Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
This has been an eventful week, mainly because I have a whole new group of people who are now aware of “I Love Don Week.” And ya know what, I think some of them like it. Some of them think it’s the most ego-maniacal thing anyone has ever done …ever. But other people “get it.”
Did I mention previously that a generous guy I know, we’ll call him J.L., gave me tickets to Fall Out Boy on Monday. VIP seats and free parking, even. And I invited my sister at the last minute and she was able to make it, so spending an evening with my sister was a bonus gift. That was Day 4, but it happened after I had already posted and blogged my list.
Welcome, A.H., G.P., and S.A. to “I Love Don Week”. Gifts are optional, but highly encouraged. For the record, G.P. is baking something awesome for me, this evening, so she has a real shot at winning Rookie of the Year … Breakthrough Artist or something like that.
Tomorrow is the big day, but we’ll talk quick about the awesomness of “I Love Don Week” Day 5 & 6.
I’m stylin’, thanks to my wife. I got two more of those awesome Express dress shirts. I forgot to take pictures, but I will, soon. One is green and grey plaid, and the other is red and grey plaid with thing striping.
Today, I got a U.S. Soccer t-shirt …it wasn’t a jersey like I asked for, but it’s kinda better.
And everyone at work, I think, is pretty excited about it being my birthday, tomorrow.
What else, what else? Oh, yes …my Dad and Grandma Sally stopped by and gave me Maui coffee and a card with money (yes, I’m 41 and my Dad still puts money in a card for me and ya know what …it’s awesome). Funny story …he gives me money in a card, now, because many years ago my Dad took me shopping on my birthday and because I’m me, I headed straight to Nordstrom Rack and went crazy …like “Pretty Woman” crazy buying stuff and when I went to check-out, the lady at the register rang everything and then my Dad pulled out his wallet and paid for everything and the cash register lady raised her eyebrows and “smiled knowingly” and then we were like, oh, wait …I’m his son …he’s my Dad. Wipe that smile off your face.”
So …now, I get a card with money and I know exactly what I’m going to do with it. Head straight to Sur La Table at Somerset and buy some awesome grill stuff.
Bam.
Tomorrow is going to be awesome. My Facebook page is going to fill up with birthday wishes, I have a date-night planned with my wife, and who knows what else is gonna happen. I’m excited.
Thanks to everyone who’s made this a great birthday week and remember, because my birthday falls on a Friday, I’m extending the gift-giving window through Sunday. You still have time.
Hope you’ll enjoy my birthday as much as I’m going to.
Follow me at @donkowalewski.
Oh, and here’s the awesome video I shot at the FOB show. I’ll consider my blog a complete success if someone from Fall Out Boy’s camp asks me to take these videos down.
Paramore opened for FOB.
Pete Wentz gave me good advice.
Pete Wentz walks by me right after he did a number from a stage in the middle of the crowd.
Fall Out Boy’s songs know what I did in the dark.
And that’s it.
Real quick …Day 4 got off to a great start with 3 pairs of underwear. Wait, wait, wait …I won’t be talking about my undergarments, I’m just sayin’ …I needed new underwear and got new underwear. For those following along, my “I Love Don Week” has been highlighted with a dress shirt, cheese dip, coffee beans, and underwear.
“I Love Don Week” isn’t glamorous and your gifts for me don’t have to be extravagant.
Today is Day 4 of “I Love Don Week.” You still have 2 shopping days and because I got a late start and my birthday is on a Friday this year, I’ll extend the window in which I’ll accept gifts through Sunday, July 13th.
Stumped for what to get me? Here’s this years list …



OK. The list could go on and on. I’ll stop there (unless you demand more ideas). Thanks for all those who’ve helped make “I Love Don Week” a great week, so far.
Follow me @donkowalewski.
Can you believe it’s already Day #3 of “I Love Don Week” and I haven’t posted an obnoxious blog post listing all the things on my wish-list for my birthday? Luckily, for some strange reason, my family plays along with the “I Love Don Week” concept and I’ve gotten gifts every day, starting on July 5th.
Real quick for the new blog readers …”I Love Don Week” is the run-up to my birthday, which is July 11th (if you want to put it on your calendar). For the week leading up to my birthday I get gifts and stuff every day. It’s a celebration of all things “Don.”
This year I turn 41.
I kicked things off by changing my “look” and getting a new haircut (see previous post and picture top/left). Whether I was pulling off the look I thought I was or not, I had been trying to cultivate the Brian-Williams-Tom- Brokaw -Peter-Jennings news anchor hair and with the ever expanding forehead, and thinning hair, it just wasn’t happening. So I am kicking off the 42nd year of my life with a short and neat haircut. Four days into this ‘do, and I really, really like it.
Now, onto the recap and plans for the rest of “I Love Don Week”.
Day 1 of “I Love Don Week” was the haircut (a gift to myself) and then a pound of coffee beans from a Grand Rapids roaster, ordered by my wife and delivered by my sister-in-law M.B. and her family. I enjoyed it all long-weekend long. It’s smooth …at least it was smooth Up North using well water. The flavor was distinctly different this morning back using city water. I love the subtle differences the water can have on the flavor of coffee. Oh, and my wife bought a big tub of Win Shuler’s cheese spread. I shouldn’t have this, and don’t have it often, but once a year around my birthday, my wife buys it for me and I make a pig of myself. I dip pretzels in it. Yum.
Day 2 I received decorative magnets for my cubical at work. We have fabric covered metal walls …so thumbtacks don’t work but magnets do. These are cool and thoughtful and will add a little flair to my desk.
And today …drum roll …another cool, patterned shirt from Express. I hope all the junk food I ate over the weekend will still allow me to fit into this “slim fit” shirt.
But the real gift was a nice, long weekend with my family highlighted by tons of fishing, lots of snacking, watching World Cup soccer, being with my in-laws and my nieces and nephews, fireworks (my own show and then watching a well-funded, highly explosive community fireworks display), mountain biking, and …I can’t believe I’m saying this …hanging out with my dog. I’m really starting to like this dog. Here’s the only thing I wish I could change about this dog. She’s a “flight risk.” Meaning …we can’t ever leave a door ajar without having her on a leash or bring her out in the front yard or a field with us, because she’d put her nose to the ground and be gone. This, I plan to fix.
Wow. This blog entry is jumping all over the place. Let me get to the sappy stuff.
The greatest highlight of all was my 7-year-old saying at bedtime last night that her weekend at Grandma and Grandpa’s was, “her #1 best weekend” she’s ever had up there. And as we made the four-hour drive home yesterday, I was thinking the same thing. I felt rested. I felt energized. I felt ready to take on the world. I was not dreading Monday morning and getting back to work.
That is how you execute a holiday weekend …pack everything imaginable into it …enjoy every minute you can with your loved ones or with whatever task or project and try not to let your mind wander …live in the moment …and then when you get back to work, you can live in those moments and maximize them.
Mindfulness just sorta happened for me this weekend, and I’m better today because of it. And because of the gifts. That helps.
Hope your “I Love Don Week” is going as well as mine. My full gift/wish list will be posted later. Sorry for the delay.
Follow me at @donkowalewski.

Readers of this blog know I much prefer Mid-Year Resolutions to New Year Resolutions. Mid-year is like half-time of a football game. You’ve had a chance to look at the year, you see how it’s trying to beat you, so you adjust and come out at halftime and dominate.
No, I don’t want you to tell me how by half-time, some teams are already beaten and outmatched and they don’t have the talent to match-up with their opponent. It’s my metaphor and metaphors don’t have to make total sense. They just have to sound like they make sense.
Last year at this time, 2013 was destroying me. I had a job I was quickly falling out of love with, I laid awake at night in hotel rooms in seedy areas regretting the decision, and thinking about how I was going to fix things. I felt helpless, but like a cornered rat, I was awash in pizza boxes and empty bags of Doritos. But, I vowed at the mid-year mark of 2013 that I would be miserable for one more month, and then I’d take action.
OK, actually , I didn’t consciously make that decision, but that’s what happened. I think on July 1st last year, I still thought would make that new venture work.
Here I am one year later. I have a new job. I love this new job. I work with great people. Having been in a place where I could barely get out of bed each morning, I realize how cool my new job is. It is hard, and there are still sleepless nights when I fret and worry about things at work and about things I can’t control, but I assume most people think about their jobs like that.
So, you ask, what sorta things am I gonna resolve to do when it seems like things are going OK? I’m going to build on what I got going on. Here’s the 8 things on my list…
dley Cooper, and I’m not quite as balding as Jude Law (or Matt Lauer for that matter), but I’m going with short hair.There’s dust on the furniture on this blog and it smells of spoiled food (I think I left a half-eaten Jimmy John’s sub behind the cabinet …thankfully not a tuna sub). It’s kinda embarrassing because I still consider myself a “blogger”, but if I’m not blogging (blogging = writing), then what am I doing?
See, what they tell you about blogging is that you have to have a focus on a particular topic and then pound it home. So if you’re passionate about motorcycles, blog about motorcycles. If you’re passionate about life-coaching or sales-training, blog about sales training.
This blog has never had “focus.” Sometimes I feel inspired to blog about being a Dad. Sometimes I feel inspired to blog about my lungs and breathing issues. In my mind, I’m ashamed about how random my blog is which, if you think about it, is the ultimate in unhealthy thinking.
I took a comedy writing class once and the first day the instructor tried and tried to drill home a point – your ideas don’t suck. He opened every class by reminding us of that point. He tried to tell us every idea is a thing of beauty and to think how amazing that we, as humans, can “think” and “dream” and come up with stuff out of thin air.
Like right now …I bet you aren’t thinking of a monkey riding and elephant delivering a pizza to your house. It was impossible that you were thinking that 3-seconds ago. But now … you see it in your mind.
It’s called “imagination” and this writing teacher always tried to say it’s the true miracle of being human …that our minds can invent and wander and daydream. He’s right. And I’ve forgotten it over these past 15 years since his class.
I like blogging. I would like 10,000 readers because it would be good for my ego, but then again, on days when I know not a soul read my blog, I’m pretty OK on those days, too, because I feel like I did something. Meaning, I said, “I’m going to blog about my snowblower” and then I did.
Curing cancer this blog is not. But it’s something. And it’s not like every blog out there is changing the world.
If you take away one thing from this blog entry, take this …your ideas don’t suck. If you think blogging is a good idea …do it. If you think re-kindling your love of building model cars is a good idea …do it. If you think picking up the phone and calling and old friend is a good idea …trust me …that’s the best idea of all. Go with your ideas and the daydreams you’re having.
Monkey on an elephant delivering a pizza.
Follow me on Twitter at @donkowalewski.

When it comes to kids and sports, I have strong opinions on things. First, it’s my belief, after 8 years of coaching soccer with 4 different teams, and helping coach baseball for 4 seasons, and having played soccer myself (after genetics dictated I was not cut-out for basketball and after I realized how freegin’ scary it is to stand in the batters box while some kid hurls a hard baseball towards you), I’m of the opinion that kids become coordinated and competitive at very different rates, and you cannot learn anything about a kid’s future in sports before they hit puberty.
This sounds like I’m one of those “everyone gets a trophy” kinda guys, and I am …although I think “trophy” is just a modern day Slurpee. Kids should get Slurpees after every game (or a bag of Doritos and little Gatorade, which is what my team does). That’s the fun part. And if the game itself isn’t fun, we’re all doing something wrong.
So last night I was reminded of something …there’s a difference between “proud of” and “happy for.” This will sound like the worst bragging, but last night my son did the following:
You’re probably saying …um …those stats and highlights suck. And, yes, if he was playing for his high-school team or was on scholarship at Michigan State …yes …I’d be pretty sad, right now.
But I’m not sad. I’m happy. Very, very happy. I’m happy because catching the pop-fly and hitting a screaming grounder was, in my mind, nothing short of miraculous. And he was smiling and happy – which is really the best part because it means he’s having fun. And at 9-years-old, if you’re having fun playing a sport, that’s the best thing ever.
I remember baseball was not fun for me when I hit fourth grade because I was scared to death standing in the batter’s box and I couldn’t hit a baseball (to this day, I think hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports and I’m amazed anyone can do it). Basketball was fun for me until I hit middle school and other kids grew tall (and I did not …thanks, ancestors) and every shot I took was rejected into the stands. Get where I’m going?
Last night, my son had fun. He’s better now than he was last year. So I’m happy. And he’s happy.
Now. Let’s get to the “proud.” I’m proud that my son has made friends on the team – complete strangers 14-days ago. Now they were all cheering him on when he was thrust onto the pitchers mound (I thought he might be OK pitching but I had hoped to get to the park with him on a weekend or two and practice before he saw live action). The catcher, after my son gave up a second walk, came out to the mound and talked to him and my son smiled and laughed. And when my son stood in the batter’s box and struck out twice, he was smiling then, too.
But the real source of pride came with how he handled a less than stellar stat line.
“Dad,” he said “I think I know why I got thrown out at 1st …I looked at the play going on in the field and didn’t run full speed to first and watch the first base coach.”
Yes. That’s tough for kids to understand, but “peaking” might’ve cost him a 1/2-step and safe-at-first.
“Dad,” he said. “I think we need to go to a real baseball field and work on my pitching. I was trying to throw it fast and not aiming.”
Ahem. You see why I’m proud?
“Dad,” he said, “Remember you said we were going to go to a batting cage. I think I need to do that.”
And that, my friends, is the very definition of “happy” versus “proud.” I’ve only mentioned those things in passing to him. I say it like, hey, if you want to practice or work on some things, we could always go to the batting cage or the park. But I’m not the Dad that’s going to say, “let’s go to the batting cage and hit a hundred balls and turn off that iPad.” You can’t make a kid competitive and driven about a thing if he’s not. My Dad used to take me to the park and do suicide wind sprints to make me faster – and I wanted to do it. He only had to mention it once and I did it. And I noticed significant improvement in my speed and endurance. That was just me. My Dad didn’t demand it of me. I’m 99% sure my brother and sister never did wind sprints at the park with my Dad.
Every kid is built and wired differently.
Let’s face it …somewhere in the world, right now, there’s an awkward kid who can’t shoot a basketball, runs like one of his legs is longer than the other and resembles a wounded deer running on ice, and his arms and legs just aren’t ready to do what his brain tells them they should do and how they move. But, mark my words, this kid is going to hit puberty and based on genetics or whatever, this awkward kid is suddenly going to grow 6 inches, gain strength, and will wake up one day able to shoot three pointers, swing a golf club with perfect form, and he’ll run faster than anyone in his grade and he’ll be a sports superstar. Meanwhile, some 10 year old with a “swing coach” or playing soccer in Europe this summer is going to wonder, hey, what’s with that kid? He used to be so awkward.
We get too serious about sports too soon with kids …my opinion.
I”m “happy” because my son loves baseball. Loves watching it. Loves playing it. Loves talking about it. And when he can actually get the bat on the ball in his first year of “kid pitch” with older kids pitching at him, and when he can catch a pop-fly (something he’s never come close to doing), I’m “happy” because he had some real positive moments that made it fun.
I’m “proud” because he handled the good with the bad and summed up the night with, “I need more practice.” My pride stems from his commitment, that he’s willing to work, and he didn’t act like he was playing in the world series last night.
Beaming with pride. Seriously.
I read a great article recently that said there’s six words we should tell our kids after a game and only these six words unless they want anything more. I’ll end with those six words.
“I love to watch you play.”
Thanks for reading.

As I was walking this morning I thought about my pace. Was I going too fast? Too slow? Was this 1/2-hour walk really worth my time? You’re not pushing yourself, Don! So then I jogged for about 1/4-mile until I got out-of-breath and stopped. I felt defeated because 4 or 5 years go, I didn’t get to easily winded. So I walked faster …arms pumping like I was in a race, but I thought that I must’ve looked stupid so I stopped and just started walking at a normal pace. Yup. Worried about how I looked to other people at 6:05 a.m. when there aren’t any other people seeing me. I could be walking in a bikini and nobody would notice or care. I was both mad and depressed that this was my new version of exercise – brisk walking.
Well, when summer comes and I can get in the pool, I thought, then I can really work my muscles and increase my cardio fitness level. I wish I could play soccer on a men’s league but I can’t run. Why did I quit my bowling league? I really enjoyed that. But that’s not exercise. I’m fat and doughy. Why don’t I have any self-discipline anymore like I used to?
Yes, that was my morning. I took a nice 1/2-hour walk with my dog on a perfect morning (49 degrees, sunny) while an audio book played on my ear-buds, and I spent most of the time beating myself up about the quality and pace of my walk.
Truly. I didn’t hear a word of the audio book because I was lost in my self-loathing and anxiety.
During Lent I was going to try and focus on being mindful of my moments. To enjoy a book when I’m enjoying a book, and not daydreaming about what I’m not doing. To enjoy a walk and some music or an audio book when I’m walking and look around and notice trees, flowers, birds and such. To spend time with my kids and actually be with them instead of on my Twitter or Facebook or phone checking or thinking about work or my writing assigments and anything else my brain tends to gravitate to when it shouldn’t.
Lent is over. I didn’t do so well. In fact, I failed. I listed three things I was going to do …stop talking negatively about people, stop yelling, and being “mindful.” I guess I sorta accmplished two out of three – the negative talking stopped, and I mostly didn’t yell at my kids, but they made it tough, sometimes. Nope …I won’t blame them. That’s on me.
But “mindfulness” was probably my most important, and I failed.
So here’s what I’m going to do. Lent 2.0. Give me another 40 days and nights. I can do this.
Follow me @donkowalewski.
Whenever I see a local TV station or newspaper naming their “Best Burger in Detroit”, I’m a little skeptical. Those are bought and paid for, says the skeptic inside me. Hey. That’s fine. And I’m not saying I haven’t visited a few of those places and that the burgers weren’t tasty – but I always come back to Basement Burger Bar.
Located in downtown Farmington, and in a basement, no less, this always feels like “my place.” As if I’m one of only handful of people who even know the Basement Burger Bar exists. The owner sees me and says, “hey, Don …the usual?”
I nod approval. I sit at the bar and an icy cold beer slides across the surface into my outstretched hand. A cute, but not too cute, waitress who’s worked there for going on 16 years walks up behind me and says, “hiya, doll. We don’t serve your kind, here.”
I turn. We laugh. It’s an old joke I’ve heard a hundred times. It’s like coming home for Thanksgiving.
OK. So it’s not that quaint. Maybe it was at one point, but not in 2014.
Note 1: The waitresses are both “cute” and a few are “too cute.”
Note 2: Nobody knows me there because I’m anti-social (hence I have a blog)
What you get is a magnificent burger. It’s the kinda place you take someone who’s visiting and staying with you from out of town. It’s where you go to have a burger and watch the first half of a Saturday night football game in the fall. Or where you take your kids special when they brought home great report cards. Or let’s say you go to church on Saturday …ya gotta do dinner after, right? How about a burger? Yum.
Basement Burger Bar’s claim to fame is “craft burgers” and “craft beers.” Some call it “craft” …I call them a work of art.
One more great thing …it’s located right next to the Farmington Civic Theater (my favorite theater on Earth) and if you bring in your ticket stub (maybe you skipped church, who am I to judge), they’ll give you a discount.
See? Quaint.
Out late? It’s also a great place simply to grab a drink, with 40+ craft beers on hand.
Let’s eat.
I discovered this place on Fat Tuesday and trust me when I say, though their Pazckis are the best I’ve had in years, that’s only a small part of what makes this place special.
Do yourself a favor. Stop into Sunflour Bakehaus on your way home from work on a Friday and grab a coffee cake for Saturday morning. Trust me. Your whole family is going to have a better weekend when it gets started with these fresh baked delights.
Or pick up a loaf of bread and have them cut it thick for the best French Toast you’ve ever had. Or, heck, just toast the bread (and maybe sprinkle on some cinnamon).
For 70 years, Sunflour has been treating Farmington to, well, treats. But don’t let “70 years” scare you, they’er completely on board with gluten free, whole grains and whole wheats, and carb free …um, OK. It’s bread. Scratch that “carb free” thing.
It’s a perfect blend of a modern bakery mixed in with traditional favorites. It’s charming. And they’re stuff is fresh – like, baked this morning. You can taste the difference. You can smell the difference. When’s the last time you walked into a large grocery chain and smelled something baking and salivated? Happens here, daily.
What’s that they say …think global, buy local? I have another saying I’m fond of …if you’re going to eat, put great food in your mouth.
Ahem, I’m working on it. That wouldn’t sell T-shirts. But we’re not talking about T-shirts, we’re talking about cakes, bread, and baked goodies and Sunflour’s got it.
Ever notice how taking your kids to the movies gets more expensive with every new blockbuster and the popcorn sucks? Well not at Farmington’s Civic Theater located in charming downtown Farmington.
This is everything you remember and your parents remember about going to the movies, and while some things have definitely changed, some things have stayed the same. The tickets are sold at a ticket window. The popcorn is popped fresh – you can see it, hear it, and smell it. And you won’t be able to resist it.
There are two screens showing movies, and while the tall seat backs in the main theater bring back a rush of memories (of sitting up in the front row at a movie theater when that actually meant something, and the tall seats could keep you hidden from your parents sitting a few rows back), the modern movie visuals have not been sacrificed.
As I tell people, this theater is run by movie buffs who remember when “going to the movies” was an event, but they aren’t about to scrimp on sound and screen quality.
Or popcorn quality. Did I mention the popcorn is great?
Will you be able to check-out the Captain America sequel this weekend? No. But give it a few weeks, and if your schedule and your 9-year-old’s schedule didn’t let you make it opening weekend to the 148 screen mega movie plex, or maybe you just didn’t want to shell out $12 for each ticket, take a deep breath (without going deep into your pockets and bank account), and hit up the Farmington Civic.
Enjoy the show.