The End of an Era

Like so many other lifelong Detroiters, I am a product of families who made their living as part of the Big 3 and in both white-collar and UAW roles. Though the bulk of the family auto employees worked for the Ford Motor Company (as my Aunt Mary always referred to the company), there have been family members who also worked for Chrysler and General Motors. I'm not sure I've met anyone who grew up in the tri-county area who wasn't tied to these companies in some way. Through a lot of ups, downs and changes through the years - both good and bad - three things were always constant in these parts and they were Ford, GM and Chrysler.

The things I've seen shake out this year, specifically those related to the recession, are things I did not think would ever truly happen and today saw one more. General Motors finally filed for bankruptcy. It was a long time coming and completely planned out, but it is still uncertain what this will mean for the future of the company, the workers, the other manufacturers, the Motor City and the U.S.A. As a firm believer in free markets, a large part of me thinks that the market would have dictated the best possible result in the end, not a majority stake by the U.S. government.

As a Detroiter at heart, I am hopeful that there may be a brighter future for GM down the road.

Positive Thursdays: Simple Pleasures

The reality of life, and lack of sunshine in Detroit, had me feeling a touch frustrated and down today. In turn, this made me think about things that make me smile and I decided to write them down. In no particular order, here are 25 of my Simple Pleasures! :)

1. A really great cup of coffee.
2. Having someone play with your hair.
3. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
4. A baseball game, cold draft beer and good friends on a Friday night.
5. Fresh tulips and gerbera daisies.
6. The awesome architecture and character of old buildings.
7. A special glance.
8. An unexpected card arriving in the mail.
9. Taking a leisurely drive on a long country road.
10. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
11. Lying in bed all day. Just because.
12. Summer thunderstorms.
13. Sitting on the beach at night listening to the ocean.
14. Really awesome photographs.
15. Looking into their eyes and knowing they *see* you.
16. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
17. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
18. Making new friends.
19. Playing with a puppy.
20. Road trips with friends.
21. Swinging on swings.
22. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
23. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
24. Watching the sun rise. Or set.
25. A child discovering things for the very first time.

Shady's Back...

...Back again. And I could not be happier! Marshall Mathers (aka: Slim Shady, Eminem) is one of my all time faves. It's been a number of years since we've heard from him and I've been anticipating the May 19 release of his new studio album, "Relapse." Much to my surprise & delight, I got my hands on the leaked copy today. Just downloaded to the iPod and am ready to listen en route to Ohio tomorrow afternoon. I'm hoping the anticipation doesn't create disappointment in the actual but that's not likely. Em rarely disappoints me. :)