365 | Peaches Prattlings

{November 30, 2013} Our Pets…oh how we love and name them!

We love our pets, they are our family, our children or furry children as we like to call them.

It’s always interesting to hear what people name their pets and why. Some people give their pets “human or people” names and some give them made up word names, some named after sports teams, some named for a favorite food. SDL has two cats, Boogie and Jack, CKM has a sweet puppy named Sasha, BJS has one cat named Oscar and another called Queenie. DCM had a dog named Lykin [sp?], SR has a furry child named Spencer. LK had a precious black lab named Jazz, think she was a dancer? Now, they have Divit, Twinkie and [jiminy crickets i can’t remember, I’m sorry!] LD has a white fluffy cat named Bella and KS has a ragdoll named Molly, love that name!

If I listed everyone and their pets, we’d be here all day! I’ve had some doozies, as a kid growing up, we had cats, cats and more cats, only had boy cats and when I was on my own, all girls, or so I thought! We had Rocky Raccoon, he had a mask around his eyes and rings on his tail, then there was Rocky II or…Rocky Baby Bubie, as I affectionately called him, next came Rocky III, do you sense a theme? He was GES’ personal baby and plaything. When I was in high school, Newgat [New Cat, sort of] joined the family, he was part Maine Coon and grew and grew and grew!

Then, when I had my own place, I inherited Gabby (that was the name she had), from a friend, she was a black cat, looked like a persian and she was my baby. I thought she needed a friend, so I got Jymy, boy was I wrong! When Gabby was gone, I got a set of sisters, I wanted to name them something clever and Peanut and Butter stuck! Along the way there was Biscuit, who I thought was a sweet little girl, then after I gave her away..something came up that made us realize we were wrong!

I’ve had a bunny named Money Penny, love James Bond I do! I also had a few rats as pets, yes, pets I said! There was Gwendolyn, I was working for the renaissance festival, so I was all ‘renaissancey’ and then there was Priscilla, I was a huge fan of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, she had a sandy hood and tail. Then I had Ginny, she was sweet.

Isn’t it crazy what we name our “kids”? They all mean something to us, even though others may not be able to figure it out.

Want to share yours?

{November 29, 2013} Bonehead move of the day!

So, we all have bonehead moves that we make from time to time, sometimes more than others and today, I had a douzy!

Yesterday we had Thanksgiving or “Turkey Day” as some people call it, celebrated as most of the nation and I made a fantastic champagne turkey as I have made for years and it’s a big hit, I’ll give details on that in another post. This fantastic champagne turkey is cooked in a roasting bag, a full bottle of champagne.

As the turkey is cooking, there is condensation leaking from the bag, did I put a baking sheet or anything underneath so today there was self cleaning happening in the oven. Not the bone headed thing. By the way, the oven is clean.

Then we took the turkey out, put it on the stove-top and since the bag is full of liquid, it hung over the roasting pan a bit, dripping a little, still ok. Then opened the bag to cut the turkey and get ready to eat…liquid spilled out and there was a healthy puddle on the stove-top. We had some micro fiber cloths, which I LOVE, they are super absorbent, which we sopped up as much liquid we could and left a towel on the stove-top to keep collecting liquid, just to stop it from dripping down the front. After dinner, I put the cloths in the sink, rinsed them out.

Now, it’s time for the bone head move…

Today, it was time to do some laundry, I grabbed all the clothes from upstairs and the clothes and put them in the washer and started it. I go about my business, hear the washer going, or so I thought…when I go to the washer to swap it out and guess what I had done…I had loaded the dryer, including detergent of course and ran the load! DUH! I still can’t believe it, I have no idea what happened! The only thing I can think is that in the apartment the washer is on the right, while in the house, the washer is on the left, sigh.

After I swapped the load to the washer, oh boy! I cleaned out the dryer with kitchen cleaner, you could see where the leftover turkey juice left residue on the drum, it was less than shiny, not so after I cleaned it! I had to have DCM clean part of the dryer as I am short and the dryer is a top loader with a HUGE stainless steel drum, I almost have to climb into it to get clothes out!

So, there you have it, bone headed move for the day. And just in case you were wondering…the clothes are clean and smell great!

{November 28, 2013} I am thankful

Today is Thanksgiving and as is tradition, we tell what we are thankful for, I want to share.

I am thankful for the basics, I have a roof over my head, two in fact; one with the man I love in Colorado, and the other in the city I left behind to host the people I love on a day like today.

I am thankful for the two furry kids I have, giving me unconditional love whether I want it or not.

I am thankful I know some amazing people who want to share this holiday with me and I am so thankful they can all cook!

I am thankful for my friends who have become family and welcome me with open arms when I “come home” and want to see me every chance they get and rearrange their schedules to do that.

I am thankful for friends who think enough of me to send text to say hello, wish me well, send me a Thanksgiving text, a joke or a smile.

I am thankful for friends who feel strongly enough about our friendship to confide in me when they are in need and trust me enough to know that I would never betray that trust. I am also thankful that I have friends I can confide in and rely on that I know would never betray that trust.

I am thankful that I have touched some people in such a way that even though we don’t talk or text very often or at all, they will reach out at random times to say hello and how are you.

I am thankful that I have people in my life I can be myself around and as silly as I want to be.

I am thankful that I have made friends in Colorado that want to spend time with me and think I’m the bees knees!

I am thankful that there are so many of you out there reading my blog, that I know I am not writing this just for me and you like it, you really like it! I am thankful that so many of you will comment and give me virtual hugs and advice and opinions.

I am thankful I have the freedom to write whatever I choose and I am thankful that you have the freedom and right to like, dislike or ignore anything I have to say.

I am thankful for the men and women serving in the armed forces helping to give me the freedom to be able to write what I please.

I am thankful I find something to blog about every day!

I am thankful so many of my friends have given me the opportunity to be an aunt to their amazing children who I love so much.

I am thankful for two wonderful daughters to DCM who welcomed me to their lives and allowed me to be a grandmother to their spectacular children who I have fallen in love with.

I am thankful all those parents let me get/make their children’s Halloween costumes, they can’t even imagine what it means to me!

I am thankful for DCM, who gave me an amazing excuse to move to a new state and explore new things, make changes, laugh at the same jokes, love the same movies, cook together and be silly together.

I am thankful to my extended family in Boston and the northeast; my brother-in-law who is a fantastic father to my nieces, someone I can joke with and cut up and let’s me slam on him and is learning to return a slam or two, someone who will pretend to keep up with me during a 5k when he’s used to running 8-9 miles for fun. His brother and sister-in-law who are great and fun to be around and are excited when I am there. For the neighbors who call me Auntie J and all the friends that are excited to see me when I visit and have gotten their kids to call me Auntie J. For LaLa who has been a great grandmother to my nieces who loves them very much and makes them feel special.

I am thankful to have a father who is kind and generous and courteous and funny and giving and smart and wise and lets me be me and is there for me when I need him and even when I don’t think I do. I am thankful that at 42, I am still “Daddy’s Little Girl” and thankful that I know I always will be. I am even more thankful that as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gained more than a dad, I’ve gained a valued and treasured friend.

I am thankful for a sister who is everything to me, the ying to my yang, the macaroni to my cheese (and if I go on, I will make us nauseous!). For giving me two of the most beautiful, intelligent, sweet, silly, goofy, special nieces in the entire world, yes I am biased. I have become such a proud big sister, you can’t even imagine. And yes, I am the big sister and I will always be the big sister, and I am thankful there are times that as big and mature and successful she gets, she still needs her big sister to pave the way, knock something down, hold and hug her and tell her everything will be ok and it will.

Lastly, I am plain ole thankful that you allowed me to share what I am thankful for with you, so…Thank You.

I hope you had a very special and happy Thanksgiving.

{November 27, 2013} My dollar store Thanksgiving!

It sounds so trashy, don’t it, but it ain’t! (Ouch, that hurt my ears just typing it!)

Since I moved, I don’t have anything for hosting 14 people, so I decided it would be paper plates and plastic utensils for everyone! Fair enough, right?

So I went to Party City and got some plastic utensils, about $2.90 per pack, and you know I needed one pack of knives, one pack of forks and one pack of spoons. Then I needed plates, a pack of 40 dinner plates for $3.47 and a pack of 40 salad/dessert plates for $3.47, I didn’t get cups there because I didn’t want 100 cups!

Then I went to Costco to pick up a turkey, great deal! $1.09 per pound, 19 pound bird, $17.00 with an instant rebate, I am rockin! Then I found these really nice white plastic plates with a silver band, they look real and they were $8.90 for the pack (16 each) and I bought the fake silver utensils for $8.00, I spent $16 when I would have spend three times as much for the same thing at Party City. I had seen these plates at D&Ds the night before and I thought it would be fun to look a little fancy. Mission accomplished.

I headed to the dollar store to see if they had a few things I needed and lo and behold, I had the answer! I found some nice square paper dinner plates, salad plates, clear plastic utensils, cups, napkins, I bought two sets of each, spent $7! How cool am I? Guess what went back to Costco and Party City! You bet, that was about $25 back in my pocket! I feel like a Rockerfella!

I then bought the aluminum pans I needed, measuring cups, spoons, etc, a cutting board! all Betty Crocker! some serving spoons and even a stainless steel knife/fork set for carving the turkey! I spent a total of about $42 (that included some canned veggies and some spices I needed, I forgot to add to the picture) and I was set!

Don’t knock the Dollar Store until you try it!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

{November 26, 2013} To Mac-n-Cheese or not to Mac-n-Cheese…

That is the question.

Now, before I go on, I want to let you know that I will be talking about my week later and the wonderfulness of my evening as well, but right now, I need some advice!

Since I’m hosting Thanksgivingka this week, I am working on the menu. I am making the turkey, yeah, I know, the veg-head is making the turkey and a cheese cake (lactose intolerant girl!) and people are bringing things.

Now there is a debate…as no one has said they are bringing Mac-n-cheese, I feel that I will have to make one, which I don’t mind, I like it. Growing up, we didn’t have Mac-n-cheese at Thanksgiving, it was something I had for the first time in the south, along with sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows (I love sweet potato, and sweet potato casserole with brown sugar, yum! but still out on the marshmallows).

The way I make it is a little different, I take the regular box mix then add some yummy stuff to it and bake it.

Talking with CKM, she didn’t think we needed it, then to get another opinion, I asked SV and DV, their new baby WJV didn’t offer much of an opinion, but boy is he C U T E!!! (There is more emphasis when you separate the letters like that, just so you know). DV said yes, it’s a staple and we should have it, SV said you could go either way. For me, it just seems like it’s not thanksgiving without Mac-n-cheese, but I’m really ok either way.

So…please weigh in and let me know what you think!

Oh, and we sit down to eat at 4, let me know if you’re coming and I’ll make sure we set a place for you! Come early and hang while we prep!

{November 25, 2013} Where is all the Chanukah stuff???

I am hosting Thanksgivingka this year, and I can barely find any Chanukah stuff! Grrr

For those not in the know…On Nov. 28, 2013, for the first and only time in any of our lifetimes, the first day of Hanukkah falls on the same day as Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving + Hanukkah = Thanksgivukkah. (Yes, it’s kind of like Sharknado.)

That being said, a lot and been posted about Thanksgivinka, I think it’s awesome! The link at the end of the post has recipes and decorating ideas for the joint holiday.

Since I am hosting, I thought it would be fun to have some menorahs out, give away Chanukah Gelt, also known as chocolate coins for playing with the dreidel.

Let me tell you something…I am teed off! I know that one of the nice things about Chanukah is the lack of commercialism , unlike Christmas, which is a market and a racket. I wish more people knew exactly what the meaning of Christmas is, what the story is, why we celebrate, but that’s a rant for another day.

Today’s rant, brought to you by the letter C and the number 8 is (my nod to Sesame Street) this…. Is that I am having THE hardest time finding Chanukah decorations and accessories. I’m not talking about anything huge, but I went to at least three stores that had a big fat whopping ZERO items, said they didn’t sell anything last year, so corporate never ordered anything! What?

When I did find some, there was a maybe a half of a shelf, on an end cap with all their Chanukah items, really? I thought for sure a hobby store would have something, nope! Luckily, I went into a Party City and they and a decent selection. I wanted to get some menorahs so everyone could light them and some Chanukah gelt (chocolate coins) and dreidles, so that everyone would have something to take home, a gift for the first night of Chanukah. So, I bought them out! (I can’t tell you what I got, in case anyone that will be here are reading this!)

I am not looking for the plates and napkins, etc for a Chanukah party for Thanksgivnka dinner, but come on! What’s the deal? Have we lost sight completely of everyone that doesn’t celebrate Christmas? Forgetting Chanukah for the moment, I didn’t see anything for any other holiday, no Kwanza, the Winter Solstice, nothing. Not even crafting projects! What happened to making gifts? What’s up with that people? Don’t we all deserve to observe our holiday and celebrate?

Rant done, let’s eat!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/thanksgivukkah

{November 24, 2013} Undercover Boss

I think I’ve told you, I’m not a reality show junkie, but there are a even we that I like and I found one that I liked and now it’s on Netflix! Undercover Boss.

The premise of the show is an upper level executive, generally a C-level executive goes “undercover in their own company”, trading in their ‘uptown living’ for a uniform and getting their hands dirty. Companies have included Subway, NASCARZ, Hooters, MGM Grand, NCL Cruise Lines, Direct TV.

The guise is employees think that there is a reality show, following two people who are vying for the same job. The candidate has changed their appearance and gets assigned to four different jobs to find out how people do their jobs. Some of the jobs seem simple, but turn out not to be and they find out their not as able as they think they are; the jobs range from deliveries, demolition, cleaning toilets, window washing, hot dog sales to satellite dish installation on a roof, the list goes on.

It seems like a lot of the people the candidate gets set up with has some sort of hardship, how they have been down and had struggles and brought themselves up. The biggest thing that you notice and the candidate notices is the attitude of the employees, how hard they work and how they don’t let things get to them, when life gives them lemons, they definitely make lemonade.

All these experiences help the executive get a new appreciation for their employees and their companies. Turns out that some executives can’t do some of the jobs, imagine that! Hey, the CEO of Subway Sandwiches had never worked in a sandwich shop, never made a sandwich, the CEO from Johnny Rockets was training on the grill, couldn’t even cook for himself! The CEO for a corporate cleaning company had never cleaned a toilet! (His wife was hoping he’d pick up a few tricks, he didn’t even pick up after himself!)

That same CEO from Johnny Rockets who said that he wanted to put into place an initiative that every new executive has to go down to the front lines and do those jobs before during their first week on the job, so they have the knowledge to make decisions instead of just making decisions blindly.

When I worked for OK Cafe in Atlanta, http://www.okcafe.com, for the first two weeks on the job, I trained at every single job before I got on the floor to wait tables; hosting cashier, runner, prep, baker, everything and I think that anyone who gets a job, especially at an executive level, just like the CEO at Johnny Rockets, should train so they understand every aspect of the company.

Working with the employees, they see the good, the bad and the ugly. They get the low down from employees even when they have issues with the company, but stick it out because they love what they do.

One of the nice things about the show is that after the week undercover, they bring the employees they were working with in the field, to the office, they think they’re going to vote on who to select for the job. They do things for those employees to help them out, whether it’s a raise, new job, maybe a mentoring program with the executive, training programs to move within the company, donation to a charity in their name, eduction, help with their families, to date, they have given over one million dollars to their employees. Bring tissues!

The end of the episode has the entire company in for an all hands meeting where they talk about their experiences undercover and give the company a chuckle by showing clips of the boss trying to do those jobs! Some of them even got fired!

What you hope, after everything, is that the executive team takes what they learned and make changes with the company, all for the positive.

I think more companies need to do this, without the incentive of a TV show, but because it’s good for the company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncover_boss

{November 23, 2013} Dr. Who

They say you never forget your first doctor…so true.

Did you see google today? It was a tribute to the Dr. Who series/franchise. There were all the doctors running back and forth and when you clicked on the doctors, you were taken to a game to play, serious fun for serious fans!

There have been countdowns and postings like crazy! And if you are a true fan, today was a huge day and no one should disturb you.

There are a few people I know who are ga-ga for the doctor and couldn’t wait! DCM’s youngest, DCM is one of those people, she la la la loves the good doctor, as does her mom, CG. How cool is this…she is such a big fan that for her birthday a few years ago, DCM, the younger, made her mom a clock with all of the doctors for the numbers…stellar, right?

As I mentioned, they say “You never forget your first doctor”. I am admittedly not a huge fan, but…I have to agree with that statement. (I have the socks to prove it!). I am a Dr. Who, Number Four fan, he was my first, sigh… Tom Baker, the fourth doctor, is, to date, the actor who has played the role the longest, seven seasons. I watched every episode I could from that time and one of my goals in life is to knit that scarf!

I don’t know why I never got into Dr. Who later in life, as I am a huge sci-fi nut and I loved the series as a kid, but I just haven’t. I listen to DCM (squared) talk about it, specifically David Tennant, who I loved in Harry Potter, among other things, he’s gotten her gifts with the doctor, I’ve posted things to her wall, but I just haven’t sat down to watch, maybe I need to.

Maybe it’s time I just “suck it up and deal”. It took me a while to get into a Star Trek TNG (The Next Generation, for those not in the know), OZ and NB sat with me while I got over my objections and then DR held my hand whenever Jean Luc Picard came on the screen sigh. After that, we spent every week together watching new episodes.

So…Who’s going to sit and hold my hand?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

{November 23, 2013} I found the answer, you bet I googled it!

Google can be a beautiful thing!

I have something I am preparing for next week and I was given minimal instructions and I was getting so frustrated! I reached out to JCT to take a look and see what i was missing, she’s good at that, especially since we’re in the same field.

I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday trying to figure it out and it was driving me batty! I couldn’t even move forward on the next steps until I figured it out.

When I went to google, some of the sites wanted money, not giving them money for this, so i kept looking and finally found the answer! I felt amazing! It took me 2+ days to figure something out that….turns out it was pretty simple and if given the opportunity, I will rewrite their documentation!

Once I figured it out, I was able to move on to the next step and I felt great!

Thank you google!

{November 22, 2013} A 10k at Disney!

Oh no! I had almost completely forgotten! I am doing a 10k at Walt Disney World in February!

I have to start training! I had almost forgotten about it and then got an email yesterday to remind me! So, now, I have to start training, I started running a little again, just need to stay strong and steady and focused and I will be ready! I feel that I can get myself running fully and then be able to run the entire 10k, or at least half or more of it! at least I think it’s a 10k and not a ten miler!

This will be my second race at Disney, two years ago I did the Animal Kingdom’s Everest Scavenger Hunt 5k. Disney races are more expensive but they treat you right and it’s fun!

I’m really looking forward to it! One of my goals, right now, is to run a full 5k, then move on to a 10k, think I can do it? I’m ready!

Then I need to book a flight and find a hotel! No problem!

I’ll keep you posted on my journey! Wish me luck, I’m gonna need it!

Who’s going with me?!

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