My Life on the road | Peaches Prattlings

{February 9, 2017} Another team dinner…another new restaurant.

A great time was had by all.

Tonight we went to Carnival, a Brazilian inspired restaurant with an explosion of colors, sounds, tastes, smells and sites.

Apparently, there are times they have people swinging from the curtains and the seats, acrobatic type stuff.

We had a great time, as always. Talking, catching up, laughing, giving people grief for talking about work, just a good time. The nicest part…this team Dinner was scheduled for this week because I’m in town, isn’t that great!

We even started talking about where to go next, looking forward to it!

{February 7, 2017} Two new restaurants, great food and a new friend!

I realized I haven’t talked about places I’ve eaten lately, shame on me!

So, today, I am at a new site for training and support and I found the Eleven City Diner. Oh my! It was awesome! A gps Jewish Deli with good, fresh ingredients and piled high on the plate! I had an egg salad sandwich on challah, yum! It came with a pickle Spear and coleslaw, really good. I pigged out and ate it all! If you know me, you know I usually have leftovers, not today! This place reminded me a little of Zaftigs in Boston.

For dinner, I met up with someone I met on this project in a class and then again recently and we had hit it off the first time and decided to go to dinner. She came up with a few suggestions and Isla, a Filipino restaurant had more options than the other, it’s family owned and delicious! She had given me some vegan options the first time we meet and I haven’t been disappointed yet!

We had a great time getting to know each other, we have a lot in common, like our love of movies and travel. It was a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to the next time! I made another friend in Chicago!

{February 7, 2017} Life on the road can be fun!

Tonight was a fun evening.

Traveling for work is what you make of it. There are times there is nothing to make of it. Travel-meeting-travel or travel-meeting-dinner-hotel- travel. I’ve done those, fun, not so much all the time…or as it is now, when I’m in a place for a few months or more, you get to know the place and some people.

On this project, when I’m in Chicago, I go out to dinners, shows, movies. I’ve made friends on the project. Tonight was one of those nights. It was like any other job anywhere, you have friends and decide to go out. DLP and I wanted to do something, so, away we went. We went to the movies, settled in and saw Sing. Loved it a second time! She loved it a first time!

There is fun to be had on the road, it’s all what you make of it and sometimes what you have time for. I’m having fun!

{February 3, 2017} Did I actually day that?

Sometimes you think about it after you say it and think “huh…did I really just say that!?”

I’ve done that a few times in my life, I know we all have and I’ve probably told you one or two of them. This wasn’t that bad, just not sure it was completely appropriate.

I was teaching a class yesterday and we needed a name, we make them up for one of the lessons and someone decided to select Willie Nelson. That led to a few comments about weed. Uh oh…here I am teaching a class and they are talking about weed. But…it helped to put things into perspective and it made the class laugh and understand what we were trying to do, so that worked out.

You never know where inspiration is going to come from our what will make the light bulb go off over someone’s head…do what you can!

{February 2, 2017} A good few days

Here’s what’s happened since I got back to the mainland.

I got to the client’s site on Tuesday and settled in. When the manager saw me she said “I’m so glad it’s you!” How great did that make me feel! I found a good restaurant for lunch, middle eastern yum! Two for two. To make it three for three I couldn’t get an Uber yesterday morning so I took a taxi. The driver was very nice and offered to pick me up today and gave me his number. I called him this morning and there he was. Cool.

Over the last two days there are so many people I remember and who remember me from training classes they attended, they have been very happy to see me, isn’t that awesome?

I had a decent veggie burger for lunch at an Irish pub. Last night’s dinner was the leftover vegan pizza from Monday night and tonight I went to a decent Chinese restaurant, all but four of the patrons, including me, we’re Chinese, a good sign in my opinion. It was cool that everyone who came in the bartender spoke to in Chinese. Made me miss JCT and her mom.

All in all, two good days, looking forward to the next two.

{February 1, 2017} I missed you!!

Oh my friends…I have missed you! I hope the feeling was a wee bit mutual.

I had such an amazing weekend that I had promised to share with you as I experienced it. Alas…Tmobile was not so friendly on the Big Island of Hawaii. So, a frustrating as that was, I’m going to be a big girl and move on and share my weekend with you now. Needless to say…it’s gonna be long one.

Here’s how my Friday, January 28th post went:

What do you do for the weekend, when you live on an island? You go to another island!

January 30th marks the two year anniversary of our first date. I don’t know if you remember me surprising PSM in Hawaii for our one year anniversary, it was awesome! It was also my first trip, of many, out here before I moved officially.

PSM surprised me with a trip to the Big Island for the weekend and here we are! He booked the tickets and the car, I got the hotel, you can guess where we’re staying!

We got to the hotel, the Hilton Waikoloa Village checked in and then headed to the room. The property is 62 acres! They have their own transportation system on the property, you can walk, of course, how yesterday! Or you can take a boat or tram!

We opted for the boat to get to our room, in the Ocean Tower. We have a very nice room with a partial view of the ocean, we can see it, not sure how partial it really is. The important thing is we can hear the ocean, sleeping with weigh A/C off and window open tonight!

The first thing we booked when we arrived was the luau and shortly after seeing the room, we left…headed to the luau.

What fun! The had a vegan option for me and PSM went to the buffet. Awesome waiter kept bringing more drinks, PSM was a happy camper.

The show itself was fabulous. Great history to learn about the Island of Hawaii. Each island has their own history, own and different stories to tell. I have to say, the fire dancing and spinning was the best! If you ever have the opportunity, do it! So much fun!

After the luau it was a nice walk back to the room, talk, laugh, catch up and then try to talk to you. A nice way to start our weekend, wouldn’t you agree?

Welcome day two. And what a day it was! We spent the day on a tour of Volcano National Park!
We toured lava tubes, which are the natural conduits which lava flows through, wow! We hiked to a volcano crater, there are hot pockets that you see and feel the steam coming up, unusual foliage, berries you can eat and berries, you shouldn’t.

We went to another part of the national park and we could see where the lava formed around a tree and then dinner at a volcano winery where they grow grapes and tea leaves.

We finished our day at an active volcano so we could see the glow in the distance, pictures cannot do it justice at all.

Sunday morning came and PSM had a relaxing massage, we met for breakfast and then headed to the airport. We flew back to Honolulu, collected our luggage, headed to check in, so my bags off, say a heartfelt farewell and I flew off to the great blue yonder back to Chicago.

Yesterday, I arrived about 630am, headed to the hotel and they had a room and that two hour nap was amazing! Then it was a day at the office, dinner with DLP at Kitchen 17, hotel and zzzzzzz…

Well, after mushy talk with PSM for our two year anniversary.

I hope you’ll forgive me for not talking to you last night.

So…it’s been great catching up with you tonight and now I am going to crash. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Goodnight!

{January 27, 2017} Where am I? When am I?

So…you know I travel a little right?

That being said, I talk to people in different time zones and I’m in airports in different time zones all the time. People ask where I am, can’t always tell them. My dad gave me a watch made of paper for Chanukah and I set it to Hawaii time so I always know what time it is at home and when I can call PSM. Doesn’t help in airports, so…

I decided to get clever…my fabulous watch has many options on watch faces and one has multiple time zones, so I selected that one and chose New York, good for eastern standard time, where dad is and GES in Boston, then Honolulu, where my home and honey are, Paris, well, if you know me, you know I love Paris and ‘my location’, so I’ll always know what time it is where I am.

I thought it was a good idea. It’s 11:57 pm here in Honolulu where I just landed so I will say goodnight. Good morning to some of you as it will be 5am in a few on the east coast.

{January 26, 2017} Wow! Thank you for asking!

Lunch today was kind of a bust, but with a twist.

I thought I’d try a new place for lunch today. No love for the vegan today, I ended up at Burger King, which I enjoy, but it wasn’t my first choice.

Before I ended up at Burger King, the last place I went to, as I was leaving after looking at the menu and mentioning there was nothing for a vegan, the bartender asked what they could have on the menu that I might want.

They were changing their menu and she would like to know what they could offer. I said for me, I would love to see a veggie burger, as I’ve told you and I told her, I don’t care if it’s frozen and they stick it in the microwave, I just want the option. I also mentioned that it shouldn’t be cooked where they cook meat, but if it is, like on a grill, cool it on tin foil.

If I want to go out for a salad, then that’s what I want, but I don’t want a salad to be my default and only option.
I thanked her for asking and she thanked me for my help and away I went…to Burger King for a veggie burger.

{January 25, 2017} And you doubted my love for Hilton?

I have told you, I’m spoiled. Hilton treats me right, let me show you.

I’ve been in all sorts of rooms all over the world, in all sorts of hotels, and I’ve shared what Hilton has done with upgrades. A few years ago I got upgraded to the presidential suite and this week, the governor’s suite! I could live here!

I’ve been trying to upload a video, but it’s not happening, I hope the photos do it justice! [I’m going to post the video on Facebook, if we’re friends there, you’ll see it, sorry non-Facebook peeps].

All I did was make a reservation, the rest was up to Hilton.

{January 20, 2017} It’s been how long? Doesn’t feel like it!

You know how you have that friend you’ve known forever and you don’t talk that often, but when up do, it’s like no time has passed.

I’ve told you that I’m lucky enough to have a few friends in my life who fit the very description. Tonight, I talked to someone I’ve been friends with since middle school and it was just like that.

CSB and I met in middle school and were instant friends and then we were best friends and remained friends and close friends for years and as things happen, life gets in the way, but our fondness and love for each other has never wavered and when we do see each other or talk to each other, it’s like we pick up where we left off.

Tonight, we were talking and realized it had been over two hours, where did the home go?! And if we didn’t have to get up in the morning, we would have probably gone on another two or more.

When we got off the phone, we pinky swore we would talk again and I look forward to that next call with another sister.

Side note…CSB…this is Joe Bloggs, we will be discussing him again!

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