A New Adventure | Peaches Prattlings

{January 17, 2024} Wonka

Yes. That’s all I can say is yes.

Well, I can also say worth it, loved it, enjoyed it, great story, fun to watch, laughed, cried, felt all the feelings, and we want to know what happens next. Well…we sort of do, because there was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [2005], and there was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory [1971] [A very good year, if I may add!] And now…Wonka [2023].

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder was or is the story of how Charlie wins a golden ticket to take a tour of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Then, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Jonny Depp is the same premise, but we get a glimpse into the man behind the chocolate and you get to see a little of his childhood and what made him who he is. Interestingly, this version, Wonka, staring Timothée Chalamet is more about how he got his start with dreams of opening a shop, with the help of some friends, and butts heads with the ‘chocolate cartel’. In Johnny Depp’s version, he had issues with his dad, Timothée Chalamet was very much loved by his mother. Hmmm…

We know Timothée Chalamet is Willie Wonka, and he was terrific, but the rest of the cast, oh my! Olivia Coleman as Mrs. Scrubitt, an evil and vile woman! She was fabulous and I love her no matter what she’s playing! Tom Davis was Bleacher, an equally repulsive character, I can’t say I’m very familiar with his work, but he was icky in this, so well done!

The ‘Chocolate Cartel’, fabulous idea and description, were played by Paterson Joseph as Slugworth, Matt Lucas as Prodnose, and Matthew Baynton as Fickelgruber. I love Matt Lucas, I’ve loved him since first seeing him in Little Britain! If you haven’t seen it, look for it, it’s a sketch comedy show staring Matt Lucas and David Walliams. I will tell you, it’s tough to watch sometimes, and you will either love it or not, not a middle of the road kind of thing, but I love it! Matthew Baynton, I love in Ghosts, the UK version, among other things.

Keegan-Michael Key played the cheif of police, he is a funny actor and I have enjoyed watching him since his days on Mad TV! Jim Carter played Abacus Crunch, fitting name for a number cruncher, I know, that’s the point! Many of you probably know him from Downton Abbey, but I’ve been a fan since Haunted Honeymoon! Rakhee Thakrar was charming as Lottie Bell, who worked for the phone company, and I have a feeling that won’t click for anyone younger than me! ha ha Calah Lane was charming as Noodle, one of the other main characters who becomes very close with Willie Wonka and helps give him purpose and to achieve his dreams.

Sally Hawkins was absolutely perfect as Willie’s mother, I have admired her work for a long time, but one of my favorite roles is the mother in Paddington, is she typecast in that role? Rowan Atkinson as the dirty priest, oh he was delightful in his wickedness! It’s still jarring to hear him speak, sometimes, even though, my first introduction to him was as the Blackadder, oh wow, takes me back! Hugh Grant as the Oompa-Loompa, Lofty! It was fun seeing some of the actors in Paddington in Wonka, and it helps a little that it was directed by the same person, Paul King, who was also one of the writers, could be why it had a not so unfamiliar feel.

Just like in the other movies, you honestly can’t tell where the movie is filmed, it feels like Europe, it feels like a city in the US, who knows. Some things made sense, some things didn’t, but isn’t that fantasy and the joy of not having a clue?! Slightly indicitive of all three movies, and I’m ok with it.

As we were watching the movie, it was a musical, and there were some great song and dance numbers, I was wondering if they would be making this into a Broadway musical, it definitely has the makings. It actually looked like it was backwards, that this had been made from a Broadway musical, not the other way around, I’m curious to see what happens! There was a great and catchy soundtrack, but…PSM and I were waiting on certain songs. They played some of the traditional songs as background, but not the full song. Oompa Loompa for one, but the big one…Pure Imagination PSM and I were holding our breath, as I said it was part of the soundtrack in the background, until towards the end, then we held hands, let out the deep breath we were holding and the tears started to flow. All good.

Overall, I can’t recommend this movie enough, it’s whimsical, hopeful, charming, cheeky, clever, sweet, inventive, smart, sounds like Willie Wonka himself…Enjoy!

{January 15, 2024} A day off, sort of, and two more coffee shops!

Today is MLK day and for many, that means a day off, wahoo!

MLK Day, or Martin Luther King Day, is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. Dr King was born on January 15th, and was chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. The movement lead to several groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States.

Since it’s a federal holiday, many companies are closed, it was interesting, in Hawai’i, it was not observed as a holiday by all companies, but King Kamehameha I Day was an observed holiday and many companies were closed. A regional thing I guess. And, as companies were closed, some use it as an opportunity for volunteerism, giving back to communities, I’d say that’s a positive thing, wouldn’t you?

I think it’s great people have the day off to do as they choose, be it a long, 3-day weekend, a lazy day, a day to get things done, for contractors, it’s a day without pay and those aren’t as much fun, ha ha. Sometimes I am happy to take the day, but this week, we were given the opportunity to work and I took it! I am prepping for a new class, so it was the perfect time to get work done without the normal work day interruptions or meetings to take away focus. Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t get up at 6am like I normally do, I took my time waking up, we took the dogs to the park, and then we took the opportunity to go to another coffee shop on the Lebanon Valley Java Journey! Bonus!

We went to Baked Sweet Coffeehouse & Bakery, armed with only the passports, didn’t have to take the mugs! One less thing to remember! Weehoo! The street…you can tell they are trying to renovate and bring it up, there were several new houses and you could tell several others had been or were in the process of being renovated. The bakery itself was charming, from the outside to when you steppined inside. Open, airy, light feeling, edison bulb string lights, [do you know how hard it is to find a description and not an advertisement for edison bulb string lights?!], tables and chairs, small sofas, just the perfect atmosphere for a no-pressure, laid back coffee shop.

There was a Maker’s Market to one side with items from different vendors, all small businesses, they had their own line of merchandise down the hall, and in the back, rooms for events or overflow from the front of house. When we got there, no line, when we left, almost out the door! We’re not sure if it was the fact that businesses and schools were closed or it was the local coffee shop, could have been a combination.

They had a large coffee and tea selection, and a lovely pastry selection. We ordered a chai with almond milk for me and a decaf coffee for PSM, a blueberry muffin, a coffee cake muffin, and a beautiful snowflake sugar cookie for later. I wandered around while PSM found us a seat in front of a great antique stove, not on, but definitely a conversation piece! Our order was up, they don’t take personal cups, unfortunately, we had to pour our drinks into our cups, and the drink and muffin were served on a metal tray with a napkin that looked like a linen kitchen towel. All-in-all, a great experience so far!

The baked good were great, PSM’s coffee was pretty good, I can’t say I enjoyed my chai at all, but the cookie, I had later in the day…y u m, fancy sugar cookie goodness. We agreed, we really liked the atmosphere, but it wasn’t worth us making a special trip there on another occassion, that’s not to say, if we were in the area, we wouldn’t stop by for a baked good.

I ended up not drinking my chai and since we were headed back home, we thought, why not…let’s check another coffee shop off the list, or passport, as it were! We went to City Watch Coffee. We had both been there before, the hours weren’t always conducive to when we were out and about. The atmosphere is cool, kind of futuristic, whereas Baked Sweet had a more charming atmosphere. Both places have very nice and accomodating staff.

Speaking of staff, one of the things PSM noticed and mentioned, which admittedly, I hadn’t, was that the staff at all of the coffee shops we had been to so far were completely staffed by women. Once he pointed it out, I thought, go girl power! I liked it!

I ordered their chai, which was called, I believe the Vic Chai, because it was named after a cousin of the owner’s husband, who’s name was Vic Chai, how cool is that and what are the odds?! PSM had a hot chocolate and we ordered egg sandwiches. The sandwiches were good, PSM’s hot chocolate was good, I didn’t enjoy the chai, not sure why, it had a strange aftertaste to me. It was the third time I had it there, so it turns out the chai is not for me, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t go back to try a different drink. I am drawn to chai lattes and I try them wherever I go and some are a hit, and some not. The nice thing about this place, it’s not that far from home, so if I do find a drink I like better, win-win!

After our 2nd Java Journey stamp for the day and fifth for the weekend, we went back to the house. When we got there, one of the guys from the construction company were there to talk to us about how the day was going to go, I went upstairs to start working, and PSM stayed down to hammer out any last minute details. There were a few things I had to come downstairs to take care of, but for the most part, I was able to get a lot of work done.

PSM went out to do some stuff while I stayed behind to work, hang with the dogs and answer questions. About 230p he picked me up, we went out to get some lunch, I was very much in the mood for soup, good ramen to be exact, but no ramen in the area, so we went to Kugo Japanese restaurant for udon, because they assured me they had vegetable udon, I was ready! We had been there for sushi a while ago and liked it, this time, the udon was just what I needed. Hot, flavorful, and full of veggies and noodles, what more could you want!

Back to the house, check out the demo progress, get some more work done, take the dogs for a walk, work, PSM went to the gym, then I was done by the time he got home, we had some grub, and it was time to chill!

Not a bad way to spend a day off…sort of!

{January 14, 2024} A snuggle, a freezing walk, two coffee shops, groceries, a movie, and football. Oh my!

Just another Sunday. I was going to say ‘Just another day for you and me in paradise‘. PSM asked me to play Phil Collins when we were driving on St Thomas and now I’m on a Phil Collins radio kick on Pandora, not a bad thing in my opinion.

Got up liesurely, it was about 7am, or a little before. I wasn’t quite prepared to get up and officially greet the day, so I decided it was time for a momm-puppy cuddle session, another good thing. I went downstairs and got the dogs out of the crate, tried to sneak past PSM, trying not to wake him!, and got them upstairs and on the bed.

We settled in and Bee did her thing of circling the bed and settling in and falling asleep almost before her head hit the bed, Ruby did the same, stretched out and proceeded to try to lick my arm clean, no thanks. We were snuggled in for about 2 hours, we cuddled, watch some tv, not even sure what we watched. I say we, but we know the truth, it was really the dogs in control!

Got up eventually, took them to Stover Dam Park for a walk, they absolutely love it there! I chose the wrong footware, go figure, I wore my Chucks, which was fine for most of the park, a few areas were a bit wet, mushy, muddy, and slightly puddley [I made that last one up!] It was a teensy bit chilly while we were there, about 31 out and it was supposed to snow at some point and as we were leaving, here come some flakes, not much though.

Back to the house, feed the dogs, grab our Java Journey mugs and off to Ancester Coffeehouse & Creperie, which happens to be attached to Schnitz Creek Brewery, different. We ordered the drink of the day for PSM, something waayyy too sweet for PSM, but he’s a trooper, did you see…it came with one of those hearts in the foam! and chai latte with oat milk for me. Yummy, not a lot of variation on the chai lattes, in terms of crazy taste, each one is a little different, but ultimately, I usually enjoy it.

I ordered a savory crepe, the Secret Garden, and PSM had a egg and sausage bagel. While we waited, we were chatting, I said hello to the little boy at the table behind us, and I liked his glasses. We started talking with the parents and all of a sudden, the dad says “PSM?” Go figure, they work together! That was fun! We chatted with them for a while, about work, the town they live in, the town we live in, and the Java Journey, how much fun things like this are.

Our food came, y u m! We will definitely go back! Well, actually…to get another stamp we have to go to their other location, not a bad thing! We chatted some more and as we were sitting there, the brewery was taking over the tables around us, they opened at 1130am, and guess what time it was. PSM said we could finish our food and drink and move straight to the brewery!

After the brewery, we realized we needed salad fixings for the week, motorcycle cleaner, and we were contemplating going to a movie, so we headed in that direction, stopped at the Grocery Outlet, one of our favorite grocery stores. They have a good selection, some interesting items, a decent vegan selection, and not very expensive, a win-win! After the grocery store, we decided to check another coffee shop off our list…Sydney Roasting Co.

Turns out, we don’t actually have to bring the mugs with us, as long as we have the passports, we are good to go. Good to know! We orderd a chai latte for me with almond milk for me and whatever frozen, overly sweet drink for PSM. I tried it and agreed for the first few sips, it tasted like coffee ice cream, which I used to love, but 4 sips in…coffee, no thank you! We hung out, enjoyed the atmosphere, added this place to the list of places we might come back to! Loving this whole Java Journey thing!

After finishing, well almost finishing, our drinks headed to Auto Zone, unfortunately, they didn’t have what we needed, oh well, but..the movies await! We went to the local Regal Movie Theater to watch Wonka. LOVED IT! I’ll write another post about it, it was charming! We laughed, we cried, we just really enjoyed it!

After the movies we went to 7th Street Bar & Grill, one of our new favorite hang outs. It looks unassuming on the outside, inside, it’s not big, but it’s nice. They have two pool tables, a bunch of booths and tables, and a nice bar, we’ve only sat at the bar. My only issue with this place…the bathrooms are ffffrrreeezzzinnnnggg! I would say, if you can skip it in the winter, do it! Go in the summer, it will be great! I had a veggie burger and PSM had a reuben. One of the footbal playoff games was on, the Greenbay Packers were trouncing the Dallas Cowboys, on their own field, ouch. PSM started talking to a few people at the bar who could talk football, I was ok with that!

At some point, I headed home to take care of the dogs and left PSM in his football element. Dogs fed, toooo cold and windy for a walk! Took care of a few things around the house, started to talk to you and PSM called and said he was ready to come home. Off I went to pick him up, back home, change into sweats, hang out and talk to you while PSM watches some more football downstairs. Sounds like a win-win! Oh, I also ordered something for my art studio, can’t wait for it to get here!!! It’s all coming together, I can’t wait to share pics and updates!

Tomorrow the demo starts on the kitchen! If you have the day off tomorrow…enjoy! If you have to work…I hope it’s an easy day for you. Whatever you do…Happy Monday!

{January 13, 2024} A jam packed day!

Breakfast, hardware store, hardware store, haircut, hardware store, coffee shop, hardware store, paint store, brewery, home, move stuff, dog walk, rest. Oh my!

What a day! PSM let me sleep in and took the dogs for a long walk, it was great, I slept in until about 8am. Much needed after not falling asleep until about 330am, go figure. Even though I got about the same amount of sleep I normally do, there’s something about waking up on your own, no alarm, and after the sun comes up.

After bagels, we went to Harbor Freight to pick up a power screwdriver and craft desk/workbench for me and some drill bits for PSM. We were there the other day and I saw this Yukon, Three Drawer Hardwood Bench and I thought it would be perfect for my art studio. Something I’ll tell you about another time! I love it! The studio and the workbench! Not exactly looking forward to putting it together, but now that I have a new power screwdriver, I’m ready to go! I am now the proud owner of the bench and a Warrior Cordless Screwdriver Kit! Who’s with me getting excited about power tools?!

Next was Lowe’s to purchase the tile we were looking at for the kitchen renovation that starts on Monday, oh my! They had three boxes left, we needed five, go figure…but we found an associate to take the boxes down and found out that they had two more boxes at another location, score! The nice thing…we had appointments for hair cuts across the way, we’ll be back soon.

Across to Great Clips, we’re not fancy-schmancy folks when it comes to getting our hair cut. PSM does miss Sports Clips in St Louis, it was mostly the neck massage he misses. I used to go there too, since I like an almost high and tight, clippers work for me. But…we used to go to Great Clips as well and they do a good job. Let’s just say, having hair this short is great in the summer, but brrrr in the winter!

After hair cuts, we went back to Lowe’s to pick up the tiles, back to the house to drop off our purchases, then on to the Lowe’s in Palmyra, but along the way, we were thirsty, never got anything to drink with breakfast and we stopped into Swatara Coffee Company in Annville. According to the website, Swatara Coffee is a nationally recognized cafe using locally sourced ingredients and elevating Pennsylvania Dutch flavors. Bonus!

What a charming town, we haven’t spent a lot of time there, but we’re going to go back for sure. When the realtor was showing us around over the summer, we went through Annville, and we’ve driven through it a few times, but hadn’t stopped yet, but there are a few places on my list.

When we walked in, I immediately saw the mugs for the Lebanon Valley Java Journey! I got a text about this on Thursday, this is one of the things that happens in this area to get folks out, going to local places, and trying new things. It’s in its fifth year and it’s a trail of coffee shops across Lebanon County. There are 12 participating businesses, you purchase your Java Journey mug, we really liked them! And then at each location, they have a secret drink, which you can only get if you have one of the mugs. Once you make a purchase, you get a stamp in the ‘passport’. At the end, you turn in the passport and you’re entered into a drawing for prizes. You know me…I’m all about the swag!

While we were there, another couple had their mugs, we talked to them about it, then another two couples came in and we talked to them about it. They had done it in the past, and they made a day of it to go to all 12 places in one day! The hard part…the hours for the coffee shops is not condusive to weekday ventures, unless you can go before 2 or 3pm! So… it looks like we have our weekends set up until it’s over March 9th!

We love doing stuff like this, it gets us out and trying new places and cities, helps us explore, and…some of the places on the passport are already on my list of want to try! We are also doing a brewery passport tour, and someone told us about the Scooped ice cream tour in the summer! Cannot wait for that one!

PSM got the secret drink, I forgot what it was, sorry! and I was able to get a chait latte with mac milk, that’s macadamia nut for those not in the know, and we shared a french toast muffin. What a nice treat! I can’t wait to explore more coffee shops! Hmmm…maybe tomorrow morning we’ll try another. The hard part…remembering to bring the mugs!

Back in the car, off to Palmyra Lowe’s, got our tile, asked if there was a Harbor Freight nearby and they said yes, the one we were at earlier! ha ha. Next stop…Sherwin Williams for paint color books so we can figure out what color to paint the kitchen. We need to picks something that will compliment the grey cabinets, white marble countertops, and white-ish stone backsplash. Working on it, but we’re getting there!

Next, we needed lunch! We did a lot and it was time for food! We went to The Rotunda Restaurant and Brewery. This was an interesting place…in the front, or door we walked into, it was a bar/restaurant/brewery with a nice big bar to sit at, great big fireplace, cool decor, and in the back, there is a tiki bar! Yes, I said tiki bar! I did not take pictures of the tiki bar, I will save those for the next time we go!

We saddled up to the bar, placed a drink order, PSM got a flight of beers, I got hot tea, go figure…some of the beers were good, one, not so much, well, in his opinion, I tasted them all and, well, don’t ask me! We ordered food, I got the vegan refried bean tacos, and PSM got a burger. The food was good, the bartender was great, the other patrons at the bar were fun to chat with.

All told, we had a really good time and we look forward to going back!

After the Rotunda, back to Harbor Freight, I forgot something, PSM said he’s done with hardware stores for the day! I agree. Then home to finish clearing out the cabinets in the kitchen, pics of the whole process another time, you’re probably done with this post! After we cleared the cabinets, take the dogs for a walk and it was freezing! Temps in the 30s, winds 30-60 mph! I do love my winter parka and thank goodness for my new hat with the headlamp and the fuzzy lining, I would not have made it, my head was cold!

After that friends, isn’t that enough? Back home to put on comfy clothes, sweatpants were the order of the day! Then off to write to you to tell you about my day! I’m sitting here in my cozy sweatpants, a flannel top and my oversized sweatshirt. And I have a dog sitting under my desk, happily snoring away, what could be better?

Good night my friends. Cannot wait to find out what tomorrow brings! But whatever it is, you know I’ll share it!

{January 7, 2024} Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Maybe it should have stayed lost?

It wasn’t the worst movie, by far, and it wasn’t the best, by any means. It was ok, but you know it’s not great, in my opinion, when you start to wonder how much longer and looking at your watch.

Now…I’m a comic book fan, and I’m a superhero fan, and I’m a superhero movie fan, and I’m a D.C and Marvel girl, I won’t choose which one I like the best because they both have good and they both have bad, they both have characters, movies, and stories I like.

I loved the first Aquaman, I loved Aquaman in the Justice League movie, I just didn’t love the second movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, PSM and I agreed. I love most of the cast: Jason Momoa, especially in this role, he has a new costume for part of the journey…c’mon, seriously, poor PSM, his arm must be bruised, can’t help itI I love Nicole Kidman, she’s a bad arse in this role! I love Patrick Wilson, he plays a great bad guy, and in this movie, he was still a bad guy, power hungry, like in the first one, but he can fight, the banter between him and Aquaman/Arthur was great, quick witted barbs, brother stuff. I like Randall Park, one of the few D.C./Marvel crossover actors, one of 20 to be exact, out of the hundreds of actors, it’s a rare group to be a part of! Temuera Morrison, who doesn’t love Chief Tui from Moana!? Martin Short, I knew his voice the moment his character spoke! Dolph Lundgren, Drago from Rocky IV and Gunner from the Expendables! And lastly, John Rhys-Davies, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Princess Diaries 2, and Aquaman, just to name a few, that voice! An amazing cast! Oh, how could I forget Topo, the wicked, scary smaht octopus, who in the comics was his constant companion, but in the movie, his new-to-him, travel companion on the mission to find Orm, since he couldn’t have comms to speak with Atlantis, what an awesome cephalopod!

The story…opening wasn’t great, it was ok…seeing Aquaman as a husband and dad, but they were living at the lighthouse almost all the time? Cute with his son, Arthur Jr, awesome when you see they share some of the same gift when it comes to communicating with the fish, I thought there might be more of that…but more domesticity than action.

A lot of the movie felt like pieces were taken from other movies. I got Star Wars, AT-ATs, Jabba the Hutt, the fight scene between Luke and Darth, or the fight scene between Yoda and Dooku, or the fight scene between Darth and Obi Won, mostly because of the fight scenes with the tridents. The Mos Eisly Cantina, and one of my favoritest bands Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes ok, mostly Star Wars, oh, and Dr Who, sorry if you don’t agree, that’s what it felt like.

As always, there are great one-liners, the banter was spot on in quite a few places, some of the dialog was good, the back and forth between the brothers, it had its moments, you could definitely feel how Orm still hated his brother and loathed to be called little brother by Arthur, but they came together to fight for Atlatis and the world. The villain, Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, admittedly, I’ve only seen him in this a The Greatest Showman, but only remember him in Aquaman, he does play a really good villain and you know he’s a good villain when all you do is want someone to kill him! or hope he somehow kills himself! The graphics were amazing, the colors of Atlantis and other underwater worlds, give me more, please! How do I get there to see them?!

Don’t waste your time waiting for a post-credits scene that we’ve all come to expect, there is a small scene mid-credits, it won’t make or break your movie-going experience, it’s funny, but doesn’t give any insight to what might be coming next.

Apologies if this was harsh, I don’t know if was the movie or it just wasn’t the time to see it, but I have a feeling it was the movie. Although, I wasn’t crazy about Iron Man 3 and after I saw it a second time, I liked it a little more, still wasn’t my favorite, but it kind of grew on me a little more, even more when I saw how it tied into Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. So…will I run out to the theater and see it again, nope. Will I watch it when it comes out on video? Pretty sure. Right now? I’m going to watch the first Aquaman movie. Gimme a little more of that!

{January 5, 2024} Alright, alright, I’ll tell you where we spent the end of 2023 and rang in 2024!

The USVI! Yup, you heard right, that’s the United States Virgin Islands! Even threw in the BVI! British Virgin Islands. Not a bad way to spend the holidays and ring in the new year!

When we started planning our end of year trip, we thought about all the places we were interested in going. Two years ago it was Mexico, warm weather, beaches, mountains, sun, sand, and tequila, what could be better?! Last year, it was England, three weeks of adventure, tours, exploration, and family, that was pretty darn awesome! Are we alternating cold for warm, cold, warm, cold, warm? Hmmm…Actually the funny thing was last year it was warmer in the UK than it was in the states! Last year we were actually on target for Puerto Rico and a hurriane hit, we’ll get there one day. This year, we were close, distance-wise, we decided on the USVI.

If I tell you the week of December 18th was a tough one for concentrating, I have a feeling you might believe me! I had to teach a few classes that week and the fun fact I shared…going to the USVI! A few people gave me recommendations, but Thursday…it was tough! Best part of Thursday…actually Wednesday into Thursday…SDL and Miss A stopped by on their way to visit her folks for the holidays, how lucky was I?! I actually got to spend a bit of time with them last year, this was a great ending to the year!

We headed to Philly on Thursday evening, we were crashing at a hotel because for some reason, we thought a 541am flight was the way to go! There is definitely something wrong with us! ha ha. We found the parking lot, that was an adventure, grabbed an Uber to the hotel, got some dinner, so not worth it, but we were starving, showered, and set the alarm for 3am, UGH….they recommneded we get to the airport 2-3 hours before the flight, you know me, I’m a ‘by the skin of my teeth’ kind of flyer, but that’s when I’m solo, and it’s not right before Christmas. It’s a good thing we were there by 345a, the lines were crazy, but…we weren’t checking a bag, thank goodness, the line was ridonculous! Gotta love TSA pre-check! Board the flight, layover in Atlanta, grits for breakfast, yum! Next flight…there is an island in our future!

Both flights were uneventful, thankfully! We got a taxi to the hotel, this was the start of learning how things were going to go. Taxis are not inexpensive and…they charge per passenger, not per trip, interesting, no Uber or Lyft on the island, ok. The roads…well, keep your eyes open, and if you get motion sickness easily, um…might be better to be in the driver’s seat…the roads are not that wide, the speed limit seemed like a suggestion, and they drive on the left. There are signs everywhere ‘Keep Left’ done!

The room wasn’t quite ready so we went put our slippahs [flip-flops, sandals] on, and walked to the beach on the property. The sand was lovely and the water felt amaing. The first thing we always do is stand in the water and take pictures of our feet in the water. ahhhhh….

We had been traveling for a while, it was about 2p, time for sustenance…food and drink. We’re in the USVI, where some of the best rum comes from, what do you think the first thing PSM wanted was?! We went to Sangrias Beachside Bistro. Cover over head, sand on the ground, no walls, and a view of the beach, what more could you want?!

Food, that’s what we wanted, food and drink! PSM’s goal on this trip was to eat fish, fish, and more fish! PSM had ahi tuna nachos, and I had a tropical spinache salad, water for me, and a sangria for PSM, that was the name of the restaurant, after all! A delicious lunch and a few drinks later, we walked on the beach, talked to the concierge, and booked our first excursion, a catamaran for Sunday, talk about hitting the ground running!

By now, our room was ready, we hitched a ride on a golf cart up to the room, we had our luggage with us. That was the first time we hitched a ride and on our last day was the last day we hitched a ride, we walked the steps, the steps, the steps to get to our building and room! The room was charming, very beachy vibe. Seafoam colored accent walls, white walls and white exposed beams above, balcony overlooking the beach.

We stayed at the Elysian Beach Resort, it was a little away from things, a bit quieter, good location, not far from Red Hook, I’ll tell you about Red Hook and the next part of the trip in the next post. We got settled in, put our traveling clothes in the closet, we knew we wouldn’t need the long pants, long sleeves, and heavier outer layer until it was time to leave, ok with us! Unpacked, didn’t take much, a few pairs of shorts, tshirts, bathingsuits, and snorkel gear, done!

We walked around to check the resort out, sat on the beach for a bit, talked about where to go for dinner. Right onsite was a place people told us about for fish, the Caribbean Fish Market, not an inexpensive establishment! But could you beat the view?! We didn’t have the best bartender/server, that was a bummer. I know it was busy, but maybe acknowldge us, smile at us to welcome us, when PSM asks for a rum drink that’s not all sugary sweet, suggest something instead of tossing the drink menu at us? Maybe that’s asking too much.

Despite all that, we had a great time, we were together, we were on an island, the weather was perfecet, and we weren’t at work, that makes for a great time! We ordered a few appitizers: brussel sprouts, eggplant frites, and a flatbread with brie, pear, and arugula. Y U M! That flatbread lasted us two nights!

We talked, drank, started to relax, and just enjoyed each other’s company. We often talk about what a great life we have together and the life we’ve made, it’s not too shabby and we can’t think of anyone else we would rather spend it with. Sounds like a win-win!

After dinner we sat by the beach, it was probably about 20 feet from the restaurant, enjoyed the breeze, and the sea air that was kissing our skin. Again, not a bad life we have! Eventually, we decided to head back up to the room, up, up, up the stairs. I will see if I took pictures of all the steps to get from the room to the beach! We got our stpes in for the day for sure!

Back in the room, no plans tomorrow, we’ll think about it tomorrow! We’re on vacation!

And that friends, was day one of our USVI trip, not a bad way to start. I can’t wait to tell you more! But for now…going to say goodnight and crash! Coming back to reality…even a short week, feels like longer than a 5-day week! Aloha my friends! Happy Fri-yay!

{January 5, 2024} Last year this time…

I was dragging and gagging! The Thursday after New Years Eve 2023, I was on a train from Liverpool to London, checking into my hotel near the ExCel London Convention Center. I was going to RuPaul’s DragCon UK 2023!

Yes, you heard right, DragCon UK! I was going in London, I was between contracts, PSM said go! So…I went! Everyone who asked what my plans were while I was in the UK, I told them a bunch of stuff, then I said I was ending my trip at DragCon, they were gagged! If you’re a fan of drag, that’s a good thing!

So…Thursday before the convention started, I was on a train back from Liverpool, checked in, turns out…SO many of the queens were staying at the same hotel! I totally fan-girled! Sigh…but…had to keep my cool, I didn’t want to overdo it! I checked in, dropped my bags, then headed to the Prince Edward Theater in London, DragCon is at the ExcelLondon, down by the Royal Victoria Dock, about 20 minutes by tube, I was going to see Mary Poppins on stage! Or, as I called her as a child and still do…Mary Muffet!

The weekend was amazing! The entire trip was amazing, I need to tell you all about it, but not here, or not today, the post will be crazy long, but I will tell you about it, promise!

I’m going to leave you with a few teaser pics! Happy Thursday!

{January 2, 2024} Not the same view…sigh

What a travel day yesterday! We were up early, why, oh why, do we keep waking up early…on vacation?! I don’t think I slept past 6am any day while we were on vacation…some mornings my eyes opened at 3am and they stayed that way until I went to bed again the next night, and you know me…it’s never an early night! And you would think after swimming and snorkeling all day, I would be wiped out…nope, not me!

We were up early again yesterday, I set the alarm for 8am because check-out was 10am, didn’t matter, I was up before the sun, go figure. But…this did allow us to see some really pretty sunrises, that goes in the win column! So… up early, repacked my bag, figured out what could go on the plane and what could be checked, what we would take, and what we would leave behind. We decided to check our bags on the way home so we didn’t have to deal with them in the airport and on two flights, good decision on our part, go us!

Up early, repack, check out at 10am, head to airport about 1030am, we were supposed to be at the airport about 3 hours before our flight, we’re rocking and rolling. We were flying out at 3:28pm, so we were going to be there in plenty of time. Turns out…Delta does not open their ticket counter until 1115am, so we got to hang with other people who thought the same thing.

We met a nice mother and daughter from Charlotte and a woman from Philly and New Orleans, lots to talk about! One of the things I enjoy about meeting people is finding out where they are from, getting to know one another and compare notes. I got to talk to the woman from Charlotte about places that MM would take me, and the woman from Philly/NOLA, we talked food, museums, and Magazine Street. Time passed and we checked our bags…sort of.

I forgot this is what it is like in some airports…you check in at the desk, then you take your bag somewhere else. This somewhere else involved going through customs/border control…we were in a US Territory, but yup, that’s what they require, ok…PSM and I took our passports, just in case we needed them and it turns out, if you have one, it’s best to bring it with you, getting there, no need, but coming back, it would help, and it did! But…we finally got to use our Global Entry cards! Wah to the hoo! We bring them, but haven’t needed them! This time…we could only use the Global Entry [super fast and empty] line if we had the actual card. What? Score!

We got through customs, then took our bags to another place to put on the belt. Whew, gone! We needed the 3 hours, now I get it. Now…got into the airport, hurry up and wait! The whole process, from waiting for the desk to open to giving our bags took about hour, fun…

Turns out this post is more about our travels than what I woke up to! Ha ha, well, you’ve met me, start here, veer there…we got some lunch, PSM sat at the only table left in this cafe while I waited on line and ordered food. We thought being out of the airport and on the island was expensive! Veggie burger, regular burger, one order of fries, plantains, and two drinks: $52, yes, you heard that right! $52! Yes, airport food is expensive, but, come on…

We ate, loitered, took our time, finally finished and got up to give someone a chance at the table, the line for this place never really went down. Oh, I know you’ll be surprised at this, yeah right…happened to start talking with someone who is going to Hawai’i in March, I said we had lived there, she asked for some recommendations, and then gave me her email and I sent her a list for each island. Need a recommendation? Let me know.

We finally boarded our flight, uneventful, PSM shared his first class meal with me, love him! A few hours later, we were in Atlanta. We were hoping to go to the Delta club to enjoy and relax for the 4 hour layover, but…I haven’t needed the Delta Sky Club in a while, well, for about a year, and it turns out Delta changed their Sky Club policy and I am going to refrain from telling you what I thought and said under my breath. In order to go in the club, no matter what status you have, and if you are willing to pay the $50 to get in, you can ONLY get in if you have one of Delta’s AMEX cards…seriously? grrrr

Next flight, slept about 20 minutes, finished a docuseries and started a new one and we were back in Philly. Then to get our bags, call for a shuttle, get the car and head home. It was now 1am and it’s about 1.5 hours back to the house, fun! I started driving, we stopped for gas and I turned over the reigns or wheel to PSM, thankfully he slept on the second flight, he was good to go! The funniest thing…after getting gas, we got a cup of coffee and two snacks…$2.58! I could NOT stop laughing! After what we spent on food and drinks for almost 2 weeks, $2.58! LOVE it!

We got home at 3am, unloaded the car, put on jammies, and managed to crawl in bed about 330am. I was pretty much sleep walking at that point, but my pjs and the flannel sheets, I was good to go! I set the alarm for 745a since we didn’t have the dogs in the house and I could sleep in, ha ha! I slept until the alarm went off and it was glorious!

Then I looked out the window…not the same view or view I was expecting, as you can imagine. The sky was grey and overcast, no water view, sailboats, beach, fluffy clouds tinged with pink from the sunrise, so, as I said…sigh.

The sun came out a while later and all was right with the world. I will say our backyard, when the sun is coming up, the way it throws light across the trees and the barn, yes, I said barn, which I will explain another time, it’s lovely.

After waking up to the sea, salty air, sunshine, 80 degrees for almost two weeks, a little different, but good to be home and this afternoon, even more sunshine, we picked up the dogs from doggie camp, they smelled so good [they had been groomed]! and so happy to see us! What more could you want?!

That was a long way to get there. Ok, I’m done! Thanks JJ, I know you’re saying! Time to crash! Nighty nights!

{June 3, 2021} Our dogs have amazing hearing…selectively!

Yes, I said selectively! They crack us up, in case you couldn’t tell by some of the stories I have shared with you!

There are times they hear us and times they don’t, I don’t think they are different from any other dog. If it’s time for bed, Ruby sometimes pretends she doesn’t hear us, but Bee, well…there is a treat involved!

So…when I open the treat jars, Bee jumps up from a dead sleep! Ruby, she might look up, but she’s not as interested. Especially if we’re going out, or it’s bedtime and she’s not ready, and that means she has to go in to the crate. On the other hand, Ruby LOVES her walks, so…when she hears me open the Velcro on my sandals, she loses her mind! If it’s anywhere between about 415 and 5pm, which 5pm is their walk time, any time I move…are we going?!. I actually have to pick up my Chucks and carry them into the bedroom so I can put them on without her jumping on me!

Now…I know Ruby can hear my feet on the floor when I have my Chucks on, or almost any pair of shoes, and she thinks it’s walk time! But…if I walk towards the garage with shoes on, they are both on my heels like the world is gonna end! They think I’m heading for the car and we are going for a drive! HA HA

PSM said they never do that when he goes to the garage, I reminded him, most of the time when he leaves, he leaves through the back door and through the backyard fence, for me, my car is in the garage, that automatically signals car ride! Ruby is up for it, I think I told you, Bee isn’t a fan of going for drives, but she doesn’t want to be left behind more! What motivation!

When we get back from being out, they hear the garage door or the kitchen door and they perk their heads up, we have to tell them that we’ll be there in a minute, we might have to put some things down or away and then those tails start wagging and banging against the crate. We are super quiet when we leave for yoga at 530am, we know they can hear us, we hear them stirring! Ya can’t get past them!

So many times our dogs do something that cracks us up, makes us go hmmm or just plain tickles us. We love those goofballs!

{June 1, 2021} June 1st…What a day!

Today is a significant and special day for me, for several reasons. We’ve talked about some of it before, so please allow me to share again. A lot happened on this day, and today, something else happened.

15 years ago today I lost one of the most important people in my life, my mom. That sounds so selfish, she was one of the most important people to my family, my sister, my dad, family, friends, so many people in our lives. She was quite a woman, I’ve told you about her, a force to be reckoned with, a force of nature! She was wonderful, smart, funny, goofy, stubborn, silly, infuriating, uplifting, encouraging, I’m running through my rolodex of adjectives to describe her!

I remember how much she wanted me to be a teacher, that’s what both my parents were, not just teachers, but miracle workers, there’s not enough space in one of these posts to tell you how amazing they were in their field. I remember her saying, if you went into teaching, I could help get you a job in any school in NYC. No thanks! And what did I end up doing? Teaching…adults. And I’m damn good at it! Who ever wants their mom to be right?!

When I decided I wanted to become a vegetarian, other moms might have said, “oh brother, I hope this is a phase” or “you’ll eat what the rest of us eat”. Nope, she was all in! She made two meals every night she cooked. One for me and one for everyone else or one for the two of us and one for the rest of the family. Who does that?! She would also search for new recipes for me, all vegetarian! Meatloaf, chopped liver, I know, crazy, but when you’re Jewish, that stuff is in your veins! So many things she wanted to try and I remember the first Thanksgiving, no, not the first Thanksgiving! I’m not that old! The first one as a vegetarian, everything but the stuffing was vegetarian, she was amazing.

She taught me so much, and that is what leads me to the next reason today is a special day. My mom was amazing, and I mean amazing with kids! She taught GES and I how to be moms, not just moms, but loving moms, caring, giving, huggable moms. We learned how to throw an amazing birthday party at home, make a boo-boo all better, soothe the hurts, scraped knees and feelings, how to listen, and love. Oh, did she teach us how to love. She gave great hugs, anyone can tell you that and to this day…there is not a kid, or adult, who I hug who doesn’t use both arms when they hug me. I won’t let go until there are two arms wrapped around each other, you can feel the love emanating and let me tell you, when I am hugging, especially a child, I can feel her within me, it’s like she’s hugging them with me. And that…brings me soooo much joy!

I remember one day when TYH told me I taught her what it was to be a step-mom, I don’t know if she really knows what that meant to me. I never once thought of TYH or her brother WCH as anything but my kids, I was step-mom in title only. I have so much love for them both and my grandson, CDL, and that’s something my mom taught me.

Eight years ago today, I met my first grandson, Baby A, OMG! I can’t call him that any more! I need to come up with something else, but he’ll always be my Baby A! I was living in Colorado at the time, but came in to see KAB and meet Baby A, he was FOUR hours old when I met him and what a doll baby. Did you hear what I said…EIGHT YEARS AGO TODAY! My grandson is eight! Where did the time go?! He just finished second grade! What?! I remember holding him, he was tiny and beautiful and perfect and had my heart in his hand the minute I held him and looked in his little face.

He’s a smart, precocious, silly, funny, rambunctious, energetic, talented, loving little person. I get pictures from him that he drew, sometimes exactly what he wants to be for Halloween, the last one is actually framed and hanging on my wall of love! He is a lot of fun to talk to and I loved it when he got a Facebook Messenger account, he used to Facetime me all the time! Sometimes we had a conversation, other times, it was me just looking at a wall while he ran around doing something! I love getting video messages from him and his sister, melts my heart! I cannot wait to see them again, maybe a weekend trip to Atlanta is in my near future!

Well, today…there is another reason for joy, my heart has grown with a new love. Grandbaby number 9! AEB! Maybe my newest granddaughter can be Baby A! Of course, when she turns 8, I can’t call her that anymore! Can you believe it?! 9 Grandbabies, 9 loves for me! Yes, I can! I am one of the luckiest people in the world. I got the news just about 2pm that Baby A got a baby sister for his birthday! I’m tearing up thinking about it. What a wonderful gift, well, for me anyway! I’m so very happy for the whole family! I know what a great big brother he’s going to be! And Princess E gets to be a big sister, I know how excited she is!

The family is expanding! CS has a new baby, KAB has a new baby, Pow Pow has a new nephew and niece. So much mazel to the entire family!

Now you can see why today is such a special day, remembering my mom, wishing my grandson a happy birthday, and welcoming my newest granddaughter to the world, my heart is very full. And I’m glad I got to share it with you!

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