By Lori in Lansing on 3/11/2010 5:01 PM

St. Patrick’s Day is approaching and I’ll be hunting through my closet to find something green to wear so I don’t get pinched. It must not be a good color for me, because I can never find a green shirt for the day. And I don’t find many green foods that I like, either. Yes, I realize that they’re generally supposed to be good for you, but I don’t ever think I’ve caught myself thinking, “Wow, I can’t wait to chow down on those peas…or string beans.” But I do like guacamole. That’s green... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 3/4/2010 8:52 AM

My first foray into volunteering occurred when I was in high school in New Jersey. I signed up to be a Candy Striper at Overlook Hospital. I remember wearing that pink pin-striped uniform which gave me access to a lot of places that the general public was not allowed. The best assignment was when the floral delivery truck pulled up. The patients were so happy to see you bringing them flowers. The worst was being asked to take a tray of specimens down to the lab. When you’re 16 years old, that doesn’t seem too cool. Perhaps not so cool today, either. And closed doors meant, “Do not enter.” Period. I learned that one really fast. Don’t ask. I think the vision will be burned in my brain till I die.

As my life progressed, I have volunteered in various capacities like at my kids’ pre-school (where three hours felt like a full day), various school PTA committees, garden club committees, and the like. I even won a volunteer of the year award at the Humane Society in 1999. And I learned an importan ... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 2/22/2010 2:28 PM

I had a meeting last week at the Michigan Hall of Justice. They have a great Supreme Court Learning Center on the first floor that attracts all kinds of visitors and school groups. It’s just one of a few nationwide and we’re fortunate to have it adjacent to the State Capitol Building. The first time I visited was when it first opened, and I got the tour and thought, wow, I really don’t know a lot about the judicial system. It was pretty interesting, but I thought it was all just a bit over my head. Then the docent mentioned that the learning center is really geared towards middle school students. Yikes!

So when you first walk in, there is Lady Justice to greet you, with her arm stretched out holding those scales. But, she doesn’t have her blindfold on like she does on all the TV shows ... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 2/17/2010 9:38 AM

The cover shot of the 2010 Greater Lansing Official Visitor Guide I’ve nicknamed in my mind, “a man, a van, a camera and some duct tape.” Our photo shoot fortunately fell on a beautiful September evening. There were three things that we wanted to convey on the cover; an iconic Lansing landmark, the fun of taking a road trip to the area, and to reveal our vibrant and thriving community. We met with Thomas Gennara, a very talented local photographer, his assistant and the very nice “models” who were kind enough to have just the car we wanted in the shot. Everyone was extremely patient and good natured, and even withstood the honking of horns from annoyed drivers as they cruised very slowly down Michigan Avenue with the photographer following closely behind the Cadillac with his camera precariously mounted to the front of his van to get that perfect shot. To get the angle just right looking slightly down ... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 2/11/2010 12:05 PM

It’s Lansing’s Frost Fest!!!

Hey mid-Michigan, it’s Valentine’s weekend and I’ve found a sweet deal for everyone to enjoy. It’s like the stars were all aligned because we got the snow and the festival both on the same weekend! Its Lansing’s Frost Fest, so pull on your parka and come out of hibernation on Saturday. During the day families can enjoy Snowboard rail demos from Modern Skate and Surf, make a snowman, or get into the snowball throwing contest down at Riverfront Park. Or they can hop on the Frost Fest Trolley to take them to the heart of downtown to see the ice sculptures, or just chill out in the warming tent. There will be free carriage rides, too. That’s ... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 2/4/2010 2:15 PM

Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m pathetic in the kitchen. Don’t know much, and really don’t care. Cumin? Not a clue. Trans Fats? Um, they’re bad, right?  I’ve got a personal philosophy that if we humans could eat kibble like we feed our beloved pets, and that it’s nutritionally balanced, scientifically formulated and we dole it out in a measuring cup, that we all could be slim, trim and get the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals. We just have a tendency to put way too much emphasis on food, socially and emotionally. I’m just saying.

With that said, take me to an eatery that I actually have to figure out the components to make it taste good and I panic. Take Mongolian Barbeque for example. It’s both of my kids’ absolutely favorite restaurant. They will concoct awesome meals and rave about it for the next week or two.  I, on the other hand, even though I follow the “recipe cards” they offer for challenged people such as myself, end up with a meal that is below my expectations ... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 1/28/2010 12:25 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a new year and I’ve taken the leap. I went to Sultan’s Express today. And, I went with someone who knew as little (or should I just say nothing at all) about Middle Eastern cuisine as me. We got great advice from our coworker Kristina who suggested the Swarmy Chicken (I know, it’s really called Chicken Shawarma-but I heard it wrong, I was so bunged up about this dining adventure.) I’ve discovered if you don’t know what you’re doing, sometimes it’s just best to plead ignorance and ask for some help. So I confessed to the wonderful young man behind the counter that I’d never been there before and don’t know a thing about what to order. He was very patient and kind and helped us both order our meals. I had the special (Aleppo Kabob with rice) and T. had the chicken kabob and Deboned Chicken. I ordered a Falafel on the side in honor of the little adventurous mouse in a movie I used to watch with my kids. (Well, I think it’s actually Farfel, of maybe even Fivel, but it’s close.) It was r ... Read More »

By Lori in Lansing on 1/21/2010 4:44 PM

Ok, so I’ll admit it. I’m a mid-west girl by way of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and originally from Canada. I have not ever been to Europe and just flew to the west coast of the US last year. I’ve been in the Lansing area for almost 20 years now and have learned a boatload of Lansing area destination/attraction stuff since starting this job 10 years ago. But I have a confession. When I find something I like, I stick with it. Kinda like my 20 year marriage that died a lingering death. I’m a creature of habit. So my dining habits are hard to break. I’m on a tight budget, and having an office in Old Town, I pretty much stuck to my regular dining haunts. Golden Harvest-yum, Sir Pizza-yum, Olympic Broil-yum, Bonnie’s-ditto. Pretty much a five dollar lunch. And I loved it. And so now we’ve moved our offices downtown,  I think I need to branch out a bit. Step up to the diversity of the big city’s eateries. So what do I do the first few months? Stick to the safe ones. Kewpie’s-double yum, Clara’s buy and burger ... Read More »