365-5 | Peaches Prattlings

{August 6, 2017} What a day! Vegas style baby!

What a day, a great one!

It was a long one… ready… set… go!

I arrived in Las Vegas late, took forever to get the rental car, so I arrived at the hotel about 130am, I was hungry, definitely not sleepy and it’s Vegas, so, off on search of food.

I found Nacho Daddy! It was recommended and they have vegan! I didn’t know, but Las Vegas has s plethora of vegan! It was awesome! Kale chips, beans, rice, guacamole, salsa, vegan queso, vegan sour cream. O M G! I’m in heavan!

I couldn’t even finish it, so when I asked for a box and if there were homeless in the area, the bartender asked if I would really give it to the homeless, she gave me two bags full of leftover food, how awesome is that!

As I walked up and down Las Vegas Boulevard I was very overdressed! I had jeans and a shirt on, there were women in Daisy Dukes, hot pants, body suit, and I mean the kind gymnasts wear, nothing else. I did eventually find a homeless man, asked if he was hungry and then asked if there was anyone else to give the rest of the food to, he said he lived down below and there were 80 of them, they would be so thankful. I’m so glad!

I finally got into bed about 330/4am, the city was still hopping, which meant it was 530/6am back in Chicago, um…I set the alarm for 11am, but of course, I was up about 9am, go figure!

After I did what I was there for, I headed out to The Mob Museum! I was excited that I actually made it! Every time I go to Vegas, I try, but this time, Wahoo! It was awesome!

Anyone who knows me knows I like most things mob. I’m fascinated by the stories, the history, the movies. On occassion, I’ve been known to quote a line or two. I also have the need to sit with my back to the wall, no chance of getting capped! Ha!

It also happens that Myer Lansky is a cousin, he married into my family, on my maternal grandmother’s side. I thought it was cool, she, not so much. If you watch The Godfather, Hyman Rothstein was based on Lansky.

The museum is in an old post office, which has been deemed a historic landmark. The courtroom was actually used for some of the mob trials, the judge’s bench is actual bulletproof, how cool is that?!

The stories, the history, the characters, the locations, the mobsters, their molls, the FBI, the cops, the prosecution,the actual brick wall from the St Valentine’s Day Massacre!

They got Al Capone on tax evasion, go figure, that’s how they got a lot of them and they still aren’t sure where Jimmy Hoffa is!

What an experience! Bucket list, check!

I left The Mob Museum and walked down the block to Fremont Street. Fremont Street is a street in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the second most famous street in the Las Vegas Valley after the Las Vegas Strip. Named in honor of explorer John Charles Frémont and located in the heart of the downtown casino corridor, Fremont Street is (or was) the address for many famous casinos such as Binion’s Horseshoe, Eldorado Club, Fremont Hotel and Casino, Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, Golden Nugget, Four Queens, The Mint, and the Pioneer Club.

It wasn’t too crowded, it was still early. Don’t get me wrong, it was crowded, but when the sun goes down, hold on to your hats, maybe even your wallets.

I walked through what is the new Fremont Street, converted into a party spot. They added a curved roof some years ago, then a zip line, bands at different points, people dressed in character and you pay to take your pictute with them.

Then there is all the fabulous neon signage and the signs with all the lightbulbs.

When I got through to the other side, so to speak, I was getting hungry and about to turn around when I found Container Park. An entire park made of shipping containers. Every shop, restaurant, bar, kids play structure, containers, it was fabulous!

As I was walking through, I found Pure Vegan! It was fabulous! I got a sampler plate with letuce wraps, nachos, vegetable noodles with different sauces, yuca fries, just wow! I hope the homeless guy who got my leftovers enjoyed them!

After dinner, a walk through the park, enjoy some acoustic music in the open area that was quite kid friendly, lots of giant legos to play with, space to run around and a chalk wall that you could add to, see what I created for PSM? It was a great place to spend some time.

Then back through Fremont Street, now it’s dark, sun goes down, the people come out to play.

Live bands at different points, music coming from the casinos, people walking, talking, dancing, drinking, shopping, having a good time. The lights, the sounds, the sights. Not for the faint of heart or if you don’t do crowds. But great for people watching! Fabulous!

After a bit, back to the hotel, a dip in the rooftop pool and get ready to crash, tomorrow I am going to see some family friends and head back to Chicago.

I hope you enjoyed my day almost as much as I did!

{August 5, 2017} Happy happy birthday daddy!!!

August 4th is one of my favorite days of the year! It’s the birthdate of my dad, DWS!

I know, first time you’re seeing his ‘name’! I bet you never thought it would happen!

If you know my dad, you’re lucky. And if you really know my dad, you really are in good company. He is smart, scary smart sometimes, knows random bits of information, hmmm…I wonder if that’s where I get that from! He gives good advice, even when you don’t know you need it.

He was a teacher of Special Education, he taught health for a bit, Assistant Dean, you name it, he’s probably done it. When it came to teaching, no one could compare. He knew what he was doing and he cared about his students, really helped them become successful people. He used to do job training with the challenged students and I remember when he would run into them years later, they would tell him what’s happening with their jobs. That doesn’t happen with people who don’t make a difference.

He’s funny, I mean really funny. Anyone who knows me knows I love jokes; good, bad, clever, kids, groaners and what are now referred to as ‘ Bad dad jokes ‘, I love that! I tell jokes he told me too my training classes! They groan, but they love it!

As soon as I hear a joke that makes me laugh, I call my dad to tell him and he laughs, many times a good belly laugh, hmmm…I wondered where I got that! When he laughs, it makes me laugh, I even called him during a class once to tell him the joke I just heard, the class heard his great, genuine laugh! So, I hear it, I tell him, then I remember it.

He’s a good listener, share things with him and he listens, if you want to talk, he will, if not, he won’t. And he can talk, about so many things, we talk books, music, art, movies travel, you name it, we’ve probably talked about it! We give each other recommendations on movies, Netflix, books, music. Oh, go to an art museum with him! So knowledgeable, we send hours together in the museums, admiring, soaking in, commenting, wondering.

To see him with family, immediate family, extended, grandchildren, he’s Papa, Papa D, he gets down on the ground, plays, tells jokes, gets silly, tells stories, plays games, hugs, tickles, love, love and more love, just a treat.

I could keep going, but I might not stop and then it will be his next birthday!

I can’t imagine life without my dad in it or the man that he is, a different dad, nope, not possible, can’t imagine it.

Happy, happy birthday DWS, daddy, I hope today is as fabulous as you are! I love you!

{August 4, 2017} Happy Birthday JCT!

It’s August 3rd, happy birthday to anyone celebrating their birthday, but today is my friend, JCT’s, birthday!

JCT and I have been friends since 2009, wow! We met on the same project I met RJS and ST, we hit it off and we’ve been friends ever since. She has recently come off the road traveling for work, we used to swap stories, ideas, give each other advice, how to get the best bang for the buck.

She and I have a lot in common and some fabulous differences. Her family seems to have adopted me! Am I complaining, not a chance! Her brother and I have been friends for a while. I call her mom, mom, her daughter calls me auntie, how awesome for me and their dogs, well, let’s just say their boy pug, BooBoo, has a great affection for my arm, we’ll leave it at that!

JCT and her mom love cooking for me, I never turn down home cooking, especially some of the great Chinese treats they make! I love listening to JCT and her mom have conversations, Chinese, Chinese, Chinese, Home Depot!

When I’m in Atlanta and our schedules connect, I will spend the weekend or at least the night. We talk, talk, talk, I know, shocker! Then we put on our pjs, lean the recliners back and talk some more and then fall asleep, sometimes while we’re in the middle of a conversation.

Weeks can go by, sometimes a little longer, we pick up the phone and it’s as if we talked yesterday. Those are the best friendships and I love counting her as not only a friend, but a sister.

祝你生日快樂，親愛的朋友。我愛你。

{August 2, 2017} Kind of hard to get up to an alarm that’s not set…

I had some good intentions…

What do they say about the road to hell?

I had been doing so well for the last few months while I’ve been in Chicago, going to the gym every day, working out, working my butt off. Well, that’s not true, I’m working on getting more of a butt, but that’s a different story, ha ha!

So, I finished my last scheduled workout, went to Mexico, didn’t workout there, not that there wasn’t activity…lots of walking, around the resort, into town, at the ruins, on the beach and in the pool, both tough!

Admittedly, last week, the first week back, I did not work out, I chose to sleep that extra hour, much needed! There was still walking, since I was training two classes and I don’t sit whn I teach. This past weekend, there was walking, but nothing scheduled.

I got to Mt Vernon, IL Monday night, ready to get up Tuesday and workout, treadmill, whatever. I happened to wake up, looked at my alarm, confused because I know I had set it last week, just snoozed a lot. Well, when I looked, it had been set for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Um…

So…the alarm had been set, just not for the first morning I needed it! And… good thingI happened to wake up! Oh brother!

Let’s see what happens tomorrow!

{August 1, 2017} Really? You made the mistake…

I got in a little late to my destination, then everything is a little off.

My flight was delayed an hour, that meant my drive was delayed as well. I landed in St Louis, got my bag, then the rental car, it was still light out. I was originally due to land about 6pm, we landed about 7pm, I arrived in Mt Vernon about 830pm. I dropped my bags and headed out in search of food, not wanting to eat too late, but hungry.

I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things then went to Taco Bell, I was going to get a quick burrito, rice and beans, that’s what a vegan eats at Taco Bell, if you’re curious. At the grocery store I had picked up guacamole, cheese and sour creme, vegan, of course.

I ended up ordering a salad, no dairy I told the cashier, I’m allergic to dairy. She indicated no sour creme or cheese. When I got the order, almost 10/15 minutes later, have you ever waited that long at a Taco Bell? That’s after waiting five minutes for someone to realize I was standing at the register. There were at least seven people working behind the counter. Drive thru was busy, inside, not so much.

When I got the order, there was a green sauce on the salad, I asked what that was, the guy looked at me like I had distirbed him. Then he remembered, it’s ranch dressing. Does that have dairy? Um… do you mind finding out? I’m allergic to dairy. He didn’t really appreciate this question since he didn’t know.

Someone finally told him yes, it has dairy. Ok, could you make me another one? I am allergic to dairy. He looked at me like I had three heads. I’m sorry, I wasn’t the one who made it incorrectly. I could hear them grumbling, she said no cheese or sour creme, I distinctly remember saying no dairy, including the cheese and sour creme.

Why post signs about food allergies if you are not going to respect what the customer tells you? You should have seen the look he gave me when he gave me the new one, which had cheese on it, by the way.

As I was leaving and taking my order with me, he actually asked me to take the incorrect order. What am I supposed to do with it? I don’t know, but we can’t take food back to the kitchen.

Really? So if an order is wrong, you make the customer responsible for disposing of it? Every time? Not cool. Bad form Taco Bell late shift in Mt Vernon.

At least my dairy free Ben & Jerry’s salted caramel made up for it!

{July 31, 2017} One of the fun thing about staying with friends

I don’t know if you know…I travel for work.

What? Say it ain’t so! Ha ha. Well, that being said, you know that some weekends I stay with friends, which I love, for so many reasons.

One if the things I love is showering and getting to try new and fun products, some even fancy and expensive. RJS always tells me what new treats are in store for me!

I don’t spend that much time I the shower when I’m in a hotel, nothing very exciting, but at my friends houses…

Ahhh…

{July 31, 2017} A fun day, hanging out, seeing friends, fireworks

That sounds like a good day to me, you?

We slept in, ha ha. Ok, slept in is exaggerating, but stayed in bed, that’s more like it. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to sleep in, but it was definitely comfy! I was sleeping on a double height queen sized blow up mattress, super firm and comfortable, window open and I could hear the traffic go by, made me feel like I was at home in my bed at my dad’s house, slept well!

We got up eventually, went to brunch at a local diner in the neighborhood, yummy. Then headed back to downtown Chicago, walked around, window shopped, went to our favorite nail place for some massages chairs and attention to our claws and paws. The fun part, we weren’t there right before closing, we could take our time and not worry it was just before closing.

After our spa treatment, we needed some munchies, I was craving guacamole, so off to The Taco Joint for just that and some other treats, yum!

Later that night, a treat! The architectural fireworks boat tour! This was my fifth boat tour of Chicago, which I love, DLP hadn’t done one yet, touristy check! You know, when you live in a city, you don’t always do the touristy things! Even better, LJ and her beau, JD, joined us.

It was a great tour and out guide is one that I’d had on another tour, he was a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed it and the fireworks at Navy Pier were a lot of fun!

After, we went to see their new apartment, great view, location and feel, perfect for them. Next, food! We were hungry!

It was a great night with great friends!

{July 30, 2017} A new vegan restaurant!

I love trying new places, especially when someone else is excited to share it with me!

This weekend I’m staying in Chicago with DLP, no definite plans yet but one, dinner at a new vegan restaurant in her neighborhood, Majani!

It was inviting when you walk in, small, but cozy. The restaurant is open, including into the kitchen, only separated by a counter. Wooden tables, some that are family style, just sit where there is an open seat.

The menu was simple, on a chalk board on the wall. They had a dinner special, tonight it was glazed carrots, lentil sausage croquet, spinach rice and salad. We also ordered a crab cake. For dessert we got a vanilla cupcake and two slices of carrot cake, to be eaten at some point, we were completely stuffed by the end of dinner!

The presentation was lovely, very vibrant colors and tasty too! Always a good thing! DLP was teasing me because everything that came out to other tables I looked at and wanted to order and as she said, “you can’t eat everything! And we can come back!!” Ok, fine… she’s right, of course, but it all looked so good!

When we got there, there was a family of four sitting at the table next to us, who were enjoying their meal very much, especially the baby who eventually had icing all over himself!

The next people who sat at that table were nice couple who we started chatting vegan with and let me tell you…I found a kindred spirit! Our reactions to some of the same items at different places, the milkshakes at Chicago Diner! Kitchen 17! Oh, we were trading and oohing and aahing! DLP was just laughing, but she could talk to some of those places, she’s been wonderful to go with me!

This is really inspiring me to launch my new blog, don’t worry, this one isn’t going anywhere, I love sharing my life with you, but I love telling you about the fabulous vegan I encounter, so my new blog will only be about being vegan on the road. Keep an eye out for it ‘A short, round vegan on the road’!

Bottom line, I really enjoyed this new find andI would love to share it with everyone, thank you DLP for introducing it to me!

{July 28, 2017} Well, that was a crappy way to start my day..

It got better, it did, but the start, not so much.

I got up, didn’t workout, boo, hard to get started again, that’s on me, apparently my body needs that dew extra minutes of sleep!

I had a rental car reservation for 8am, about a 9 minute walk from the hotel or a 4 minute drive, I opted for the walk. Why take an Uber or taxi for such a short trip?

I was dressed in black and long sleeves, the training room I’m in is chilly, I always have a sweater, but sometimes that’s not enough, go figure, definitely enough this morning!

It was on Mall Loop Road, just follow around from the hotel, no problem, then GPS starts going a little crazy, just when I’m almost at the place, turn around, now go thru the mall. What? I’ve now added to my 9 minute walk. I’ve been walking almost 20 minutes when I call, “yeah, go back outside, to Sears Automotive Center, yes, there are signs on this side” seriously?

I try to be at the training site on the first day no later than 815am, I really like to be there by 800. By now, it’s 820, think I’m happy?

I finally get the car and I’m dripping with sweat, the back of my hair is wet with sweat, not fun. I crank the AC in hopes of drying and cooling myself off. I finally get to the site, park at a meter and go in. It’s now 845 and I need to see what still needs to be set up in the training room.

When we break, I go to move the car to a free lot down the road and I have a parking ticket, what? There is still 14 minutes left. Yeah, apparently the meter I was supposed to use was in front of the car, not the one right next to it. Seriously?

So, not a great start to my day, wouldn’t you say?

It got better, promise. People at the site were happy to see me. The office manager said I was one of the better ones, so nice. The class was good and full of good sports and as I was walking out, one of the folks who works there was so excited to see me, gave me big hugs and was disappointed I’m not teaching her class next week. That worked!

Start low and work your way up, I’ll take it!

{July 27, 2017} If you say it, does it still count?

If you did/do a good deed, do you have to tell people about it?

I don’t know, my Uber driver irked me…I requested a car after I got off the train and when he showed up, he told me too just put my bag in the back seat.

Now, most drivers would get out and put the bag in the car, not him… he finally asked if he could help when he saw me struggling. Not mine…

He got out, put the bag in the back seat and as I got in said “well, that’s my good deed for the day”. Really? I said “not if you say it” and we laughed, but I didn’t think it was that funny.

If you do a good deed, shouldn’t you just do it? Do you have to call it out? Especially to the person you helped?

Ok, done. The picture is in the hall and the duck in my bathroom when I checked in. They made me smile.

Irk gone.

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