Big Cat Shows Big Love

I am so amazed by this video that I had to stop everything that I'm doing and write a quick post on it.

Here's the story: The woman in the video found a sick, malnourished lion cub in the jungle. She took him home, fed him and raised him until he was too big to keep in the house. She then made arrangements with a zoo in Colombia to take the lion. The video shows the lion's reaction when his caretaker went to visit him at the zoo for the first time.

This video is sure to make you say "holy crap!" first, followed by a long "awwwwww." OK, well at least that's what me and my sidekick L. Pan did when we first watched it. But seriously -- what an amazing example of love and appreciation! Now if only humans were that appreciative all the time...

** Thanks to MAL for sending along. You know the way to my heart! **

Downtown Hoedown 2008

It doesn't get much better than this combo: free concerts, country music, Hart Plaza and all the people watching you can possibly handle! That my friends, is the Downtown Hoedown. The 26th annual 2008 Downtown Hoedown will take place May 9-11. Check out 99.5 WYCD's Web site for the entire three-day lineup.

I am really impressed with some of the artists that will be rockin' out at this year's Hoedown, such as Trisha Yearwood (seriously a country music legend!), Little Big Town, Chris Cagle, Jewel and Gretchen Wilson.

I myself was wondering how the Hoedown came to be, so here's a bit of the background. The Downtown Hoedown dates back to 1983 and is recognized as the largest country music festival of its kind in the world. It's regarded by the country music industry as the premier event to showcase new and seasoned artists. More than 800,000 people are expected to swarm Hart Plaza during the three-day concert. Something really interesting I didn't know is that some HUGE country artists got their start at the Hoedown, including my personal favs Rascal Flatts, Garth Brooks (rumor has it he may show up to cheer on wifey Trisha!), Reba McEntire and Big and Rich.

You can guarantee I will be there in my cowgirl hat singing at the top of my lungs! Even if you aren't a country music lover, it's a fun, FREE event and a great excuse to hang out in D-town for the day/evening.

Sidenote -- I HEART WYCD's morning show with Dr. Don, Grunwald, Rachael and Jason the 300-pound cowboy. By far one of the most hilarious morning shows that broadcasts to metro Detroit!

I Heart Petoskey!

I had an amazingly relaxing/stress-free weekend, and I felt compelled to document my experience in a post. I was a deprived child (OK that's exaggerating) and I never went camping up north or had the chance to see all the beauty that makes northern Michigan such a desirable tourist attraction. So finally, thanks to my wonderful MAL, I got the chance to take a trip up north to Petoskey. And also thanks to my lovely friend Becky for the great suggestion of staying at her place of employment, Stafford's Bay View Inn. Stafford's, which also owns two other properties in Petoskey, was the absolute picture-perfect place to stay for two people like myself and MAL who lead very busy, and often times stressful lives. It was peaceful, quaint, warm, extremely clean and just an overall great getaway destination. If you want the ultimate picturesque room, go for the aster suite 17! I would love to come back and visit in the summer when I can enjoy the non-iced-over lake, the lush foliage and restaurants on the bay.

Downtown Petoskey was also adorable. The mom-and-pop and boutique shops were perfect for a shop-a-holic like myself. I bought some really neat jewelry from Oliver's Trendz (they also have a shop in Birmingham). We went ice skating and sledding at the Winter Sports Park and had some grub and drinks at City Park Grill. One of the best attractions about the city is that it's really rich in history and every place seems to has its own little story.

So needless to say, I am happy to be back to my city life, but I really wish our mini-vaca could have lasted just a tad bit longer! Reality will hit hard tomorrow, but Petoskey definitely put a cushion under the rough week ahead :)

Cast Your Vote for a Local Hero

The American Red Cross of Southeastern Michigan currently is accepting nominations for the People's Choice Hero Awards. Six brave and selfless heroes from around southeast Michigan have been nominated for this year's award. The deadline for voting is 5 p.m. on March 14. The winner will be recognized March 27 at the Red Cross' 12th annual Hero Awards.

Here's a brief snapshot of the nominees:

• Ronald Mitchell, member of the Detroit Fire Department's Tactical Mobile Squad. He rescued his partner from a burning building.
• Zach Lazanja, a nine-year-old boy who saved his friend from drowning when he had a seizure in a swimming pool.
• April Fowlkes and Mindy Corby, members of women's pro football team Detroit Demolition. They caught a thief while he was trying to steal a teammate's car.
• Cary Thompson, a Royal Oak firefighter and instructor at Safety City USA. One of his students alerted her family that their house was on fire so they could quickly get to safety.
• Anthony Altovilla is devoting a year of his life to doing volunteer work with City Year in Detroit before heading off to college.

It was a really tough decision for me because in my opinion, all these nominees should be awarded for their heroic actions. I won't say who I voted for to avoid swaying any decisions, but I hope everyone who reads this takes the opportunity to vote for one of these amazing individuals!

Detroit Gets Love From Our Neighbors to the South

Add The BG (Bowling Green) News to the list of pubs outside of Detroit that are finding a reason to sing our praises! This article credits Detroit as "perfect for a day trip or weekend adventure." The article calls attention to places such as Midtown, the Majestic Theater's Magic Stick, Corktown and Mexicantown.

It's really refreshing to read articles like this one that combat all the negative publicity D-town has received in recent months (unfortunately for a variety of reasons that do not fall into the realm of this blog's topics!). So a big high-five to The Bowling Green News for showing O-H-I-O (I've been succumbed to being a partial OSU fan, I'm sorry!) that Detroit really does stand out from the crowd -- in a POSITIVE way!

Not All Talented Young Pros Leave MI

Contrary to the fact that a recent study says Michigan can't retain highly-skilled, educated workers, one Royal Oak company is doing just that -- pulling in young, talented workers from across the country. RTT USA, Inc. is a German-based company specializing in 3D visualization software that creates computer-generated renderings of products that are used in industrial design, marketing and advertising. This uber-cool company is rapidly making a mark on Oakland County and Michigan as a whole.

This is the type of story that needs to be told more often -- one that proves that Michigan is a desirable state for young, educated workers (especially in the tech/design industry). So if you're like me and are beyond exhausted of reading stories about Michigan's economic woes (or the 138595 billion stories about Detroit's mayor that you can't hide from unless you live under a rock), make an honest effort to read the positive stories about companies in our state that are thriving and prospering. You'll be surprised to find that there are an abundance of companies like RTT -- and many more whose stories have yet to be told.

David Beckham Shows Some Love for the D

OK -- so I'm completely confessing that I read this blog now and again (it's so hard not to!), but Pink is the New Blog posted photos of hotty soccer star David Beckham wearing a Detroit Tigers hat. David and his LA Galaxy team are in gorgeous Honolulu, HI prepping for a soccer tournament. So hats off to you Becks (although I can't STAND your wife!), for sporting your D-town pride all the way down in the islands of Hawaii!

Another interesting tidbit -- Trent, the self-proclaimed gossip regurgitator behind the blog, is a native-born Detroiter.

An Introduction to E-mail Apnea

E-mail apnea - a temporary absence or suspension of breathing, or shallow breathing, while doing e-mail (Linda Stone, February 2008).

I love it when people coin creative phrases that 100 percent describe a part of my personality that I haven't quite yet found a way to put words to! Thank you Linda Stone for writing this article and helping me discover that I am a victim of e-mail apnea. In the field of PR, we are absolutely dependent on e-mail as a primary means of communication. Many times, and especially when pitching a story to a reporter, e-mail is the first impression you make on a person. So ensuring that it's flawless (grammar, punctuation, information) is enough to make a semi-OCD person such as myself go blue in the face. I'm really glad to know that I'm not the only person in this world who holds their breath before sending off and uber-important e-mail that could make or break a potential relationship or media placement.

Research conducted at the National Institute of Health proves that holding your breath can contribute to stress-related diseases and disturbs our bodies balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitric oxide. Who would have thought? Linda goes more in-depth about the medical stuff that goes right over my head, but I find it fascinating that someone was creative and clever enough to coin a term like "e-mail apnea."

So as Linda suggests, make sure to breath when writing e-mail! Although, it might be interesting to try and tell a client that I didn't respond to an e-mail because I passed out from holding my breath due to chronic e-mail apnea. Now that's creative! :)

Ode to Mushy Love Day

First and foremost, many thanks to Girl.in.the.D for giving props to the out-of-the-box Valentine's Day gifts that are offered at the RenCen shops. Check out her post, and you'll quickly become addicted to her blog that, hey what do you know, highlights the POSITIVE things that are going on in Detroit!

Now -- on to my ode to Mushy Love Day. I know there are many people in this world who think Valentine's Day is overrated and has been tainted by companies who make you feel guilty if you don't spend a gazillion dollars to prove your worth to the one you love. However, being the die-hard romantic that I am, I will always think of Valentine's Day as a way to give simple yet meangingful reminders to the person that you love -- whether it be through a thoughtful gift, card, flowers or my personal favorite....words.



If you are a sap who's a sucker for stories that make you go "Awww", do read this Free Press article where local couples share secrets to lasting love. Not only is the photo of happily-ever-after couples beyond adorable, but the "love secrets" shared by the couples featured in the article are absolutely priceless. Who knew that the secret to love is as simple as playing footsie in bed, learning to forgive, trying not to change a person and laughing together? Easy as pie, right? Most people who have been in a long-term relationship will beg to differ, but I firmly believe that it CAN be this simple -- so long as both people in the relationship work toward keeping their love alive and fresh, whether it be 10, 30 or 50 years down the road.



I hope there's a Bill Waddell in my future. Bill (who mind you is 80 years old and lives with his wife in a senior center in Farmington Hills), leaves his wife Hershey's Kisses under her upside-down coffee mug every morning. And Carolee, his wife, makes sure to cover him up when he takes his daily afternoon nap. If that's not love, then I don't know what is!



Maybe the perfect love story doesn't exist for everyone, and sadly will never exist for many people. But I refuse to step down from my "love should never die in a relationship" preaching post. And with that, I'm off to do the traditional love-day thang (regardless of the many eye rolls I've encountered along the way), and will continue to look forward to the day that I can tuck my Bill Waddell in for an afternoon snooze. :)

Show Some Love For Your Heart in February -- Go Red!

Move over Valentine's Day -- you're no longer the sole proprietor of the color red in February. Red also represents American Heart Health Month and today, February 1, is National Wear Red Day.

Heart disease is the numero uno killer of women (and men), and the American Heart Association wants people to understand that it CAN be prevented. The organization is putting its heart and soul into spreading the Go Red for Women message "Love Your Heart" to raise awareness of heart disease and empower women to do everything they can to reduce their risk. Check out the American Heart Association's Web site for inspirational stories from women who've battled heart disease, light and easy recipes that will keep your heart happy and ways you can take part in this amazing initiative.

The Go Red for Women ambassador this year is a girl in her twenties named Melissa. She suffered two heart attacks at the age of 19, regardless of the fact that she is physcially fit, eats healthy and is WAY younger that most people who are affected by the disease. Check her out on TLC's What Not to Wear (love, love, love Stacey and Clinton!!) on February 22 at 9 p.m.

I had the opportunity to attend the Go Red for Women luncheon at the Renaissance Center last year -- and I'm hoping to go again next week. I never realized how many women are affected by heart disease every year, so needless to say it was an eye-opening experience. Women empowering groups ignite a fire under me! One day when I'm ready (when I'm done stressing over student loans and living on my own again), I plan to join groups that work to elevate, inspire and benefit women.

What can (and should) you take away from this post? Love your heart, take the necessary steps to keep it healthy and Go Red! Um, you too men! :)

** On a side note, check out my sassy boss Maria (she supports the Go Red team in Detroit) in my favorite and local you-go-girl magazine, Strut.