365-3 | Peaches Prattlings

{March 14, 2015} Skiing with my family! FUN!

This weekend we are all up in New Hampshire skiing and it’s been great!

I landed last night in Boston, PSM picked me up, we headed to New Hampshire where GES, ACS, EJS and MGS were meeting us to spend the weekend. I haven’t seen them in two weeks since I went to NYC to visit dad last week, so seeing them was great!

MGS saw me when I got out of the car and she was fit to be tied, what a greeting, EJS was still waking up from the drive, not as enthusiastic! MGS asked if I could sleep with them last night, I loved that!

This morning, we all got up, some earlier than others, EJS…had breakfast and hung out. There is also another family here to ski, friends of PSM, with two kids one year younger than both the girls, so there is playing, running, screaming, let’s just say fun!

The other family needed to rent skis, so we headed to the mountain. EJS was excited to ski with me again and MGS couldn’t wait to get on a chair lift with Auntie J! I was tickled. We got to the top of one of the lifts and away we went. What a great skier both girls are! EJS is getting better with her form and parallels, but…she just wants to go fast, which I totally get and she wants to beat everyone to the bottom, you go girl!

MGS is so stinking cute! She really got into her own this year and has made great strides, she is also fearless! There were many times where the girls would ski ahead and we would catch up or someone would ski first, then the girls, then someone taking up the caboose.

One of the times I was with MGS it was great because…I believe I told you she is a wee tot, well, those kids are so cute when you see them on the slopes and as we were skiing under the lift, people were looking at her and smiling and saying things like “you go!” “woo hoo!” It was a lot of fun.

It really was a treat to ski with both of them, to see and feel their enthusiasm and they are such troopers “one more, one more, I’m going to beat you to the bottom, one more”. It was neat to be able to ski with my sister again after all these years. I don’t think we’ve skied together since college, so this was fun. I loved watching her, she has great form and is a very smooth skier.

We skied from about 10:30am to 3:15pm, with a short break for lunch in between, really great!

After skiing, back to the house to relax, snack, have dinner and then eventually pass out on the couch in front of the fire. That sounds pretty good to me, I wonder what’s in store tomorrow!

Happy Happy to my friend TS!

{March 13, 2015} Where does the energy come from?

Being a teacher/trainer/instructor is like being on stage.

I’m sure you probably know what I mean, but…for those of you that don’t…when you are in the profession to be in front of a classroom, you are basically an entertainer, for however many hours the class is going on for.

I was talking about it with someone the other day. I am normally a person who has a lot of energy, I have been referred to as the Energizer Bunny, I don’t seem to sit still. I have done theater, so I have been on in front of people for hours at a time.

Now, for each class, I am front of the class, I am on, for the entire time, and sometimes prior to the class and after, if people are still there or show up early. I can tell you that getting up at 5:30am every day and then teaching until 4pm is taking it’s toll on me here and there.

When I get to the first class, I’m good, I am on, then between classes, especially between class two and three and three and four, I could probably close my eyes and be out cold, but then the students show up and I am on and then I have the energy of a few cups of coffee!

I have no idea how that happens, it comes from somewhere and I am on…for the entire time. I have to be, I am there to teach and entertain, the classes on this project are one to three hours, so, like I said, I have to be on and keep the class motivated. I am happy to say I find the energy somewhere, I think I just really, really like what I am doing and I can’t help it!

And the fact that the students tell me they had a good time and learned something, that makes it all worth it.

{March 12, 2015} Isn’t decaf and caffeine free the same thing?

Things that make me go…huh?

I went to get a cup of tea at a coffee establishment that was in one of the hospitals I was teaching at yesterday, do I tell you the name of the establishment? It’s a famous place, nah, not going to do it, I don’t want to sully their reputation.

So…I get to the counter and ask if they have decaf [hot] tea. Yes. Great, what flavor? The decaf tea is black. Ok, well, just curious, what other flavors do you have?

This is what made me scratch my head…

The response “Well, the decaf tea is black, the caffeine free we have is chamomile, apple cinnamon, peppermint, lemon…” Huh? Well, alrighty then…without missing a beat, I ordered apple cinnamon and kept my mouth shut as I paid, took the tea and went back to teach my next class.

I got nothing…

{March 11, 2015} What a day!

The day started like all the others since I started training…early.

The alarm went off at 5:15am, snooze until 5:30, I also have a second alarm set up so that I won’t be able to oversleep, it worked. I showered, got dressed, finished packing and headed out about 5:50am, on the road, after check out and headed to my first hospital.

Got to the hospital about 6:30, parked, headed in and got my class ready to go. The classes I was teaching today were 1.5 hours each and there were 4classes that I taught today. After the first two I headed to the next hospital to teach two more classes. In between, there were some technical difficulties and I didn’t have an instructor’s pc, but no worries, I’ve got this! I kept them on track and entertained.

Four classes later, at 4pm, one debriefing call at 4:30pm and then to one of the offices to get some paperwork. Next, I headed to meet MY TWIN NB!!! For dinner! I’m in Buffalo and he’s in Rochester, so…we got to see each other, he came my way to an Irish Pub not far from my hotel, so awesome of him to do that!

What a great night, we talked and laughed and realized how much we adore each other and look out for each other and reinforce why he’s one of my closest and best friends, he has to be, we’ve known each other for…wait for it! TWENTY SIX years! OMG! Freshmen year of college!

Now to the next hotel, check in and get a little work done, then sleep. Sleep. Sleep..Perchance to dream, is it coming? Please say yes!

{March 10, 2015} Niagara Falls at night

Tonight, an exciting and fun experience.

I’ve told you how I get to do cool stuff while I’m onsite for some projects, tonight was no different. We went to Niagara after dinner, how cool is that?!

Since we are in Buffalo for this project, we knew we would have to go to The Falls at some point, so JO found a deal for the Sheraton, we got the room, vouchers for food and drinks, a bottle of wine and a voucher for the casino across the way, great! So tonight, after work, we met downstairs and had dinner then walked less than a mile to Niagara Falls!

It’s night time, so it wasn’t easy to see very far, but it was still cool and beautiful. From about two blocks away you could hear the rushing water, then as we got closer, it got a little chillier and when we were there, we could feel the spray on our faces.

It was a fun experience and one I hope to do again, in daylight hours, but I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

{March 9, 2015} I underpacked…

Yes folks, you heard me say it, I JJ…underpacked.

My under things that is. Clothing is never an issue, I always have more than I need and even for these two weeks, I have enough clothes for work, as I am teaching different people every day, I could, actually, wear the same thing over and over, as long as it’s the same class and who would be the wiser? Nobody! But I’m not doing that!

I usually have downtime clothes, which I did this trip, my first week here, the only thing I did have that wasn’t professional were workout gear and jammies, other than that, if we decided to go out, work clothes.

Normally, I pack enough sox and britches to get me through 2x the days on the trip, this time, I do not know where my head was…I knew I would do laundry at dad’s [if I was going somewhere else for the weekend, laundry there] but..even so, I always have enough underthings to get me through a few extra days.

This trip…not so. I got to dad’s and before I could do laundry, I was down to the socks from the day before and a pair of bathing suit bottoms. Don’t tell me you have never done this before! I know everyone who went to college has done this at least once! Not saying that anyone who did not go to college did not do this, but…I know how many of my friends in college did this!

Get this, I even packed my bag for this coming weekend, it’s packed and ready to go at home, enough underthings to get through more than the weekend, but not here! Go figure!

Happy Happy Happy birthday to three of my favorite people, all of them call me Auntie! Fabulous 4 year old twins S&E and COF from across the street! XOXO

{March 8, 2015} End with the Theater…as promised!

Oh brother was I tired last night! A 12 hour day can do that to a person!

Let me tell you how tired I was…I slept until almost 10am! Yes, me…the girl who doesn’t sleep, slept until almost 10am! It was awesome and now I am caught up for the month!

We saw…BOOK OF MORMON! OMG! SO FUNNY!

So…after the museum, we drove down town to the theater district, parked and walked around for about 1.5/2 hours, it was great. The sights, the sounds, the smells of New York City and Times Square and all of it, I was at peace, I love this city! No other like it in the world! And I love that I was with my dad!

We stopped in a Pret a Manger for a bite to eat, lunch had finally worn off and I didn’t want my tummy grumbling during the performance! Then it was time to go, we walked to the theater, found our seats and settled in to have a good time. If there was a little more leg room between the seat and the railing, it would have been better. I’m short, just imagine what it was like for my dad!

The show is so funny! The high level overview? Two young wide eyed missionaries, one “the perfect elder” the other…”the perfect screw up” well, that’s what his parents seem to think, who are paired up and sent to a remote village in northern Uganda. There are several missionaries there already, no converts and the village is terrorized by a warlord, can’t tell you his name, not PG, and the villagers are more worried about disease, torture and death than the lord. The less than perfect elder has a breakthrough with the villagers and presto-chango…new congregants.

Let’s just say the less than perfect elder, who has not quite read the Book of Mormon tells them his own version, so to speak. This one has Yoda, some hobbits, Darth Vadar, BobaFet, just saying. Do you get the picture?

There is singing, dancing, hilarity, flashy sequined numbers, from simple vests to an entire underworld red sequined extravaganza! There are lessons to be learned, friendships to be made, humility to be experienced, warlords to be defeated, body parts to be saved.

The important thing to remember, this show was created by the guys who brought you South Park, very tongue in cheek, poke fun at religion, among so many other things! If you are a very religious person or offended by bad language this show is not for you. But…if you have a good sense of humor and can take things in the spirit they were written, go see this show!

Thanks daddy, I had the best time!

Enjoy the opening number: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzS5rUEsy3M&list=PLF4A9BACDC3B1E6E3

http://bookofmormonbroadway.com/show

{March 7, 2015} Start with the Museum…End with the Theater…What a day!

I am a spoiled daddy’s girl and I love it!

Having a moment…did I mention, last night, that I am in NYC visiting my dad for the weekend? Well, I am and it’s been fabulous so far! I got in late last night, as I told you and then we stayed up until about 12:30 talking, it was great.

This morning I got a text way too early, as I had forgotten to turn off the volume, a mistake I will not be making this evening. So, no worries on getting up early, I’m getting used to it for teaching class, so it’s all good.

Dad and I talked for a good long while, got some breakfast, played on our pc’s, got ready and headed into Manhattan to have some fun! We drove in and parked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, headed in, but first, had to stop at the main entrance, go outside and get a knish! Mmmm…and for those of you not in the know, a knish is dough filled with goodness and often fried. Trust me, y u m! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knish

After sneaking the knish in, we sat down to munch on it and then headed into the museum for some culture. We started with some amazing Chinese calligraphy and images, I need to show you some of the amazing work my dad has done, in this medium! He really is gifted and I love when I get an original piece, sometimes he even writes letters on the back and mails it, how cool is that?

Aren’t these beautiful? He gets inspired looking at them, I love to see it and talk to him about what he’s going to create, it’s fun to see.

Then there were the Impressionists, which I love! Degas’ Dancer was there! I hadn’t seen it in years, since I was at Musee D’Orsey in Paris about 7 years ago! What a treat! I walk into this area, see Manet, Monet, Seurat, Pissaro and so many more and I feel a huge sense of calm and happiness wash over me, I am at peace and well, happy.

Somewhere in there, we have a sit down and some lunch, which was very nice, my view was of the park outside of the museum covered in snow, people out there walking around, it was about 30 degrees, a heat wave!

I have to tell you, I love going to the museum with my dad more than anyone. I enjoy going with others, but there is nothing like going with my dad. We have similar tastes and reactions, we sometimes both look at something and wonder “What?” “Really?” And we laugh at a lot of the same things, I absolutely love it!

After lunch, we went to one of my favorite areas, the Lila Acheson wing, where they keep the modern art. There are some pieces I adore and some I scratch my head, well I should say we scratch our heads.

There was the Lichtenstein and the Close and the Rauschenberg and the Stella and the…and the… I was happy.

Now, when I said we like to have fun…Take a look at this this one, I made my dad stare into it and I whispered “I want a pony, I want a pony”

Eventually, it was time to go and folks…this is where I sign off because I am one tired puppy and I need to get some sleep! I will tell you all about the theater tomorrow!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

{March 6, 2015} JFK [the airport] Fail? You be the judge.

Tonight I flew to NYC to spend the weekend with my dad, go me!

My dad is a very busy guy and now that I’m on a project again and able to fly places on the weekends, we put our calendars together and this is the weekend that worked, wahoo!

Now, the closest airport to the house I grew up in is Newark Airport, about 13 miles from the house. My last class finished at 4pm, I couldn’t take a flight earlier than 6pm, you know, to give me time to get to the airport, check in, return the car, etc. Ok, so…the only flight I could get that got me in before 10pm was a 6:30 to JFK Airport, which is about 45 minutes from home.

6:30pm coming in to JFK it is. The flight boarded on time, I was in first class, go me, go Delta! The flight left on time, actually a few minutes late, to accommodate some passengers from another flight getting re-routed/re-booked on this one, not too bad.

We land, precisely when expected, 8pm. We did not, however, get off the plane until about 8:55, excuse me? A full hour, well just shy of an hour. Why? you ask? Well, let me tell you. First, there was a jam up at the airport and we had to sit on the runway for quite a while, then we start moving, along with everyone else, as the pilot put it, “We are in the conga line with everyone else’ and he told us they were looking for available gates!

It felt like we were going to “drive” all over the airport. They finally found an available gate on the other side of the airport, then we sat there for a while. I was fine, kind of curled up with my giant white down jacket over me like a blanket and a pillow, I was ready to sack out if needed.

Bottom line, we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour while they look for a gate! Fail? You tell me!

{March 5, 2015} I’m on a runners high!

And I didn’t even run anywhere! But I did walk 17, 441 steps! Let me tell you how!

Today, I taught my first class on my new project and it was awesome! I got here last Monday and hit the ground running. Monday we did orientation, meet the other trainers, get the lay of the land, even started working on updates or talking points to some documentation.

Tuesday we did T3 or Train The Trainer. For those of you not “in the know” that is where someone trains the trainer, me, on the application. Depending on the size of the project, number of people to be trained, material covered, length of class times, a lot of factors, will determine how long T3 lasts. Well, we started last Tuesday and I taught my first class today!

During T3, we will watch a full class being presented and then over the next few days, the trainers will take turns doing teach backs, where they present to the instructors, to get a feel for the application and what they will be training and it gives the people running T3 an insight into the trainers strengths, weaknesses, how they will do in front of the class.

We started T3s on Wednesday, I was the second person to do a teach back and since I have more experience than the majority of the trainers on the team, I stayed to help them with their teach backs, go through the material, get comfortable in front of a class, some of them have never taught before. I had a lot of fun doing it and one of the reasons I enjoyed it is that when I am helping them, I am also reinforcing my knowledge of the product, so a win-win!

The first time you do a teach back on a new application is always the toughest, it’s new, unfamiliar territory and you want to get it right. After that, you’re golden. I have been practicing and I have been ready to go for a few days and today was the day. I was going to sit in on another trainer’s classes and be the co-teach and help her if she needed it, which she did not, just so you know! I was also there for moral support, which is always a good thing, I like think. It also helped reinforce things for when I was going to teach.

I’m always a little nervous when I teach my first full class, but I am good enough that you would never know it! Fooled you all! muwahaha! It was time for my first class and I jumped right in and I told some bad jokes, got people comfortable and got started and I made the 1.5 hour fly by, at least I think and hope I did! Everyone seemed to learn a lot and have a good time, which is a great thing!

I was done with the second class and I was over the moon! I barely even look at my notes during the second class, that felt great! I walked around, looked at what everyone was doing, guided them to where they needed to be and taught two very successful classes, I am so very happy to say!

Now, back to my 17k steps! How did I do that, you might ask…well I’ll tell you. It starts with getting up at 5:30am, getting ready for work, heading out the door and then proctoring two classes that you never sit for, walk around to get the keys for the classrooms, never sit while you teach, then do 3.1 miles on the treadmill!

And now, my friends, I think I just hit the preverbal wall, I am going to say goodnight and pleasant dreams! I have to do it all again tomorrow!

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