365-4 | Peaches Prattlings

{July 28, 2016} A nice end to a busy day

Shouldn’t they all be like that?

The day started early with some time on the treadmill, the elliptical machines were both busy. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a treadmill, let the sweat pour!

Of to the office for a very busy day, good lunch company, more busy and work, problem solved, whew! then a good bi-weekly check-in with my manager.

After work, I went with one of my co-workers, who I have become good friends with, LJ, to get much needed pedicures and then we ordered food while we walked back to get apartment. IWe ate, talked and watched the Wednesday night fireworks at Navy Pier. I also got to meet and play with her sweet cat, Max, sigh.

Then back to the hotel, a prior work and now I’m talking to you.

Pretty good day, huh?

{July 27, 2016} Technology in hotel…good or bad?

I am a techno-geek! There is said it.

I like the latest and greatest. Sometimes I want it all! I have a work laptop, an iPad and my personal computer is a Surface Project 3, which is is pc/tablet. I have my fabulous “phablet”, that would be my large smartphone that is almost like a pc/tablet so they call it a phablet and finally, well, I think finally, my smart watch.

There might be more and I have forgotten! Could I have more, why not! If money was no object, go for it! I am a software trainer, I work with technology, I want to know about the latest and greatest and I appreciate what’s out there, don’t understand it all, but I appreciate it!

Hilton has implemented their digital check in and keys, which I love. If you don’t know about the digital key, you request it and when it’s ready, hold it up to the door you want to open and it does, just like a plastic key. No more carrying a key and worrying about losing it.

Down side…sometimes the digital key, like everything else, might be having a right day and just won’t work. I’ve had that happen at my room, I call and they reset it or bring me a new one. Sometimes it just doesn’t worth in front of some doors, case in point, yesterday, I stood in front of the girl gym trying to get in, then go down to the front desk for an actual key.

The new thing some Hilton hotels are putting in are the digital elevator. I’ve seen it in other hotels. You put in the number on a key pad, it decides which elevator you take and then it goes.

That’s great until you have too many people and the doors are closed and you don’t move. Hmm…that’s what happened last night when I got back from dinner. Hey, I hadn’t eaten that much!

After a few minutes we all started to wonder, jokingly, if we had hit the weight limit! Someone pried the door open finally and we all got out. There was a gentleman who worked for the hotel counting how many of us there were, about 11. Five adults and six little kids, really? Ok…

We all got off, I tried to take it again, no dice. Next elevator, all good. Apparently this is an old elevator, ok…Made it to my room, all that matters, right?

So, technology in a hotel…good or bad? Not stopping me…

{July 25, 2016} To travel Sunday or Monday…that is the question.

So…the life of a consultant, well not the entire life.

When you’re on a project, it all depends on the project when you need to be at the client site, if at all. Some projects you might be in your local office and never go to the client site at all or maybe just once in a while. For me, I am project based so I am there all the time.

That being said, some projects you’re onsite Monday through Friday, some Tuesday through Thursday, the thought being that you are in your local office Monday and Friday. Most projects are traditionally Monday through Thursday, which is what I am on now.

The difference being, when you are on a training engagement, all bets are off, it’s all dependent on when you teach. I’ve been on projects where I’ve taught six days a week, especially when your client is a hospital and the students are medical professionals, six days a week, could be all hours. This project has classes Monday through Friday.

So, when you have schedules like that, you have to figure out when to travel. Since classesstart at 9am, I travel in the night before, I never take a chance on morning of travel and I generally fly out the day after my last class. That’s what I’ve been doing, fly out on Sunday, back on Friday.

Now that training is over, I have a choice to fly out on Monday morning, be at the office by 11am and fly out about 5pm on Thursday or stick to my original schedule.

So, I’m trying something new, fly in on Monday mornings and out Thursday night. This gives me more time at home, the opportunity to spend more time with family and friends and the cats and work from home on Fridays instead of traveling.

The only thing you take a chance on is that you are at the mercy of the airlines. Monday mornings can be tough, with flights getting canceled, the lines are crazy getting through security, especially if you don’t have TSA Pre-Check. Then there is the getting up at 4am or earlier to get to the airport on time.

So…so you fly on Sunday, leisurely, maybe get to the hotel early, or like me, by 10pm, but your already in the city you need to be, you get up at a reasonable hour, unless you’re going to the gym! and get to the client site by 8 or 9am or do you spend the extra time at home and get up before the sun to travel.

Hmm…to travel Sunday or Monday…that is the question.

{July 23, 2016} There’s a storm a-coming

That’s an impressive sight!

Tonight, I joined GES, ACS, EJS and MGS and two friends at a NE Revs futbal match. That’s New England Revolution, for those of you, not in the know.

There was a threat of a huge storm tonight, but not until about 1030pm, way after we would be home from the match. It’s a hit sticky day in Boston.

Then, as we headed into the stadium, the clouds started rolling in. The nice result was that it started cooling things off, but the sons kicked up, I had to keep my sunglasses on for fear of dirt in the eye!

The sky opened, we scrambled for cover, three minutes later it was over, but the air felt cooler.

But…no matter what, the sky was impressive. The sky gets these amazing colors before something big happens, don’t you agree?

Mother nature is something else!

{July 22, 2016} Star Trek Beyond

Saw it…loved it…will own it.

There. Enough said. Nah, not really, ha ha.

First, I must admit, I didn’t love it as much as the first two, but I loved it nonetheless. They’ve been in space exploring for three years and you see how its affecting everyone in different ways.

There have been opportunites for adventure and peace keeping and Kirk seems to have learned something from his past experiences, seeming to make him appreciate his role as Captain more or at least embracing the responsibility or “respecting the chair” as Captain Pike told him once.

There are a few internal and some obvious struggles, revelations, relationships, questions, and some head scratching moments. It was slow at times, others at warp speed and times I was wondering what the plot or point was. I figured it out eventually.

All the main characters were back, mixed feelings seeing Anton Yechin and the small tributes to Leonard Nimoy. I can’t reveal, but a main character, can I say that? was destroyed.

There was action, resourcefulness, light, dark, tricks, huh moments, McGuyver moments, their traditional one liners, humor, heartbreak. Simon Pegg, who plays Scott you, co-wrote it, what a treat!

ACS and I have started a tradition, I guess, we saw the last one together and he was the first one I thought to ask to go, now we’ve gone to two Star Trek premiers, ready for the next one, when it’s it?

{July 21, 2016} Delta came through

So…a few days ago I moved up with my Delta Airlines status…Platinum baby!

There are many advantages with having platinum status. One of them is priority upgrades.

Today, I was booked on two United flights from Springfield, IL. First flight was supposed to leave at 530am, didn’t quite make it out until close to 645am. We landed in Chicago about 6 minutes before my next flight took off.

Untied booked me on a 540pm flight. Huh? So I called my company’s travel port and they got me on a Delta connector…Chicago to Cincinnati to Boston, give me those segments. My first flight was leaving in about 45 minutes, I had a decent seat in coach and within a few minutes of arriving at the gate…first class.

We land in Cincinnati and that flight is delayed. It was supposed to leave at 1030am, then it was 11am and then 117pm. Ok, time to settle in and get some work done. I get on the plane…giusto class. Sounds like a good deal to me.

So…Delta came through and that status helps. What’s the American Express slogan “Membership has its privileges”. Spoil me, I can take it!

{July 21, 2016} Could this be more true?

Fortune cookies can scream at you!

I got Chinese food for lunch and my favorite thing about Chinese food is the fortune cookie. The messages can be silly, funny, introspective, good advice and sometimes it’s spot on.

Could this be more prefect for me? My desire to discover new frontiers…it’s time to travel! Let’s see…does tomorrow’s flight count? ? Or the next big trip PSM and I are planning for the fall? Or, um…moving to Hawaii? Yes think?

Let’s go!!!

{July 20, 2016} Skin of my teeth didn’t cut it this time

I was traveling to Springfield, IL from Chicago today and I was going by rail…and missed my first train.

I booked the train for 145pm and since I booked traveled on Amtrak through my travel port before I didn’t realize it was just a reservation and I still had to pay at the station.

I also found out the hard way that you can’t arrive 10 minutes before your train leaves, you need a little more time.

So…I rebooked for the 515pm and paid while I was there, went back to the office, one block away, got more work done and then at 445, left for the train station again.

I got in line, found a seat next to a nice person and settled in for my 3+ hour journey and we made it, a little late, but we made it.

There were delays, loud people, crying babies, sleeper, oh, and conductors making cheese you announcements!…it was just l like being on a plane. Just no drink cart going by.

I got work done, some conference calls, commiserated with the guys next to me until the annoying woman behind and across from us got off the train, then we had a nice chat about Philadelphia, where he lives and traveling. Then we were at our destination. Nice.

{July 18, 2016} I think travel kicked my…

You guessed it.

The day started at 430am, flight at 6am, delay and turbulance on the first flight, enough time to get to the next flight, only to sit on the tarmac for over an hour before taking off, this was due to the lightening storm going on outside.

Finally got to Chicago about 11, then on to the office. Did get some lunch about 1245, I was hu-hu-hu-hungry! Breakfast was at 530 EST!

The day was productive, but sitting, the travel delays and my allergies kicking in for some reason was kicking my butt! Oh, and I think it being Monday has something to do with it!

I left the office about 630, headed to the hotel, got some dinner and I am now in my pj’s at 845pm! Let’s see how long I make it!

{July 17, 2016} The summer’s half over…what?

I heard that on the radio today and I couldn’t believe it.

All I could think was how is that possible? Some schools just got out a few weeks ago.

But then I thought, well…technically, there are four seasons and since the year is twelve months, each season is three months and as summer technically started June 20th and it’s July 17th…I guess summer is half over, well, I guess if you want to nit pick, August 22nd would be the date for the halfway mark.

Of course, the real kicker to signal the halfway mark or even the end of summersummer is coming…school supplies are in the stores already! What???

Hang on summer, we’re here for you!

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?