My day | Peaches Prattlings

{July 8, 2016} 15 hours to get home? Seriously?

You thought July 4th was a long day? A walk in the park!

Speaking of walking, I wonder if I could have walked back to Boston…my alarm went off at 545 am as it does every weekday, I was only about 10 minutes at the most from the airport, so I took my time.

I did my hair, I prefer the sparklers on the 4th, rather than in my hair, ha ha. Shower, dressed, breakfast, load the car, fill the tank [$2.49], go to the airport, drop off the rental car, check in and then sit in the waiting area, which is right outside the 2 gates they have.

I wasn’t even sure we’d take off, big storms yesterday and this morning, but we did. It was a little toasty on the sessna, the air wasn’t very strong, maybe they should have left the window open! 9 other people on the plane with me and about 15 minutes in, I was unconscious, another awesome nap! Probably the highlight of my day.

I wasn’t sure if I’d make it to my flight in St. Louis since we left late, but we made it, wahoo, with about 45 minutes to spare, great. Got some food, found a charger then eventually got on the plane. And we sat…and waited and waited…delayed due to weather, hmm…

Got to Philly about 3 minutes after the boarding doors closed on my connecting flight. Thank you gate agent for being less than helpful.

Got in line for customer service, along with the other 50 people who got in late or flights were canceled, called my travel company, they couldn’t help. I called the airline…the next 2 flights were booked. I’m now on the 815pm flight. Considered renting a car and driving the 5+ hours, but I stuck it out. It’s now about 4pm, won’t be too bad, right?

Went and got some food, did some shopping then sat and sat and sat. The charging stations that worked were full, half of them didn’t work to begin with…

The 815p flight is now leaving at 9pm, seriously? So, I sat and waited and finally got on the plane where the woman next to me panicked when the air came on and there was condensation that looked like smoke, that was fun.

It’s now 11pm, I am just getting to my rental car and I started my travel day at 7am. I joked that I could have been in Hawaii a few hours by now!

Time to go home, hug the kitties and pass out! Sounds good to me. I’m safe and sound, all that matters!

Good night!

{July 8, 2016} I really like what I do.

Every time I get in front of a class, I am reminded of why I I’m there and how much I love it.

I may have talked about this before, so I hope you don’t mind if I do it again.

I’ve always enjoyed training, but I didn’t realize how much until someone stated paying me to do it. I know how that sounds, but let me explain.

For a long time at different companies, somehow I would be identified as someone who could train, so a lot of times they would get a be application and say “here, we just got this, figure it out and teach it to us!” Ok…

The sweetest moment was when I was teaching my son something craft related, he was about 10 and he looked looked at me and said “your a good teacher”. Hmm, think my heart melted then?

There was even a point where I thought I wanted to be a teacher, I met SDL when I was in grad school in Atlanta. I didn’t finish my masters, but I met one of my best friends, that sounds like a good deal to me!

My mom had even said, “if you come back to NY, I can get you a job in any school”, hmmm..I didn’t, but it was a thought. Both my parents were amazing teachers, it must be genetic. Well, it didn’t get me back there, but she was right, I would make a great teacher, just in a different type of classroom.

After I got divorced, I was looking for work and had lunch with a friend one day, PK, and the company he was working for was looking for trainers. I had never been officially paid as a trainer, let’s see what happens. I interviewed and apparently, whatever I said worked! They hired me and so began my life and love of being a road warrior, it sparked the bug and as you know, I’m still doing it.

I realized a few things, I can learn applications pretty easily, I need to practice, have hands on time to try and try and try, instead of sit there and listen to someone talk, especially if they are not engaging. I can “fake it til ya make it”, even if I don’t really know the subject matter, no one knows because I’m confident in my delivery. Sometimes I am just memorizing the material and don’t really understand it until I’ve taught it a few times, then things click and I’m really on.

As I tell anyone who asks, to me ‘an application is an application is an application’ and what I mean by that is I don’t even have to understand it, I have to help you understand how to use it to do your job day to day. I do actually learn it, just sometimes not right away.

I have to tell you, when I get in front of a class, I soar, I could be dead on my fear tired but when I get up there in front of the class, it’s like bam! I’m on! I might collapse at lunch or the end of the day, the minute I start teaching, wow, I come alive! I am very energetic, try to be engaging, so far it seems to be working.

I know what is like to be in a boring class, not want to be there in the first place and have a boring or bad trainer. I want to be sure that you stay awake, engaged, participate, enjoy yourself and heaven forbid…learn something!

What people tell me on their way out of class or sometimes during a break encourages me and makes it all worthwhile and that’s what it’s really all about and why I know I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing and I love it. What do they say…if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. You were right mommy, darn it!

{July 3, 2016} The wonder of fireworks

When you watch a fireworks show, aren’t you transported back to being a kid? I know I am!

I get so excited when I knew I’m going to see a fireworks display and giddy when it starts. I love the sounds, the explosions, the rocketing up, the lights, bursting, the spectacle, the way it takes me back to when I was a kid.

Tonight we went to see the fireworks display at the local high school and it was great!People had been setting up the area they claimed as their own for later in the day.

We started off at a cookout at GES’ house with food, kids and friends, then the entire group walked to the local high school, less than a mile, found our stuff and settled in.

People talked, played games, caught up, ate and waited for the fireworks display to begin at 9pm and it did!

Wow! It went on for about 45 minutes and it was wonderful! There we big explosions and small, bursts that look like flowers, dandelions when they become “wishes”, wiping willows and so much more.

There were kids with looks of wonder on their faces and others, with looks of terror! Some kids with giant headphones on to block the explosions, others readyfor kaboom!
I’m so glad I got to see a fireworks show some I’m traveling tomorrow and won’t see a display for July 4th on July 4th.

It really was fabulous!

I wish you a safe and happy July 4th.

{June 30, 2016} It’s the little things

It really is, isn’t it.

I checked into my hotel today and found this bunny, isn’t that sweet?

After negative attitudes this week and a long drive after class today, it was a welcome site.

I felt good and I know that tomorrow is a new day. Wahoo!

Thanks HGI!

{June 30, 2016} Awkward places

Do you ever find that you look at your person and find weird things, like blemishes in awkward places?

I’m not going to go into much detail here, I don’t want to gross anyone out.

It’s a little more than just the zit on your face, you know, your rite of passage into “teenagerdom”. We all get mosquito bites, right, sometimes in odd and awkward places. I remember the worst was a bite on my chest, not too awkward there!

Today, I was getting into the shower after working out [see, I told you I would keep you posted!], I turned and caught a glimpse of my shoulder in the mirror and ack! Awkward! It’s over, I fixed it, but…eww.

{June 27, 2016} Jacuzzi baby!

Look what I found when I got into my room tonight!

Apparently I selected this room, but completely forgot! What a nice surprise to find a whirlpool tub when I got into the room and I needed it after today!

It was a long travel day after dropping dad off at the airport, then my first flight was at 6pm, second flight about 830pm. Then after I got my luggage, 1.5 hour drive to the hotel.

So, much to my surprise, a whirlpool. And that was the first thing I did afterwalking into the room.

I believe I see a jacuzzi every night this week. Mmm

Ahhhh…who’s going to sleep well tonight?

{June 24, 2016} Cleveland Rocks!

Dad and I have been talking about taking a trip somewhere and we’ve both wanted to see the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.

Problem solved, we’re going to Cleveland!

We made a decision, then just needed dates, then came booking flights. Just about that time, GES and I were trying to figure out what to do for Father’s Day…

Perfect…we decided to fly him to Cleveland. I got the rooms with my points, yeah baby! Doubletree Hotel , warm chocolate chip cookies, breakfast included, bath robe…we do things in style around here!

So…here I am in Cleveland to spend the weekend with my pops, enjoying good conversation, a lot of laughs and some rock…n…roll!!!

Can’t wait to tell you all about it! Gonna crash now!

I hope you have rockin’ dreams!

{June 24, 2016} Sharing the vegan love

I know you know in a vegan, my friends and colleagues know, but it’s not something I push on anyone.

There are jokes about vegans out there “How do you know someone is a vegan? The tell you in the first five minutes of meeting them!” Ha ha, very funny. Well that’s not me. I like being vegan, but I don’t push it on anyone and I would never force anyone to be vegan. But if you have questions or want to know something, I’ll answer as best I can.

Most people find out I’m vegan when they make restaurant suggestions and I have to tell them my criteria. My coworkers have been great at our get togethers, always making sure I can get something when I’m there, I appreciate it so much. Don’t think my friends aren’t the same way!

Sometimes when I am having a conversation about it someone will say “oh, I want to try it, but I don’t think I could do it”, “I want to go vegan cold turkey”, so to speak. I’m happy to share knowledge, even recommendations. Sometimes it’s just, “do to want to taste what I’ve got?”

I’m always honest about what I think is good, I’ll tell you if it’s passable, I don’t think all vegan is awesome. Do you remember me telling you about the cheese that smelled like feet? See, honest!

And that happened at work this week. One of my new coworkers said she wants to go vegan. Ok…Tuesday she went with me and we had vegan for lunch at a place I like, and it’s the only vegan place near the training site. She loved what she tried, she was blown away!

Yesterday, I took two of my new coworkers to the vegan place, they were amazed! So was I! I had a new item on their menu and it was awesome! A kale salad with Seiten “chicken”. Wow! Guess what! My third new coworker wants to join us tomorrow! Suweet!

I’ll let you know how it goes!

{June 23, 2016} Keeping their attention

As a Software Trainer, you’re also a bit of an entertainer.

I know you’re probably thinking sitting in a classfor 6.5 hours can be exhausting. Think about being in front of that class for 6.5 hours a day! I totally get the rump falling asleep, having trouble concentrating, but I have to look at you drooping, getting sleepy and yawning. Hmmm..how much fun is that for me? Big Fat zilch.

That being said, I need to keep your interest, keep you awake and paying attention, all while trying to help you learn something new.

That being said, I have to be creative. In make them laugh, sometimes I bring humor into the class, real world experience. When they start yawning in the afternoon, I implement a 7th inning stretch! I make the class get up and sing! Take Me Out to The Ball Game, I’m a Little Teapot, The Itsy Bitsy Spider. It’s awesome!

Today, during a lesson, at the end of a step…”If You’re Happy and You Know It”, that cracked me up! I threatened them with the Hokey Pokey tomorrow!

If we’re going to be together all day and maybe one to four days, gotta keep it moving. Come and check it out for yourself! I’ll save you a seat.

{June 22, 2016} To get up or not to get up…

That is the question…

My alarm goes off about 545am every day. I know, that’s not early for some people, maybe they have to leave by 7am to get to work by 8 or because of traffic maybe earlier. Many different reasons.

Since I’m on the road for work, I make sure my hotel is never more then 30 minutes from the client site, so baring any major traffic issues, I can get to the client site by 8am no problem.

I set the alarm for 545am so I can get up and go to the gym, I know I’ll get at least 30-60 minutes in doing something and that leaves me 30-45 minutes to shower and dress, grab breakfast and an uber to the client site.

My dilemma is, and it’s truly not a dilemma…do I want to get up and work out, even though I know I need to. I set the alarm for 545am so I can snooze for a few minutes and then get up. The problem is that I can keep snoozing until it’s too late to go to the gym.

Now, once I make the decision to get my arse up, no problem, I’m go, go, go, dressed and in the gym in less than 5/10 minutes. The problem is procrastinating getting up…

Today, I decided I wasn’t going because I wanted to take a few extra minutes to sleep after getting in from Hawaii, even though I slept so hard on that first leg of my trip. So, I snoozed until about 645 and then motivated.

Part of me thought I should have works out, not a very aggressive part, mind you…Hopefully tomorrow, that part wins…I need to work out. We’ll see…

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