My day | Peaches Prattlings

{July 31, 2015} Would you believe I missed it by this much?

I really need to stop underestimating the Boston traffic!

I’ve told you how I just made it by the skin of my teeth a few times recently, well, this time did not work, pook. I was trying to make it to Amtrak and catch a train that was leaving at 3:24pm. I left the hotel at 2:15, I was only going about 17 miles. I was deceiving myself apparently.

My GPS also took me off the highway to help avoid some traffic, but get this, I ended up back on that very highway, huh? I got to the train station just in time…to miss it! I pulled in and parked and ran, let me tell you, I do races, but I’m not a runner and I ran. Just as I was running up the stairs to go up and over, I watched the train pull away…nooooooo!

Pook.

I went to the lobby to rebook my ticket and while I was talking to the agent, the next train left, what? Ok, so I am now booked on the 4:29 and let me tell you, I was out on the platform at 4:20, I was not missing it. And I didn’t! Yeah!

Blech is gone and I’m ready for a great weekend!

{July 29, 2015} Falling asleep on the sofa

Sometimes it just feels right.

I was sitting in front of the sofa working thinking about laying on the sofa and how it might be nice to sleep that way. I sat up on the sofa and put my head on the arm rest and all of a sudden I woke up with a jolt, jumping up, where was I? But boy, it felt good.

So, here I sit talking to you, very tired, which is rare at this hour, thinking about my options…laying on the sofa and sleeping or getting up and moving to the bed, getting in, under the covers and snuggling down in the fabulous comforter with the cats. Hmmm…the choices.

I know, this was a deep, meaningful and insightful post. I’m deep like that.

So…sofa or bed…sofa or bed…I’ll let you know.

{July 25, 2015} Two birthday celebrations

First…Let me apologize! I missed my blog post last night! I fell asleep! It’s only the 3rd or 4th time in the 3 years I have been writing to you. I am sorry!

Second…this was the weekend of birthday celebrations and it’s been wonderful!

It started last night when there was a girls night birthday celebration for GES at the Birch Bistro. There were eleven of us and what a fabulous night it was! There were great friends, decent food, good conversation, what more could you want? The perfect way to end the day and celebrate another great year and fabulous woman!

Then today, PSM had an appointment to have the remote starter installed, so I surprised him and picked him up and took him to Revere Beach for the Sand Sculpting Festival, I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. After the festival, we picked up the car,, then to a restaurant for a good lunch, then back to the hotel to get some errands done.

Later, K&D N came to PSMs and we headed to meet his brother and wife and A and J T at East Coast Grill for a celebratory dinner. We were supposed to go to a different restaurant, but I forgot to make a reservation and we ended up where we did and as AT said “JJ, I’m glad you screwed up, this was great!” And as I like to say….there’s always a next time!

GES was out with two other couples celebrating her birthday, not too shabby.

Such a nice feeling, everyone coming together for PSM’s birthday. K&D N knew everyone except A&J T, but by the end of dinner, everyone was fast friends. This was a true testament to how much people care for and about PSM. We really had a great time, with the promise of doing it again soon!

{July 22, 2015} I don’t want to talk to anyone else…tonight

Shhhh…

Today, during the day, I was on the phone lines helping to register people for training class. Then from 6pm-10pm, I taught a fabulous training class.

I’m on my feet for four straight hours and talking for most of the day, at least 7 hours. After class I was done.

I can teach classes for hours on end, in between class, I might crash a bit, but as soon as people show up, I am on and ready to go, energy, energy, energy! They don’t call me the energizer bunny for nothing! But…after talking for four straight ours tonight, my jaw was sore from smiling! And my mouth is dry!

I love to teach, but I am done talking to anyone…just for tonight! What…you thought more than that?

You can talk, go on!

{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!

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