I have been so very busy this week, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get much better.

But…I did want to post these cool photos of my kid’s team playing hockey in a dome in Lansing last weekend. It was the craziest thing. My kid thought it was so cool – “This is sweet!” actually. I thought it was interesting because the acoustics allowed us to hear most of what the coaches said ~ something that never happens.

The team listening to the coach.

A view of the rink.

A corner of the rink.

A very cool reflective look at the rink.

So, as you can see this is not a typical rink. It was pretty cool.

~Peace, Kris

The Sunday edition of the Detroit Free Press ran an article written by Mitch Albom which appeared in Sports Illustrated. It is an excellent depiction of Detroit and the people who call Michigan, especially Detroit, home. I urge you to read ithere. It speaks the truth of who we are.

Now, I’m the first to say that I’m not a Detroiter. I don’t live in Detroit; crap, the place scares me. But I am a Michigander. I believe in our state, industries, sports teams, and the people who live here. I’ve always lived in the suburbs ~ I am NOT a city girl. I can’t stand the smells, traffic, and the buildings. Too close for my comfort. But I realize that big cities are necessary, and it’s a damn shame that Detroit can’t seem to get its act together. But I have faith that someday it will. Just like Mitch said.

I’ve spent time away from Michigan,and I’ve always thought that I would never live here my entire life. But as I grow older, those thoughts have changed. Sure winter can be downright gloomy ~ but heck, that’s hockey season, so I’m all set. Spring can be messy with all of the rain ~ but then the flowers emerge and the hummingbirds return, and I forget about the mud. The summer brings more flowers, longer days, and gorgeous nights. Fall is one of my favorite times of year with its changing colored leaves and the bright, blue sky with the cool breeze.

Yes, I felt like I could scream at those ignorant Senators who chastised the Big 3 execs. What they heck would the country do without all of the cars/revenue that auto industry provides? Did they think about that?

But, I’m also one who believes that the auto industry is really fucked up. Way too much money going out to the few at the top. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Not enough money being spent on development of cleaner, less energy-using autos. I admit I don’t know the whole story, but I do believe that it would be devastating if 1 or 2 of them shut down. All that job loss. Our state would be in even worse shape than it is now.

Even though I don’t live there, I still believe in Detroit. I want it to be fixed. I want it to be a city that makes Michiganders proud.

Mitch Albom’s article made me cry. I thought about sending him an email expressing all of my thoughts. But he doesn’t need an email~ he knows how I feel. He wrote it all down.

Don’t diss us unless you’re one of us.

Peace~Kris

If my family and I were stranded on a desert island, it better have electricity for my laptop/tv/Wii, cell phone charger, and my new Keurig coffeemaker. Oh, and I better get good reception too, ‘cuz I’ll need to be able to place orders for K-cups.

This is what I got for Christmas. Sweet, isn’t it?

Okay, I have to clarify ~ this is what I bought myself for Christmas.

I absolutely love this little luxury machine. It makes a blazing hot cup of coffee in less than 2 minutes! It uses either the prepackaged K-cups, or you can use a filter in use your own coffee. My husband likes the idea of the filter and my own coffee. I do too, but my new obsession is Green Mountain Coffee Vermont Country Blend. It is so yummy – I could drink 4 or 5 cups of it a day. Decaf, of course.

It’s also very good for a one-person-coffee-drinking home. With my old coffeepot, I’d use enough coffee to make 6-8 cups. I wouldn’t drink it all, but if I made less, the coffee never really tasted the best. It was good, but I certainly made a lot more trips to Starbucks. Now, I don’t need Starbucks (well, at least not as much as I did before.) The coffee tastes so wonderful, and it is hotter than my previous maker. You can adjust the temperature, but I leave it at 192 degrees F. It comes out piping hot and delicious every time.

I can’t believe how a little think like a coffeemaker has made me so happy. There’s barely any mess, and as long as I keep the reservoir tank filled and the unit on, I can have a cup of coffee in less than 2 minutes. The filter isn’t bad to clean either, if I prefer to make my own. I few taps in the garbage pail and then a quick rinse under warm water, and I’m all set to brew a new cup.

We had my youngest’s birthday party over the holidays, and I was a bit nervous to show off the pot to the family. I figured that they’d either love it or hate it, AND I could get rid of all the caffeinated coffee that came with my pot (I bought it off of QVC.com and it came with 54 K-cups, which most of them were regular coffee.) They all loved it.

So, I love coffee. It’s my vice.

~Peace, Kris