365-4 | Peaches Prattlings

{April 29, 2016} A travel day treat!

Today was a travel day, heading back to Boston.

My very dear friend RJS was traveling to Chicago this weekend for a conference and we realized we would be like ships passing in the night, my flight was leaving at 3:30pm and she was getting in at 4pm.

As I go to the airport I got notice that my flight was delayed, guess who I texted first! Perfect, she was just landing!

She came into another terminal and decided to come my way and hang out with me while I waited for my flight. Fabulous!

We found each other, hugged a bunch then went to get something to seat, tea and fruit tarts, yum! Not to worry my Passover following friends, I only ate the fruit and custard. Tee hee hee. Guess who got to eat the crust, lucky girl!

This visit was fantastic and made my wait all the better! Ah…

I hope you have the best time RJS!!

{April 28, 2016} What a day! It started blech…and got better!

When I say it started early, I wasn’t kidding. 3:30AM! Yes, I said 3:30AM!

I am staying at a hotel I really like in Chicago on my new project, The Palmer House, http://www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com/about-our-hotel/. It’s a grand and historic hotel, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about the weekend I spent in Chicago about two years ago.

I checked in, headed up to my room, changed into my jammies and settled in to eat some dinner and get some work done. I was tired and crashed out early, you know, for me that’s about 11:30pm/12am. There were loud voices coming from one of the rooms, I didn’t see anyone in the hallway and let it go.

At 3:30AM when I woke the voices were still going and getting louder, including the room across the hall. I can’t believe it, but I “narc-ed”, I called down to the front desk to voice my concern. I don’t think they actually sent security up to do anything about it, because the only thing I heard was more voices coming down the hall, calling out room numbers, looking for…yup, the room across the hall.

I opened the door and they just looked at me, no apologies, gee thanks. When I closed the door, I heard them continue to knock and the people inside the room, talking and “shush”ing. Please shut up!

And…as you know, with my trouble with insomnia, I couldn’t fall back asleep, pook. I did fall asleep about 6am for an hour, it was a glorious hour!

Ok, so that was the start. Then…when I went to take a shower…after 15 minutes I gave up and took a sponge bath in the sink, fun, at least there was hot water. I got dressed and headed to the office, it should take about 20 minutes.

I missed my turn, the sign is very small, so, I walked the quarter mile back to my turn and then on to the office. I really didn’t want to be late and…I wasn’t. It was a decent walk and it added to my steps, priorities you know. The flowers are all in bloom.

The training day was good, I learned a lot, got to know people even better, welcomed a new person and I trained them on what I learned yesterday, pretty cool!

After work, I walked back to the hotel, no issues this time! I decided to say something, so I ended up at the front desk talking to a manager, told him what happened last night and this morning. He upgraded me to a king room on the executive level, you know…need a key to get onto the elevator and it’s a special elevator that holds just a few people, with a bench, love it!

Part of the reason for noises is that the NFL Draft is happening in Chicago, this weekend and a bunch of them are staying at this hotel! Go figure! Sorry, I don’t know football players, couldn’t tell you who is here, but there are some massive guys walking around the hotel, blocking the doorways!

I went up to my new room…ahhhh. Then off to find some dinner and found a fabulous vegan restaurant, Native Foods Cafe, https://www.nativefoods.com/. I’m looking forward to going next week to get something in sandwich form! I got a chicken salad and a peanut butter pudding for dessert, just finished it, fabulous! And I feel great! All vegan! Wahoo!

On the way back to the hotel, I gave a homeless guy the rest of my salad, it felt good to be able to share my meal with someone who was in need. I missed that from my days in Michigan.

When I got in, I decided to take a shower, just to be on the safe side, in case I have the same problem in the morning and it was hot and glorious! Fingers crossed I don’t have an issue in the morning.

So…the day started out not so great, improved along the way, Hilton pulled it out and I had a great meal and now I’m sitting here talking to you, what could be better? Please keep your fingers crossed I get to sleep past 3, 4, 5, 6am even!

{April 28, 2016} A new project!

I am on a new project and I’m excited about it!

I am sure I’ve told you that I’m a software trainer, I’m not sure what else I’ve told you. As a trainer, I’ve trained on a multitude of applications for different industries, soft drinks to transportation to electronic medical records, variety is the spice of life after all!

Each time I get a new project, especially when it’s for something I know nothing about, it’s a new opportunity with a new set of challenges. It can be scary and exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time!

I am coming later to the project, the other trainers have been here for several weeks, participating in T3 or Train The Trainer. This is where the experts teach the trainers what they will be training on.

Today, I arrived and hit the ground running! I was paired with a trainer that’s leaving the project and she ran through several classes in a few hours. Now, keep in mind, when I teach, these classes will last all day, they just want me to have a glimpse and understanding of the application. It was a lot to take in on 3 hours of sleep, but I think I’ve got a good start.

Tomorrow is more of the same and then Friday or Monday, at the latest, I will join the other trainers to sit through their teach backs. This is where they teach the experts what they’ve been taught, to get the opportunity to present the material, have others watch and give feedback. I’m looking forward to that, the full class in action.

I will be co-training the first week, that’s the week of May 9th and the following week I’m on my own! I have one week and two days to get ramped up! Can I do it? I’m up for the challenge!

{April 26, 2016} The day started in a tube and ended in a stadium

Or, I could say it started and ended with imaging, so to speak.

I keep hearing The Muppet Show announcer “The continuing saga” of a nauseous girl. I saw the GI yesterday who I continue to perplex, go me! She still has no idea what’s causing the nausea, so next step…gall bladder. Huh? Ok

Today, I went in for a gall bladder emptying study. I know, you’re excited and on the edge of your seat! This was similar to the gastric emptying, as in no eating four hours prior to the test and time in an open MRI machine.

What there was not…food! At least with the gastric emptying, they feed me. This one, nor so lucky. So, four plus hours after breakfast, start test, food came three hours later, what? Ok

They start with an IV, saline and then the dye, which, let me tell you, that saline is cold and felt weird going through my shoulder. A new experience. Then they lie me down and put me into the imaging machine and monitor my gall bladder as I go night night, and a hour later, what a nap! Did they see my gall bladder and intestine? Yup, no blockage.

I had to sit cross legged in the chair while I waited to go to imaging, my feet didn’t quite touch the floor. No jokes from the peanut gallery, thank you!

Next, wake up and the nurse comes in to give you the medication in your IV. Wait, wait, wait. Then she attaches, but we wait for the technician to start whatever else needs to be started. Wait, wait, wait.

Lay back down, start the machine and…no nap for this hour, unfortunately, sleep did not come, oh well, at least Netflix did!

When it was over, buh bye, that’s it. Away I went, in search of…yes, you guessed it! Food! I found a Starbucks in the lobby of the hospital, go figure, and got a cup of fruit. Go figure, the only thing I could have from there, remember, it’s Passover, was the one thing that made me more nauseous! I can have certain fruits in moderation, good apparently was too much! Oh well, tasted good!

Now that that’s over, on to the fun…spending time with my sister, just us, well us and over 100 of her closest friends. No, I’m kidding. The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, which I’ll have you know is the place that saved my sister’s life, was hosting an event for people who have done fundraising for the organization.
http://www.dana-farber.org/mobile/default.aspx

It was hosted at Fenway Park, I know, two Yankee fans in Red Sox territory, amazingly enough, we survived!

It started with a tour of the stadium, the Green Monster seating and my favorite part, the rooftop garden. It’s approximately 1800 square feet and brings in about 5000 pounds of fresh produce each year! The vegetables are used in the EMC restaurant. Now that’s green!

After the tour, there were drinks and appetizers at the club level. You could tell there were quite a few people celebrating passover because there were slider buns still in the trays and the meat was gone. They did have some black bean/quinoa burgers, little kick, but good, I was just happy to have a little something.

After the cocktail hour, we went upstairs to the EMC Restaurant for dessert and talks. There were five main speakers, the opening speaker was a three time survivor and the four who followed were doctors and researchers all giving a “Ted Talk” of sorts about exciting things happening in research and the fight or race to find a cure for cancer.

It was fascinating to hear what they had to say, how they each had a story to tell, some how they were touched by their patients and the strides and contributions not just by them but by the entire medical and research communities and Dana Farber, not just what it represents, but what it means to so many people.

After they all spoke there was a question and answer period, then discussions at our own tables.

It really was interesting and eye opening and anything that supports my sister works for me!

After the event we walked to the train station, said goodbye and went our separate ways, literally.

Here I am to tell you all about it and my day, share pictures and then get some sleep, the alarm is coming very early and I have a new project starting tomorrow, I’ll tell you all about it…tomorrow!

Goodnight!

{April 25, 2016} Mine…she’s all mine…muwahahaha

I did something awesome today!

I paid off my car! What a great feeling! I had been watching the total go down and I thought, I’ll pay it off this week and I held out, then again and again.

Finally, it was much more reasonable to pay off and I did! She is now officially all mine! I can’t wait to see her and take a drive with the top down, me and MY car!

Hmmm…what to do with the money? Put it aside every month so I can afford to visit her before I move. Oh, and PSM of course, tee hee hee. “Annie I’m coming for ya!”

A really great feeling, wahoo!

{April 24, 2016} PSM’s whirlwind weekend! Started strong and never stopped!

I know everyone wants to be me, I think PSM really tried this weekend! And what a weekend!

It started Friday morning when he arrived from Hawaii at 9am and went from there. I surprised him at the airport, a quick breakfast reunion, he went off to see his office and coworkers in Boston, then take care of something at his house, then to GES’ house to help set up and then participate in first night of Passover.

After clean up and goodnights, off to his brother’s house to spend the night and Saturday with his brother, sister-in-law and nephew, and their dog, Chelsea of course. After a nice relaxing day, there was breakfast, catching up, business, looking at photos of family and a quick nap for him, we were off to his family’s Passover seder.

Another rousing, exciting and enjoyable eveningwith family. Then…after clean up, back to my sister’s house for the night. I snuck into the girls rooms for goodnight kisses and we helped set the house back to order after the second seder at GES’ house. Then we sat down to talk and tell jokes for a while, laugh until we cried and then off to sleep, another big day ahead!

Today, we got up, said good morning and goodbyes to my family and headed towards PSM’s extended family, his crazy group of friends. G&JB had offered their place when I emailed the group about having a brunch for PSM, who they all call Boo.

Everyone came and brought something for brunch and GB was the omelet master! They even made order forms, it was great! It wad funny when they thanked me me for giving them an excuse to get the house ready for spring/summer!

There was food, drink, laughter, fun, frivolity and fire! They have a great fire pit in the backyard and since it was cold, they threw a few things, besides wood onto the fire, including some old Christmas trees, which take off like crazy!

We really had a great time, people stayed for a long time, one by one, families had to leave for soccer and softball and…what a great, fabulous and special time. They really do love “their Boo”. Someone was laughing because they tried to come up with a cute nickname putting our names together and all she cane up with was Joo, ha ha, back to the drawing board!

We left about 5pm and headed to my place to check on the cats, return the rental car and on to a hotel for hotel last night in town, just the two of us…sigh.

So, what do you think? Was he trying to be like me and have a whirlwind weekend? I was right there with him! And I loved every minute of it! Now we need a nap!

That is a burning Christmas tree.

A fabulous omelet

Our view for the night

{April 23, 2016} Chag Semeach…second night of Passover

Another rousing success.

Today we hung out with PSM’s brother’s family, then went to his aunt and uncle’s house for their family seder.

It’s great getting to experience other people’s traditions. PSM’s family was raised more conservative than my family and their seder was a little different, it followed more traditional lines, there was more Hebrew and more singing, and more singing in Hebrew. everyone read from the haggadah, something I like that we do as well, everyone participates, that is very important.

What was not different in any way was the amount of food, the noise level, the kids, both children and adults were rowdy and out of hand here and there, which, it turns out, is very common. Don’t believe me, check out people’s posts on Facebook!

Everyone is always so accommodating to my special dietary needs. PSM’s Auntie L made me special soup and a stuffed acorn squash, oh my! And thank you so very much!

Everyone there is so kind, caring and welcoming, I feel like part of the family, we had only been dating a few months last year when he invited me to be a part of hours families second night seder, I was touched and this year it was even more familiar, thank you!

Some families will celebrate the first two nights and the last two nights. We are done! We will keep kosher and follow the dietary rules, for the most part, for the next 6 nights, but our seder days are over, for this year at least. I look forward to seeing what next year holds!

{April 23, 2016} Chag Sameach…second night of Passover

Another rousing success.

Today we hung out with PSM’s brother’s family, then went to his aunt and uncle’s house for their family seder.

Everyone is always so accommodating to my special dietary needs. PSM’s Auntie L made me special soup and a stuffed acorn squash, oh my! And thank you so very much!

{April 22, 2016} A Happy Passover

Today is the first day of Passover, so mush celebrating has begun!

I know we’ve talked about Passover before, so I hope you don’t mind a little more.

Passover is the telling of the story of the Jews exodus from Egypt. It took them 40 years, only fitting the seder takes a few hours! The seder is the meal and service all rolled into one. There are symbolic foods that go with the seder and have a certain place in the seder, or service, when they are eaten.

There are certain prayers said during the seder representing different things and over different foods. There are four glasses of wine to drink, there is matzoh to represent the bread of affliction, eggs to represent new life, salt water to represent our tears, karpas, or greens represents the flourishing is Jews in Israel, maror is the mortar that held the bricks of the pyramid together, and so much more.

We gather around the table and each person has a haggadah, which is the prayer book that tells the story of the exodus, what everything means, blessings over the different foods and when to eat them, there is symbolism in everything! Maybe you were like me and had the Maxwell House haggadah when you were a kid!

There are very traditional seders and less traditional. When I was younger, they were more traditional, but still do much fun. Our seders lasted for hours because we were laughing, singing and eating. Oh, and observing of course!

After EJS came on the scene, we stated having seders in Boston at GES’ house and they became like my “orphan” thanksgiving in Atlanta. All different families coming together to celebrate and we had more and more wee tots at the table. When EJS was born, I got her Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah and GES took that and marked it to go along with the traditional haggadahs that we had so we could use them together.

This also cut the seder down quite a bit since most of the little kids, all under 8, have the attention span of a gnat, especially when you get them all together! We conver all the bases and basics but not to the level as when GES and I were kids.

When I go to PSM’s family seder tomorrow, it will definitely be more traditional..and take a lot longer! But just as much laughing and singing and food.

There is so much more to tell you, tomorrow!

{April 22, 2016} A Happy Passover

Today is the first day of Passover, so much celebrating has begun!

I know we’ve talked about Passover before, so I hope you don’t mind a little more.

When I go to PSM’s family seder tomorrow, it will definitely be more traditional..and take a lot longer! But just as much laughing and singing and food.

There is so much more to tell you, tomorrow!

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