My day | Peaches Prattlings

{February 8, 2021} Damn you Ryan Reynolds!

I say this with all the love and affection in the world. I think he’s hysterical, talented, goofy, yummy, among other things, but he’s a pusher! Let me ‘splain!

About 7 or 8 years ago, I used to play these 4 “Free Fall” Disney games. Each one came out after the movie premiered, these included Frozen Free Fall, Maleficent Free Fall, Inside Out: Thought Bubbles, and Cinderella Free Fall. I absolutely loved those games, to the point when I was getting a new phone and transferred all the apps over, I refused to reset the old phone until…I had confirmed my four games transferred over, with all my levels successfully. For those of you who are not gamers, this might not make sense, but for anyone who is a gamer, thank you for nodding your head! Hey, I had spent months, even years playing these games, getting my points, stats, and levels to where they were, I wasn’t about to lose and start all over again!

Now…that being said, when I get a new device, like a tablet, I love starting over, it’s so much fun! Because I have played these games so much, I know the moves and what to do, that when I start on a new device, I can usually play for hours without losing a life! And for anyone who has done this, wah to the hoo!

Unfortunately, those games, while still on my phone, hit a wall and there were glitches that I could not get past and I haven’t really played them much and if I have to start over, I’m ok with it, one I even really enjoyed, but when I got to the same place and hit the same wall, the joy has run out.

One of the things with pc games, even when you play on your phone, unless you pay to not have ads, there are ads, great…commercials on my phone while I’m playing a game. Normally, I don’t watch them, I find they get in the way, but about 4 years ago, one caught my eye…and that brings us to my post. This was an ad with Ryan Reynolds for Toon Blast and I was hooked at the first Toon Blast commercial! I found and watched them all! I think my favorite is still the one when he gets a tattoo of the last level he made!

I immediately downloaded the game and started playing and I kept playing, and kept playing, and kept playing, o m g! I was hooked. It’s fun, as advertised ‘The Funniest Cartoon Puzzle Adventure” and it is! Every level is something different. I will say, there are some levels that seem like they repeat, but I’m ok with that, I’m on level 2408, it’s bound to happen. There are three characters, Cooper Cat, Wally Wolf, and Bruno Bear, and after 50 levels are achieved, an episode is unlocked. Pirates, boxers, travelers, adventurers, dessert, chemistry, they even get dressed up for different holidays. It really is a lot of fun.

The thing I like about the game is that you have five lives per turn and if you complete a level, you move on to the next, if you don’t complete a level with your five lives, you have to wait 25 minutes to play again. I play for as long as it takes to go through five lives, sometimes, depending on the level, it’s quick, then other times, I can play for a loooonnnggg time! Something they started recently is one free hour of play! OMG! I love those times, I can play, and play, and play, and it doesn’t run out, well, for an hour at least, then I don’t feel so bummed if I don’t finish a level.

Every day, you get to pick a card, so to speak, and you get an extra something, could be coins, could be lives, could be something to help you in the game. The last one I don’t care as much about, I am very stubborn, in case you didn’t know, and I almost never use the game aids, I just like to play. Every 20 levels, you get to open a Star Chest, there are extra treats, and at certain levels, you get a Toon Chest, more treats! How can you go wrong!?

One of the things I really like about this game is the graphics, they are clear and inviting, like the colors, and I like the strategy of trying to win the level. Sometimes, when a level is hard, and they can be, I have struggled with some levels for days or even weeks, I say out loud, and I know this is silly ‘This level is driving me nuts, I’m going to quit this game’ and miraculously…I beat the level…sometimes!

I just looked it up and there are 4000 levels in Toon Blast! O M G! I’m on my way! When you get to the end, you get in a Champion’s League. I am SO there!

This leads me to the next game…Toy Blast. This is the other game, by the same company, Zynga, who also publishes Words with Friends2, we’ve talked about that one, Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells, might have to check that one out! and others. I enjoyed Toon Blast, as you know, so I looked for other games, since I could only play 5 lives, I wanted something similar and I found Toy Blast, here’s a very cute Toy Blast holiday commercial, which will only truly make sense if you play.

When I first started playing, when I got into some higher levels, all of a sudden, I would get 30 minutes unlimited, then 1 hour unlimited, then it even went to TWENTY FOUR HOURS!!! O M G! I know we’ve talked about the fact that I don’t sleep, so…there may have been one or two days where I did nothing but play Toy Blast! It is entirely possible, not during work hours, this would be a weekend! At the very least, every time I played, it was free! And that was what propelled me farther in this game than Toon Blast, even though I’ve been playing it longer. I’m on level 3637 and it turns out there are 4150 level…what will I do then?!

One of the big differences between the two games…when you want to play extra lives, if you don’t have any left, you can buy some with your coin bank. Toy Blast is 25 coins, reasonable, Toon Blast is 100, seriously? Also…if you don’t complete a level, you can buy 5 extra moves, those cost either 25 for Toy Blast or 100 for Toon Blast, I only click that button by mistake!

There is so much more I can tell you about these games, but if you don’t play…go download them! If you do play, you already know what I’m talking about! I gotta go…my lives just replenished in both cames!

Damn you Ryan Reynolds. and thank you!

{February 7, 2021} Just your average Sunday…start with yoga…end with a 15k?

Um, yeah, what? Let’s see…

Today started like any other Sunday. We went to hot yoga, crazy…8am! We didn’t have to get up before the sun to go to yoga, wahoo! The class was a little crowded, I wasn’t crazy about it, it felt cramped. The odd thing about this location is that you don’t have to wear a mask in the studio, I think I’ve told you about it. PSM and I both wore our masks, but with the current state of affairs, it’s odd to see people put their masks on leaving the yoga studio to walk into the lobby. It is what it is.

After yoga, we needed to go to Costco, but since they weren’t open, we went to breakfast at Uncle Bill’s Pancake and Dinner House, open 24 hours, and nice enough, no wait for a table. They were definitely observing social distancing, it was nice. We definitely enjoyed ourselves this time more than the last time. The food is good, but it’s the service really, they have a great and friendly staff. The food is simple and tasty, what more do you want?

After brunch, we headed to Costco. Gas first, you know the advantages there, renewed our membership, walked into the store and realized that since it’s Sunday, the pharmacy is closed, no bueno! Oh well…back to the house to get some stuff done, PSM had to prep to head out of town for work this week. After a bit, before it was time to go, we had lunch, yummy leftovers from last night’s dinner.

When it was time for PSM to head to the airport, I took the pups for a w-a-l-k, have to spell it out, they understand the word walk! ha ha. And for those of you who have kids and no dogs, you thought you were the only ones who had to spell in front of the wee tots! nope! We spell lots of words, w-a-l-k is one of them, t-r-e-a-t or g-o-o-d-y is another. And…I know that as you’re reading this, you actually spelled out the words! CLASSIC! I took them for a w-a-l-k for two reasons…to take them out and make it easier when PSM leaves, so they don’t notice and whine! Smart!

Shortly after we got back, and PSM was well on his way to the airport, I put the girls into the crate and headed out. This year, virtually, I am participating in the Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k. I started doing the race in Atlanta and even though I did the race twice in Denver, I still did it in Atlanta, same year, and I travel back to Atlanta to do the race. It’s an opportunity to participate in the same city I started in, and 2013 was the inaugural run in Atlanta. I started doing the 5k and eventually moved to the 15k.

This year, just like almost everything, it was virtual and you could do it wherever you wanted. I checked the distance and decided to walk to the park that PSM and I like to go to and now take the dogs to. It was about 3 miles to the park, then about 3 miles around the lake, then 3 miles home and next thing you know… I walked a 15k! 9 miles. Go figure.

Let’s just say it was c c c c c c cold! 16 degrees when I headed out. I was layered up, leggings, jeans, Cuddle Dud layer, Hot Chocolate sweatshirt, their swag really is the best!, my favorite winter coat, long and quilted, and my winter boots. I was nice and toasty! Headphones in, off I went. The boots kept my feet warm, but not the best for distance walking, well, with keeping a steady pace anyway.

The walk to the park was ok, not a lot of people on the road, I passed a few people actually walking in the park, so I wasn’t completely alone. There was snow on the ground, it was so quiet, at times you couldn’t hear anything and other times, all you heard were the ducks and geese. It was serene, peaceful, and beautiful.

After I walked around the lake, I walked the path to get back to the main road to walk home. Let’s just say, by the time I got to my neighborhood, which is about the same mileage I always start to question my decision to do this race! HA HA Every year I promise myself that I’m going to start training for this and this will be the year I actually run it and every year I forget that goal and promise to myself, oh well. Maybe one year I’ll listen to myself!

I got home, immediately put on my pj’s, I wasn’t going anywhere else! I let the dogs out of the crate, we played, they had dinner and I collapsed on the couch! Let’s just say right now, my body is questioning my sanity and I don’t think I’m going to argue with it! Hot yoga in the morning and a 15k in the afternoon? Sure, why not!

{February 4, 2021} Maternity…seriously?!

Not what you’re thinking, I’m sure!

We have been doing yoga steadily for just over a month and it’s been fun doing it together. PSM wears shorts and a t-shirt, and for me, I have tried a few things. I’ve worn a t-shirt and running pants, then I decided I wanted to try yoga pants, I’ve gotten two different pairs, and with one of them, I totally get why some people, mostly women, live in their yoga pants! They are very comfy, wow! But…the ones I got are a bit long, so if they didn’t have a ribbon to cinch the legs, I would be walking on them and I just paid good money, why would I walk off the ends. Jeans, I get, not yoga pants. Also…I’m not 15 anymore. Wait, I would still probably do it to a pair of jeans well, not intentionally! ha ha.

Sometimes it’s tough being a bit shorter, there are times I have to go with capris to get the pant to my ankle. No short cracks, thank you! and NO…I do not have to sit on a phone book to see over the steering wheel, thank you very much!

I’ve tried a few different shirts, even bought a set of yoga shirts, well, they were advertised as yoga shirts, not sure what makes them yoga shirts, they aren’t flowy, they’re made of very soft material, but they are still clingy in some places, that goes back to the lumpy comment from the other day. I’ll figure out the shirt eventually or I’ll go back to the basic t-shirt!

The last thing I have to wear, that luckily PSM and other men, at least I don’t think other men have to, is a sports bra. This is something that most women have to wear and it’s no fun, let’s just say that. I have tried so many different ones, there are different types made for different sports. I happen to be on the more well endowed side, let’s just say, so for any physical activity I can’t go with out.

Here begins my yoga journey…I’ve had to wear two at a time in the past because one didn’t hold me enough, that was when I was running, let’s just say it doesn’t feel good when the girls bounce like that. I found a great one for running, recommended by a friend who’s a runner and it’s great. For yoga, I didn’t want to wear that one, but I tried it, it’s ok, but doesn’t move as well, it’s more binding. I’ve worn double tank tops, they hold me in and since we’re not jumping, it’s not bad, but I want something with more support. I’ve tried the tank/sports bra I’ve worn as a bathing suit, it’s ok, I’ve been wearing it for a few years, don’t think it has a huge amount of life left. I had another one that I kept having to pull down and then I happened to pop out at the top, no thanks! When I bought the yoga pants and shirts, just after we started doing yoga, I bought a two pack of sports bras as well.

The big problem these days when shopping for clothes is, as you can imagine, with new health and safety regulations due to Covid, you can’t try on clothes in the stores. That saves a lot of time when you can try them on in the store. Needless to say, I have bought a few things I cannot return, oh well.

The sports bras I bought are ok, they don’t have a lot of support in some areas and are tight in some areas. What I really don’t like is that they pull on my neck when I’m doing yoga. I don’t enjoy things tight around my neck, think turtlenecks, tight necklaces, some scarves, bathing suits, yeah, I know…So…it’s not always easy for me to concentrate or relax in yoga because of this. I have looked online and I can see almost everyone else’s when we’re in class, either they are only wearing their yoga sports bras, on top, ooh cheeky! or their tank tops are loose and flowy I can see the sports bra. I haven’t gotten to that stage yet. I may wear a bikini on the beach, but I’m in the water or not moving too much, things stay where they should and I can lengthen enough to not scare people! HA HA

I went online to see if I can find something that might work better. Something that will hold me together, not pull on my neck, not rise up, and let me move, and maybe help me not look so lumpy! I’m not asking much, right? I have found a few things here and there, but on one site, and I’m not going to mention the site because I really do like it, but when I put in my size, the ONLY thing they took me to was MATERNITY cami! Seriously! A cami, for those of you don’t know, is short for a camisole and it’s morphed into many things. It was traditionally a pretty thing that you wear under a blouse, along with a bra, especially if your blouse is sheer, it adds a layer of modesty and if it’s pretty, maybe with a little lace trim at the top, it adds a touch of purdy.

They still make camis in the traditional style, but now, they are functional as well, it’s a tank top with spaghetti straps. Tank tops traditionally have wider ‘sleeves’, I wear them sometimes as pajama tops, they’re comfy and some are loose and some are tight.

Now that you know what a cami is…you might understand my outrage! When I went to this site and put in my bra size, it only came back with MATERNITY camis, really?! I’m not teeny, but I’m also not pregnant and my size does not indicate that I am pregnant, just not on the thinner size. Really?! How do you think that made me feel?! I think you’ve figured out how I feel!

As gawd is my witness, I will find a yoga sports bra that works for me! UGH! Sigh…

{February 3, 2021} Are you kidding?! Rude much?!

Thanks, you ruined my chi, my flow. I have enough time with the relaxing/meditation part of yoga, but tonight, you made it more so because you were flat out, wow. Ok, sorry, this is a slight rant, if you haven’t figured that out.

I got to yoga about 15 minutes before class started, chatted with the girl at the desk and the yoga instructor, then went into the studio to set up my yoga mat. There was one other person in the studio on the far side, by the windows. I decided to set myself up on the opposite wall, near the door, towards the back. The only other mat was the instructor’s at the front of the room and a camera on a tripod, which was probably there from the last livestream class.

After I got my mat situated, I started stretching to get ready for class. Then another person came in, set up next to the other woman in the room, and then another woman came in and set up in the very back of the room, not too far away from where I was. So, now…there are four of us, waiting on the instructor. In comes the last student and guess where she sets up…literally IN FRONT OF ME. Seriously? I know the studio isn’t huge, but with only 4 of us, there was plenty of room to set up.

I get wanting to be in front of the mirror, well, not always, sometimes I just feel lumpy and don’t actually want to see myself, but…I do like to see my form while I’m doing the positions or attempting to get into a particular position. Is my back flat? How’s my Warrior 2? Things like that. Even when a class is full, we all seem to space ourselves juts far enough over that the person behind can see what they are doing, but not this woman, the only thing I could see was my hand, if it moved out of the way. Could you have moved maybe 3 or 4 inches to the left or right? Apparently not…

And, if you’re like me, sometimes when you can’t see the instructor you look to the other participants to see what they’re doing. I didn’t even want to do that, she was still there! Then, when it was time to focus on our breathing and just let everything go, I couldn’t, grrr…all I kept thinking was, well, you know what I was thinking! One thing I’m sure you didn’t know that I was thinking…one of my favorite lines from a movie. Buffy, played by Kristy Swanson, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is said to Merrick, her mentor, played by Donald Sutherland, “Excuse much! Rude or anything?”

And that led to me thinking about telling you all about it in tonight’s post. Thankfully, that movie makes me laugh, so now that I’ve told you about it, it’s in the universe and I’m over it, thanks for listening!

And…lastly…it’s February 3rd, Groundhog Day was yesterday, no “Babe, I Got You Babe” [bummer, I wish I had shared that link yesterday, glad I found it! enjoy!] and it’s tomorrow. Wa to the hoo!

{February 1, 2021} A new adventure starts today!

Today I started a new job and that means a new adventure! And what a day to start! And what starts! A new month, first day of the new month, and the first day of the week of the new month. What are the odds. What a way to start!

I had been looking for a new opportunity, something different from what I had been doing for the past several years. Now, by different, I mean the products and media that I use to create, not a different career path. I was on the lookout for an Instructional Designer and/or Software Trainer, two roles I am incredibly proud of. As a Software Trainer, I absolutely love explaining how a product or application works. I always say that an application is an application is an application, and by that, I mean it doesn’t matter to me what it is, I want and can learn it and turn around and teach it to you. I don’t even need to understand it completely to teach it, I have to understand it and be able to help you understand how to use it in your day to day job. As I teach, I learn, meaning that no matter how many times or how many years I teach something I learn something new every time I teach!

I didn’t know for a long time that being a good trainer was not as easy as I thought it was. I found out, years ago, that I have the ability to learn an application in a short amount of time and be able to turn around and teach it. I’ve been brought on projects and put in front of a class in a week or less. I would prefer to have more time to prep, but I am always up for the challenge. I really do live for it, I have the best time in front of a class, could be in part, not only my love of teaching, but my gift of gab, which I had way before I kissed the Blarney Stone! I have said in the past, I get a runner’s high when I teach, I do! When it’s a good or great class, I thrive and float, my feet sometimes don’t touch the ground for a few hours after I am done! I absolutely love seeing the look on someone’s face when they get it! I can see the proverbial ‘lightbulb over their heads’!

I will also take the time to explain something to someone until they get it, I want them to understand. I am also very honest that when I teach, I have the patience of a saint, but personally…I have the patience of a gnat! No patience, none, if a website hasn’t started in 3 seconds, I’ve started over! It’s true! Ask anyone who knows me! But for you, in my class, I have all the time in the world! Let’s dance! I am, after all, the product of two amazing and gifted teachers!

On the opposite side, when it comes to writing, I’ve always been a good writer, at least that’s what I have been told! ha ha! It must be true, for some reason you keep coming back to see what I have to say! I didn’t enjoy writing as a kid, I could write a book report, but I’m not sure it gave me the joy I get now. Now, reading, that I enjoyed, and I could tell a story, just didn’t feel much like writing it down. Later, in college, I got high marks on my stories, very descriptive and inviting. I remember writing a paper about my grandmother’s house and my professor said they could see it clearly in their mind and wanted to go and visit.

I started blogging, as you know, and that seems to be going well, ha ha. I’ve updated or written resumes for people, hopefully it has helped. I’ve written dating profiles, those I really enjoy! I even wrote one for a guy I was dating at the time! It helped him meet his current wife, go figure! And…four people have gotten married from the profiles I’ve written! I’ve even written them for people I didn’t know, my favorite was someone I met on a train. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself!

When I got into writing professionally, it was really the same way I fell into training. It started with “We got this new application, teach us how to use it” huh? Ok…then I was in one position and I knew I was going to be out of the office for a bit, so I wrote instructions on how to do my job and when I got back, the person who was filling in had no questions and was able to follow everything as if I was walking them through it step by step. Then I started getting jobs as a writer, sometimes updating existing training materials, sometimes building new materials and then one job or project led to another and here we are.

When I write training materials, I really get into what I’m doing, when I know how to start. Sometimes, I have to sit and look, and look, and think, and look, and think before my brain clicks and I think…oh yeah, this is the way we’re going and we’re off and running! If you know me, you know I don’t turn something in until I am proud of it, I’ll work through the night, hence the 80-120 hours I got in trouble for submitting sometimes! I love testing a product every which way to see how it works, if I click this, what happens? If I click that, where does it take me. Can I break it? How do I explain this so it flows just so. How can I write this so the trainer can teach it, even if it’s not me, and the student can understand it. Where do I add a screenshot? Oh man, I do love a screenshot! I’m being serious! How much is too much information? How many details derail the point or the materials? On my last project, I built a lot of the materials I was teaching, based on the data given to me, and some of the materials I had updated what was given to me. As I was teaching, I realized that some things just didn’t flow right and I rearranged things, moved things around, made them flow better and I have to tell you, when I was done, I was so very proud. And that was at 4 o’clock in the morning, I’m not kidding, I was driven and I was going to turn in something I was happy with. And…I’ve heard that others were happy with it, it made more sense, and that to me was everything!

So…as I mentioned, I was looking for something different, not in the role, but in the software, I had been writing and teaching the same product for the last five years and it was time for a change. And that’s where we are today! Today I started with a new company and it’s a whole new ballgame! I am going to be updating some existing materials and building brand new content, I am so ready to jump in and get started. What I really love about writing assignments is that each client has different mediums they want to use. Some use Word, at this point, I’m an expert for building training materials! some use PowerPoint [PPT], I have since become quite the PPT aficionado, it doesn’t intimidate me anymore!, some Adobe Captivate, I’ve dabbled, some Articulate, I’ve experimented, RoboHelp, it’s been a while, and now, with this new job, I’m getting to use two new mediums, Skilljar and Genially, and from what I’ve seen when I investigated them, I’m excited!

As I get more into what I’m doing I’ll definitely share! I know you know that! For now, Monday, February 1st, new adventure! Liferay, here I come!

{January 29, 2021} It’s Date Night!

Tonight was date night! Sunday is the 6th anniversary of our first date! Wow, has it really been six years? Yes it has, and it’s been an amazing ride, even this last year!

As you know, or at least I think you know, we’ve gone out over the last year, into restaurants, pubs, and bars when some places were closed for indoor dining. When St Louis county closed everything down, St Charles did not, so we went to some of those restaurants. We always look inside, if it looks like they are following the limited capacity and social distancing, we stay, if they aren’t, see ya.

About a week ago, I think it was, at least! I texted PSM and said ‘the SIXTH anniversary of our first date is this weekend! Let’s have a date night!’ And…we went to an Irish pub for our first date, let’s do that! I don’t know if you remember, but I had just gotten back from Ireland a few months earlier and Irish pub it was! I loved Ireland, thought about staying when I visited, I even looked for a job while I was there! But…par for the course…I digress!

PSM agreed and even though the date is actually Sunday, the weather is going to be cruddy all weekend and he’s not available Sunday, so…Friday night it is! We both looked for an Irish pub and came up with the same one. It was one that we had tried to go to a few weeks ago and didn’t get in, I think they closed by the time we go there, oh well, so tonight it was!

I called to see if they had a wait and luckily, no wait. We headed towards the pub and then GPS took us another way and as we started talking, I had mentioned that there were two locations. I called one and PSM was going to the other one, what are the odds?! We arrived and there was a 15 minute wait, ok, sounds good. We hung out in the lobby with the other waiting patrons, socially distant of course. We took a look around and it didn’t look much like an Irish pub, aside from the Guinness posters, a few advertisements for a few other beers, and the crest for the pub on the wall, slightly disappointing, from an Irish pub perspective.

We were able to get a seat at the bar, which was nice, because those tend to be the most socially distant spots in restaurants or pubs. Well, some of them anyway, this time, for sure. The server was brand new, day 2 of her new venture and she was very nice, well the two times we talked to her, she was very nice.

The best part about date night was…well, my date! We had such a good time, despite anything and everything else, we had such a good time. It was like the first time, but better, we know each other. We reminisced about what the first date was like, touching, awkward, interesting, informative, and fun. I remembered what I was wearing, his overcoat, the weather, and the fact that he looked like Adam Sandler. Yup, but I’m not the only one who says that, he’s a cutie and a keeper!

We talked about everything and nothing and there was such a feeling of familiarity, of course, we’ve been together for just about 6 years, I know, but it’s not like that for everyone. It was much nicer than a first date, no nervousness! We talked, laughed, cajoled, teased, shared, talked, laughed some more. We lingered long after the meal and drinks were gone and then it was time to go home. Together.

We stopped at the market for some ice cream, to share as we snuggled on the couch. Got home, let the dogs out [Who, Who HA HA HA come on, click the link!], had some doggie play time, then…ice cream!

The best part about this date? Yes, we got to go home together. One of my favorite things about being married…A forever date. Sigh…

{January 27, 2021} It’s a Snow Day!

That actually used to mean something to kids! HA HA. I remember…back in my day…oh brother! groan, eye roll, when it snowed like this, we got the day off from school. Now…with Covid routines in place, if you’re remote learning or hybrid, do you still get a snow day? Probably not!

Didn’t I just leave all of this behind in Colorado? Apparently, it followed me through Colorado and Kansas, back to Missouri, sorry neighbors! It started sometime in the early morning. PSM went to yoga, there wasn’t availability when I went to sign up, darn, no 6am hot yoga? I’m crushed! Ha ha. That did give me a few extra minutes to sleep! He was very quiet, I just happened to hear him, oh well. So…I slept in for a bit and then at about 7am, got motivated and got the dogs out for a walk.

Since I hadn’t been home, PSM had been taking them for all their walks solo and Bee had been a bit of a pickle, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about her aversion to walking on the frozen or almost frozen ground. Well…I put the harnesses on and we were off, no issues! What?! It was snowing steadily and they were both champs. [No wellies required for the walk!!!] Now, for the afternoon walk, Ruby and I had words, it was slippery and she kept pulling, she’s a strong dog, but momma set her straight. Ok, it took two talkings to, but it finally worked. It also helps when you keep a firmer grip on the leash!

They were both so cute, coming up from sniffing, noses all covered in snow and Bee, well, she’s a beagle and they have longer ears, so…nose covered and ears tipped in snow! They were both really enjoying it, how could I not laugh! We made it around the block, through the neighborhood getting more and more covered in snow. Look at my car, the only way you can tell it’s my car is that it’s red! But she has a lot of snow on top! [kind of like me when I don’t color my hair! HA HA HA]

It continued to snow all day and I honestly have no idea when it stopped, but everything looks so pretty, the trees laden with snow, the houses, backyards, streets, especially before the first footsteps. Sigh…

{January 26, 2021} Goodbye Colorado…Missouri…Um, I’m trying to get there!

I really am trying to get home! As much as I didn’t want to leave Colorado, I almost never do when I visit, I did want to get home to my family. Apparently Mother Nature thought it would be funny to make my 12+ hour drive a 14+ hour drive, not funny.

I actually slept later than I had all week, go figure! Every day that I had wanted to sleep past 7/7:30am, no dice, this morning, I got up at almost 8am! And…this is the day I wanted to leave a little earlier, maybe by 8am so I could take advantage of the daylight for driving. I didn’t set an alarm thinking I kept getting up early, but no dice. So…the plan was to leave between 8:30 and 9am, just like I had when I left St Louis for Denver.

I got on the road, no issue, then…apparently it had snowed, and snowed a lot, outside of Denver, the entire state of Colorado, then Kansas, and if you’ve ever made that drive, you know both states seem to go on fore…ever!!! There was snow on the ground, in the fields, it was white, white, white! There were some places I couldn’t see ahead of me or on either side of me, then it would clear, ahhh.

I filled up my gas tank and it was just slushy, but when I pulled into the first rest stop along the highway, not only did I inch my way up to the house, I actually had to put on my waterproof winter boots with the fur because the snow was at least 6 inches in some places and a foot in others. Pretty to look at, not fun to walk in, with Chucks on!

Some of the roads had snow and some ice on both lanes, other areas it was clear on one side, where the trucks had been driving over the road. I loved when cars or trucks would go by and slosh my car with wet, grey snow, thanks a lot! This was a drive that had to be made carefully for a lot of it. There were a lot of electronic warning signs up along the highway.

There were some areas that were absolutely beautiful and some areas, well…even snow couldn’t make it pretty!

I have to say, I’m glad I didn’t wash my car after skiing on Friday or even Sunday. I knew I would be driving and thought about getting her washed before I headed out this morning, really glad I didn’t. Almost every rest stop and gas station, I was getting the packed snow out of the wheel wells, washing the windshield and wiping as much of the ice from the car doors. Fun! Bottom line, she will be getting a bath this week in St Louis!

Now, you’ll love this…or maybe it’s just me. And that was pure sarcasm…At some point during the week, the driver’s side washer fluid nozzle seemed to stop working…the passenger side is fine, driver side, not so much. So…if I crane my head to the right, I can drive looking out the passenger side! HA HA! I did a lot of window washing, let me tell you! Then…somewhere around Topeka, KS, I turned on the wipers, they swished and the driver’s side wiper FLEW OFF! really?! I promptly found an Auto Zone and $70 later, I am now the proud owner of a pair of Rain-X Quantum Wiper Blades, huh? I don’t remember them being so expensive, but they are! And really expensive for something that only lasts about a year and a half! But…I really like the Rain-X brand, and they are on snug as a bug in a rug, so I am quite happy and when I got home…they are still on! HA HA

I was tired of the food I had been munching on for the week and decided to stop for some grub. There aren’t a lot of options for me, but I know I can get a sandwich at Subway, I have always liked their veggie patty, and then I started to want one. I stopped at no less than FIVE Subways along the road, the first…the toaster was out. I would have asked about the patty, but you have to cook it, so no dice. The next location had just closed, and they just started closing earlier the day before. The next two locations didn’t carry the patty and the last location, the girl behind the counter had no idea what I was talking about. Sigh…vegan ham and cheese it is! At least my stomach stopped grumbling!

Back on the road, munching on my sandwich and listening to a podcast or some comedy on Pandora radio, I didn’t get tired until about 11:30p, I had effectively been on the road about 12+ hours at that point and I had about another 2 hours to go. I was doing alright and didn’t start to get tired until about midnight and at that point, I was so close to home, I wasn’t getting a hotel. I did, however, stop at almost every rest stop and every few gas stations on the way!

Best part…pulling into my driveway, walking into the house, peaking in on the fur babies, who had noticed that I was home [I had to ignore the whining! SO hard!], putting on my pjs and crawling into bed, pulling up the covers and…zzzz…

{January 24, 2021} Hello Breck…What a Day!

Today was my last day of skiing and I decided on Breckenridge and I was not disappointed. To be honest, like Keystone, I have never been disappointed in skiing at Breckenridge.

It was 25 when I left Golden and 23 when I got to Breckenridge, but crisp and clear, so not terrible. You can tell that it snowed over the last few days, you could see snow on some of the mountains as I drove. Breckenridge was looking good! I found a parking lot and started to get set up for my day. The nice thing was that there was no snow in the parking lot where I parked, so I could step on the ground to get my boots on without fear of wet feet! Yeah!

I struggled, not as much as yesterday, but struggled buckling my boots. Funny enough, one of the women in the jeep that pulled in next to me was having the same issues. Oh boy, as much as it sucks, it’s nice to know someone else is experiencing the same thing! We chatted for a minute and then I was off and running, well, not running, there is no running in ski boots, at least not for me!

I took the gondola up to the first level and got off and went to stand in the very long lift line. The line went a little up the hill, so I trudged up with everyone else and inched my way down with everyone else, finally deciding to put my skis on when I got to flat land, I watched a lot of people standing sideways inching towards the flat spots. Up and up and up we went.

The slopes were wide open and smooth, there was some ice in a few places, they haven’t had a lot of snow over the past few months, but it didn’t get in the way. The ice wasn’t like East Coast ice, that was a plus. The music was on shuffle, never knowing what was coming up next. I swished and swished and swished, even a few straightaways. One of the runs I even shouted “I’m so happy!” and I was. It was such a great feeling!

I took a video of me swishing and swooshing down the hill, I completely forgot my GoPro, duh. One of these days I’ll get it set up and remember to take it with me, grrr. Let’s just say…my hand was mighty cold after 2 minutes and 33 seconds!

Eventually, I made it to the bottom, I can’t tell you how many runs I completed, but it was great, it even started snowing at some point, from the top of the mountain, it seemed as if there was low visibility, but it cleared up as you make your way down, still snowing, but easy to navigate. At the bottom, I used the facilities, had some lunch and decided it was time to go.

Part of me wanted to keep going because it’s my last day in Denver, but my body was telling me something else. Heart vs body, hmmm…body wins! I picked up my skis and headed to the gondola and headed back down to the bottom and towards the shuttle back to the parking lot.

It seems that a lot of people had the same idea, the same people I was ‘getting ready’ with at the car were at their cars to get disassembled, so to speak, at the same time, what are the odds? Granted, if you live in Denver and know you can ski many, many, many days during the season, even if you have to drive 2 hours, it’s worth it to go for just a few hours. It was the same for us when we lived in Hawai’i and would go snorkeling or to the beach, just to go to the beach, we’d go for one to two hours and go home, fair point.

Got ready to drive, headed out, got on the highway and then…what was supposed to be an hour and a half drive…red lights, no movement. I was already on the road about 45 minutes, maybe an hour and I looked at GPS, because of an accident on the highway, the delay was 1 hour and 4 minutes, really? It took me two solid hours to get back to the hotel. I was done! On with the pj’s! Figure out food and talk to you.

Tomorrow is my 12 hour drive back to PSM and two fur babies! And I’m already trying to figure out when I can come back to Denver to get some more skiing in before the end of the season. Hmmm… Despite the traffic, a great day, thank you Breck! Overall, three great days of skiing, fabulous visits with friends and a fabulous trip. Thank you Keystone, Breckenridge, Denver, and Colorado, I heart you!

{January 23, 2021} Treat after Treat after Treat after…

What a day today was, it was treat, after treat, after treat! I admit it, I’m spoiled, and I’ll take it!

Since I couldn’t get a reservation to ski for the day, I made other plans. First… last night I pulled down the blackout curtain, hoping it would help me also in a little. Well, any guesses how that turned out? It’s all good, more time for me to do nothing! Ha Ha!

I thought about going to a yoga class or doing a virtual livestream class and then I thought about something PSM said, you’re skiing, you don’t have to do yoga, true, but I thought it might help, who knows. Then my body said, “um…yeah, you’re good, take it easy” and I listened, go figure! I laid in bed, turned on the tv and vegged out, it was fabulous! Then I got up and made myself an egg sandwich, moved to the couch and continued my relaxing journey! Not a bad way to start a Saturday.

I decided to be a little productive, checking emails, updating a friend’s resume, and making plans for the day, all while relaxing, that works for me! My friend texted that she loved that I had no plans and I have to say, it is refreshing to not have plans when you’re visiting somewhere. It all depends where you are and what you’re doing, right? I used to live in Colorado, there is a lot that I did, but there is also a lot I haven’t done and depending on what it is, I want to share it with PSM. This time, I’m only here to ski and see friends, and since I have the pass and I’m not that far from the mountains, take it easy.

I finally got motivated and headed out the door for my first treat of the day. I drove downtown to see LJ, she has a great apartment overlooking Denver and the view of the Flat Iron Mountains is fabulous! She shares the apartment with her boyfriend JS and their kitten, Steve. OM G, what a doll baby! Cutest little orange tabby with a lot of energy and a name tag that might be bigger than him!

We sat down and talked and talked, about everything and nothing, and just like all our conversations it went all over the place, par for the course, of course! All the while Steve took turns biting my toes and fingers, pouncing on me and other things, and settling in next to his mom’s side happy as can be. Oh my am I getting my fix!

After a bit, we looked for a place to go and LJ is one of the friends I have who tries to go vegan with me, a lot of places we called had a wait and we decided on…Edgewater Public Market, I’m in! She’s been there a bunch and her yoga studio is there, same one PSM and I go to, which means…next time we travel to Denver, we can go to our yoga studio! She went off and got pizza and I got a vegan chicken Caesar salad from Meta Burger, another hit! I told her about my dinner from last night and she had to get a side of the vegan mac-n-cheese, she was not disappointed! And we talked some more, we can do this for hours, wait, we are!

Then…another treat! We both saved room and went over to Happy Cone for some vegan gelato for me and full on fabulous ice cream for her! We were both quite pleased. It’s a simple ice cream shop, ‘New Zealand style creamery handmaking ice cream, chocolates and happiness’ is the tag from their website. I believe Hap Cameron, the owner was the one who scooped our treats, I could be wrong, but it sounded like a New Zealand accent when he spoke…through his mask!

Then we sat and talked some more, go figure, then a strange smell wafted by and despite the masks, we could still smell it, it was probably someone’s food as a few people walked by, but it was time for us to get some fresh air, so we went to the outside heated tent and sat at a recently cleaned table and talked some more. I mean, when don’t we talk!? I’ve told you this before, one of my favorite things about my friends is that we can sit and talk about everything and nothing and it’s always as if no time has passed. Eventually, sadly, it was time to leave. I took LJ back home, we said our goodbyes and hugs and headed off in different directions. Looking forward to the next time!

I called AM and we worked on dinner plans, that was the plan after all, hang with friends! He called in an order at City O’ City, I think we’ve talked about it before, but I la la la love this place! I placed my order for ‘chikn’ n waffles. The chikin’ is fried cauliflower, not to worry, the waffles are actual waffles! It’s served with vegan creme fraiche, maple syrup, and carrot bacon. We also had seitan wings for an appetizer, y-u-m! There was a vegan pizza, and for dessert…a ho-ho cupcake and a whoopie pie. Let’s just say, if you come with me to Denver, I’ll take you to City O’ City. I’ll tell you how good it is…the first place LJ asked about getting lunch…City O’ City! Oh yeah!

I picked up the food and headed to AM’s house, it was AM and his daughter…AM! Ha Ha, his wife NM was at their house in the mountains, I was bummed not to get to see her, we kept missing each other this weekend. It was a great time! We talked school, a teeny bit politics, books, movies, podcasts, it was quite the dinner conversation!

When the younger AM went to bed, AM and I retreated to the den, popped in Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan‘s first movie together, Joe Versus the Volcano then spent the next 1.45 hours talking movies, discussing almost every movie on the wall, laughing, disagreeing, agreeing, howling, taking moments to actually watch some of the best parts of the movie. I think I’m going to have to dedicate an entire post to this movie, it is probably one of my all-time favorite, same for AM. What a great night, it really was, I’m still laughing!

What a day for me! Treat, after treat, after treat, after treat. I am spoiled and I’m ok with that! What’s next?!

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