A New Adventure | Peaches Prattlings

{February 11, 2024} It was a long long long day! Goodbye, hello, goodbye, hello.

It was a good day, but a long one! Mostly a long drive.

I got up, said goodbye to JCT, JT, mom, and Oscar, the pug. Oh, I haven’t told you about Oscar yet, have I?! I didn’t tell you about the other four legged fur babies I got to hang out with this week, I didn’t! Tomorrow it is!

Well, back to today! I got up, said my goodbyes, and was on my way, I had a long drive back to PA today! I let PSM and dad know I was on the road, and I let MM know as well, I was going to have a stop in North Carolina to see him on my way in about four hours! Score! Podcast on, butt warmer on, let’s go!

If I were to drive straight, from JCT’s house, it’s 10 hours 58 minutes. Was I going to go straight home? Nope, the drive time is the same, but the time I’m on the road, not so much! I left about 840a, I would have been home before 9p, that would be loverly. I’ve done 12 hour drives, no problem, especially if it’s light out. I drove from St Louis to Denver a few times, about 12 hours, leave at 8a, especially gaining 2 hours, get there about 7p, it was great. This was not that!

I started my drive with a stop at Starbucks, drove to meet MM at a place called the Famous Toastery, not far from MM in South Carolina. We had a great visit and a good meal. I met him about 12p, told you, just about 4 hours, I left him close to 2p, a little later than I wanted, but we were having such a good time!

Goodbye hugs, we could have talked all day, I love that about my friends! Stopped for gas before I got on the highway and I was off! I listened to a podcast, then another, and another, let’s just say I pod-casted until I got home! I stop about every half tank, that gets me a good ways, I get to get out of the car, stretch my legs, fill up, bio-break, maybe get a snack, it helps the time go. Sometimes, a stop at a rest stop, same except for the gas, of course!

Oh! One of the things that I love, when I’m driving and using Google Maps, each time I cross a state line, it pops up a Welcome To! I’ll grab a few pics for you next time! I crossed from GA to South Carolina to North Carolina to Virginia to West Virginia to Maryland to Pennsylvnia. I could be going out of order, I have no sense of direction, ask anyone! But I know I was in those states! HA HA

It was raining on and off all day, so no top down, boo. I talked to a few people, but mostly it was me, podcasts, the road, and Annie, my beetle bug. My one stop for food was at a Taco Bell, I love running for the border! The thing I love about Taco Bell is that I can eat there! The rice and beans are vegan! Wah to the hoo! I ordered a black bean crunch wrap, but I ordered it fresco, which means no meat. Not sure what happened between me placing the order, I saw it on the screen, and actually making it. I got a little way down the road and two bites in when I realized this was a beef crunch wrap, no bueno! I can tell you, I haven’t had beef in over 25 years, no matter what I’ve tried throughout the years, this was not one of them and I did not have a good reaction! I turned around and went back, they made me a new crunch wrap, but it took a long time for my body to get over that one, it wasn’t fun.

On the road again, got to get back on the road again. By now, it was definitely full dark, but I’m still doing alright, it was about 730pm. I was back on the highway and moving along, doing great until about 930p and the day was starting to catch up with me. I pulled into a Love’s Travel Stop, it’s a gas station, truck stop, travel stop, they have showers for truck drivers, well, anyone who wants to pay for one, food, beverages, car supplies, and there’s usually some fast food restaurant attached. The restrooms are clean, it’s bright, and I even signed up for a Love’s card finally, I’ll at least get a discount on gas from now on and points to boot!

I had about an hour to go! Back on the road, and I can do it! PSM called about 1015p and I was just getting off the road, almost home! Wahoo! I pulled into the barn about 1030p, unloaded my laptop bag and my duffle and headed into the house to be greeted by the pitter patter of a Ruby and a Bee! I dropped my stuff, immediate bio-break, I felt bad for the dogs, they were trying to get in there with me! Came out, got covered in kisses and nuzzles, then came up for air, said hello to PSM, grabbed the dogs and took them upstairs for a cuddle.

PSM came up about 30 minutes later, not sure if I was awake or not! Put the pups in the crate for the night, I managed to get in my jammies and I don’t know if I’m sleep writing to you now!

A great trip, but I’m beat! Good n…..zzzzzzz

{February 10, 2024} Happy New Year!

Today is Chinese New Year! The Year of the Dragon!

What is the Lunar New Year, you may be asking yourself, as I might ask of you, if you were writing this, but I will ask it of myself, since I’m the one writing and pondering this very question!

Originating in multiple countries in east Asia, the holiday is filled with rich culture and tradition that centers around the hope for good fortune and prosperity [I took that directly from the website, I couldn’t have said it better myself!]. I think that sounds loverly!

Depending on where you are, there are celebrations, festivals, parties, good food, good drink, good friends, good family, all in hopes of celebration some good prosperity, not only financially, but spiritually, emotionally, and with your health. Sign me up!

Each Chinese astrological sign corresponds with a year, and an animal. This year, 2024, it’s the year of the dragon and according to the site, people born during the year of the Dragon are said to be naturally charismatic and gifted, often inspiring those around them. I would say so, I’m spending the day with JCT and she is the year of the dragon and yeah, that about says it all!

I am 1971, the year of the pig, we are known to be generous, diligent and compassionate. They are energetic, enthusiastic, and love to have fun. They have a great sense of responsibility and handle conflict calmly. Is that me? Who can we ask?

Check out this page to see what animal you are based on your birth year. I think some of them are a little off, and some are spot on, which makes me smile!

Today, instead of just sending a text, I got to wish one of my closest friends, JCT, who happens to be Chinese, a very happy new year! And to her daugther as well! Her mom, I wished happy new year last night when it was New Year’s Eve. Her mom cooked a feast! There was salmon and tofu, chicken, dumplings, Chinese sausage, and tofu wrapped egg. Everything was great! I know, you’re saying to yourself, but JJ, you’re vegan! I know friends, but mom cooked the food, the very least thing I could do was try it and she is a great cook and did not disappoint! I enjoyed tasting everything, with a few extra pieces of the egg wrapped tofu on my plate, y u m!

Today was low key, JCT took me to Sweet Hut Bakery & Cafe, which she introduced me to years ago when we first started hanging out when I still lived in GA, and every time I visit, there are a few places she takes me and Sweet Hut is oen of them! One time when PSM was here with me, I got to introduce him to it, with JCT, of course! They have wonderful treats, I forgot to take a picture, sorry! and the best time to go is in the morning, things are out fresh, they were still putting up the signs for what things were.

I picked up one of almost everything, well, everything that I could eat! They had savory and sweet, I stayed away from the savory because most of the time, that meant meat. The sweet, I bought a bunch, and I am taking it all home to share with PSM! I bought one of everything, except for the red bean moon cake, because I la la la love red bean and I got one for me and one for him! I ain’t sharing!

We also went to Great Wall Supermarket, well, we did that the other day, a wonderful Asian market/grocery store. I picked up some treats, spices, staples, that I am out of at home, and since we don’t have any Asian markets near us, I go when I can! Today, it was Assi, another great market, sometimes I have an idea of what I want and sometimes JCT recommends things to/for me. One of the things we were looking for were Korean sweet potatoes, mom had made some and they were delicious!

We spent the morning going up and down the aisles, talking, browsing, purchasing, it’s one of the things I love about visiting with JCT, we go to new and interesting places where I can find some wonderful items, I think that’s a wonderful way to star the new year!

In different parts of the world there are different celebrations happening to ring in the Chinese New Year. There are festivals, lion dances, it is a dance usually invited by traditional Chinese families to perform as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Spring Festival and to ward off bad luck and evil spirits, here’s one underwater in Malaysia! Here’s one from our former home state of Hawai’i. I’ve been lucky enough to see them in many different cities and I’m always fascinated and charmed by the splendor.

I have wonderful memories from childhood celebrating with a family that lived down the street from us. They would invite us to their Chinese New Year celebration, the food, the sights, the sounds, the red envelopes, all bringing a smile to my face.

I was looking for was looking for some Chinese New Year greetings or wishes to leave you with and I found this great site that had 8. I couldn’t decide which one I felt I wanted to share the most with you, so I’ll start with this one, after the photo, the rest.

I say to you, my dear friends, who are my family, I wish you prosperity, health, and happiness, in this, 2024, the Year of the Dragon.

新年快乐 – HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
MANDARIN: XĪN NIÁN KUÀI LÈ

恭喜发财 – WISH YOU PROSPERITY AND GOOD FORTUNE
MANDARIN: GŌNGXǏ FĀCÁI

大吉大利 – GOOD LUCK AND BIG PROFIT
MANDARIN: DÀ JÍ DÀ LÌ

身体健康 – GOOD HEALTH
MANDARIN: SHĒN TǏ JIÀN KĀNG

吉祥如意 – GOOD LUCK AND FORTUNE BE ACCORDING TO YOUR WISHES
MANDARIN: JÍ XIÁNG RÚ YÌ.

万事如意 — MAY ALL GO WELL WITH YOU
MANDARIN: WÀN SHÌ RÚ YÌ

学业有成 – ACADEMIC SUCCESS OR ACADEMIC PROGRESS
MANDARIN: XUÉYÈ YǑUCHÉNG

{February 9, 2024} It’s Krazy…A New Experience

So…tonight, I did something new to me, not to a lot of people, but definitely new to me!

I was with JCT and her husband JT, and we went to Krazy Deals. What is Krazy Deals you may be asking? Well…it’s held in several locations, different days, but the concept is the same. Basically they have inventory that was Amazon reutrns, overstock items, things like that and they are out on tables, or what they call bins, and on certain days, at dedicated times, you can go and all of the merchandise is one price, some days it’s $8, some days everything is $7, some days $2, you get the point.

Well…the reason these are Krazy Deals, as the name implies, is that no matter what the item is, it’s that price that day. Some of the items are returns, they could be brand new, they might not be, you don’t know until you look. They have bedding, electronics, clothing, kitchen wear, home decor, holiday decorations, you name it, they probably have it!

You have to see it to believe it, and you have to scan the barcode to really get the idea, JCT got a pair of brand new, still sealed, JBL earbuds, that retail for $99, for $8, now that’s a deal! And that’s how it works, someone else they know got a metal detector, it retailed for $75, they got it for $8.

Now…you go to the place, some have hours in the morning, then the evening, they’re not open ever day, and you get there when they open, so you can get the best stuff, or at least you’re hoping to get the best stuff! You don’t know what’s on the tables when they come out, they are covered with a plastic sheet so people can’t scope out what they want before they start.

In between sessions, meaning, after they have the first set of tables, or bins, out, they do a raffle to give items away, then they bring out the next set of items, lift the tape and they’re off! People are drawn to this stuff like little kids after they break a open a pinata! There’s the thrill of the chase and the find, you put it in your shopping cart, fill it up, and then when you’re done, you determine what you really want to keep and what you’re going to put back. Some peopel go with friends and they trade items, you know your friend is looking for socks, and they know you’re looking for kitchen knives, that sort of thing.

Some people are looking for things for themselves to keep, some people are looking for things they can sell on eBay, Amazon, Marketplace, wherever they might sell items. So…you buy something that retails for $50, you get it at Krazy Deals for $6, then you turn around and sell it for $50, or more or less, whatever you think you can get for it, and make a little, not a bad deal…if you can sell the item. If you’re good at it, great, more power to ya! Good luck.

I bought a few things for myself, things I want to try to craft with and either give away or sell eventually, I’ll be telling you about that venture eventually! But what I got, a box of 8 whatevers, for $8, I could have bought on Amazon for $30, yeah, I’d say that was a good deal for me!

I don’t know if I could do this very often, I’m sure if I did it more, I would get the hang of it, people know how to work the game, I wasn’t quite there, I was looking liesurely at everything and for everyone else, they were on a mission! JCT and JT do this as a date night some nights, they really love it and travel to the different locations. JCT has been telling me about it for a while and promised to take me when I was in town next, and here I am!

She knows what to look out for for me when she goes again, and I appreciate that! It was definitely an experience and I enjoyed it because we did it together and I saw their excitement and met their friends who they met through ‘binning’. Who knows what we’re going to find next visit!

{February 8, 2024} Hot Chocolate Expo…I should have paid for packet delivery

I talked about participating in the Hot Chocolate 15k, I want to tell you a little about the expo.

The race expo is where you pick up your race packet. Sometimes, you pick up your packet before the start of the race, maybe at a table or a tent. Some races, you pick up the packet at an expo, which is usually somewhere near the start of the race, a hotel, a convention center, if you’re Walt Disney World, it’s at the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo, I’ve done that one a few times, if you’re Disneyland, it’s at the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo, that one I did only once.

There have been some good expos, but my favorites were Disney and the Hot Chocolate. A great expo has a lot of vendors, could be up to 100, vendors include other races from around the country and the world, sign up for your next Disney or Hot Chocolate or Rock-n-Roll race, just to name three out of so many more! Footwear vendors, like Mizuno, or Brooks, or Saucony, running clothing, running skirts, like Sparkle Athletic, socks, hydration, photos, jewelry, medal hangers, recovery experts, running snacks, expert speakers, the list truly does go on.

In the past, I would spend an hour or two at the expo, after I picked up my race packet, just walking up and down each aisle, looking at everything, window shopping, browsing, and purchasing. I would get new Saucony running socks, my absolute favorite, an extra shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, from the race sponsor, maybe some fun things to add to my shoes, or a piece of jewelry, or if it’s cold, a pair of gloves, sometimes I would buy my next pair of running shoes, it was fun just walking, talking, exploring, and treating myself to something, I knew I was about to do something big.

The Hot Chocolate Expo has been at the Georgia World Congress Center, it’s been at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, at least I think it was! But…wherever it was, it was grand! Lots of vendors, big venue, just grand I tell ya! In 2021, it was virtual, as you can imagine, but I still did it…virtually! I walked to the park near where we lived, walked around the lake and back home, 9.1 miles. It had been snowing and doing it in my snow boots, not the best idea!

2022 it was virtual again, I actually did it on a treadmill at a hotel in Boston, I watched several episodes of Reacher, season 1 and the time went by like that! When I did the run virtually, I had the packet delivered, it cost a little more, but it was worth it, I had my stuff. Last year, I was excited to be back in Atlanta to do the race in person again! I went to the expo and I was disappointed, not many vendors, it was a small space, and I was able to walk around the entire expo very quickly and very disappointed.

This year, I was hopeful, but disappointed again…let’s just say, I paid $13 for parking because I was there about 30 minutes total! I walked in, went past the Hot Chocolate Runner’s store, and into the main area where we would pick up our packets.

It was very industrial, and dark. They had a few chandeliers up and groupings of edison bulbs giving off not much light. This wasn’t a date in a romantic setting with mood lighting, this was a race expo that should have had some more life to it.

I picked up my packet and asked where the gear exchange was, not happening this year! What?! Gear exchange is where you can try on the sweatshirt to see if it’s a good fit. When I asked customer service, they had shipping and supply issues, ok, that sucks. I tried my sweatshrit on, well, I tried, I got my arms in…it will look great in my closet with the rest of my Hot Chocolate gear! I should do a post with each year’s swag/gear!

Even some of the volunteers, because almost everyone who is working there is a volunteer, some of them said they couldn’t see anything, that’s great, they need to read people’s names and sizes! I did one tour around to see if there was something I might want, just had to have, couldn’t go home without it. Well, once around was enough to see that the answer was nothing…

I stopped by the Hot Chocolate store, nothing there either, they usually have some good deals, but I left with only my race bib and an event sweatshirt. It’s not the worst thing in the world to not spend money, but…one of the fun things I enjoy is finding a new treat or going to experts for some new gear or trucks, and my trucks, I mean running shoes.

I already signed up for next year, I didn’t purchase packet delivery, I’ll go pick it up…hoping to not be disappointed again. Fingers crossed the Hot Chocolate Expo comes back to life, maybe give it some chocolate and marshmallows, that seems to do the trick for some people!

A fine and happy good evening and happy Friday Eve!

{February 7, 2024} Am I a jinx? I sure hope not!

No, I’m not a jinx! I know that, it just made me think…

I was up a little early this morning and I decided to jump online and start my workday a little early. One of the things we have to do as trainers, not just at this new job, but anywhere you are a trainer or facilitator, is to do a teach back.

Now…you may be wondering what a teach back is, and I’m going to tell you! A teach back, like it may sound, is where I learn a product or software application and then I teach it back to someone, could be the person who taught it to me, could be someone else, but the idea is to teach back what I learned. The purpose is for the person observing is to see 1. If you know the product/materials to be presented to the end user. 2. To see how you present the material, not just reading from a script or a powerpoint. 3. How do you handle questions. Do you say “I think….” or do you say “Great question, I don’t know the answer, let’s put that on the parking lot”. 4. How do you handle the participants, your audience.

Anywhere I have been on a project I have done at least one teachback, if not more. I fully expect to do a teach back, I want you to see I know my stuff! I’ve been on projects where people thought they were too good to do a teach back, I’ve had trainers on my team who thought it was beneath them, well… yeah, about that… You’re never above doing a teach back.

For me, with a teachback, sometimes you learn something, maybe someone asks a question you don’t have the answer to and neither do they! So you might start talking through things and go down a rabbit hold and you both learn something! Go figure!

Anyway…my current contract, I’ve taught a few different systems and over the past few weeks, we were in Train-the-Trainer sessions, some people call it TTT, I’ve always called it T3. These T3 sessions were to learn additional systems to the ones we’ve taught and sitting in on sessions for things we have already taught, we gained some new insight.

When the T3s were done, we were instructed to set up teach backs for the new content we learned. Well…I spent part pf last week and this week working on some materials for teach backs. I finished one, I was in the middle of another when I logged on this morning and got the dreaded 404 error! Noooooo!

I reached out to the help desk, it was about 730a, they tried their hardest to help me get back into the system I needed, no luck. Somewehre around 8a, I posted to a Teams chat asking if anyone else was having the same issue. They were, so the technician I was working with put the ticket in as a multi-customer issue. Ok, no worries, I’ll work on another one.

Nope, that was not to be! What? Now I’m getting the 502 Bad Gateway error. I checked with the team and other folks were having the same issue, so I took one for the team and called the help desk, again. After 40 minutes, they could not resolve my issue, so another multi-customer issue ticket. Two down, do I dare try another? Am I a jinx?

No! Whew! Another application opened, I’m good now!

Next step…finish my trainer guide, schedule the teach back, and practice!

G’night!

{February 5, 2024} It’s that time of year again! It’s the Hot Chocolate 15k! Let’s do this!

For the past 11 years, I have participated in the Hot Chocolate run in Atlanta. January 13, 2013 was the inaugural Hot Chocolate race in Atlanta, easy for me to do there because I lived there at the time.

The first race I did was a 5k, they offered a 5k and a 15k. As a background: a 5k is 3.1 miles, 10k is 6.2 miles, a 15k is 9.1 miles, a half marathon is 13.1 miles, and a full marathon is 26.2. Here’s a deeper description of all the distances. After that you get into the ultra marathon realm, and that is waaayyy beyond my comprehension! Although, I do know a few people who participate in those, and more power to ’em!

I’m not sure if you remember me talking, in the past, about some of the races I’ve done. I’ve done obstacle races, mud runs, 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, and a few half marathons. I actually used to do about 5 races a month, mostly 5ks and one mud run every month or every other month. I was even doing them while I was on the road for work or when I was traveling internationally. The week before I met PSM, I had just done a 5k in Ireland and for our first 3-week trip to Europe, the week before we left I did the Brooklyn Half and when we got to Lisbon, Portugal, the next day I did the Lisbon Half, crazy, I know! Why did I stop?

To be honest, I don’t actually enjoy running, and no judgement against those that do, I admire you, honest I do, I keep saying I’m going to keep doing these until I enjoy running, hasn’t happened yet! And don’t let me fool you, I run part of it, but most, I run the start and the finish, so when someone asks “Did you run?” Why yes, yes I did. Did they ask how much I ran? No, no they did not! There were a few 5ks I actually ran the entire race, I still remember the first one, The Atlanta Women’s 5k, I ran the entire thing and as I was crossing the finish line, I was tearing up, I was so proud of myself!

When I do a race, I try to run, not just the start and finish, but I try to run some of it, and sometimes I’m more successful than others. This time I ran the first almost mile and then I walked pretty much the duration of the course. I was speaking with someone at work, NO, who is training for a half and said she felt similarly to how I do, until she read a book ‘Born to Run‘ and that changed her whole perspective. I need to find that book. I realized that although I don’t enjoy running, I enjoyed participating in the races. I joke I do it all for the swag, but I did enjoy the sense of accomplishment at completing a race.

There were people who were trying their hardest, there were people who were pushing themselves, there were people who were training for other races, like a half or a full marathon and part of the training is to have a long run, well, 9.1 miles is a longer run and this was a fun way to get that long run in. Now, my friend BG is training for a full and he had a long run day today, his was 18 miles. When he sent me his time, for twice the distance, he took 30 minutes longer to finish than my 9.1 miles, gotta love that!

Back to the race…I started doing the Hot Chocolate in Atlanta in 2013, it was a 5k, I wasn’t quite ready for anything else yet! and I was doing it with a friend. The same year, in Ocotber of 2013, I did it again in Denver, 5k, I also volunteered at the expo for race pick up, that was fun, so I volunteered again at the expo in 2015 in Atlanta. 2014 in Atlanta, I did the 5k again, but the next time I did the race, 2015 in Atlanta, and from that year on, I did the 15k. Why? Becuase there was a medal! I did mention I do these for the swag, right?! The Hot Chocolate really has the best sweatshirts.

You also might be asking why I keep doing it in Atlanta since I’ve moved a bit, well…here’s the swag thing again…they came out with a legacy series, you get something extra at your 3, 5, and 15 year mark. In the beginning, you could do the race anywhere, then…they changed the rules and you could only be a legacy if you did the race in the same city year after year, well, they finally amended that, but…I love doing the race where I started and it was inaugural! Besides, I have friends and family to visit here, it’s a win-win!

This year, I decided that since I’m at 13 years, I’m going to give it 2 more years, get my 15 year legacy swag and call it quits on the Hot Chocolate run. Let’s see if I hold me to that! I’ll keep you posted!.

The race is always at the end of January or beginning of February, and here we are February 4th…The race starts at Centennial Olympic Park, downtown Atlanta, the start is at 730a and you need to get down there by 645am, who sets these hours?! And it’s always freezing! And we pay for this? What? I got down there about 630a, parked, and eventually got out of the car, it was inevitable, I was going to have to at some point, right?!

Best part…rain held off until later this afternoon! Bad part…lots and lots of wind! I had my hat and gloves on, wind dies down, take them off, wind picks up, put them back on, and on and on and on, for the entire run!

Just before 730a, we are lined up in our respective corrals waiting to go, someone sings the national anthem, and then we’re off. I ran the first mile, walked the rest, with a jog/run here and there and definitely over the finish line. It’s funny, as you know I don’t post any pics of myself or anyone else that you can truly see our faces, but the pics they got of me, as I was crossing the finish line, cracked me up!

The course is decent, I was with everyone for the start, dwindled down as we went, since I wasn’t running the whole thing, huffing and puffing with my new friends as we climbed hills, who knew Atlanta was so hilly?! I did, and every time I do this stupid thing! ha ha. The worst, well, the worst part of a run, according to everyone, is that last one or two tenths of a mile because you know you’re almost there! You’re sooooo close. This one…why does the last tenth of a mile have to be UPHILL? It wasn’t a huge hill, it was a steady incline, but you could see it as you’re going up it. At that point I’m the little engine that could…I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

With this distance, especially if you’re not a runner, or you’re encouraging other folks, you just did a mile, eight to go! They have mile markers out there and then when you get to 3.1 miles, there is a 5k sign, and you’re like…I just walked to my neighborhood, or I just walked to the grocery store and back. Then there’s the 6 mile marker and then the 10k, awesome! Only 3 miles to go! Then you’re down to 2 miles, then you see the 8 mile marker and you’re like, I can’t quit now, I’m almost there!

I have three goals when I do a run, I’ve shared these before: 1. Start. 2. Finish. 3. Have someone behind me. I think those are pretty good goals! There was a point, I was at the back with two other women, we were encouraging each other, pushing each other on, then we caught up to other people, and then somewhere around mile 8, I was pushing ahead of them, I must have found my second win because by the time I was rounding that last corner, there were a lot of people behind me. I ran over the finish, cheered and people were cheering for me, it felt amazing! I did it, another one down!

I got my medal, I told you I do this for the swag! ha ha and then I stopped that pace and all of a sudden, my body said a big WTF, now…I have a race shirt that says WTF on the front and Where’s the Finish? on the back, this was not it, I knew where the finsih was, I just crossed it, ha ha. This was, the adrenaline that you just experienced has left your body and you know what you just put it through for 9.1 miles!

I got my medal and hobbled over to the finisher’s tent to get my finisher’s cup. This is a cup filled with lots of goodies, a hot chocolate in the middle, dipping chocolate, and things to dip in the chocolate. As some of you know, I don’t like chocolate, so I got mine with out any chocolate, poor guy who gave me my mug said he didn’t like it, and he was in the tent giving out the stuff, it smelled so chocolatey! Poor guy! I also gave away a few of the things to some kids near me, the marshmallow and the Rice Krispie treat, not my thing. I enjoyed the banana, pretzels, and trail mix, and my bottle of water, y u m!

I ate as I walked to my car, high fived finishers, congratulated others, and sat in my car with the but warmers on for a bit, ooh, that felt good! All in all I am very glad I did it, despite what my body says! I saw 2:39 when I crossed the finish, my time, that they emailed 2:33, I think that’s pretty respectable time for walking, with a little run thrown in, 9.1 miles!

Another year, another Hot Chocolate 15k done. I’m proud of myself, I just checked my time from last year and I was 5 minutes faster! Go me! ha ha. Now I’m going to check all the years and see what I did!

So, my friends, another race done, I think this may have inspired me to get back into it, and who knows…I may tell you about a race I actually ran! Oh my word! Or even got to where I enjoyed running! I know, I know, don’t get ahead of myself!

Nighty night and sweet dreams!

{February 3, 2024} Another part of my childhood is gone…

Goodbye Carl Weathers.

I was saddened, yesterday, to learn of Carl Weather’s passing on Thursday, February 1st, he was 76 years old. There also isn’t a cause of death listed yet.

I say part of my childhood because I have great memories of him on the big screen and the little screen. Is it possible to forget Apollo Creed from Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV? Action Jackson? Playing Action Jackson…Chubbs in Happy Gilmore, and to a whole new generation, Greef Karga in The Mandalorian and Combat Carl in Toy Story 4, and on the small screen, in one of my favorite shows, In the Heat of the Night.

There were so many more projects he was a part of, those are the ones that spoke to me more than anything else. He could be serious, funny, charming, goofy, all while probably knocking your lights out!

One thing I learned while looking up Carl Weathers to talk about him to you is that he played one year in the NFL, as a linebacker for John Madden’s 1970 Oakland Raiders!

The tributes that were pouring in online were touching and sweet, just knowing him seemed to enrich people’s lives and although I didn’t know him outside of a screen, you really felt what he was trying to share and convey, and I think I would have liked to sit down with him and be treated to that amazing smile!

A great Apollo Creed line: Apollo Creed versus the Italian Stallion. Sounds like a damn monster movie.

And another: Stay in school and use your brain. Be a doctor, be a lawyer, carry a leather briefcase. Forget about sports as a profession. Sports make ya grunt and smell. See, be a thinker, not a stinker.

Pretty good advice if you ask me. And on that note, good nigh Carl Weathers.

{February 1, 2024} St Thomas Day 5: Oops, I forgot a few things!

Apologies, apparently when I made albums on my phone, I got dates wrong, I knew we did more on day 5! Let me tell you about the rest of the day!

It’s December 26th, we were up before dawn, go figure, not a new occurance on this trip for some reason, but it afforded us the opportunity to see some amazing sunrises and today was no different! We decided to go down to the beach to watch the sunrise.

We didn’t make it very long and realized why there weren’t other people on the beach at that time…the no-see-ums, biting little suckers! We have bites all over our legs from these things! UGH! They bite when the sun’s not out, hence sunrise, sunset, and if you have one on you, apparently you bring it with you, gee thanks! Anyway…we enjoyed the sunrise as long as we could and headed back to the room for breakfast and to get ready for the day, if you recall, we have a snorkel trip at 1p, but we’re not going to let the morning go to waste!

Back to Charlotte Amalie, park and make our way to the Hebrew Congregation of St Thomas, we tried to get there on Christmas, no go, they were closed like everyone else! I had been to the synagogue years ago on a cruise, unfortunately, I don’t really remember it, the one thing I do remember, the floor is covered in sand, isn’t that grand!?

It’s a beautiful synagogue, and there was a bat mitzvah that was going to happen that morning, we asked if it was alright if we still came in and they were gracious enough to allow us in, we could even stay for the mitzvah if we wanted to, very generous. We wished the bat mitzvah girl and her family much nachas, which is joy, and pride in someone’s accomplishments, she was excited and nervous. Becoming a bat mitzvah, or “daughter of the commandments,” signifies that a young woman has attained legal adulthood under Jewish law. A bat mitzvah is based on the centuries-old ritual of bar mitzvah, or “son of the commandments,” the ceremony for 13-year-old boys. I still remember my bat mitzvah date, November 4, 1984. Not sure if it’s something anyone forgets.

The synagogue was founded in 1796 and has a long and rich history. We toured the chapel, the tributes, the history and then joined the synagogue to support and keep them going, as honorary members, that was something I could support. Look at us, we joined a synagogue!

We left as the family was pouring in from all over the world, what a wonderful time in a young person’s life and what a joy for their family.

When we left we headed back to the car to cross something else off our list of things to do in St Thomas. We went to the Skyride to Paradise Point. It was a must see, we looked at the line and thought, ugh, they’re charging what to go up? Wait, we have a vehicle and we can drive up! Sold! Paradise Point is definitely worth seeing, the view is amazing! On a clear day, you can see St Croix and Puerto Rico! At the rate we were not having luck getting to St Croix, this view and from the snorkel trips are as close as we’re getting on this trip!

It was a windy ride up, but very much worth it! We walked around, PSM had a painkiller, signature drink of St Thomas apparently! I didn’t care for it, but you probably already knew that! One thing we found that we really grooved with was My Brother’s Workshop, an organization ‘Providing hope, faith, and purpose to at-risk and high-risk young people in U.S Virgin Islands.’ Everything in the shop was made by someone from My Brother’s Workshop, we bought a few things because we love to support organizations like that. And we get a wonderful memory from our trip, wonderful.

We checked our watches and knew we needed to get back to Ocean Surfari in Red Hook for our Do It All Snorkel trip! We got there, got our tickets and then went down to the dock and grabbed a bite at Tarpon’s Table. We enjoyed view, being on the dock and the tarpon in abundance. Ya gotta love creative bathroom signs!

And now…you’re caught up, I shared everything we did until we went on the snorkel trip. Was that enough? We definitely don’t let moss grow under our feet!

And now, I bid you adieu. Night!

{January 31, 2024} St Thomas Day 5: Do it all Snorkel

Sounds like a fine offer, ok we will! Let’s Do It…All! Snorkel!

The days started beautifully with a beautiful sunrise, not setting an alarm, yeah, I’d say beautiful! We had our next snorkel trip booked for 1pm, so we decided to head down to Charlotte Amalie first thing, to see what we could see and we saw!

We were looking for a place for breakfast, specifically at the moment, some decaf coffee for PSM, someone recommended the Parley Cafe and when we found it, we were very glad we did! It was cozy, bright, tropical, everything it should be, and…smelling y u m! We got tea and coffee and two home made pastries, oh yeah!

I texted my dad and my sister, who were in London at the time, what are the odds, I’m on an island in the Caribbean and in the cafe I walked in to, Paddington Bear is on the tv and they’re in London, maybe close to Paddington station!

After a light breakfast, we walked around Charlotte Amalie, a few more people, still not crowded, but the shops were open, the nice thing, not crazy busy since there weren’t any cruise ships in this morning. As with all our trips, we always look for a motorcycle dealership to get a t-shirt. The Harley Davidson dealership, which was a store, was closed, but their merchandise was being sold right around the corner, of course we had to go!

We picked up a shirt or two, I got a magnet and a sticker, and we both got water bottles and some stickers for the bottles so we could bring water with us wherever we went. We have a serious metal water bottle collection, but….we buy them where we travel, it’s a great memento of our trip and they usually have the logo of where we’ve been. I’ll show you our collection some time! Oh brother! We walked around, enjoyed the sights and sounds and then headed back towards Red Hook, we had a boat to catch!

We made our way to Red Hook to Ocean Surfari where we booked the Do it all Snorkel trip! We checked in, got our tickets, and waited for the go-ahead to head to the boat. And now it’s time! We got down to the dock, relinquished our shoes, handed in our tickets, and boarded the boat, the Reef Safari. We got the lowdown from the captain and first mates and we were off! They offered water, soft drinks, juice, no alcohol until we did our first snorkel, so they could tell what type of swimmers we were like and if we were different after a drink! ha ha. They had these cool cups that turned blue if the drink was cold! yes, we took a few, they said we could!

We headed over to Cruz Bay on St John pick some folks up, Ocean Surfari has locations on both islands, then it was off to our first stop. We geared up and got ready to jump in the water. It’s funny, you never know what the temperature of the water is going to be when you jump in, even if you were just in the water earlier, or know that the water is perfect where you are. But nothing to fear, jumped in and ahhhhh… the water was perfect temperature, it was clear in some places, cloudy in others, but just being in the water is enough for me!

I love my GoPro, but I don’t know if I get the most out of it! [I have a GoPro saga for you in another post!]. But I’m so happy not to have to deal with or worry about using my phone under water, no matter how waterproof my waterproof case is!

Back on the boat, off to the next location. We get about 45 minutes to an hour in the water in each place, not too shabby! PSM and I swim together, separate, come back together, swim, point things out to each other, just explore and love being in the water! There weren’t a lot of fish, it was mostly coral, but the coral was stunning, I’m just happy being around Mother Nature and Trident, what more can I say!

Back on the boat, the rum punch and painkillers were flowing as we headed back towards St John, but first…lunch at Pizza Pi VI in Christmas Cove of Great St. James. This was a floating pizza restaurant and it was great! You can see they have seating tied off the boat and we were stopped and the pizza was delivered to the boat! We had plain cheese and pepperoni and the pizza was pretty good! Yes, I ate it, when in Rome and all!

After lunch, we made our way back to St John to drop folks off, then back to St Thomas as the sun was setting, it was so beautiful, we had rain on one side and sunshine on the other, a very rare occurance indeed. The sun took her time setting and it was so worth it, the captain played music and told stories about the area.

One of the things I love about island life is the holidays, people light up their palm trees and boats, just imagine being on the water, after dark and people have their boats trimmed in different holiday lights, what could be better to put you in the holiday spirit?!

All in all, a great day, what more could you ask for? And now…I’m going to go to bed and dream about the ocean, pizza, coral, fish, boats. Mmmmm night!

{January 28, 2024} It’s Sunday, time to idle? Us? not a chance!

I think I told you I was thinking about skiing today, but Mother Nature had other ideas, gee thanks…

PSM had to go into work to meet some folks, so I figured since we would be gone/occupied for a few hours, I’d go and hit the slopes for a few, and then we’d meet somewhere new, you know, somewhere off my list!

Since we have four places left to go on our Lebanon Valley Java Journey, let’s get up early, take the dogs for a walk, go to a new place for brunch or at least a drink and a pastry, then he would go off to work, I’d go skiing, etc, but as you know, that didn’t happen! I got up, Bee decided when we got to the end of the driveway, she would not be joining us on our jaunt this morning, grrr…fine…back to the house, collar back on, PSM was still home getting some things prepped to go into work and Ruby and I went for a rainy walk.

We came back and then by the time we got out of the house, we didn’t have enough time to grab anything, so he went off, I went back into the house to take care of things, feed the dogs, laundry, talking to you, you know, stuff. When we was done, he called and then came to pick me up and we went into downtown Lebanon for our first stop at Timeless Cafe. The last time we went, or the first time we tried, it was not a successful venture. The restaurant was crowded and we waited, and waited, and waited for someone to at least look at us and say hello. At that point we were hungry and not interested in waiting so we went somewhere else.

This time, I am happy to say, was a much different and better experience. If it wasn’t on the Java Journey passport, because of that last experience, we might not have gone back. I’m glad we took another chance! Inside, it’s charming, quaint, welcoming, and timeless. Could be all the clocks on the walls set to different times, and the clock hands aren’t moving, so definitely timeless! I just remembered that the first time we went, that was the first time I saw the mugs for the Java Journey and I was intrigued!

I ordered a chai latte, of course, with oat milk, it was pretty good. PSM ordered their signature drink, it definitely wasn’t for him, I think I told you, he’s not a fancy, sweet, or inventive coffee kind of guy, and that’s ok. Someone else probably had it and loved it. I went to the counter and got him a straight up decaf with a little cream, the guy behind the counter didn’t charge me, even when I said I would pay. Score one more for the cafe. PSM was going to have one of their breakfast sandwiches, then a bagel with cream cheese called to him and he answered! They have breakfast sandwiches or wraps that start at 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock, through 12 o’clock, which is what I had: egg, provolone, spinache, and tomato, skip the mushrooms, all on spinache tortilla wrap! I took a chance with the provolone, it wasn’t the best idea, but it was tasty!

We sat, ate, enjoyed, and chatted with the women at the table next to us, they were having baked french toast made with croissants, oh my! We may have to go back! They were also on the Java Journey, we chatted about that, then we asked for some recommendations for things to do, see, eat. Anything that wasn’t on my list already went on it! Thank you ladies!

We tiptoed through the raindrops, got in the jeep and headed on the road, where to? Well, we need to go grocery shopping, soon, not right now. We motored down the road to Jonestown to go to Swatara Coffee, [not sure what happened but their site is under construction, the link is to Google Maps to find them.] another stamp on the passport. I wasn’t expecting to go to another one so soon, but hey, you only live once! Wait, isn’t that what YOLO means? Yes, I am that goofy geek! Thank you very much!

We were wondering why the main drag looked so familiar, did we look at a house out this way? Not sure, but we’ve been through here! We went to Swatara Coffee, it’s a little smaller than the other location in Annville, but it was equally charming. One thing I noticed is that a bunch of these coffee houses sell not only their wares, like t-shirts and hats, some have vendor areas set up, others, like Swatar Coffee, have a specific artist’s earrings for sale, hmm…

The other thing, I’m not used to drinking more than one chai latte in a day! I usually have one in the morning, then it would be a ‘regular’ cup of tea or two, maybe more, but just a teabag, water, and sugar. The days we go to multiple new coffee houses, I’m getting chai, I know, I could get something else, but I want to try their chai latte, so sue me! ha ha

PSM had ordered an egg sandwich, I was not that hungry, but I was thinking a pastry would be nice, and I got their chocolate chip cookie thing! I don’t like chocolate, which you may or may not know, but…I love the cookie part of the thing! It was a thick cookie, some sort of frosting, then cookie chunks on top, let’s just say… O M G! YAASSS! PSM got their french toast muffin, tasty! I enjoyed it at the other location, and now here!

We got there at just the right moment, there was one other person in there, so we got to chat with the girl working behind the counter for a while, we spoke about the Java Journey and she works at the other location and really wants to go to the Whirling Dervish and hasn’t, I showed her pics and really encouraged her to go, but their hours…not easy to get there!

Just as we got to our seats, the place started to fill up! It’s not a very big space, maybe 2 2-person tables, then 2 6-person tables that could be broken up, if needed. In the middle is the coffee bar area, in the back was a room with a few tables. Today the back room had a crochet circle happening, some people were new to it, others experienced, a group of folks crafting and helping each other out. What could be more loverly?!

We got our drinks, I got my chai with mac milk, or macadamia nut milk, I remembered they had it from the other location. Another yum drink! We will definitely be going back, not sure to which location, maybe both, why not?!

After enjoying, laughing, talking with other patrons, we headed out, back towards the house and as we were driving, I suddently realized why it was so familiar! We were right near where the dogs were boarded when we took our 3-week motorcycle trip over the summer! I know I haven’t told you about it yet, I will, it was AH MAZING! I love when things click!

We went to Grocery Outlet, they have a decent selection of vegan stuff for me, score! We were there to pick up salad fixings for the week and see if they had any other goodies! Their prices are really good! The thing about Grocery Outlets, they have the staples, but they don’t always have the same things each time you’re there, and when I talk about goodies, they had Christmas mugs left over with chocolate in them for $1 each! I bought what they had and next year, someone[s] is getting one of these mugs personalized! With fresh chocolate, of course! ha ha

After the grocery store, we were trying to figure out what to do next. It was a chilly, rainy, blech day, we didn’t want to be outside, but we weren’t quite ready to go home. In the same parking lot is Michael’s, the craft superstore, which can sometimes be like kryptonite! I realized I haven’t been in almost 2 months, so PSM pulled into a spot and I went in, just to look, ha ha! I ended up finding some Cricut supplies, normally $18-$20 for $5! You cannot beat it, so I bought a bunch! And I will be using it, some great colors and patterns! Oh, the Cricut, that’s a whole other post!

After I came out, we decided we still weren’t ready to go home and he wasn’t that jazzed about the first playoff game, so we went to one of our favorite activities…mani-pedi! And what that is, a manicure, for the hands, and a pedicure, for the feet! We like Lebanon Nail & Spa of PA, they’re very nice and they do a good job. And PSM’s favorite part…the massage chair, nap time!

Oh, the joy! The bubbles, the jets, the massage chair, the foot massage, oh my! The thing I love about going is to get my cuticles trimmed, my fingernails shaped, and looking cleaner. I’ll be honest, the polish never lasts more than a few days at the most, but my hands look so good! The pedicure, same procedure, luckily, the polish lasts a lot longer on the toes! Just makes me feel purdy!

They finished my nails, I was dry, it’s time to go home! We loaded up, headed home, let the pups out, played with them, and PSM settled in to watch some ‘fusball’. I did something else! I don’t remember! Then about 615p, he headed to the 7th Street Bar & Grill, a neighborhood place we like to go, good staff, good food, and a good local hang out, some of PSM’s co-workers go there and we seem to run into them every once in a while. He was headed there for the game and I hung out with the pups, finished my pho from last night, and worked on the IMRG Chapter 2024 Calendar, I think I told you…I am now the Calendar Queen!

Is that enough for one day? I think I’ve had enough, it’s been fabulous talking with you, but I need to decompress and settle in. Have a fabulous night! See ya’ tomorrow!

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