A New Adventure | Peaches Prattlings

{July 18, 2017} Mexico Day 2

Day two of our Playa del Carmen, all – inclusive resort trip! Life is good!

CKM and I are sharing a room and we both woke up a little after 6am, we were sitting on our balcony and could hear the animals waking up, so we went in search of what was making some of the sounds.

We found flamingos, peacocks, these rodent looking things and the source of the howling, the howler monkeys!

By now, we’re hungry, everyone else is stl sleeping, so off to breakfast we go. Don’t you just love all the details they put into everything?!

What to do next? Go back and check for the others… head out to breakfast number two, rough life!

After breakfast, back to the room, bathing suits, supplies and off to the pool! Pick up towels, stake our claim on some chairs, hard to do after everyone got there and claimed theirs, not allowed, but done anyway.

There was pool time, lunch, pool, beach, pool, beach. Then back to the room to shower and get ready for dinner.

Did you see the cute towel animal for today?

Unfortunately, my phone died, so no pics in the evening, sorry.

Dinner was good, one of the chefs gave me a tour of what I could and couldn’t eat. He even had someone make me a special dessert, fruit in a martini glass, love it!

Then it was a Broadway Extravaganza! The entertainment group put on different musical numbers from different Broadway shows, Grease, Cats, Chicago, Mama Mia, Wicked, just to name a few.

Then it was back to the room for bath, night nights and lights out, can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!

{July 17, 2017} Mexico Day 1

Surprise! We’re in Mexico! Playa del Carmen to be exact! Ahhh…

Yes, it’s as beautiful as you’ve heard! This is a special girls trip. Five years ago, when SDL turned 40, she, her sister DJL, Miss A and I went to three Dominican Republic for a week. Well, I believe I told you, a few months ago she graduated with her EMBA and wanted to celebrate, let’s go on another trip! Even better… big milestones to celebrate as well, DLP and CKM both turning 40 this year, let’s do it!

We decided on a place…Playa del Carmen, great! Now, a date… not as easy. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to get three busy adults to coordinate for a week away, as you can imagine! Then, if you recall, my family was trying to coordinate a trip to Amsterdam, imagine having to be in the middle of that! Well, we all did it and here we are! And I’m going to get a second stamp in my new [replacement] passport!

I spent the night with SDL and MissA, we packed, went to dinner… Mexican, go figure! We’re in vacation mode!

Up way too early…430am to be exact… out the door by 502am, not too shabby! It helped that we loaded the car last night… off to pick up DLP, then off to the airport. Drop everyone off, check our bags at curbside check-in, then drop off the car.

I love looking at the artwork at the airport, always so impressed, especially when by it’s students.

Then it was time to board and start our vacation!!

About two hours later, we’re in Mexico! Customs, stamps, luggage and a little over 1.15 hours later, we arrive at our resort, Ibostar Tucan. Registration and a fruity drink later we are set!

The rooms aren’t ready, so lunch it is. We head towards the pool, look at all the fabulous touches, from the statuary to the animal sanctuaries. Actually, the animals are great, they are free to walk amd fly wherever they want. We had a nice lunch and by then it was time to go to our rooms.

The buildings were great and colorful and our rooms are tropical, with towel animal creations. Nothing like the real animals, the peacocks, flamingos, howler monkeys, just to name a few.

By now, we have showered, rested and are ready to have dinner! Off in search of food we go.

We decided on one of the two buffets available and what a feast it was! The displays were beautiful. Is it making you hungry?

So… this is MissA’s floatie that kept staring at me from the overhead compartment. Hmm

What great adventure does tomorrow hold? I’ll let you know!

{July 15, 2017} Plans change… you just roll with it.

Things happen, plans change, you roll with it and make the best of it!

I know, sometimes that seems impossible, but sometimes, it works out, maybe not in the way you think.

I’m in Atlanta this weekend because I’m about to go on a girls trip with some of my favorite people and while I’m in town, very briefly, I tried to see a friend, I didn’t much time between getting in late last night and an early Sunday morning flight.

Unfortunately, my friend fell under the weather, so our plans fell through. I hope you feel better!

That didn’t stop me, it gave me a little more time where I was to help pack, pamper and play. Not the original plans, but it worked out.

So, now, the laundry is done, bags are packed, car is loaded, now all that’s left is sleep, it’s late and that alarm is coming very early! Nope, not telling you where we’re going until tomorrow!

{July 14, 2017} Sometimes you meet the nicest people…

When you’re traveling. Well, more flying in this case.

You can meet nice people all over the world, wherever you are, but sometimes you get really lucky when you’re sitting next to someone on a plane. It’s always a crap shoot when you sit next to someone on a flight, as you may or may not know.

I believe I told you about the nice guy I sat next to in first class last week. Tonight, I sat next to a nice woman in first class, yes,I got upgraded again, yes, I’m spoiled, especially when I travel for work, we’ve established this, moving on, ha ha. She was very nice, on the road like I am and we swapped stories, laughed, felt each other’s pains, accomplishments, it’s nice to talk with people who understand.

What I mean by that is when you travel for pleasure once in a while, you might have different types of experiences and look at things differently than someone who travels for work, even differently than sometime who travels exclusively for work, like I do, the ‘road warrior’ as its called.

One of the things I love is sharing tips and tricks with people new to traveling for work, little ways to get the best bang for your buck. I’ve really benefited from other people and i want to share what I’ve learned, from others and my own experiences. JCT, ST, BJS and I all met on the same project, we were road warriors.

ST got off the road and has started traveling for work again, JCT changed to a less traveled position and BJS is now a travel for fun kind of gal. I learned a lot from them and shared a lot with them, its neat to compare notes!

I wonder who I will sit next to next!

{July 14, 2017} Something Rotten

Something fabulous! Oh man, this musical!

Tonight I got to see a show I’ve been wanting to see for a long time! Something Rotten. And it was wonderful! It was funny, silly, tragic, entertaining, inspiring, wonderful! Just ask WIS, we saw it together and she didn’t know anything about it before we went and she loved it!

And I really did my best to not sing every song out loud! It was hard, but I think I did alright! I did well enough that she said she’d like to go to another musical with me! Wahoo!

It’s the story of two brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, who live during the Renaissance, where everything is new…haha. Also featured, a rock god of the literary world, Will Shakespeare. He has fans and groupies, as every good rock star does.

The Bottom Brothers are playwrights, well, more Nigel than Nick and they haven’t been too successful lately, not with Will Shakespeare down the road…

Nick is a dreamer, always looking for the next big idea. Nigel is a dreamer, just a different sort, sonnets, poems, words of love and meaning. One thing holds true, the brothers have each other’s backs.

Nick has a feisty, strong wife who thinks he hung the moon and believes in her husband and supports his dreams. Nigel is nervous around the opposite sex.

There is inspiration, dreams, big dreams, regret, taking chances, bribery, soothsaying, love, romance, verbal battles. Oh, don’t forget the fabulous musical numbers, it’s a musical after all!

It’s great the way they played on the times and how modern things were…in the renaissance!

Bottom line, ha ha! Go see this musical, its fabulous!!!

{July 12, 2017} Wow, it’s really out there?

Friends, a big step in my life happened on Monday.

My house in Georgia went on the market! What? Yes! I’d say that’s a big step! I can’t believe it!

I bought the house in 2003, I say I, but I actually bought it with the wasband. Then when we were getting divorced, it went on the market, two years later, I took it off the market and shortly after that, he quit claimed it to me. If you’re not in the know, to quit claim, at a high level, is to transfer property to another individual…he turned the house over to me, giving up all claim to it.

Then about five years ago, I refinanced the house and put it into my name and it was really mine at that point. Mine alone. Wow.

About a year after I moved to Colorado I found a great property management company, Renters Warehouse, to manage the property and they found tenants who have been renting for the last three years.

I have been thinking about selling for a while and recently, I decided to go for it. I reached out to a realtor I know, the daughter of a good friend and we got the process started.

Paperwork, photos, signatures… and now, it’s officially on the market!

Wow, this is such a big step. But a good one! I’ll keep you posted!

{July 9, 2017} A good visit… time to say see ya…

What a week! A whirlwind of sorts!

Get in late last Friday night, party for PSM on Saturday, family, friends, fireworks, back to Chicago for three days.

Get in late Friday night, drive two plus hours to see PSM, time with family, drive back to Boston, very early flight for someone yesterday, back to GES’ house, hang out, get stuff done, family comes home from camping, hang out a bit, say goodnight and think about sleep, 5am alarm to go back to Chicago.

For PSM… hit the ground running, literally! Land, party, motorcycle trip, cookout, work, golf, mountains, hiking, mini – golf, home. You tired yet?

I got to be in the same time zone and even see my honey for more than two days! Hold yourselves back people!

It was a great, albeit, short visit. A busy month for us, then I get to go home next month! Can’t wait!

{July 4, 2017} Happy birthday USA! How do you celebrate?

Just to be clear, USA stands for just what you were thinking, United States of America.

It’s July 4th! A great day in our country’s history. Indepence and freedom, that screams volumes! It’s a celebration and a day to celebrate!

Last night we had fireworks, today was a parade and a cookout and for some, more fireworks. How did you celebrate?

We started with a 5k,EJS and ACS ran it, along with LR and a whole bunch of other people. It was a good way to start the day. I did it last year, maybe I’ll do it next year.

We cheered for everyone, I know how much I enjoy hearing the cheering and encouragement, so i was in full form. “You got this!” “Girl power!” “Tutu power!” You name it, we were shouting it!

Then… the parade! It’s quite the show! The race is the same as the parade route, so there is a pretty good crowd for the race, it just grows for the parade.

There was the fire brigade, sirens blaring. Hit or miss on the noise with the kids! But they definitely love the trucks!

During the parade there were different military and service people participating, the last military group… the red coats! The muskets were cool, and loud!

Old cars, roadsters, muscle cars, jeeps, Model Ts, fabulous!

Decorated floats, construction equipment, dance troupes.

You can’t have a parade without live music!

Love the live music!

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Brass band!

Who doesn’t love a steel drum band?

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What a great parade!

{July 3, 2017} And the rockets red glare…

The bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Does the Star Spangled Banner give you chills, like me? Make your heart swell, like me? Bring tears to your eyes, like mine? Make you proud to be an American? All that and so much more.

It’s hopeful, full of wonder and promise, that anything is possible.

Tonight, we went to the local high school to watch a fireworks display. I’m sure there were so many going on all throughout the state, and country. Felt like the entire town was at ours. The town does a great fireworks display.

You get there to set up, maybe in the early afternoon, stake your spot, chairs, blankets. Then go home and have friends over, food, drink, fun. Then about 730, start walking to the high school, find your stuff and your friends, catch up, play, collect as many glow stick pieces of jewelry as you can!

About 920, you’re wondering, it’s dark enough, right? Let’s get started! And it does start, with the Star Spangled Banner. And on ‘the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air’ they let off fireworks, perfection!

Twenty two minutes later, popping, bursting, spraying, sparkling, its all so magical and wonderful and its over. So good, they left us wanting more.

Let’s start planning next year!

Happy birthday DM!

{July 2, 2017} What a day! What a party! What a guy!

Let’s just say, he is totally worth it! I think I did it right!

PSM is turning 50 next week, so a celebration is on order! We had been dating a few months when we started talking about his next big birthday. I asked him what he wanted and without hesitation, he said ‘a clambake from Woodmans’. Ok, that is pretty specific, anything else?

Well, since I asked…Clambake from Woodmans, Fudgy the Whale ice cream cake from Carvel, ice crem sandwiches, a beach, coles slaw, corn on the cob, lobster, potato salad. There you go.

So, I started with a save the date July 1, 2016, with a fabulous and cheesy poem, something I have a knack for. A few months ago, I sent out the evite, with another cute and cheesy poem and the responses started coming in.

Then all of a sudden it was May 2017, time to get cracking! I was looking for a place to have the clambake in Massachussettes and the place I found, Winter Island Park in Salem, Ma, it was perfect. Guess what the beach was called? Waikiki Beach, go figure!

Place, check. It was a great space, wide open, they set up the tables and chairs and even provided the grill! It was perfect. The restrooms were a short walk away and the beach, just past that. Everyone brought bathing suits and towels and enjoyed the beach for at least a few minutes.

Food, check. I ordered the clam bake from Woodman’s, very helpful staff. A few Costco runs for the folks who don’t eat seafood and the sides and chips, watermelons. Some folks brought stuff and the one person I asked to make anything…his auntie L, she makes this awesome cucumber and onion salad, it’s marinated in somethig fabulous and she made plenty, even left overs for me!

Beverages, check. A clambake on the beach really needs a keg of beer, instead of trying to get different cases, a keg of Bud Light. And it’s a good beach beer. One snag, they wouldn’t take my credit card over the phone, what? Ok, two snags, they would not sell a keg to someone with an out of state license. Huh? Ok, so, I asked PSM to stop by with his aunt and uncle to pick up the keg, I felt bad asking him to have to do anything for his own party, but he was agreeable. And it worked out perfectly! They arrived while we were completing the transaction. We would have taken it, but if you could have seen how packed the vehicles were! I should have gotten an SUV! And I forgot to take pictures!

On to the venue…

Help unloading the car, check! Help setting up, check. One advantage of people showing up on time or at least before you, they help carry stuff! GES and I had a Dirty Dancing moment “I carried the watermelon”. The pavillion looked great! ACS and the girls had put up some decorations, streamers and the birthday banners.

The last thing to do to decorate…fill the piatas [I know they are pinatas, but MGS calls them piatas, so that’s what they are!] I had a great idea a few months ago…the 5 was filled with candy for the kids and the 0 was filled with nips, those little bottles of alcohol! let’s just say it was difficult to tell who the kids and adults were when their respective piatas broke!

People arrived all afternoon, the grill got fired up and people started playing hackeysack, frisbee, futball, playing on the playground, go down to the beach, talking, laughing and basically fawning over my fella, it’s his day! His friends and family were so thrilled to be together to celebrate his birthday and to see him! It’s been a few months since he’s been back on the mainland in Boston.

Food, check. SM, PSM’s brother put on his grill master hat and heated up the charcoal, about fourty minutes later there were burgers, dogs, veggie burgers, buns, all ready to go. Time to unleash the clambake. Lobsters, steamers, corn, chowder, chicken, coleslawy, melted butter, we had it all. Everyone dug in, adults, kids, all ages. some of them even wore lobster bibs!

There was more eating, drinking, music, merry making. So much fun.

Piata time! The kids went first, MGS was first, of course! Three kids later, they were all very happy. Grown ups next. PSM took one good swing and hooch for everyone!

Cake, check. PSM had very fond memories of Tom Carvel and his ice cream stores and that voice! And what he asked for, Fudgie the Whale, one of the Carvel signature ice cream cakes. And ice cream sandwiches. I found a place on Staten Island for dry ice and dad was fabulous to pick it up on Thursday, Fudgie the Whale and flying saucers and transported them, to LaLa’s, then to GES’ on Friday. The amazing thing…between the dry ice and ice and ice packs, that cake stayed in the same shape until this afternoon! It was soup when I served it, but it made it in one piece! Thank you dad!

Speech, check. Yes,PSM was the centre of attention, his favorite thing! I said a few words before the piata, about him and thanking everyone for being there to help celebrate this awesome man, and then we sang happy birthday, it was perfect.

After food, cake, piata and song, there was more hanging out, talking, beach, games, then all of a sudden it was about 5:30/6pm and we were all getting hungry again, so fire up that grill and it didn’t take too long, the brickets were still warm. So, about 7:30pm, it was another round of food, good,less to take home!

Oh, there was another snag with the beer…the first tap stopped working, someone went to get another, that didn’t work. Third time, someone came to get the keg and brought us a few cases of beer. When we packed up, some folks got parting gifts!

By now, it was almost 9pm, everyone who was still there helped clean up, fold chairs and throw away trash and pack the cars. A lot of thank yous and goodbye hugs. Then it was over…GES and i took the coolers back to Woodmans and headed home.

I have to tell you, it was a great day. The location was perfect, the weather, wow, perfect! The food, perfect, the guests, perfect. Everyone said they had a great time and it really felt it. Only one or two people couldn’t make it, but everyone that was there was just right, it made me so very happy to see everyone and how much they love and like PSM and how happy he was by everyone that was there.

I can’t wait to show you his last present, I gave it to him when we got back to GES’ tonight, but I’ll show you on his birthday.

Thank you to everyone who made my fellas day grand. I love you all.

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