My day | Peaches Prattlings

{July 21, 2015} Did I say something? You bet I did!

You bet your sweet bippie!

I’ve talked to you about customer service before. Tonight, I was at a team dinner for work and I encountered some poor customer service from my server. It was poor enough that my coworkers noticed and said something to me.

When we got there, I asked for a vegan menu, they didn’t have one and there were no vegan options on the menu. Ok, par for the course, I am used to it, it happens. When it was time to order, I jimmied a dish to fit what I wanted. I also ordered a salad to start.

The salad arrived at the same time as my main meal, it was sautéed veggies on a bed of rice. When it arrived, there were tomatoes in the dish, I had told her that I was allergic and there was a red sauce on it, I asked what it was…siracha! Oh my! On me was the fact that I did not ask what the sauce/seasoning would be. My coworkers laughed when they heard siracha! They know me so well!

When she took the plate back towards the kitchen was the first time she had a visible reaction. My back was to the kitchen, but everyone else could see into the kitchen with the chef’s having a wee bit of a cow over my new request.

The issue was that every time the server came to the table and I asked a question, she rolled her eyes. It wasn’t even subtle, forget the eye roll, you could see it in her body language! If it was once, ok, maybe I’d let it slide, but every time? Even when I asked a question about the amount of time I needed to steep my tea, really?

Before I left, I went to the front podium and ask to speak with a manager. I explained the situation to her, she said she would say something. Your job is customer service and just because I didn’t agree with something or I wanted something sent back, it’s not a reflection of you or your work, but come on, no matter how mad you are, hide it!

So, there you go.

{July 19, 2015} When I forget to ask…I pay for it

My intolerance to dairy has gotten so bad, I have to ask if there is dairy in almost everything. And if I forget…I pay for it.

If I know someone is going to hurt, I had better really want it. If I don’t know something has dairy in it and I don’t ask, I’m in trouble.

I am inspired by the fact that I ate something I assumed was all fruit and as I sit here in agony, I think this was not the case.

I got a fresh peach ice pop, not thinking to ask if there was dairy because the others I have had before were fine. Shame on me, especially as I sit here I’m agony with cramping and intense nausea, more than normal, when referring to my nausea.

Lesson learned, the hard way…ask, ask, ask.

{July 15, 2015} Common courtesy

I say hello, what do you say back? I say good morning, what do you say back?

This morning, as I was leaving my hotel room, I saw one of the housekeepers and I said good morning how are you. Her response back was “fine thank you”.

This was a perfectly acceptable response to my question, but the way I was raised was if someone inquires about your health or how you are you should do the same in return. I’m not asking for a 20 minute conversation just a common courtesy, “Hi, how are you?” “Great how are you?”

When I go down to the front desk, and I speak to the staff there we have a dialogue, because we’ve gotten to know each other a little bit…they know my name I know their name, but if your entire conversation with me is one sided I’m not going to be able to get to know you. And if I’m going to be somewhere for 6 to 8 months or more I like to get to know the people around me the people who help me so I can say thank you.

So, I say to you. “Hello, how are you?”

This reminded me of Paula & Carol in the Magic Garden, a show we used to watch as kids. There is a great hello song, you can jump to 4:50. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JsgMxqAFBc

{July 10, 2015} Where did the day go?

It’s Friday and I went into the office.

That was my first mistake, I say that because I only intended to go into the office until about 12:30, guess when I left the office…5:30, yes I am serious.

I know, you might be thinking, ok, so what’s the big deal, you left work at 5:30, that’s when most people leave the office. Yes, in a normal office setting, when you live near the office or at least in the same city or close to it, you work 8-5 or 9-5 most week days. As a consultant, working at the client site, not so much.

We arrive by noon on Mondays and most people fly out on Thursday afternoon, flights are at 4, leave the office no later than 2. Since I have been on this project in Massachusetts, I have not been traveling as much because my sister and family are here and so is PSM, it’s been great but…as I am not traveling very much, sometimes I go into the office instead of working from the hotel.

As I had a bunch of hours this week already, the plan was to go in for a few hours, answer emails, get some work done and then fly the coop. Well…let’s just say, that was a plan that did not happen! I started with emails, then I moved on to updates, then I moved on to spreadsheets and then…and then…and then! But wait…there’s more!!

So as one thing led to another and another, I stayed. I had a conference call from 2-3pm, I was going to leave right after, then I had dropped the ball on something so I said I would have it within the hour [this was at 2:53pm] and at 3:48 pm, I was done! Wahoo! Thanks to HH for being my sounding board!

I got it done, submitted, then someone else needed me, then this, then that. I had disappeared into room with some folks this afternoon and when I got back to where I was working, I was told someone wanted to talk to me, that took another 20 minutes or so!

I was finally able to complete my time and expenses, which is due tomorrow evening, but I wanted to get it done so I could turn my work laptop off and not think about it until Monday morning, sounds like a plan, right?

So…my list of errands got pushed back, but on the bright side…I was able to take care of a crap-ton of stuff at work, which, in the end was a very good thing. But it killed my afternoon of trying to get other things taken care of.

Oh well, such is life.

{July 6, 2015} Misconceptions

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about the weekend. Tonight, I will talk about misconceptions.

It cracks me up when people get the wrong idea about some things, we all do it, every day. Have you ever asked a woman if she’s pregnant and she’s not? I have, not a fun experience, for either of you!

Well, this weekend, I had one, a douzy. I have been wearing my mom’s diamond ring since she passed, I wear it on my right ring finger and as I said, I have worn it since my mom died, ten years ago. There have been times that I meet someone and they ask if it’s my engagement ring from when I was married, nope.

This weekend…PSM took a picture of me drinking a stout. A bunch of people couldn’t believe I was drinking, which I wasn’t, it was a goof, a bunch of people just liked my nail polish, a fabulous blue that PSM actually selected a while back and the rest…”Did I have any news?” “Beautiful ring!” “details” What? My sister said people were even reaching out to her! Any news?

Thanks people, but this was my mom’s ring, I have been wearing it for ten years and it’s on my right hand.

Promise…I’ll let you know if there is something to know!

{July 6, 2015} Misconceptions

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about the weekend. Tonight, I will talk about misconceptions.

Thanks people, but this was my mom’s ring, I have been wearing it for ten years and it’s on my right hand.

Promise…I’ll let you know if there is something to know!

{July 5, 2015} Go USA!

The women win the World Cup! The women win the World Cup!

The women’s US Soccer team beat Japan 5-2 today to make them the winners of the Women’s World Cup!

I think that about covers it! Go Team USA!

Is that a great way to end the July 4th weekend, celebrating the independence of the United States with a win in the World Cup? I say yes!

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/05/video-uswnt-wins-third-womens-world-cup-beats-japan-carli-lloyd-hat-trick/

Even Google got into the game!

{July 4, 2015} Happy 4th!

It’s July 4th everyone!

Today, we celebrate our independence, the day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)

People celebrate in so many different ways, some celebrate with picnics, travel, friends, family. In Atlanta, there is the running of the Peachtree Road Race, the 10k I have told you about for six years in a row, volunteering for five years with and participating in for six years with CKM, very surreal that we weren’t doing it together, but sent her good vibes all day!

There are so many great traditions I shared in, growing up in NYC, summers on Long Island, Atlanta, Boston, even just because.

The truly surreal thing is today, we saw fireworks over the water, but very far away and by chance, maybe by some ex-pats, but they don’t celebrate the Day of Independence for the United States in other countries and that’s where we are this weekend, out of the country! So quite a few people wished us a happy July 4th, it wasn’t quite the same, but…I did eat a veggie hot dog, so that helped!

However you celebrate, I hope it was a happy, safe and healthy celebration. Enjoy some fireworks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAzT6VnUBw8

One of my favorite speeches from a movie is Bill Pullman in Independence Day. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoLywiaM6PA

{July 3, 2015} The things you overhear

Sometimes, it’s just hard not to listen.

We’ve all been in this situation…you’re out somewhere in public and people are talking loud enough for you to hear and you start listening, you just can’t help it. If they wanted their conversation to be truly private, they should whisper or have it somewhere else!

Sometimes it’s a fun conversation, sometimes…not so much. This morning, PSM and I were having breakfast and there was some turmoil going on in the kitchen, big open window into the kitchen, someone was having a bad day! At lunch, the women at the table next to us started talking about needing mani’s and Pedi’s and the pros and cons of gel polish, I could have given them my two cents!

Tonight, we were having dinner at a pub and there were very few people there with us. Two tables back were a pair of guys having a drink and talking. First, it was about the Marvel Universe, how it’s changing and how it needs to, then Stan Lee, then the merits of X-Men, finishing up with building a bar in the basement and friends would come over. I’m sure they would!

I love people watching, I know people are doing it to me and I’m ok with that!

What did you happen to hear tonight?

Eavesdrop date

{July 2, 2015} I got us here, by gosh by golly! To

Ok, so, have I told you about my led foot? Well, today I used it and we got here!

I’m not going to tell you where we were going, I’ll give you the full rundown on Sunday, but what I will tell you is that I pushed the speed limit where I could! And paid off, by gosh, by golly! I know, strong words!

I truly underestimated the Boston traffic on a holiday weekend! I went to GES’ house to pick up Annie, the beetle bug, back to the hotel to pick up PSM, a trip which should have taken 40 minutes…at the most…took just at TWO hours!

We booked it out of there and got on the road, we had to be at our destination by 6:45at the latest, or so the guy said when we called!

Let’s just say I channeled my mom, EMS, a touch… I didn’t break any sound barriers, but…

Did we make it by 6:43? You bet your sweet bippy we did! This is my birthday present for my beau, we were not missing it!

More to come!

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