Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

If I’m talking about the Detroit Tigers then spring must be right around the corner. I know, we have a few months to go but a girl can dream, right?

To be fair, I don’t mind the snow. And I love having all four seasons. I just think they should be more flexible.

We only really need winter for 2 months, after that it gets old. Fall & spring will each have 3 months, because they are my favorites. That leaves 4 months for summer. Only one of the summer months can be unbearably hot.

I think that makes for a perfect year. Is that really too much too ask? I'm talking to you, Mother Nature!

Weekend Roundup

1. Plymouth Ice Festival - Dueling Chainsaws Speed Carving Show! Need I say more? Read more about the Plymouth Ice Festival from Dominque King at Midwest Guest. January 22-24.

2. Winter White Out - It's another winter festival and a bit of a drive out to St. Clair but I had to include it. They have endurance euchre! Actually it's called "cold butt" euchre and the card players have to sit on a slab of ice. How could I not include it in the weekend roundup? January 22-23.

3. Detroit Tigerfest 2010 - Meet your favorite some Tigers and get their autograph. Granderson won't be there, in case you didn't hear. Tickets are sold out but can still be found on Craigslist and possibly StubHub. January 23rd.

4. Movies at the Marquis - My Fair Lady, which won 8 oscars, is featured this weekend. This classic movie reminds me of my first trip to the UK. I went to Covent Garden and saw the theatrical version in the West End. Time to catch up on your Cockney Rhyming Slang. January 23rd. (Only $3)

5. Corktown Works! at the Detroit Historical Museum - Explore the history of the Detroit neighborhood of Corktown. The exhibit includes photographs by Marvin Shaouni which show people living, working and playing in Corktown today. January 23 through April 26.

Don't forget that the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) ends Sunday, January 24th. Check here for ideas on what to do before or after the Auto Show and here for a sneak peak.

Do you know of a great event going in on Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

A Tree Grows on Belle Isle

When we last left the Belle Isle Ice Tree it was exposing its inner self. He (yes, I’ve decided that the Ice Tree is male) wasn’t looking his best.

In my ongoing love affair/stalking of the Ice Tree, I have an update. He’s evolving! He’s not as amazing as he was last year but the season is still young. And, hey, it’s all up to Mother Nature!

These pictures were taken on January 13, 2010 at sunset. I’m not really happy with how the pictures came out but it's just user inexperience.

The Power of Words & the Potential of a Child

Last week I traveled back in time and landed slap-dab in the middle of elementary school. When I was in third grade the Internet didn’t exist and bell-bottoms and pet rocks were all the rage. Seriously.

Local female bloggers, myself included, joined forces with PositiveDetroit.Net in collaboration with Operation: Kid Equip to provide third graders in Oakland County with dictionaries.

We’ve fully funded the first city in the project, Ferndale, and we began delivering the dictionaries to the students.

As we walked into Ferndale’s John F. Kennedy Elementary School and made our way to the media room the memories flooded back to me. I remembered how much I loved school and learning. And I remembered the late 70's.

Media Room? We had a tiny filmstrip projector and a movie projector that were tucked away in the closet. Yet, we still all fought to be “Captain Audio Visual” as if it were a superhero designation.

The kids gathered in the room and the Principal at JFK, Nancy M. DeRousha, explained why we were there. She told them that we didn’t have any ties to them personally but that we wanted to give them dictionaries.

The appreciation and joy the kids showed was overwhelming. One of the children said that it was like “someone they didn’t know loved them.”

When asked if they knew what a blog was about half of the kids raised their hands! They described it eloquently as "your own website where you can write what you want." What a perfect answer!

They gave hugs, they paged through the dictionaries, and they said thank you. They were inquisitive, smiling, and grateful.

This project is about equipping children with a basic tool, a dictionary, to help them succeed. The power of the written word is immense; words can inspire, encourage, and give hope. We need to maximize the potential of every child in our community.

These children are going to be teachers, doctors, leaders, and writers. I’m betting a few of them will become bloggers too.

Yes, third grade was a very long time ago for me. We didn’t have magical phones that you could use anywhere, computers, or a decent fashion sense.  We had a CB radio in our house (we had a phone too, I'm not that old!), our typewriter wrote in cursive, and I wore my “Disco Sucks” t-shirt proudly.

Times and technology have changed but some things haven’t. As I type away on my laptop it’s easy to forget that many of these children don’t have computers at home or internet access. They can’t surf over to dictionary.com.

There are many more communities in Oakland County that still need to be funded. Twenty dollars, otherwise known as a week of Starbucks, would buy 8 of these children dictionaries. Will you help?

Please join Operation: Kid Equip, Erin Rose, Nikki Stephan, Lauren Weber, Jennifer Wright, and me in providing dictionaries to these students by donating here.

Update on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 9:06PM by Becks Davis

See that handy dandy widget on the right sidebar? You might have to scroll down a bit. See it? Cool. You can use that to donate to the project. We are currently raising funds to buy dictionaries for the students in Hazel Park. C'mon, you know you want to click it and donate now!

Sneak Peek of the 2010 Auto Show (NAIAS)

Through the power of Twitter, the husband and I and about 15 others, got a sneak peek of the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) at Cobo Center in Detroit. It was a whirlwind tour of the show floor in an hour. 

As my friend Jackie said, it’s really tough to take photos, twitter, and hold a conversation all at the same time. There wasn’t time to take notes or check the specs on all the different vehicles. Plus, I had to wrangle the husband who was drooling over the trucks.

Yes, the husband wants a pick-up truck.

The husband looks like he's going to drive that Cadillac Escalade right out of Cobo.

Me? As I said before I’m pretty smitten with the Ford Flex.

The Ford Flex. Come home to mama, baby!

The vibe was very positive and the show floor at Cobo looked fantastic. We ran out of time and didn’t get to visit the EcoXperience, which was kind of a bummer.

Tips for NAIAS:

• Check your coat! The lights on the show floor make it very hot.

• Park at Greektown Casino and take the People Mover.

• The GM Renaissance Center is offering a free shuttle to NAIAS. They have parking and a variety of dining options.

• If you’re taking pictures, snap a picture of the back of the vehicle first. You’ll have the model info and won’t get confused when sorting through your photos.

• Avoid the crowds and go during the day mid-week.

Take a look at a few of my favorites below.

Maybach Zeppelin

The sexy Ford Mustang.

Everyone needs a Multi Amphibious Vehicle, right?

No calling shotgun in the Tango. One in front, one in back.

The Chevy Camaro, a whole lot of muscle!

The Cadillac Platinum XTS.

Ferrari

The Dodge Challenger

Honey, step away from the Viper.

The Mini Beachcomber concept car. Look mom, no doors!

A Morgan with a proper British number plate.

For ideas on what to do before and after the auto show take a look at Where to go while at the 2010 Auto Show. Looking for other things to do in Detroit? Check this weeks Weekend Roundup or 40 Things to Do in Detroit Before You're Dead.

The 2010 North American International Auto show opens to the public on January 16th and runs through January 24th.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

I’ve had a pretty busy week and as 2010 rolls on it seems like it’s going to get even more hectic. I enjoy being busy and keeping off the couch. In fact, my husband and I made a momentous decision this week. 

We elected to kick the worst habit of all and we’re going cold turkey. Yep, I’m saying it out loud; we are not watching American Idol this season! That small decision has gained me a gazillion more hours in my life.

And, no, I have no idea what this “pants on the ground” thing is about.

The next generation Ford Focus. Very Euro!

Weekend Roundup

1. 2010 North American International Auto Show - If you live in metro Detroit and didn't know that the Auto Show started then you must be living under a rock! The public show starts this weekend. January 16-24.

2. Engines Exposed at The Henry Ford Museum - In keeping with the automotive theme, The Henry Ford is opening up the hoods of 50 classic cars. This exhibit runs for three weeks only! January 9-31.

3. Monster Jam - Demolition monster truck action! M-M-M-Monster Tr-Tr-Tr-Trucks! January 16th.

4. Erie Ice Daze - Have fun outdoors with traditional and non-traditional winter activities. Activities include an ice fishing clinic and dog mushing. Also, snowsnake and atlatl throwing, flit-knapping, and tundra swan watching. No, I don't know what that means either but it sounds like a good time. January 16.

5. Unveiled - This is an alternative to the Charity Preview event for the Auto Show (and it's a fraction of the cost). Music, fashion, cars, and an open bar. January 15th.

Oh, and don't forget that the Avedon exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts closes this weekend. We saw it last week and it is pretty damn cool. If you like fashion, photography, or art you should get down to the DIA this weekend.

Do you know of a great event going in on Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!