My Life on the road | Peaches Prattlings

{February 21, 2018} I’m home, make the most of the day!

Another day in paradise. Even though I had to work, it’s still paradise.

I got up way too early, which was planned, I’m keeping my central time hours, that means a 4:15am wake up. Wait, isn’t that what I did yesterday?!

I got up, worked out, my ankle finally decided it was done giving me trouble! Wahoo! So, work out, protein shake and get to work. I started at 5am, which is 9am in Chicago, perfect! I worked until about 2:30pm my time, I had lunch about 1:30pm my time, 5:30pm Chicago, I think that would be considered a very late lunch!

After I finished working, I picked some basil from the garden and made some vegan pesto, yum! I was wandering through our garden and saw that we have a new orchid, it’s great, we don’t do anything and they keep showing up in the base of the palm tree, go figure!

Then it was time…for the beach, I am going to make the most of my time at home! I packed a bag and headed out, it was fabulous, super simple. Laid out my blanket and got to, well, doing nothing! I waded into the water, talked to a few people, read my book, took a nap and then the sun started setting, phenomenal! Look at those colors!

Back to the house, I had some work to do, make some dinner, laundry and now talk to you. I’m a wee bit knackered, wonder why!

How was your day?

{February 20, 2018} 2 flights, 2 hour delays, 6 movies, some work and I’m home!

I kid you not, today was a killer travel day!

So… 4:15am alarm, oh joy! I had already packed last night, laid out my clothes, so it was just a matter of getting up, showered, dressed and to the airport. Easy peasy. Seriously, that was the easy part!

I couldn’t get to curbside check in, so it was gas, drop off the rental car, get on the shuttle, lug everything into the airport, then drop the bags. That was fun, waiting on the line, watching them take someone else. Why have two lines if you’re not going to look at this one. And this one was simpler, just bag drop. One nice thing about the wait, the TSA pre-check line was a lot shorter when I got there!

Ok, this one is on me…I mis-read the sign for the gate, which is odd because I am in this terminal all the time…I must have been on auto-pilot because I went down the escalator, down the walkway, up the escalator…A4 was back where I was when I came through security, ugh! There went my dream of getting breakfast before my flight to Salt Lake City!

I settled in, watched three movies and worked, I am just that good! I worked when I was able to get connection. Let’s see, movies, which will be reviewed later…The Man Who Invented Christmas, about Charles Dickens writing A Christmas Carol, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, with Ryan Reynolds and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Loving Vincent. I also watched the 2 episodes that made up Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie, what a mind and last was Sleeping with the Enemy until we landed in Honolulu.

We landed with just enough time to get to my next flight in SLC, Salt Lake CIty, for those of you not in the know…had I known what was about to transpire, I would have stopped to get breakfast!

I got to the gate, they hadn’t started loading the plane yet, but how long would I have? They kept saying we’re about ready…Then they only boarded rows 1-9 because they were cleaning the plane, huh? I was in row 10, can I sneak in?! Then it was people who need assistance and people traveling with small children, ok. Then it was Diamond and Platinum and first class. Wait, isn’t 1-9 first class?

Then it was time for the rest of us, that had only taken about 30 minutes, felt like an hour or more. But wait, there’s more! We are delayed due to the snow, then we need to gas and de-ice. Seriously? Then it was another 20 minutes, then we were number 8 for takeoff… Then it was two hours later and we were off. Here it was about 2pm, I haven’t eaten since I woke up at 4:15am and I’m not going to eat until we land? Which we did about 4:30pm. Ok, I snacked, but those airline snacks don’t fill you up!

The woman next to me was very nice, from Salt Lake City, she has a house on the North Shore, so we chatted for part of the flight and felt for the babies crying in the back, poor things.

We finally land and then the baggage carousels changed, but eventually I got my stuff. I grabbed a taxi, made it home, finally! Then as quickly as I could, put the food in the fridge that was in my bags, changed into my bathing suit and headed to the beach for the last hour before sunset! It was fabulous!

Then I decided, food and a movie! In the theater! So, Raman Ya it was and Black Panther. I got lucky, it seems that every theater on the mainland was sold out! Great flick! I’ll tell you about that later too. That was movie number six! Then home to write to you and zzzz! I gotta get up and work in a few hours!

Ah, the life of a road warrior!

{February 19, 2018} Another great Boston weekend!

Come to think of it, when isn’t it?!

I arrived Friday night, no issues, thankfully. GES had just gotten home from girls night, I didn’t expect anyone to be up, so this was a nice treat. We chatted for a bit then, up to talk to you and eventually zzzzz.

There should be no alarms on Saturday, but alas…GES and I got in the car and on the road. We eventually stopped to grab a bite for breakfast and then on our way, we were in a town in New Hampshire and all of a sudden I look in the rearview mirror and ugh, blue lights, crud! I had been wondering what the speed limit was, I’m about to find out!

When the officer came to the window, I was honest, “I guess I was speeding”, ‘yup’, “I honestly don’t know how fast I was going, sorry”, ’30 in a 50′, crap…

‘Where are you headed?’ He gave a second glance at my Hawaiian license. ” To a camp up the near here to look at for a wedding” ‘its nice up there, very pretty’. Eventually he came back and let us, well, me, with a warning, thank you!

As we drive off, GES wondered if he thought we might be looking for place for us to get married since the camp specializes in specialty groups, physical issues, gender choices, genetic specialties, if that makes sense, and we’re two women. Ha ha!

It was a beautiful drive up thru the New Hampshire towns, snow in places, frozen lakes. The way back was charming too, along with the good conversations up and back. You know my sister and I didn’t get a lot of one-on- one/ alone time, so this is great!

When we got back, it was lunch with everyone and ACS’ brother and s-i-l, then the girls each had play dates. I took MGS to S&L R’s house for a play date with the cousins, gave GES a chance to get some rest.

After all the play dates, GES, MGS, EJS and I went out to meet ACS and some friends for dinner. On the way home from the restaurant it started snowing and continued. Any guesses what it looked like when I got up? White, white, white, but the plows had already been.

GES and I had an appointment, so, away we went! So beautiful as we drove to Glochester, the trees do pretty covered in snow. We get there and I check my email, should have done that before we left, go figure. Oh well, good excuse to try a me place for brunch!

Back on the road towards home, stop in Burlington, the girls had a camp meet and greet at a local bowling alley. We get there and ugh, forgotten purse, leave GES and go back to the restaurant. No worries, no traffic, easy 35/40 min there, get bag, back to bowling alley for fun!

Then to the house, EJS had a play date. GES, MGS and I hung out, eventually dinner was ordered, fire was lit and we were watching Ultimate Beastmaster! Ultimate athletes trying to defeat the beast!

Then it was lights out for the girls and chill out for the rest of us! And I had to talk to you!

Did I mention never a dull moment at my sister’s? How was your weekend?!

{February 15, 2018} Four years?! Has it really been four years?!

Wow, four years ago this week I started with my current company. Can you believe it!?

To date, I have never been anywhere more than five years and my goal is to stay with this company until I retire and that’s quite a few more years.

I was brought to the company for my experience as a software trainer, specializing in EPIC, it’s an EMR, Electronic Medical Records, application. You know EMRs, when you go to the doctor and they enter everything on the pc, no more paper charts. Much more efficient in record keeping and depending on the software at the medical office, your records could be pulled up anywhere!

It’s been quite the ride since I started with the company. I have been on six projects, five different applications and two new ones to me. All of this has made me more well rounded, as an employee, as a trainer and team member, sounds good to me.

And now, I’m looking for my next opportunity, will it be the same type of software I’ve been training on this project, will it be something I already know, something new? Where will I be? Closer to home or farther away? Will my new co-workers be as wonderful as they have been on all my other projects?

It doesn’t matter, every new project is a new and exciting possibility to try something new, learn new things and all new experiences, not only with the application, but new team members, places to explore, cities to get to know, restaurants to sample.

I’m ready for my next adventure, are you with me?!

{February 14, 2018} February 14th, what a day!

It’s a special day for a lot of reasons, let’s talk about why!

First, it’s Valentine’s Day. On the one hand, there’s a lot of pressure…that people put on themselves. To show their loved ones that they are loved. It’s a happy day for some, for others, not so happy. If you’re single and don’t want to be, it screams at you. If you’re in a relationship, some use it as a test to see what their partners will do for them, like it proves something. If you’re single and you’re happy, it doesn’t make a difference.

You know the song, ‘if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with’, well that can count for Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to be with ‘that special someone’, you have to be with people you care about. Friends, kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, families, co-workers, whoever makes you happy!

I spent it with two co-workers who’s company I enjoy very much, DLP and SH. We went to the Chicago Diner, one of my favorite vegan restaurants that neither of them have been to, so it worked for me! They both wanted to try it, no reservation needed and the company was stellar, what more could you want?!

And when I got to my hotel room, look what my sweetheart sent me. Sigh. Don’t tell, but I think he likes me a little.

Second, it’s Gotcha Day for Miss A, my very special girl. Gotcha Day is the day when adoption is official and Feburary 14th is Miss A’s Gotcha Day. How fabulous is that?! The traditional day of love is the day that SDL and Miss A became official, mother and daughter. SDL’s sister became Aunt D and I became Auntie G to a wonderful little girl.

How about that, three different types of love on the same day. It’s ‘just another day’ for some, special for others, but really, it’s what you make of it. If it’s a day that lets you express yourself a little more, more power to ya!

And no matter what my dear friends and family, I love you every day!

{February 12, 2018} It was so funny I forgot!

I had this great idea for a post tonight…And you get this!

That drives me crazy! I often have these great ideas and I think ‘ooh, that would be funny!’ Or ‘I really need to remember that!’ See where that got me!

I also say I need to write these things down and sometimes in the same breath, nah, I’ll remember it, it’s too good! Well, look where we are now!

Since I have nothing else to share, here are a few funnies:

What do you call ten rabbits walking backwards? A receding hairline!

Why did the Stormtrooper buy an iPhone? He couldn’t find the droid he was looking for!

Why are pirates so mean? They just arrrgh!

Have a great day!

{February 12, 2018} A great day on the mountain, do we have to leave?

Today was a much better day on the mountain, so hard to leave!

This morning we slept in a minute, we were only about 20 minutes from the mountain, so we took our time. Got some breakfast, a late checkout of 1pm and headed back to Breck for some fun.

It was a clear, crisp, beautiful day, all that powder from yesterday was groomed, so definitely better for ST and for me, my goggles didn’t fog, definitely better for me! We hopped on one of the shuttles, went back to where we were yesterday and no ice build up! We had almost no issue with the build up at all! Off to a great start!

We did a few more runs than yesterday, oh how we wish we had today’s weather yesterday! No regrets! About 11:45 we headed back to the hotel, quick shower, pack the bags and car, get gas, clean the windshield, grab something to eat and get on the road, about 1.47 hours to get back to Denver to drop off our skis. Oh! Do you see the ice on the windshield? That’s on the inside!

Ok, so, I thought 1pm would be alright to leave. Ha ha. We hit the on ramp, it was backed up, not a good sign…It was very stop and go the entire way! And, oh joy… all of a sudden, a warning light comes on “Transmission overheating, stop for 5 minutes’ What?!

So…pull over for about five minutes. Somewhere in there, a guy walks up to the car and asks if we’re ok. I told him what happened and he said, oh yeah, that happens all the time! And it will probably happen again! Really?! Great…

And he was right, it happened about three more times, grr. So… the stop and go, having to pull over four times, our little two hour trip down from the mountain turned into a little over three. We dropped off ST’s skis and then mine and then made a beeline for the airport.

Then that comedy of errors began! Dropped off the car, meanwhile, ST’s flight is now delayed, not good. I was going to do curbside checkin with my bag, but I missed the entrance, so car return it is. We get off the shuttle and on the way in to the airport, I wiped out! Seriously?! I get to the counter and I had just missed the 45 minute cutoff for dropping bags, but… status is fabulous!

I limp through security and to the gate, made it just as they were finishing my boarding group. Then… the longest boarding process ever! It was like no one had ever been on a plane! But amazingly, we left 2 minutes late and arrived on time! And my bag made it too!

Now I’m at the hotel, icing my ankle, enjoying the fireplace thinking about sleeping right here on the sofa!

I can’t wait for my next adventure!

{February 5, 2018} Take that Nikola Tesla!

I have been playing Words With Friends for a few months…this time.

I think I started playing Words With Friends years ago like everyone else and it was fun and exciting. I think I was playing Draw Something at the same time, weren’t you?

Like many games, we lose interest, something new and exciting comes along or maybe, like many others, you kept playing. Well, a few months ago, I decided to get back into the game, ha ha.

So, here I am playing Words With Friends 2, updates, new and improved. I’ve got about 10 games going with four different people, it’s fun and challenging.

Now, the title of my post, I know you’re scratching your head like “huh”? So, with this new version, there are different challenges that you can participate in. There are events, always theme based, right now, there is a Valentine’s Day theme. With the events, you have to reach a certain number of points to win a prize. The points are earned by completing so many solo games, so many words with big scoring letters, X, J, Z, Q, competing in lightening round games with strangers, things like that.

Then, the next challenge is against the game, but they make it interesting. Each challenge has a different theme, right now, it’s famous poets, the last was investors. There are a few in the bronze, silver and gold levels. Easy, medium and hard in each.

So, as you can guess, each level, since there is a theme, has to have a name. With the inventors, there was Alexander Bell, Edison and the last and hardest was Nikola Tesla.

The easy, in my opinion, is very easy. Then the medium, more of a challenge, as it should be and then the hard, sometimes not too bad, but it is harder and there have been times with the medium and hard that I have had to replay a few times. But this time, Nikola Tesla, wow! It took me seven, yes I said seven! times to beat him! It was so frustrating!

I’m sure when you play games against a computer you think it cheats sometimes, right? How does it get that perfect move, those letters, come on! Really?!

Ok, so… sometimes, when I’m playing I get a bit competitive. It’s funny, when I’m playing with real people, yes, you want to win but there are other opportunities. With the computer, yes, I can play again, but there’s a time limit, the event ends and a new one starts. But, if you know me and my race medals…I’m determined! I’m not missing out on that badge, that gold box!

So…I played Nikola Tesla, just like all the others, and I knew I was getting close, but I was cautious and that calculator… How many points do I need to beat the machine!

So… in this instance… Take that Nikola Tesla!

Hey, if you want to play me, let me know, I’m always up for the challenge!

{February 4, 2018} An executive decision!

Today, I made an executive decision…nope, not gonna do it!

This morning I was supposed to do a 15k and yesterday the prediction was freezing rain in the morning. First, I couldn’t sleep, go figure…maybe I’d gotten too much sleep the night before, I had slept until about 9:30am yesterday. So, by 2am I was forcing myself to go to sleep and then I woke up at 3am, then 4am, finally at 4:30am, I got up, got dressed and headed out the door…in the freezing rain!

There was no one on the road and when I got to where parking was and the race start, no people. I drove around for a minute and then thought…wait, I’m an adult, I don’t have to do this! If it had just been cold out, race on, but it’s freezing rain, no thanks. No medal is worth this!

Executive decision made! I turned around, went back to where I was staying, worked out, showered and got dressed and got on with my day, all comfy-cozy and warm, good enough for me!

{February 2, 2018} Civic Duty…I did mine!

Seriously? Did that just happen?!

I was on my way to the airport and something happened I think I’ve only seen in movies. I was driving and there was a car in the next lane. Now, I said next lane, not the next lane over with a lane in between us, but right next to me. Let’s just say if there was a passenger, they could have reached out and touched the driver in that car. So, you’re with me so far, I can tell.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a car in between us. What? Yes, in between us, driving over the dotted white line…in between us! How did that car fit?! I looked at the driver, after the intruder zoomed past and we both had our mouths open and chins on the floor.

I thought, ok, an idiot. Then…I saw him do it two more times, successfully, he got stopped two other times. That was it…I dialed 911. Yes I did. As I told them what was happening, they transferred me to the state police and I told the officer what happened. I even…without speeding, we were slowing down, I was able to get his, or her, license plate number. It was a VW, so very disappointed that this driver was giving VW’s a bad wrap!

I wasn’t sure about the color, the car was very dirty, but I saw most the numbers on the plate and reported that. They said thank you and I hung up.

I’ve done my civic duty and I hope they stopped that idiot, they were going to cause an accident!

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What was I thinking?