365-6 | Peaches Prattlings

{February 15, 2018} Four years?! Has it really been four years?!

Wow, four years ago this week I started with my current company. Can you believe it!?

To date, I have never been anywhere more than five years and my goal is to stay with this company until I retire and that’s quite a few more years.

I was brought to the company for my experience as a software trainer, specializing in EPIC, it’s an EMR, Electronic Medical Records, application. You know EMRs, when you go to the doctor and they enter everything on the pc, no more paper charts. Much more efficient in record keeping and depending on the software at the medical office, your records could be pulled up anywhere!

It’s been quite the ride since I started with the company. I have been on six projects, five different applications and two new ones to me. All of this has made me more well rounded, as an employee, as a trainer and team member, sounds good to me.

And now, I’m looking for my next opportunity, will it be the same type of software I’ve been training on this project, will it be something I already know, something new? Where will I be? Closer to home or farther away? Will my new co-workers be as wonderful as they have been on all my other projects?

It doesn’t matter, every new project is a new and exciting possibility to try something new, learn new things and all new experiences, not only with the application, but new team members, places to explore, cities to get to know, restaurants to sample.

I’m ready for my next adventure, are you with me?!

{February 14, 2018} February 14th, what a day!

It’s a special day for a lot of reasons, let’s talk about why!

First, it’s Valentine’s Day. On the one hand, there’s a lot of pressure…that people put on themselves. To show their loved ones that they are loved. It’s a happy day for some, for others, not so happy. If you’re single and don’t want to be, it screams at you. If you’re in a relationship, some use it as a test to see what their partners will do for them, like it proves something. If you’re single and you’re happy, it doesn’t make a difference.

You know the song, ‘if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with’, well that can count for Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to be with ‘that special someone’, you have to be with people you care about. Friends, kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, families, co-workers, whoever makes you happy!

I spent it with two co-workers who’s company I enjoy very much, DLP and SH. We went to the Chicago Diner, one of my favorite vegan restaurants that neither of them have been to, so it worked for me! They both wanted to try it, no reservation needed and the company was stellar, what more could you want?!

And when I got to my hotel room, look what my sweetheart sent me. Sigh. Don’t tell, but I think he likes me a little.

Second, it’s Gotcha Day for Miss A, my very special girl. Gotcha Day is the day when adoption is official and Feburary 14th is Miss A’s Gotcha Day. How fabulous is that?! The traditional day of love is the day that SDL and Miss A became official, mother and daughter. SDL’s sister became Aunt D and I became Auntie G to a wonderful little girl.

How about that, three different types of love on the same day. It’s ‘just another day’ for some, special for others, but really, it’s what you make of it. If it’s a day that lets you express yourself a little more, more power to ya!

And no matter what my dear friends and family, I love you every day!

{February 14, 2018} Two random butt dials in a day? What are the odds?

I finally remembered what it was I was going to tell you yesterday!

First, do you know what a butt dial is? That is where you randomly dial someone’s number on your cell phone without realizing it. It’s called butt dialing or pocket dialing because people would keep their cell phones in their back pocket, hence, pocket or butt dialing.

I had two random butt dialed calls from two of my sister/friends…on the same day! The first was JCT at about 7am, I answered and called her name, nothing. I’m not sure if she got my text checking on her, hmmm

The next came at 4pm, it was RJS! She answered when I said her name and then asked if she called me or did I call her?! We caught up for a minute and then it was over. It was loverly.

So, what does that say about our bond, I say it’s something special, they both had me on their subconscious, so not in their control and I love that about them! Hmm…who’s butt dialing next?

{February 12, 2018} It was so funny I forgot!

I had this great idea for a post tonight…And you get this!

That drives me crazy! I often have these great ideas and I think ‘ooh, that would be funny!’ Or ‘I really need to remember that!’ See where that got me!

I also say I need to write these things down and sometimes in the same breath, nah, I’ll remember it, it’s too good! Well, look where we are now!

Since I have nothing else to share, here are a few funnies:

What do you call ten rabbits walking backwards? A receding hairline!

Why did the Stormtrooper buy an iPhone? He couldn’t find the droid he was looking for!

Why are pirates so mean? They just arrrgh!

Have a great day!

{February 12, 2018} A great day on the mountain, do we have to leave?

Today was a much better day on the mountain, so hard to leave!

This morning we slept in a minute, we were only about 20 minutes from the mountain, so we took our time. Got some breakfast, a late checkout of 1pm and headed back to Breck for some fun.

It was a clear, crisp, beautiful day, all that powder from yesterday was groomed, so definitely better for ST and for me, my goggles didn’t fog, definitely better for me! We hopped on one of the shuttles, went back to where we were yesterday and no ice build up! We had almost no issue with the build up at all! Off to a great start!

We did a few more runs than yesterday, oh how we wish we had today’s weather yesterday! No regrets! About 11:45 we headed back to the hotel, quick shower, pack the bags and car, get gas, clean the windshield, grab something to eat and get on the road, about 1.47 hours to get back to Denver to drop off our skis. Oh! Do you see the ice on the windshield? That’s on the inside!

Ok, so, I thought 1pm would be alright to leave. Ha ha. We hit the on ramp, it was backed up, not a good sign…It was very stop and go the entire way! And, oh joy… all of a sudden, a warning light comes on “Transmission overheating, stop for 5 minutes’ What?!

So…pull over for about five minutes. Somewhere in there, a guy walks up to the car and asks if we’re ok. I told him what happened and he said, oh yeah, that happens all the time! And it will probably happen again! Really?! Great…

And he was right, it happened about three more times, grr. So… the stop and go, having to pull over four times, our little two hour trip down from the mountain turned into a little over three. We dropped off ST’s skis and then mine and then made a beeline for the airport.

Then that comedy of errors began! Dropped off the car, meanwhile, ST’s flight is now delayed, not good. I was going to do curbside checkin with my bag, but I missed the entrance, so car return it is. We get off the shuttle and on the way in to the airport, I wiped out! Seriously?! I get to the counter and I had just missed the 45 minute cutoff for dropping bags, but… status is fabulous!

I limp through security and to the gate, made it just as they were finishing my boarding group. Then… the longest boarding process ever! It was like no one had ever been on a plane! But amazingly, we left 2 minutes late and arrived on time! And my bag made it too!

Now I’m at the hotel, icing my ankle, enjoying the fireplace thinking about sleeping right here on the sofa!

I can’t wait for my next adventure!

{February 11, 2018} A day on the mountain!

What a great day! Second time on the slopes for me this season, first time for ST in a few years! Let’s do this thing!

We got up earlier than anyone should for a Saturday! 6am, ugh! But, we had to get on the road, it’s about 1.5 hours to Breckenridge from Golden, Colorado. Ok, so that’s without traffic…GPS said 1.55, ok. In reality…3 hours, we literally got there about 9:45am, wow! It was snowing pretty hard, so everyone is moving slowly and we see the snow plows…going in the other direction!

I have to say, growing up in NYC, going to college in western NY, living in Colorado for a bit, all of that helped with driving in the snow, especially since we were in a Ford Escort! Nothing more suitable for the snow this time, that wouldn’t cost me a lot extra, no thanks! There were a few slip and slide potential moments, but…according to ST, I handled it like a champ! I hope he wasn’t lying!

We got to Breck, found a place to park, thankfully! Suited up, ok, tomorrow, we are wearing our ski pants to the mountain instead of putting them on in the car and in the snow! Boots on, that in and of itself is a beast! We got our skis, walked to the shuttle and poof! We were at the gondola! We got ST’s buddy pass and up the mountain we went!

Here is where the real struggle began! This happened to me the last time I was up here and it is incredibly frustrating, but…it’s nice, sort of, to know it’s happening to others as well, not just us! The snow is so wet, it is building up on the bottom of the boots, with ice, so fast that you cannot hook into the skis! You had to scraped the bottom of the boots really well before you can snap in. About 30 minutes later! we were on the lift!

Since this was ST’s first time in a while, it was slow going, only meaning that he took his time and I was totally fine with that! I remember my first time back on skis when I moved to Colorado. There was a lot of fresh powder, which sometimes makes skiing a little more difficult when it hasn’t been groomed. He took it all in stride and like a champ!

We skied a few runs, then it was time for lunch, well, we decided to have lunch with I think everyone else on the mountain! We were lucky to find a seat! Got some lunch, wow, what they charge for food! I am not sure if the lift ticket was cheaper!

After lunch, I went back out to do a few more runs and…after about 30 minutes of trying to get the skis back on, I was done. I was SO frustrated! I called ST and told him what happened and that we were outta here! GRRRRR

Do you see the amount of snow that piled up while we were in the lodge?!

Well, it was only about 3pm, we headed to the shuttle, got on the wrong one and got a short tour of Breckenridge, then back at the gondolas, got on the right shuttle and back to the car.

Then…it turns out a co-worker from my project in Chicago, who lives in Colorado, SG, was going to be in Breckenridge this weekend with his family and some friends, as well so we made plans to meet up this afternoon. We ended meeting them at Mi Casa, a Mexican restaurant, in downtown Breckenridge, for happy hour and we oh my, a very happy bunch!

There were three couples, with five kids between them, they are all neighbors and friends. There were pitchers or beer, drinks for the kids, wings, tacos, guac and chips for all, not to mention good conversations, a lot of laughs and new friendships.

A few hours later, we all parted ways, they all headed to their hotel in Breck and we headed to Silverthorne to our hotel. The roads were better than when we came in this morning! We chilled, got settled and thought about dinner.

But…we were so bushed, guess what’s about to happen in a few? zzzzzzzzzzzz What does tomorrow hold? More!!!

{February 8, 2018} Just an observation

Ok, this is totally my opinion, nothing for anyone to get worked up about. There, my disclaimer.

I think I’ve told you about my guilty pleasures when it comes to tv viewing, some of the reality shows, like some of the baking competitions, Hoarders and My 600lb Life. Now, I watch it and sometimes even while I’m eating and wonder what is wrong with me, but that’s another analogy for another day.

I like seeing the success stories and sometimes there aren’t any. You root for them when they try, when they have little victories, you get frustrated for them when they have setbacks that are out of their control and you look at them and go ‘huh?’ when they cheat and say “but I’ve been working so hard, this little cheat won’t matter”.

It seems that most of the people who are on the show for weight loss help, they weigh 400 to 600 to even more pounds, they need the help. Before they can have the surgery, they have to prove to the surgeon that they can lose weight on their own, at least 100 pounds, so they start off having to lose 40-50 pounds, then another and then, approval.

Ok, the observation. The people are big, but so are their families. I would say at least ninety percent of the family members of these people are not just heavy or have a little extra, a lot of them are large, some are even obese.

On occassion, the families are right there, helping, participating, going on the airtight loss journey with them. But it seems like more often than not the person is on the journey on their own, no family support, sometimes making fun or sabotaging. It’s frustrating.

Of course, we don’t live in their houses, don’t walk a mile in their shoes, we don’t know what their lives were like, even though they give us some backstory, but they got that way somehow.

No matter what, shouldn’t the entire family work together? What can the rate of success be if they fight this battle alone?

{February 7, 2018} Another farewell…

Another roll off dinner, another farewell to another co-worker.

Tonight, we said goodbye to the man who brought me on to this project in Illinois. Neither of us are sure how he found me, but he did. I don’t know if you remember me telling you about about the time we first talked, but I was in the back of a hotel shuttle in Washington, DC. I was with the family for Spring Break week.

We talked about the project and I told him that I knew nothing about IES, never even heard of it. I also didn’t know at the time that DHS stood for Department of Human Services, I still thought it was Department of Homeland Security! Imagine that! I quickly found out what it was and I was game.

I told him what I tell anyone I interview with, if you want an expert in that software, I’m not the person for you, but if you are want someone who can learn the product, get ramped up quickly and deliver, then take a chance on me. And he did! I’m so glad for it!

He’s always encouraged me, supported me, listened when I had ideas or needed to express or vent, as it were. Throughout the entire project, he’s been so supportive, giving me the tools I needed and always trying to help me grow in my role and take on more responsibility.

We’ve laughed together, been frustrated together, talked about movies, music, books, travel, had the same views on some things and differed on others. It’s fun to be able to talk to your manager about things other than work. There have been one-on-one dinners, team dinners, outings, events, meetings, calls, you name it, the list goes on.

And, as with all things, all good things must come to an end. This is the time that the project is wrapping up and people are rolling off left and right. A few weeks ago, a roll off, tonight, a roll off, I wonder who’s next!

So, tonight, we all gathered at a new restaurant and had food, drinks, toasts, poems, a team gift, lots of laughs, stories and a good time, just as a send off should be!

I wish him a lot of luck and as always, thank you for taking a chance bringing me to this project knowing I didn’t know the product. Good luck MS! I hope we get to work together again some time, I’d do it in a skinny minute!

{February 5, 2018} Take that Nikola Tesla!

I have been playing Words With Friends for a few months…this time.

I think I started playing Words With Friends years ago like everyone else and it was fun and exciting. I think I was playing Draw Something at the same time, weren’t you?

Like many games, we lose interest, something new and exciting comes along or maybe, like many others, you kept playing. Well, a few months ago, I decided to get back into the game, ha ha.

So, here I am playing Words With Friends 2, updates, new and improved. I’ve got about 10 games going with four different people, it’s fun and challenging.

Now, the title of my post, I know you’re scratching your head like “huh”? So, with this new version, there are different challenges that you can participate in. There are events, always theme based, right now, there is a Valentine’s Day theme. With the events, you have to reach a certain number of points to win a prize. The points are earned by completing so many solo games, so many words with big scoring letters, X, J, Z, Q, competing in lightening round games with strangers, things like that.

Then, the next challenge is against the game, but they make it interesting. Each challenge has a different theme, right now, it’s famous poets, the last was investors. There are a few in the bronze, silver and gold levels. Easy, medium and hard in each.

So, as you can guess, each level, since there is a theme, has to have a name. With the inventors, there was Alexander Bell, Edison and the last and hardest was Nikola Tesla.

The easy, in my opinion, is very easy. Then the medium, more of a challenge, as it should be and then the hard, sometimes not too bad, but it is harder and there have been times with the medium and hard that I have had to replay a few times. But this time, Nikola Tesla, wow! It took me seven, yes I said seven! times to beat him! It was so frustrating!

I’m sure when you play games against a computer you think it cheats sometimes, right? How does it get that perfect move, those letters, come on! Really?!

Ok, so… sometimes, when I’m playing I get a bit competitive. It’s funny, when I’m playing with real people, yes, you want to win but there are other opportunities. With the computer, yes, I can play again, but there’s a time limit, the event ends and a new one starts. But, if you know me and my race medals…I’m determined! I’m not missing out on that badge, that gold box!

So…I played Nikola Tesla, just like all the others, and I knew I was getting close, but I was cautious and that calculator… How many points do I need to beat the machine!

So… in this instance… Take that Nikola Tesla!

Hey, if you want to play me, let me know, I’m always up for the challenge!

{February 4, 2018} An executive decision!

Today, I made an executive decision…nope, not gonna do it!

This morning I was supposed to do a 15k and yesterday the prediction was freezing rain in the morning. First, I couldn’t sleep, go figure…maybe I’d gotten too much sleep the night before, I had slept until about 9:30am yesterday. So, by 2am I was forcing myself to go to sleep and then I woke up at 3am, then 4am, finally at 4:30am, I got up, got dressed and headed out the door…in the freezing rain!

There was no one on the road and when I got to where parking was and the race start, no people. I drove around for a minute and then thought…wait, I’m an adult, I don’t have to do this! If it had just been cold out, race on, but it’s freezing rain, no thanks. No medal is worth this!

Executive decision made! I turned around, went back to where I was staying, worked out, showered and got dressed and got on with my day, all comfy-cozy and warm, good enough for me!

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What was I thinking?