365-4 | Peaches Prattlings

{October 21, 2016} A great day…but please, no more deep dish!

What a great day! PSM and ST are here in Chicago with me, we’re going to have a good time.

PSM and I went into my office this morning for a few hours, went to lunch with DLP and then headed to the hotel. ST is in town and going to crash with us for the weekend.

We dropped our stuff and headed out, the boys wanted to go to the Apple store. After waiting about 20 minutes for someone to talk to us, we left empty handed.

We went to the Tmobile store to see my new friends, ha ha. I got the guys set up with VR Gear and someone for PSM to talk to about headphones and I needed a cover put on my phone.

Next it was off to Papa Ginos, a very cool place, with graffiti on every…thing! And yes, for the 2nd and last time I ate deep dish pizza. It wasn’t bad.

Then, to Atwood for Unicum! I was so excited that I found it in Chicago, it’s that battery-acid, Hungarian Liquor that PSM loved.

We introduced ST to Unicum and port, two of PSM’s favorites from our trip last year. Then it was other treats, I pretended to be a grown up and had an amaretto on the rocks.

On to Rockbottom Brewery for more shenanigans, so much fun hanging with these guys.

It’s now about 230am, time for crashing! Lots to do tomorrow. Night!

{October 21, 2016} I got my baby back!

That is so very cheesy!

What’s worse? I said we should have ribs for dinner so I could sing that! Oh brother!

So…bottom line, I got to see my beau tonight. PSM had to be in St. Louis this week and since he was traveling through Chicago, I suggested he spend the weekend with me in Chicago, he said yes!

I was in Bloomington, IL today for work, drove back into Chicago and waited for him, when he finally got there it was a happy reunion, dinner and back to the hotel, we have a great weekend planned.

The best part…we get to see each other!!! And we’re going to be together for the next few weekends and weeks, I promise to tell you all about it, for now…snuggle time!

{October 20, 2016} Hilton…you’re feeding my addiction!

There is a bag! And a fireplace!

We all know by now that I have a bag addiction and when I travel, I’m spoiled. I stay in nice hotels and with my status, I get my choice of rooms.

I got to the hotel tonight and realized that I’ve stayed here before, it’s a nice hotel and they’ve renovated since I was here last.

The room they gave me is in the new executive wing. It’s a king suite with a kitchen, living room with a fireplace, a king bedroom and a ginormous bathroom with a whirlpool tub. I San handle this, is bigger than my first and last apartment put together!

I went down to the guest appreciation do that was happening in the bar, decided to use my drink ticket on a grown up drink, so I got an amaretto on the rocks, nursed that while I talked to the sales manager.

They had apple cider champagne, chili, grilled cheese and pumpkin pie cheesecake, nothing I could eat, but it looked nice. What they did have that I could take…a bag! Uh oh…along with wine and glass bottle openers, mints and some hand cleaner.

So, I got something out of it all. I can tell you what I took and the drink were better than the Chinese food I ordered. But…I enjoyed it all in the comfort of the living room in front of the fireplace watching The Great Pumpkin, sounds good to me.

{October 19, 2016} This day in history…

My history that is.

Where was I, two years ago, October 18, 2014? Roaming the streets of Dublin, Ireland. Would I go back? In a skinny minute! One day, I’m going to show it to PSM.

Where was I October 18, 2015? Completed a half marathon and then toured around Lisbon, Portugal with PSM. Let’s go back!

Where am I on October 18, 2016? Hanging out in Peoria, Illinois. The flowers are pretty.

I think I need to make October the month for travel…not to worry…in a few weeks I’ll have some more fabulous pictures.

{October 18, 2016} Goodbye pop…hello Max

A new experience!

Got up, had breakfast, dad headed to the airport, I headed to work. I know, you’re jealous, ha ha.

After work…

A few of us went to “Saved by the Max”. It’s a pop up diner in Chicago that is a replica of The Max from Saved by the Bell.

They designed it exactly like The Max, down to payphone on the wall. Every detail was seen to, the booths, the waitstaff shirts, the signs, music.

The menu was very clever, each dish named after a character or aspect of the show.

You pay in advance, get an appetizer, entree, side and dessert. [And before you ask, nope, not vegan friendly, but I made it work!] As our server said, we could dine and dash! We did!

There were TV screens showing different episodes, I watched a few episodes here and there, but I wasn’t a die hard, I was a senior in high school when it came out. Now, MJW, who I was with, die hard…except for him, it was in reruns…Oh brother! But it was fun sitting next to him, very excited about the experience, talking about the different episodes that were showing.

DLP, KP, MJW had fun talking, eating, enjoying the experience.

If you have the opportunity, you should do this! I will tell you that you can stand on line with the hopes of getting a table, sometimes a 2 hour wait or make a reservation two-three months in advance, which is what I did!

If you were a Saved by the Bell fan. This is the experience for you! Now, remember, this is a pop up diner, they extended until the end of the year, then it’s gone! Go!

Www.savedbythemax.com

{October 16, 2016} Another great day!

An easy, but fun day.

We slept in! Neither of us thought we’d sleep until 830am! Up and off to breakfast, hanging out and chatting.

Eventually we headed out looking for some Cubs and/or Blackhawks gear. We stopped at the Jack Daniel’s store where they were celebrati8 their 150th anniversary. They had $5 haircuts, whisky tastings, demos and a bluegrass band, they were great! Dad made a request our two, they played it!

A really good event that we really enjoyed! I can’t wait to wear my sweatshirt! Thanks daddy!

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Next, we walked down to Navy Pier for the Architectural Boat Tour. I’ve done it a few times, but not during the day, I was really looking forward to it. We had a great, witty guide who kept us entertained and we learned a little something…go figure.

Then, we headed to Giordano’s for Chicago’s other famous deep dish pizza. We waited the 45 minutes, watched some football, only to have our order done wrong. Boo hiss.

We headed back to the hotel and ordered a pizza from a Giordano’s near the hotel, went up to get drinks, put on the third Transformers movie, Dark Side of the Moon so we could watch all the places in Chicago we just saw and learned about get flattened or blown up! It was fun!

Ending the night with some football and talking to you.

Back to work tomorrow…nooooo!!

It’s been such a great visit dad…where to next?!

{October 15, 2016} Today’s post is brought to you by the Letter H!

Did you figure it out?

So…up too early for a Saturday, but it was good,we talked for about an hour, almost a continuation of our fabulous conversation last night, talking about family, family history fabulous.

Then it was up for breakfast, then off to T-mobile to replace my Galaxy Note 7 for a Galaxy Edge 7. This was going to take a while, about an hour 15, so we went for a walk, got some lunch, then back to the store, they weren’t done, so off we went back to the hotel because we had somewhere to be at 2pm…

We saw HAMILTON!!! Oh my gawd, it was amazing! How did we get tickets, you might ask, when tickets are a minimum of $450, if you’re lucky?

Well, after Dad got here, as we were walking to get something for lunch, we passed the theater where Hamilton is being performed and said “I wonder if they have tickets”, can’t hurt to ask…

Dad “do you have tickets?” Box Office guy “I do”. Dad”tomorrow? Box Office guy “I do”. Dad “how much?” “That’s all?? We’ll take two!” “Oh, where are they?” Box Office guy “orchestra”! Go dad!

The people sitting next to dad, same scenario. It really can’t hurt to ask!

So, here we are at 1:30pm fighting our way into the theater to see Hamilton. And I go mean fighting, they have no control or order to get people to their seats. Getting out…no picnic either.

But in between…

Oh man! What a show! It’s about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, set to music. The music,lyrics and book were all written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, an amazing talent! The music, the lyrics, the beats, choreography, amazing! I laughed, I cried, I was sad, I was happy and…I did my very best not to sing along! [Anyone who knows me knows I love musicals and I know most of the music before I see a show, I want to sing every word!]

One of my favorite things about the show, the diversity of the cast. Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Caucasian. None of the characters was the “traditional” race for that character, except for King George III, who’s character was…AMAZING! great comic relief, transition, story. Each lead had a solo, the three supporting leads played different roles in act two.

If…you have the opportunity and can find tickets…that you don’t have to mortgage your house for, go!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_(musical)

How do you follow that? With Chicago Blackhawks HOCKEY, of course!

When dad was coming to Chicago I asked if he’d like to go to a sporting event, he said sure! If the Cubs were going to be in the playoffs, which they are! Go Cubs! the tickets would be crazy, so..how about hockey? Sold!

I got us Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators tickets, section 303. I don’t know if you noticed by the picture…Blackhawks won!

I said it was a good game, dad made a good observation, it’s always a good game if your team is winning! And it was and they did! Scored in the first six minutes! Three goals in the first 11 minutes!

The second period was eventful for the Predators, one goal, oh well. In the third period it was 3:2 Blackhawks. I said, they either need to score or hold them off for the next 8 minutes.

Guess what happened about 20 seconds later…score! Those fans go crazy when their team scores, just like any team, it was great!

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It was a good game, lots of fun, energy and best part…I got to take my dad to his first ever professional hockey game! Go me!

Blackhawks win!

Today’s post is brought to you by the Letter H: Hamilton and Hockey!

{October 15, 2016} Welcome to Chicago pop!

Guess who came to see me in Chicago for the weekend?! One guess..

I went into the office for a few hours and when dad got here, he let me know when he was near the hotel, I left to meet him. A great reunion!

Bags dropped in the room, chill for a minute, then hit the streets. Lunch was the first order of business, lots of catching up to do! Oh, first, we stopped at the theater down the street to see if they had any tickets for a big Broadway show, they did! Guess what we’re going to see!! Nope, I’ll let you guess until tomorrow, when I tell you!

We turned around and to the Art Institute of Chicago we went, we had about 1.5 hours before it closed, so we did a drive or walk-by of the contemporary, new contemporary and impressionists. We had a great time, discussing, questioning and laughing.

This one I call “what’s taters precious?”. Some of you will get this…

Next, The Bean, how do you explain The Bean, no explanation, just go see it. Isn’t it fabulous?
Walk down Magnificent Mile, admiring, talking, catching up. Then to Navy Pier for a quick peek, walk down to the end of the pier.

Then…Lou Malnatis for a Chicago must… deep dish pizza! And yes folks, I shared with dad and lived to tell about it!

A nice walk back to the hotel, talked for a long time and now, talking to you.
Tomorrow… phone, then… then…

{October 13, 2016} My baby boy and a baby boy!! JJ is over the moon!!

I have news!

I hope you remember when we talked about when I reconnected with my daughter back in May, on her birthday, which happened to be mother’s day this year. It’s been an amazing experience over the last few months, having her back in my life, I don’t know if i can truly put it into words. I didn’t know if my heart could be fuller.

Oh… It could!

Last weekend I was in Atlanta, for a few reasons, one being the due date of my baby’s baby. My daughter, TYL, was pregnant and due on Sunday, October 9th. What better excuse for a visit, wouldn’t you say?

We were talking about where to meet and she suggested the pizza joint that her brother runs. Does he know I’m coming? Nope, it’s a surprise, good! She told me he wanted to see me the next time I came to town. As the day went on and I started driving out there and got closer, I got nervous. Me! I got nervous about the idea of seeing my son for the first time in eight years, well, yeah, that makes sense!

I texted that I was there, she came outside, oh, my friends, let me tell you, I am welling up thinking about seeing her, the girl I helped raise for twelve years walking towards me, all grown up, beautiful and about to have a baby!

We walked in together and the look on his face, it was priceless! I wish someone had gotten a picture of it! He was so surprised and happy! The best I could hope for! He threw his arms up and came out to hug me and wouldn’t let go, well, not sure if that was me or him! “I missed you! I think about you every day!” What more could I want to hear?! I told him I missed him and thought about him, perfect!

He was almost exactly the same as he was as a kid and the last time I saw him. Sweet, funny, goofy, wants everyone to be happy. He was taller and had all this fabulous red facial hair! What? Where’s the baby faced boy? I think his red hair is the same color that I go for…perfect!

I’m so proud of him, he’s doing so well. He manages the restaurant, has a team of people who respect him and enjoy working for him, regulars who come in and know him and he knows how to treat people. I think I always knew he’d be in a role some day working with people, he was a little people pleaser when he was a kid, he’s turned it to being a success in his profession.

Did I mention goofy? He said “let’s hang out! Oh…I don’t get off until 11!” Normally, I would say yes, but I had to be somewhere in the morning. “Where do you stay when you come to Atlanta?” I couch surf, his response “I have a couch!” I can’t wait for the time I can spend the night at his house and the next time, OMG! he’s going to be a married man! He’s engaged to a sweet girl who works at the restaurant, they’ve been together a few years and they’re smitten, as I would hope and in a few weeks, he’ll be a Mister to a Mrs.

And…here’s the other bit…Next time I travel to Atlanta, I’ll be spending time with my married son and daughter AND…ready for it…

MY NEW GRANDSON!!! O M G!!! JJ has a new love! Oh yes she does!

THL wanted to meet at the restaurant for a few reasons, see me, me to see her brother, CH and for him to make her eggplant parm, hoping it might induce labor, like Scalini’s in Marietta. [http://www.scalinis.com/main-babies.html].

As I mentioned, I was in Atlanta hoping to meet my grandson, she even asked if step-mom’s have any pull [think I was over the moon about that? you bet your sweet bippy!] Alas, for JJ, the baby did not listen to me…or his mother to be and make an appearance before I left. I sent as many positive vibes out into the universe, so she wouldn’t have to feel like ‘she was going to be pregnant for ever!’ as she said.

But…Tuesday, October 11th, 7:59pm, I got a text “He’s here!” Oh my sweet girl! Congratulations and much, much mazel! And WHAT A DOLL BABY!!!

I asked when I could post and crow, as soon as I got permission, on to Facebook I went! My friends and family are so thrilled for me! So many of my friends and neighbors from Atlanta remember the kids when they were little and how sweet, cute and funny they were, all good things to say about them and my closest friends know how much this has meant to me, having them back in my lives.

When I sent the pictures to my family, my sister said “another Yom Kippur baby!” and wow, she’s right! I was born the day after Yom Kippur and my grandson, the day before, what a special thing! And let me tell you, it’s crazy…we are not related by blood, but that kid has a FULL head of black hair, just like his JJ [Ok, the secret’s out, I dye my hair! yeah, big secret!]

I have to tell you, a great Yiddish word is kvelling, it means to be happy and proud. I am KVELLING! I have my girl back in my life and now…my baby boy and a new baby boy! Oh, his name is CDL and I’ll refer to him as CD. I LA LA LA LOVE IT!

Thank you to everyone who wished me well and through me, TYL, she is over the moon and in love and…well, I have my kids back, you know where I stand.

{October 12, 2016} G’mar Hatima

Today is the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement is the Day you confess your sins and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness from family, friends, anyone you feel you need to.

Maybe we take a different tactic, confess the good we’ve done.

“A person should also be joyous concerning the good he or she has done. It follows that just as there is a great benefit to self-improvement through confessing one’s sins, so is there great benefit to confessing one’s good deeds,” Rabbi Weiss writes.

I love that idea, what about you?

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