365-5 | Peaches Prattlings

{November 9, 2017} A new experience… And for some cookie dough!

I got to the airport today and asked a question.

This question led to quite a few checks. And it was all for cookie dough! Let me ‘splain!

A few months ago I was traveling and left over food, as I often travel with snacks and some leftovers, especially if I’m going to eat it at the airport or on my flight. Well, this occasion, I happened to have a small jar of peanut butter and it was taken away. Apparently, you can hide a bomb in the peanut butter or bomb parts, I don’t remember, to be honest.

So, I got this fabulous new treat the other day at the grocery store and I wanted to bring it home to share with my dad, since we both like cookie and I hope we both like cookie dough. Based on what I learned from him on snacking as a kid, I say yes.

Anyway, it comes in these little cup containers, like pudding, and it’s solid, but since peanut butter is too, I thought I would ask. I asked the desk agent when I dropped off my bag if I could take the cookie dough cups with me, she looked at me quizzically and then said she would check. I told her if I couldn’t take them with me, she could have them! She LOVED that!

Off she went to ask one person, no answer, then another and another, finally, and I wish I was fast enough with my phone to snap a pic…she was standing with two TSA agents looking at the packaging and discussing!

Result…I got to take my cookie dough with me! It’s in the fridge and dad and I will be enjoying tomorrow!

Are these things really worth all that effort? You bet your sweet bippie!

Y U M!

{November 8, 2017} It’s signing day! Proud auntie moment!

Two amazing young women I have had the honor to watch grow up are now committed to two great colleges for their respective sports.

I’ve talked about these two girls over the years. KK I have known since she was a baby, her mom and, LBK, have known each other since we were kids. Our moms worked together at the same school and her dad was my teacher of French in middle school. I got to see LBK get married an watch as she became a mother to three amazing girls!

ST, is the daughter of my friend JCT, who I have known since 2009 when we started on a project together in Atlanta and we have been steadfast friends and family ever since.

Well, these two young women, have been enjoying their respective sports for as long as I can remember. KK is a champion fast pitch pitcher in softball and ST is an amazing golfer. They have played for their schools and independently for years, traveling the country competing in different venues.

High schools and colleges have been looking at both of them since they were in middle school, possibly even sooner, but they couldn’t do anything about it until they at least got into high school and boy did the schools start knocking down the doors! It was tough competition for them to say yes, the offers, the scholarships, the visits, the chats, the phone calls, basically, the courting!

And today, they made final, official decisions. They had made their decisions a while ago, but it wasn’t official until they put pen to paper and signed! When you are at KK’s house, it’s covered with things from her new school, has been for months and at ST’s you knew where she was going.

ST made the decision that she wants to play golf at and for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks and KK is going to play softball at and for the University of Delaware Blue Hens. How fabulous is that!

I am so proud of both of these girls, watching them grow into smart, strong, talented young women and being noticed by others, not just their family and friends for amazing achievements.

I wish them so much love and good wishes and happiness for life and right now, the next four year, working hard and showing their school and the world what they can do! I cannot wait to come to a game and watch them shine!

Have fun, good luck and don’t forget auntie J wants a hoodie!

{November 7, 2017} I had a domestic, no frills evening!

I LA LA LA LOVED it!

It’s Tuesday, I’m away from Chicago, in Lincolnshire, what’s on for the evening?

Did not want to do take out tonight so I stopped at a really nice market, that I tried to find yesterday, ended up at a restaurant of the same name! I picked up some food for dinner and snacks for the rest of the week.

I went back to the hotel, got some quarters and headed to the room. Why did I get quarters you ask? No, not to play video games! I need to do laundry!

I’m staying at a Homewood Suites, each room is like an apartment, with a kitchen, sometimes a separate bathroom, which ick I had now. The thing I like about staying at places like this is you feel like you’re home almost.

So, I took the first load of laundry down, came back and started cooking. I made vegan mac-n- cheese, had some hearts of palm and fabulous juice and Icelandic water.

Downstairs in between to swap the washer for the dryer, back upstairs to eat. The dryer didn’t quite did its job, hence all the clothes strewn about! If you came to my room in any hotel, any other night, it would not look like this.

Now, on the other hand, my dad may be having flashbacks right now to my room growing up!

But look, i even loaded the dishwasher!

This may seem dull to you, but as someone who loves in hotels and usually goes out to dinner or orders in, this cookng thing is awesome! And no, I’m not giving up my lifestyle! This was a treat, you don’t do treats every day, you get spoiled…

That’s some logic, huh?!

{November 6, 2017} I don’t know if I could be a food network judge.

I would love it, but I don’t know if I could do it.

Do they have a vegan, no citrus, no fried, no spicy, no caffeine, no chocolate, no dairy, no apple, no honey, no agave? I’m sure there’s more, but I’ve lost track.

I love the Food Network for some shows. We know I like Gordon Ramsay and Kitchen Nightmares. I started watching Cooks vs Cons and recently Beat Bobby Flay, really like that show! I also really like the baking competitions, sugar competitions, carving competitions. I find them fascinating!

But, with my dietary restrictions, I watch all of these fabulous creations come to the table and realize I wouldn’t eat half of what they make! All those desserts look amazing, but I would have to sit out the judging, so that means I’ll never be a judge, sigh.

I’ll just have to keep watching on the sidelines.

{November 5, 2017} It’s daylight savings time…ok.

Why do people still freak out about the time change?

It’s ‘Fall back, Spring forward’, simple as that. What about flights? Meetings? Other stuff? Way back when, well, way back before smartphones, I don’t want to say cell phones, because we used to have to set and re-set the time, but with smartphones, it does it for us!

Smartphones, all good. But now what? Now I have to run around the house changing the stove clock, the microwave clock, the bedside clock, ooh, let me date myself, the VCR!!! Oh wait, I live in a hotel, I don’t have to do any of that! Muwahaha!

Of course, what does this mean? It’s going to get dark earlier and by the time you sort of get used to going into the office and leaving the office in the dark, the time changes. Grrr.

Interesting Fact: Did you know that there are several areas in the United States that do not observe DST, daylight saving time? That would be Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guan, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Little known fact. So…the nice thing about this fact is that right now, PSM and I are only four hours apart instead of five, between Hawaii and Chicago. Wahoo!

{November 4, 2017} How much can you pack into one day? We’re in Vegas, let’s see…

You know how I roll, right? It’s a weekend, so let’s pack as much into it as I can! Who needs sleep?!

Saturday morning came way earlier than it should have, but that gave us the opportunity for pillow talk. Literally. We both stayed in bed, turned on our sides and, refusing to remove our heads from our respective pillows and talked. There you go, pillow talk!

Eventually, it was time to get up and greet the world, sigh. Get motivated and have some breakfast. How about that view!? We had breakfast at a cute little place between the convention center of the hotel, also where our room was, and the casino, Bacio. We shared a skillet and some pancakes. Don’t you love how they gave me raw sugar? Like rock candy! I remember when GES used to make rock candy!

We leisured over breakfast, deciding on what to do later in the day. First thing…I have always wanted to go to the neon sign museum. Let’s go! The Neon Boneyard was…sold out! They were closed from 2pm-9pm for an event, wonder if it was a wedding, how cool would that be! So…we got tickets for an 11:45pm tour! Love that!

We discussed other things to do and decided on a show for later tonight, but had to fill the time before that! We weren’t far from Freemont Street, check out the Container Park and the Fremont Street Experience. I did that back in August and got to share it with PSM.

After we toured the Container Park, we went across the street to the Fremont Street Experience and started to wander. The first alley that we wandered in to had a storefront that we had never seen before, it a place for throwing axes! What? It’s called Axe Hole Vegas, go figure!

This was so much fun! We were slightly skeptical, but that went away with the first few throws! It was like a batting cage for throwing axes. There were five lanes with two targets each, giant tree stumps with a bulls-eye painted on it. We received a brief lesson, three different ways to throw at first, later came some trick throws. I tried the first three, two different one handed and one two handed. I mastered, to a point the two handed throw, the one handed, not as much. PSM killed it with the one handed and the trick throws! And all with his non-dominant arm, so impressive!

We really had a great time! I’m now on the lookout for places I/we can do that again! What a great way to blow off steam! And just have fun! I wonder how many of my friends and family would love this!

Next, a walk down through the Fremont Street Experience, experiencing the sights, smells, sounds, the outfits or lack there of! I couldn’t share some of what we saw or didn’t see! Oh my, I’m not sure we were old enough! Ha ha!

We walked through Fremont Street and then into Binons to see where The World Series of Poker began, a piece of history. Then to the end and back of The Fremont Street Experience. We worked up an appetite, time for lunch.

We went to a place that was recommended, Vegenation. The atmosphere was great, the service and food, lacking, unfortunately. We had a different person seat us and take our order than our actual server. The black rice sushi was fabulous, but our entrees, not so much. PSM said his was flavorless and mine, well, I ordered eggplant parm with the sauce on the side.

It came out and when I inquired about the mozzarella that should have been on top, the server said ‘Oh yeah’ and brought me cold shredded mozzarella, seriously? I almost finished my meal and I said something when she asked how the food was and when I mentioned it, ‘oh yea…do you want me to take it back?’ I’m sorry, it took you to almost the end of the meal to ask?

We talked to the couple next to us, not much better. Oh well, Las Vegas has been great so far with vegan, you can’t win them all.

Back to the hotel too get a little rest.

After a sit down, it was off to our first evening activity, Terry Fator! http://terryfator.com/

Terry Fator is a fabulous ventriloquist wor won America’s Got Talent in 2007 and has been at the Mirage Hotel ever since. His show is 90 minutes and he introduced us to eleven of the thirteen puppets he works with.

He won America’s Got Talent with Winston the Turtle and he opens and closes the show with him. Terry Fator is the master of impersonations and can sing like just about anyone!

One of the things I really like is that 100% of the profits from his merchandise goes to military charities. https://terryfatorshop.com/pages/military-charity

Dad took me years ago and now I get to share with PSM, he loved it!

After Terry Fator, we walked the strip back towards our hotel. On the way we stopped by the Linq Hotel to tour the area that was restored and created a while back with shops, drinking establishments, tourist stuff, street vendors, street performers, the Ferris wheel and people, people, people.

We stopped for a snack for PSM at Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips. And anyone who knows me knows I love Gordon Ramsay, so this was a treat! No, he wasn’t there, it was just his place! And exactly as he preaches, simple! Fish or shrimp or chicken and chips, that’s it!

On to our next stop, The Bellagio Hotel. I love watching the fountain, the way it’s choreographed to the music. Then inside to the reception desk to see the Chihuly flowers, don’t forget to look up!

And then to the right to The Conservatory to see what amazing creations they make with flowers for the season, stunning! Just takes your breath away! This is something I always recommend to people visiting Las Vegas, its a must!

Then back to the hotel just in time to get the keys and get to the Neon Boneyard! Is this fabulous or what!!

This museum was established in 1996 and it is filled with signs from old casinos, hotels, businesses. It was cool looking through the fence during the day, but to see some of the signs lit up, in all their splendor! Some are still working and others need some love, hopefully they’ll get it!

If you’re in Vegas, I so recommend this place! PSM said it reminded him of a post apocolyptic movie set, I could see that!

Definitely two thumbs up! Now what? Well, it’s after 1am… flight is at what time?

I do hope you enjoyed your day in Las Vegas as much as we did!

{November 2, 2017} Bad Moms Christmas Girls Night!

What a delightful combination! Bad Moms and Girls Night!

Tonight, I had plans with co-workers. Originally it was going to be feet up, fireplace on, movies and delivery at my hotel. This turned into dinner and a movie! Almost the same!

DLP and I introduced our new team-mate, LS, to Vapiano’s, yum! And then went to one of the AMC movie theaters with the recliner seats. So…we went to a restaurant for dinner, then at the movie theater, see movie, reclined and kicked our feet up and someone delivered popcorn to our seats. Close enough!

We laughed, oh did we laugh! It was surprisingly good! Better than I expected. Let’s just say I had high hopes for Pitch Perfect 2 and was sorely disappointed, except for a few scenes. With this movie, there were some moments you thought, oh my word, but, to be honest, it kept true to the format, Amy, played by Mila Kunis is stressed out trying to be the perfect mom and give her kids the perfect Christmas. Kristin Bell plays Kiki, slightly neurotic, people pleaser, just wants everyone to be happy and get along. Kathryn Hahn is Carla, easy, literally, going, just wanting to get through the day.

They all love their kids more than anything, would do anything for them, just want them to be happy and enjoy Christmas. Then…their moms arrive! Uh oh!

Christine Baranski is Amy’s mom. A hard, controlling, condescending perfectionist, think Amy was a little stressed out?! Cheryl Hines is Kiki’s mom. Um, let’s just say a little clingy? Ok, A LOT clingy! Susan Sarandon is Carla’s mom and if you thought Carla was, well, let’s just say, foul mouthed and loose, want to guess where she gets it from!

Moms come in and drive their daughters crazy. Daughters try to have the Christmas they want and you know what happens when Amy, Kiki and Carla get together? No holds barred, throw down, drinking, smashing, grabbing, get wild girls. Do they let off steam? Yes they do! Do they wreak havoc? Yes they do. Do they have a good time? You bet your sweet bippie!

There’s love, fighting, frustration, foul language, stripping Santas, lashing out, acting out, making up, understanding, compromising, friendships, love and…a camel. Yup, I said a camel.

I give this movie two thumbs up. If you’re looking for an Oscar worthy movie, this ain’t it. If you’re looking for a movie to make you laugh, gasp, cringe, laugh and do it all over again, this is it!

Be a bad mom, today, Christmas and every day!

{October 31, 2017} It’s Halloween! Boo! Eek!

It’s Halloween! Let’s celebrate! Oh, how I love this holiday! I’m bummed that when I’m on the road, I don’t get to dress up and participate. Oh did I have some fabulous Halloweens! As a kid, dressing up and going trick-or-treating with my parents and then with friends. Some years, buying costumes, other years, making them. I’ve been Emmet Kelly, the famous hobo clown, Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz, Charlie Chaplin. As an adult, I got into it all over again, Maleficent, The Wicked Queen from Snow White, Cruella de vil, a little old man, a geisha with a fabulous pagoda at work. Oh my, did I love dressing up and fooling people. My house, oh my house, wow, loved decorating. It was scary and fun, kids loved and were terrified to come to the front door. One year I got a popcorn machine and wagon for my birthday and that was the start of being known as “The popcorn lady”! They loved it, they got candy and hot popcorn! I was sweeping popcorn from my lawn for weeks! I think the birds loved it! Now, I’m responsible for the Halloween costumes for eight fabulous little people! I remember when it started! When EJS was born I asked GES if I could get her Halloween costume and she said yes, if I didn’t, there might not be one! And the tradition was born! What a joy and treat for me! I get to do something wonderful and special and I so love being able to give them what they want to be, to help them imagine what it’s like to be something different, play dress up and pretend. Each year it’s something different. The first year, if their moms don’t tell me what they want to be, then I get something fun, hoping it’s what they might want. No matter what, cuties! This year, EJS was a doctor, MGS a police officer, LB a zombie cheerleader, Princess L was a pirate, Baby A was Sonic the Hedgehog, his baby sister E was Minnie Mouse, CDL was Winnie the Pooh and Miss A, well, she was a biker babe! I talked to MGS right after she got her costume ‘Thank you so much for my costume!” When did she grow up? EJS was tickled to be a doctor! LB and Princess L looked great, a zombie cheerleader? Where did she come up with that! And my pirate princess, priceless! Baby A as Sonic and Baby sister E as Minnie Mouse? They both refused to take off their costumes when they got them! Baby A, he was Mickey Mouse and went through the same thing, LOVE! CDL’s Winnie the Pooh didn’t fit last year, but this year, perfect! And Miss A? I just supplied the biker jacket and tattoo sleeves, SDL, well, she out did herself! She turned Miss A’s wheelchair into a CHOPPER! Headlights and all! Wow! All my babies, wow! They looked so fantastic! I love being a part of it and seeing their faces when they’re in costume and trick-or-treating. I wait all year for this and I’m ready for next year! Happy Halloween my friends and family! Boo!

{October 30, 2017} JJ almost dropped the ball!

What? No!!! Say it ain’t so!

One of my favorite things about an aunt and grandmother, JJ, is, well, making the babies happy! I love getting them birthday gifts, holiday presents, treats from my travels, but one of my favorites, Halloween! With all of the nieces and grand-babies, it’s my responsibility and I wear that badge with pride!

I start asking in the summer, ‘What do you want to be for Halloween?’ and then I’m off! And every year there are new challenges. When they’re little, either mom and dad decide or I get to pick. As they get older, they know what they want and that’s what I get them. Oh yea!

This year, the costume I ordered for EJS arrived and it was the wrong size, what? Ok, return, order new. I ordered the new costume on Tuesday, there was an issue with the payment, fixed it and I also added overnight shipping, great, it should get there no later than Thursday! That works!

So…guess what happened…Thursday comes and goes, no costume, it’s been delayed, should be there by Friday, ok. Then it should be there by Sunday, seriously? Then…delay…it should be there by October 30 or 31st, but no later than Wednesday. Seriously? November 1st? AFTER Halloween? Think I was cool with this? Not a chance!

So…I had a nice little chat with Amazon Prime. You know fabulous this call was, humph…The guy kept apologizing for the inconvenience and putting me on hold and hemming and hawing, nothing they could do, it would be there by Wednesday. I said that doesn’t help, it’s a Halloween costume, ‘oh, I’m sorry’, not sure there was actual understanding there.

I think four times he offered me an extra month of Prime for free, that still doesn’t help me with the costume crisis! Oooh, I could call it it CC2017! The great Costume Crisis of 2017! Such drama! Well, save the drama for your momma!

We went round and round and came up with no solutions. Well, except for me to sit there and click on the update link over and over and over. That and look up as many costume stores near GES that I could find.

FINALLY…it paid off because at 3:37pm, Amazon updated with DELIVERED! I immediately texted GES and waited… until she texted back that it was received and a photo was texted with a very happy EJS! Whew!

Let me just say this, I admittedly sometimes am late with birthday, and holiday gifts and that’s not cool, but…I always think getting a gift whenever is fabulous, not an excuse, but…you cannot be late on a Halloween costume, there is no week of Halloween or Halloween Day 2! Only one day, luckily it’s the same day every year! October 31st! And in this one area, I cannot and will not disappoint the wee tots that I love! One year I missed LB and Princess L because I didn’t see an email about costumes, but I won’t let that happen again!

So…JJ almost missed out and I REFUSE to disappoint my nieces and grand-babies when it comes to Halloween and I’m not about to start!

Oh, how I wish I could show you pictures of my loves, they all look so fabulous!

I can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow! Happy Eve of Halloween!!!

{October 29, 2017} Happy FOURTH birthday Princess L!!!

FOUR? Wait, she was just a baby? Now she’s FOUR? WOW!

I still remember the day CS told me she was pregnant with baby number two! LB was going to be a big sister! Oh wow! I also remember being in Las Vegas a few days before she was born, man did I want her to come out so I could meet her! But alas, JJ would have to wait…sigh.

And then I got to meet her and it’s been a treat! It takes her a minute when we see each other, she’s a cautious little person, especially since we don’t see each other often, but when she warms up, oh wow…hugs, smiles, silliness, curiosity, love.

I love seeing what the kids come up with when they play, together and by themselves. Princess L has a wonderful imagination, there are times when I visit and the kids are all doing their own thing, I love seeing what her mind comes up with to do or play by herself.

Sometimes she’s shy and lets others lead and other times she asserts herself and takes control and the lead. She’s creative and cunning, smart and sassy at times, loves learning new things and showing you what she’s learned.

Oh boy, does she love and look up to her big sister, LB! There is nothing like seeing these two doll babies together. She follows her around like a little sister and then she chases her…like a little sister!

When she decides what she wants to be for Halloween or gets something I send her from my travels, or for her birthday, that’s when I get to put a big smile on that sweet face. I love thinking about what I’m going to get her that is just for her. When I was pulling pictures of Princess L together for my Facebook post, it’s amazing the range of expressions and emotions she has, just with a look, a grin, a thought.

This little munchkin is one of the loves of my life and I look forward to watching her grow and learn and become the amazing person and adult I know is coming, but right now, the sweet, happy and special little girls she is.

Happy FOURTH birthday Princess L! JJ loves you oh so very much!

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