

Random Bits + Pieces:

• The episode opened with everyone expressing shock that Rami is gone. They should be shocked. I’m still not over it.
• What the heck was the headscarf thing Kenley was wearing in the beginning of the episode? I wanted to rip it off her head! It was just too much.
• Kara hopes the judges will notice her “simple, chic” aesthetic at this runway show. GUYS, did you know Kara’s clothes are simple and chic? What??? I’ve never heard that from her before!
• When Joanna visited the workroom, she told Austin, “I love it because it reminds me of ‘is it hideous or is it fabulous?’” Oddly, he seemed to take this as a compliment.
• I also love that Joanna told Kara she wasn’t being as ambitious as she needed to be. I liked Kara on her original season, but this go round, she HAS been lackluster. Joanna’s critique was absolutely right.
• Joanna insinuated that she performed in Godspell once (albeit not in a professional production). Wait, what??? Are you telling me that our favorite fashion ice queen sang and danced on stage? I have to see this.
• The silly editors hyped the designers arguing over sewing machines in the previews for this week, but it turned out to be barely anything at all. Not going to lie – I was hoping for a bit more controversy. This episode was pretty ho-hum.

Bitchy Lines of the Night:

• “I don’t make mediocre, half-assed pieces. I do every piece with a wow factor. So it must be hard for those other designers.” (Oh, Kenley. Will you never learn humility?)
• “The only one I don’t understand is Mila’s. It’s kinda like a girl who can’t get into the club.” (Jerell on Mila. I do see his point.)
• “I thought it was her best challenge to date, but I didn’t like it.” (Isaac on Kara. Ouch.)

And in case you missed ‘em: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episdoe 6.

Reverse Bucket List

(image via MotiFake)

I am a big list-maker. I have lists – tasks I need to complete, books I want to read, places I plan to travel – scattered around my computer, iPhone, notebooks, and various random scraps of paper. It’s actually somewhat daunting to think of all the things I’ve scribbled down over the years. But what about those things I never want to do? Surely there are plenty that qualify, yet I’ve never written those down. However, I saw this “Reverse Bucket List” on the Hairpin and it inspired me to create my very own anti-Bucket List. Here’s what I never, ever want to do.

1. Go Black Friday shopping. I hate shopping on a random Tuesday afternoon in March, so you can imagine how much the idea of Black Friday shopping horrifies me. I just do not get the appeal; no bargain is worth it.
2. Eat haggis. I’m not good with icky foods, so I could easily substitute a dozen other things for “haggis.” But you get the idea.
3. Go to a Nickelback concert. I really don’t think I need to explain this one.
4. Watch the Human Centipede. I cannot even discuss this movie without feeling physically ill. Ask my old coworkers – they have seen my reaction (and mocked it).
5. Get Botox or plastic surgery. I understand why women do it, and I wish society didn’t make women feel compelled to do so. But, have you ever looked at someone and said, “wow, your wrinkle-free, yet completely emotionless face looks great!” I think not.
6. Read books 2-4 of the Twilight series. I read book one, and it was enough to convince me that never has a worse book series been written.
7. Marry an Ohio State fan/alum. It would be unnatural. Go Blue!
8. Watch golf. On television, in person, or any other way you can imagine. I can tolerate a lot of boring sports (see: baseball), but I cannot tolerate this one.
9. Be on a reality show (with the exception of the Amazing Race). Yes, I watch reality television, but 95% of the people on it make me feel sad about the future of humanity.
10. Own a cat. I’m allergic, and also…I hate cats.

Travel Notes: Toledo

I had a lot of fun blogging last summer’s travel adventures, so I figured it would also be fun to take a look back at some past trips. I’m starting with some notes on my 2010 France and Spain trip; this post is one of several in that series.

Whenever I talk/write/think about Toledo, I have the overwhelming urge to use the expression “holy Toledo!” again and again (and again). So, there, I just got it out of my system. No “holy Toledo!” for the rest of this post, I swear.

Anyway…Toledo is an easy day trip from Madrid (seriously, I think it’s less than an hour? Super quick). It’s a pretty small city, but fun to explore. I don’t think you could spend much more than a day there, tourist-wise, but it makes for a nice excursion.

And, speaking of train travel from Madrid – before I get to the Toledo stuff, I have to mention this. When I arrived at Madrid’s train station to catch my train to Toledo, I noticed this sculpture. It is gigantic (almost to the ceiling) and SUPER creepy. Why, Madrid, why?

Once I escaped the creepy baby, rode the speedy AVE train to Toledo, and successfully navigated the city’s bus system, I found myself in the heart of town. I headed to the magnificent cathedral first.

One thing I thought was cool about the cathedral was that it’s hidden amongst the tiny streets. It’s not in any open square, which means you can’t really see the building until you’re actually right by it – so it sneaks up on you. I also loved the tiny back streets of Toledo; they were sort of mysterious and fun.

The exterior of the church was nice but, like I mentioned, because it’s crammed between a bunch of streets/other buildings, you can never really stand outside and get a view of the church as a whole. To me, that made it even more impressive to step inside and realize how grand it was. Also, the interior is seriously bling-ed out. We’re talking massive amounts of gold here. It was pretty impressive:

The other really amazing thing about the cathedral was that it had its own mini-museum. In the sacristy, there are paintings by el Greco, de Goya, Velazquez, Rubens…and more! It’s awesome that there’s such a treasure trove of art in this (relatively) small town.

Continuing the artistic theme, I headed next to a museum with even more el Grecos. The museum was either using temporary displays because of renovations or was seriously minimalist. I’m pretty sure it was the former, but the displays were pretty basic and not so fancy. Still, the artwork’s the important thing, I suppose, and I got to see a ton of el Grecos.

One thing about Toledo – and about Spain in general – was the abundance of Arabic influences everywhere. It kept reminding me of Morocco, and it was cool to see the fusion of cultures all over Spain. I found this as I was leaving the museum:

For lunch, I traveled down the tiny side streets and found a quiet restaurant with a good lunch special. This meal gave me my first taste of gazpacho which, if I’m being honest, I have to say I admire more for the vibrant color than for the flavor. I’m not a tomato kind of gal, let alone a cold tomato soup kind of gal. Still, when in Spain…

(Sidenote: the book open next to my soup is Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. I cannot adequately explain how much I love this book. I ran out of reading materials on this trip and I actually read it twice. It’s that good.)

After lunch, I headed to a bakery and tried a local treat – mazapan (or, marzipan, if you want to be all American about it). It was pretty tasty, and I sat in the main square and did some people watching while enjoying it.

I wrapped up my time in Toledo by doing something that was partially cheesy, partially awesome – I took a tour on one of those tourist train thing-ys. The reason it was cheesy is obvious, but the reason it was awesome was that I got to see fantastic views of the city. It doesn’t take you through the actual city much (with the tiny streets, that would likely be impossible); instead, it takes you around the city. I thought the city was quite beautiful.

And there you have it, my 8 or so hours in Toledo. Next up, Sevilla!

My Funny Valentine

I’ll be honest: Valentine’s Day does not bother me the way it seems to bother some people. I’m not depressed about it, I’m not offended by the crass commercialism of it – I’m just relatively indifferent to it. In it’s own cheesy way, I think it’s a fun day, and yet it doesn’t bum me out (too much) to be single on this year’s Valentine’s Day.

If, however, you hate Valentine’s Day, you could probably use a laugh. My number one suggestion is to tune in for the return of Cougar Town tonight (a hilarious and severely underrated show). And my number two suggestion is to peruse humorous Valentine’s Day e-cards. Here are a few I found that I thought were funny – enjoy!

A Ron Swanson Valentine:

(via College Humor)

A Mrs. O’Brien and Mr. Bates Valentine:

(via Chad-Thomas.com)

A Some E-Cards Valentine:

(via some e-cards)

A (Somewhat Disturbing) Game of Thrones Valentine:

(also via College Humor)

A Where’s Waldo and Carmen Sandiego Valentine:

(via the Carmen Sandiego Facebook page)

Even More Downton Valentines:

(via The Wunder Blog)