My Life on the road | Peaches Prattlings

{September 27, 2016} A fun evening…fund raising

Yeah, puntastic!

Tonight, my team went out to support a great coworker and cause.

JW is on the board of directors of CEP, the Center for Economic Progress. This is a fantastic organization that helps low-income, working families as a trusted provider of tax and financial services. http://www.economicprogress.org/

The fundraiser was to acknowledge the program, supporters, staff and volunteers.

Well…we were also there to fundraiser, of course! One of the reasons we were fundraising is the mobile unit, just like the magnet in the photo. It will be used to travel into neighborhoods to perform their great services.

The mobile unit has been procured, but…as JW said in her presentation, it is sad on the inside…why? It’s empty! So…we need to raise funds to fill and stock it! Computers, workstations, supplies, you name it.

How did we accomplish some of this tonight? Text CEP to a number, get a text with a link to a fundraising site, clever! When you submitted your donation, you saw your name scroll on the big screen, sorry, missed my name!

Now, the excitement was to see what we could raise in 5 minutes and someone was going to match it. What did we raise? Almost $9000! Not too shabby! Go JW and CEP!

It was an exciting event and as it was winding down, the team went a few blocks down the street to have some dinner, the fundraiser was appetizers and an open bar. We continued the good times, especially when JW got there. We ate, drank, chatted and laughed, another great team I’m lucky to have been placed with!

{September 24, 2016} Miles…tolls…hotels…1.5 fill ups

A drive across country isn’t an easy task.

Between today and yesterday I have driven 1180 miles, 18 hours…spent $60 in tolls…$360 in hotels, oh my!

I started in Massachusetts, drove through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and finally Wisconsin, whew.

Tolls are ridiculous!!! Most were $1.25-2.50, ok. There was one for $8.50, another $10.30 and one for $15.50! What are they doing with the money?? Don’t answer that, I know the answer.

The tolls were one thing, but the hotel…last night, no worries, I used some points and cash, paid a pet deposit. Tonight, because there is a Green Bay Packers home game tomorrow, a hotel that normally costs $60, maybe $90 a night is going for nothing less than $190 a night, what?

I rented a Toyota Prius, which is a hybrid, so great on gas mileage, about 536 miles on a tank, not bad. I only had to fill up twice to here, one last time before I turn it in tomorrow. I liked the car, drawback is it beeps in reverse.

It’s been an interesting trip…not doing it again!

{September 22, 2016} What a day!

This is not going to be the most positive of all posts…Sorry.

It’s also going to be that kind of weekend, so friends, just send me good vibes and I’ll be alright.

Work was hit and miss. It was good in that I got a lot done and I had a good training session. The not so good…something that was supposed to happen this coming Monday is now on hold, not great…

I got a pre-birthday text, thanks KWH.

Travel was hit and miss…when I checked in yesterday, I couldn’t get a seat on my first flight, ok, I’ll get one at the airport. Good was making it in time for my bag to make it. I had a seat at this point, not a great one and when I mentioned this to the agent, he said no problem, you’re confirmed on the upgrade list, you’ll get a better seat, they block them off, you’re platinum, you’ll be set…great.

Get to the gate, they have no idea and I get to sit in the 2nd to last row of the plane, next to the engine, where I have trouble sitting normally, I get nauseous from noise. Shortly after take off, phone falls and ends up behind the last row, fun. Thank you to the kind man who found it for me after we landed. That was good and the woman I sat next to was very nice.

Next flight…all the way at the other end of the airport, bad when you’re tired, good when you need the steps! Much better seats, just a nosy neighbor who watched almost every episode with me on my personality. Apparently he wasn’t enjoying what he was reading on the phone that was dying.

Then I realized I left my transponder in Chicago, which I brought with me specifically for the weekends I would be in Boston for the mass amounts of tolls…pook.

Now I’m on the shuttle to get my rental car, fingers crossed that goes off without a hitch.

Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment…what do you think my odds are?

Hit and miss, right?

Happy thoughts!! This might help!

{September 22, 2016} A team outting…a coming class!!

So much fun!

Two team dinners in a row? Sounds good! This time, a cooking class, fun!

We went to The Social Table for a fantastic evening!

When we arrived, appetizers were waiting, toast points with chickpeas, butternut squash, tomatoes, olive oil and pepper. A yummy way to start!

The kitchen was set, the table was set, everything was…set!

We were making a brussel sprout and kale salad, fresh pasta with carbonara sauce, minus the meat, tomato soup, stuffed peppers and chocolate cake with ice cream.
Rachel and Ian were our chef/instructors and they were fun and patient and encouraging and remembered each of our names and called us to do things, that was impressive!

Everyone chopped, sliced, diced, pureed, mixed, folded, whipped, you name it, we all got to do it!

We prepped, cooked, drank, chatted and laughed, it was fabulous and so much fun! We talked a little work here and there but most of all we laughed and really enjoyed the process and each other’s company.

When it was all done, we sat down to mange! It was fabulous!

[Yes, my friends, every piece if food had some form of dairy and I tried it all, except the chocolate cake with ice cream. I’m paying for it, but the experience with my coworkers was worth it! Every once in a while, you have to go for it]

If you have never taken a cooking class, it’s worth it. This is my second, it’s more fun with an intimate or smaller group and if you know everyone, you can relax a little more.

{September 21, 2016} Breakfast then back to the grindstone

It was such a great weekend with CKM, do I have to go back to reality?

We had to set an alarm this morning…boo…but we had a schedule to keep.

I got up first, showered and took my stuff to my next hotel, came back and then we went to Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast, it’s part of where Route 66 starts, they say it starts there at their restaurant.

After breakfast, the one thing we had not done yet, the one mode of transportation left…the El. Off we went, easiest way to get to the airport, traffic can be bad.

We took the El to the airport, chatted along the way and then it was time to say goodbye, sad, but we’ll see each other again soon. Who knows where we’ll travel to next!

Back on the El to work, lots going on! Then a team dinner, drinks at a rooftop bar before, a really good dinner then drinks at the hotel.

Now, I’m ready to crash! Goodnight!!

{September 19, 2016} Another fabulous day! Museums and football! Top that!

Our last day in Chicago was definitely a memorable one!

We started off at Yolk for breakfast, pretty good if you ask me.

From Yolk, Uber to The Museum of Science and Industry. This was great! There were parts that reminded me of the Boston Museum of Science.

We saw old wagons, a submarine, airplane, made tornados, watched a cool movie about sharks, planes and trains..just to name a few things!

Then it was time for lunch and on to The Field Museum of Natural History. There, it was dinosaurs, ancient China, ancient Egypt and some really bad pick up lines!

Did they mean this to sound like a pick up line!?

After The Field Museum we headed back to the hotel, drop off some stuff, get Bears hates, we had our shirts…we need to represent!

Back to Soldier Field…joined all the rest of the fans, a good mix of Bears and Eagles fans. How do I know? Because I don’t think there was anyone not wearing something representing one of the two teams. The seats i got…somewhere in the clouds, also known as Eagles territory!

we were at the tippy top top row!

An amazing weekend!! Where are we going next????

{September 18, 2016} Another great day touring Chicago…and no trips to the ER!

We had a lot to do and the ER was not on the list!

We woke up on our own, nice. As we were not that impressed with breakfast, we ate leftover pizza, what could be better to start the day?

Our first stop…the Crown Fountains in Millennium Park. They are two towers that project videos of faces while water falls from them, a very cool piece of art.

These are great to see and play in, especially on a hot day!

Next, The Bean. Yup, if you don’t know it, you have to see it. It’s a giant metal bean…yeah, just go. Can you see us?

On to the Art Institute of Chicago, just wow! Impressionist, contemporary, pre 1900, one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. It houses a few, to say the least, famous pieces. American Gothic, A Sunday in the Afternoon on the Grand Jatte, made famous in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, among so many others. I’ll just post a few.

By then, we had worked up an appetite! We headed to the West Loop in search of lunch and ended up at the Haymarket, which was around the corner from an arts festival, which is where we walked off lunch and enjoyed the festival and bought a few things.

After the festival we headed back to Navy Pier for another boat tour. The tall ships mislead us on their website, so we enjoyed a tour of the lake, it was enjoyable and informative.

And last order of business for the day, certainly not least, Buckingham Fountain, in Grant Park, made famous by being in the opening of Married With Children. This is truly an amazing fountain and at night, lights make it entertaining. It was designed like a wedding cake, what do you think?

Then we headed back to the hotel,,we were in the mood for something sweet. A nice relaxing time in the grand lobby, sorry, I forgot to take pictures!

Now, I’m talking to you and tomorrow…more adventures!

{September 17, 2016} Sharing veganism…sigh

As my dad always says..’sharing is caring’.

LJ and I met tonight to get some dinner at Kitchen 17, the vegan place that KP and I went to on Wednesday because she wanted to try the vegan deep dish pizza.

Guess what they don’t have on Fridays…deep dish pizza! Noooooo! But they do have scicillian style pizza which is thick, so we ordered that. Odd thing…it was round. But…fabulous! We also ordered spinach and artichoke dip, O M G!! So, two for two at this place! This may be my new favorite vegan place in Chicago.

After we finished, well, finished as much as we were going to…we decided on a milkshake, equally yum!

As we were waiting on the milkshake, there was a couple next to us who asked how we liked the pizza, we both said it was fabulous and offered them a piece! They declined but asked for vegan recommendations in Chicago, they had just moved there. He had been in Japan the last two years and she was from Atlanta, what are the odds?

So, we gave her the run down, and it was great having LJ there because even though I’m vegan, I can say something is great, if a non-vegan or meat eater says this food is good, it helps with other people. Some people think when I say something is awesome, it’s just because I can eat it, not true.

I also told them about Happy Cow, the veg-friendly app. You get vegetarian, vegan, veg-friendly and stores. The best part, it’s global, I’ve used it all over the globe!

All in all, a great evening! A good dinner with a friend, sharing vegan options with new friends and now…on my way to pick up CKM at the airport for the weekend! Wahoo!

{September 16, 2016} I just got called what?

I just got cussed out by a homeless woman!

DLP and I were heading to meet LJ and some other people for dinner. I had leftover lunch so I was looking for someone to give it to.

Normally, when i see someone who looks like they might be hungry,I ask and then give them my food. This woman…I asked if she was hungry and she proceeded to shout at me!

“I already ate!” OK, so I started to walk away, then…”what’s wrong with you, you whore!” Well, I thought she called me a whore, apparently she called me slut and she was calling DLP a whore! Alrighty then! Oh, then she accused DLP of following a white woman down the street!

I think I’ve seen her, well, heard her, cussing other people out before, I guess we’re now part of a club…

She just kept going, screaming her head off at one or both of us as she walked down the street! I didn’t hear everything as I was walking away to find someone to give my food to, he was appreciative, by the way, thankfully!

The people you meet in the street!

{September 14, 2016} I ate deep dish!

Oh my, but it was fabulous!
I have been getting vegan restaurant recommendations since I got to Chicago and I’ve tried a few of them, so far all good. Tonight I tried another and was not disappointed!

KP and I were going to see sketch comedy and one of the places near the theatre was Kitchen 17, which was on my list and I’m so glad we went!

We ordered a “garbage” deep dish pizza and a buffalo “chicken” sandwich. If you don’t know what a garbage pie is, it’s basically everything, meat and veggies on one piece. The sauce was tangy, which KP loved. It also had ricotta, mozzarellaand some other goodness!

Since Chicago is known for deep dish pizza and I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to have some, think I was happy? You bet your sweet bippie!

One of the best parts, aside from having a non-vegan or meat eating friend share..this meat eating friend loved it! So it’s not just me saying it!

Will I be going again? Oh yeah! Want to come with me?

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