My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{May 1, 2021} A perfect day for a fabulous ride!

Today was the group ride, based on the pre-ride I told you about last weekend, did that make sense?! It was predicted to be a gorgeous day! Let’s go!

The day started early, a little before 7a, got the pups up, walked, and fed, and played, and snuggled. We were out the door by 8am, we needed to be at Mungenast by 8/8:30am, we were heading out for a 3 hour ride. No, I am not going to sing again or make you think about Gilligan’s Island, except for that reference! We got to Mungenast in plenty of time to hang, greet each other, catch up, chat, look at each other’s bikes and the changes or improvements we’ve made. Well, not me, but I could ooh and ah and admire like the rest of them!

When everyone had assembeled, we gathered for a talk from the ride captain, rules of the road and all that. We always have those at the beginning of a group ride, it’s most important when there are a lot of bikes and we had quite a few! It was decided that we would break into two groups to make it easier at stop signs, lights, etc. We were with the second group because PSM was going to block traffic as we were leaving, it’s easier if you have someone who stops the cars and you can leave as one unit. The analogy is that when we’re all together, we act as an 18-wheeler, a really big truck. I hope that made sense!

We headed out, our group was about 5-10 minutes behind the first group. There was some highway riding, but the best part was to get to the back roads, the winding roads, off the beaten path so to speak. We rode for about an hour to Washington, MO, stopped for gas, stretch the legs, grab a snack. It was interesting, sometime before we got to the first stop, we caught up with the first group, then we rode together to the gas station. And it was much needed!

Then…we rode to Hermann, MO, we didn’t stop in Hermann, just drove through, lots of people and bikers out, and very cool, there was Harley Davidson rider who was out for a stroll, so to speak and super cool, turned his bike to block the oncoming cars, so we could ride as one unit, aces! We actually stopped a few miles outisde of Hermann for anyone to gas up, bio break, snacks, you name it. This was the last stop until we got to our destination, just about an hour to go and we were all together, nice.

We headed out, and off we go. It was mostly back roads, some beautiful scenery. I did have a bit of deja vu, as we just did this ride last weekend. We kept a steady pace and I know we were a sight to see. Even when I’m looking at us, it’s quite the site! I can tell you we made quite the sight, there were people waving at us and some even taking videos as we went by, it’s pretty cool.

The weather was perfect, started out about 60 in the morning and went up to 80+, but the wind was something! There were quite a few of us who felt it on the ride, especially on the highway. By the time we got to Head Motor Company in Columbia, MO, we were all ready to get off the bikes. All I wanted to do was stand or sit, and not move!

They had tents set up, demo bikes, food, sales on merchandise, it was quite the site. We were also there to meet the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group Kansas City Chapter, something we do when there are events or rides that are going to meet somewhere in the middle, or close to the middle, which this was.

We had some grub, everyone enjoyed the bbq, it looked good, I improvised! I had a cole slaw sandwich! It was actually quite tasty! And an oatmeal raisin cookie, I was happy! While we ate, we chatted, caught up, got to know some new members, met and talked to the KC riders/members. It’s nice meeting new people, fellow biker enthusiasts. We were on an official group ride, so there was a meeting, had to be.

Then it was time to head out. A few of us decided to go to Hermann for a drink, maybe some food for me! We started at the gas station for a fill-up, then we were off. Since the official ride was over, we were able to go a little faster on the way back, the roads were great, lots of curves, I am trusting the bike more and more, it felt great! We got to Hermann, found a place to park the bikes, but finding a place for beverages, not as easy, but we finally found a place!

We settled in, orderd drinks, I got a vegan weisswurst, it’s a sausage, and mighty tasty, hit the spot. We chatted some more, with less people, more intimate. It was fun, drinks, laughter, stories, what more could you want? After that, we headed out and after a while, some folks split off and PSM and I, with two other guys went to another bar for one more drink, conversation, and fun. Then it was home to take care of the pups.

Speaking of the pups…we asked JS to come and hang with them mid-day so they wouldn’t be in the crate all day, she wasn’t available, but her mom was. I set up the hammock and they all had a great time!

What a day! We had amazing weather, great company, a plethora of bikes, a fabulous route, and the wind at our backs. What more could you want?!

{April 29, 2021} Cheeky monkey! Some training is required!

So…yesterday, I told you that Ruby got spooked and tried to get on the sofa, and we don’t allow dogs on the furniture. I did also say that being on the bed was a special occassion, as long as PSM or I are there. And she got on the bed and got yelled at for it.

Today, I walk into the living room and guess who is lying on the sofa, happy as you please, without a care in the world?! Yup, Ruby! Seriously?! I reacted, yelled to get off the sofa and she did, after a moment, then ran into PSM’s office on the dog bed. PSM was in the other room at the moment and asked “Did you put her in the crate?” I’m still learning some of the doggie discipline. I’ve put them in the crate when it was really bad, I didn’t think about it this time, but he was right.

I went into the office and grabbed her by the collar and said, “into the crate” and that’s where we went, well, we went into the front room and she went into the crate. Here’s the interesting thing…when Bee was in the crate on Saturday, while I called the vet and then was rinsing the dye out of my hair, I didn’t want her inhaling the house or throwing up everywhere, it was for her safety, and Ruby, because she was worried about her sister, Bee, she kept running back and forth from me to the crate. Today, Ruby was in the crate, Bee was off somewhere sleeping! Not fair! ha ha

Apparently her time with the dog sitter, when she got one over on JS and got on the sofa, we have to do a little re-training. One thing that PSM did point out about it, she knows this is her home and she feels safe. That makes me feel good, sigh. Why can’t she just say that with kisses and snuggling? ha ha

{April 28, 2021} The thunder spooked someone…

Our two dogs are so very different from each other, they are wonderfully alike in so many ways when it comes to wanting affection, giving kisses, snuggling, getting treats, but Bee ain’t skered a’ nutin’! On the other hand…sometimes Ruby is afraid of her own shadow!

Ruby can step up to a dog, let them know when they are not welcome, haven’t seen that with a human, and that’s only some dogs. I have to say, she’s great, well, they both are, great with puppies and older dogs, hmmm…we always test the water to see if a meet and greet will go well or sideways.

When anyone comes near the yard, well, dogs, and they are in the backyard, they will let everyone know it’s their yard. Before 8am, if they happen to do that, I stop it, if it’s after 8am, people are usually working, it’s ok. I love hearing the laugh when I say “You are fine, no one is invading your yard!” Both Ruby and Bee let those passing by know who rules the roost!

One way they are different is with sirens, if there is a fire truck or a police car siren, Bee could care less…Ruby, on the other hand…either she’s worried or trying to help! I have to reassure her they have it under control. It does make her nervous and she will come for comfort, it’s cute. She also whines along with them, like I said…worried or helping! Who knows.

Another way they are very different is when it comes to the weather. I’ve told you what Bee was like when it was snowing and icy, she wouldn’t step foot outside, while Ruby, on the other hand, was ready to run through the raindrops, bring it on! Thunderstorm, hard rain, lightning, you name it, Bee is asleep, she doesn’t even notice. Ruby on the other hand…wow! She is at our sides in a flash. Today, she even tried to get on the sofa, I stopped that! Mostly because we both had to work, so I got her to come into my office and finally convinced her to sit under my desk, she’s done that a few times. It really reminds me of Mollie, she was the same way with loud noises, big dogs, go figure…

I stepped out of my office to use the bathroom and I didn’t shut the bedroom door. Now…usually, when one of us is in the bathroom for business or showering, if the door is open, the dogs will sit outside waiting for us to come out and pet, snuggles, whatever. Today…however…Ms Ruby was on the bed! Oh no! Not happening! I think I’ve told you that the dogs are not allowed on the furniture, but on special occasions, like a Saturday or Sunday morning, if there is some lounging happening…I let them on the bed, if PSM gets in there, it’s usually a lick fest, ha ha, but with me, I get licked for a minute, then they settle down and just snuggle. They know they can get on the bed when I give them permission, and when it’s not given, a very stern no!

Well…I came out of the bathroom and she was sitting on the bed, pretty as you please! And when I asked her what she was doing on the bed…did not look at me! It was like all those videos people post on youtube! Cheeky monkey! Of course I took a video!

{April 26, 2021} I sweat like a smurf!

I love dying my hair, as you may have guessed, but there are some drawbacks!

When I use a product like Revlon to dye my hair, like my Revlon 42 Red, by the way, do you see how cheap it is at Walmart?! Now you know how I always have it on hand! I buy a few boxes when I’m there and I’m set for months! Now, when I use those products, when I rinse my hair the first time, the shower gets a little red, and my hair towel gets a little red for the first two, maybe three washes, but that’s it.

With these colors from Splat, I belive I told you the first thing that happens…with blue, it looks like Smurf-acide in the shower! And then…I have to sleep on a towel for quite a while, until it stops coming off on the pillow at night, and I have to be careful of my clothes at first, especially if my hair is wet, maybe in the rain, but the worst…when I am doing hot yoga…you are sweating like crazy to begin with. But then…as I start to sweat, every inch of me is sweating, including my head, which leaks from my hair! O M G! I am constantly wiping my neck and face, just hoping I’m not turning blue!

When I go into the bathroom after class, I can see the droplets of blue forming! This drives me crazy! It’s really the only drawback! I can talk about this until I’m blue in the face…wah wha wah wah…I figured this out the first time last year, when we were in New Hampshire and I went for a hike with DTN and PN, I was sweating and all of a sudden, I wiped my neck and…blue! I learned my lesson, I am super careful now. Not much I can do though, just keep wiping and hoping I don’t come out looking like a smurf. Wait for it…

That would really make me feel blue! ha ha

{April 25, 2021} Another pre-ride, a thing of beauty!

Today started early, about 620am, which is unfortunate for a Sunday, but a necessary evil.

We had a motorcycle ride planned and we had to meet the guys at 930am, we had quite a ride ahead of us. I didn’t intend to get up quite so early but someone invaded my dream and I wanted them out. No, not the wasband, someone else, but I knew I was dreaming and decided if they were not leaving, I was. Go me!

I got up, started piddling around, I knew we had to get up soon to walk the dogs, give them breakfast, and chill with them for a few before we had to put them back in the crate for the day. I will tell you, I am going to see if I can get JS, who stayed with them last weekend, to come and let them out, take them for a walk, maybe hang with them for a bit, when we have these long rides. We were gone about 10 hours today, which is a normal work day, if we went into the office. Not fair to the pups, but they were fine! Here’s hoping! I will need to do the same for the week of the annual motorcycle ride in New Hampshire, but more about then when it happens.

It was supposed to be much warmer than that other ride we took a few weeks ago. Our ride captain said he put in a special request for very little wind, thank you! We got dressed, put on our riding gear and headed out about 9am. We met three of the guys, our ride captain’s wife was going to join us later down the road.

I don’t know if you remember me telling you what a pre-ride is. It is a ride to test the route for an official group ride. This tests the route, for all levels of rider, the distance, and how it will be with a larger group. I think we’re supposed to have about 30-35 bikes next week, that means about 40, maybe 50 people on the ride, since there are some people who are paired up on their bikes. It’s much easier, as you might imagine, with less people, but it will definitely be fun. There are lots of logistics, like stop lights and stop signs. You want to try to ride as if you’re ‘one vehicle’, someone blocks traffic, if possible, you stay on the highway together, on the streets, signals, newer riders in the back, and you always ride in a group for the slowest rider, that way people stay together, as much as they can.

The ride we did today was great, it was about a 3 hour ride, and it’s three hours because we are taking back roads, very little highway. We also stop about every hour, which can be 100 miles, and we stop at gas stations, that allows bikes with smaller tanks, like mine to fill up. I fill up no matter what, since you never know if you will run out before the next stop. It’s also a great opportunity to stretch your legs, have a bio break, and catch up with folks for a few minutes, before the next stretch.

We are heading to, pun intended, now that I write this! Head Motor Company in Columbia, MO, the home of the University of Missouri or Mizzou, as it is affectionally referred to. We are heading there to meet the Kansas City Chapter of the IMRG, Indian Motorcycle Riders Group. While there, Head Motor Company is hosting a BBQ, there might be music, not sure, we will see some new rides, maybe get some new swag, who knows. It’s going to be a good time!

After we got to Head Motor Company, which happened to be closed on Sunday, most Indian Dealerships are, we headed out in search of food. We went to Flat Branch Pub & Brewing, and since I was able to find it on my GPS, after our ride captain got us back to the highway, I took over and led us there. Unfortunately, there was a 40 minute wait, we walked over to the Broadway Diner, which happened to be close, but…right across the street, the Shiloh Bar & Grill with plenty of seating, no wait, food, and alcohol! That last one I don’t care about, but everyone who did was happy.

We grabbed a table, ordered drinks and food, talked about the ride from St Louis, what did people think of it, opinions about next week’s ride, bikes, of course, future trips, raffles, kids, and everyone’s dogs, go figure. There were only 6 of us, so it was nice to sit and chat, and be heard, definitely more intimate than what’s going to happen next weekend!

After food and drink, we headed back to the bikes, rode a short way, stopped for gas, always stop for gas at the start of the ride and the start of the ride home, even though you’ve stopped along the way. Drove an hour, got gas, chatted, shook the legs, drove on. We did this until everyone started going their own way and then it was just PSM and I and we were out like a shot!

Back home the pups were very happy to see us, I would be too, after 10 hours! Walked, fed, loved on, zzzzzzz, that was funny! It’s tough sleeping all day, getting excited for 20 minutes, walk, eat, get loved on…zzzzz

What…a…day! What…a…weekend! Wow! Tomorrow is Monday, it’s a new day and a new week, what adventures does it have in store for us? I know it starts with 6am hot yoga, gotta go!

{April 21, 2021} A trip to the dentist…ahhh

I actually like going to the dentist, I know I’m not normal to some people, but I do. Even though most times I go, I get some news…like ‘oh look, another cavity’ yeah, that’s me. But…I do like going to the dentist, my teeth feel clean, and squeaky clean, and smooth, ahhh.

When I was a kid, we went to Dr. T, the whole family, I remember the treat basket in the corner, when we were done we got to pick something, I remember the toys, was there candy as well? That wouldn’t make sense for a dentist! It wasn’t always my favorite experience, cavities and all…but he was a very nice man, always with a smile and his hygienist was a very nice woman as well. My dad was still going to him after GES and I grew up and left NY, unfortunately we lost Dr T last year to Covid-19, when dad told me, it was a part of my childhood that was gone, and even thought I hadn’t seen him since I was a kid, I always got reports back when my dad would see him. Over 40 years, I think, my dad was going to him, he is missed.

When I moved to Atlanta, someone I was working with recommended Dr. Roger Abbott, and he became my dentist for the nearly 20 years that I lived in Atlanta. He was funny, compassionate, caring, and a great dentist. He was even an amateur stand up comedian, I told you he was funny! R was one of his hygienists when I started and I stuck with them until I left. I made sure to only see them when I visited the office and after a while, I didn’t even have to ask! I made him laugh in return, even talked to him through my root canals, I know you’re shocked! He laughed at my music selections, it was usually something Muppets related!

When I started going to him, he only had 2 or 3 exam rooms, by the time I left, there were about 15, maybe 20, I know he expanded a lot. I feel like I helped him get there, with all my procedure and cavities! HA HA. When I first started going, they had tv’s on the wall, I said you need tv’s in the ceiling, for when patients are laying flat back, guess what they got! I told him they needed blankets, guess what the got! We watched our kids grow up, his kids were crawling when I first started going, sharing stories with each other. I think we even got divorced about the same time! One of the things I really liked was when I would have a procedure, like a root canal, filling, whatever, he would call that evening to check on me. Bottom line, what a great dentist and human being!

It was hard to find someone I trusted as much as Dr Abbott, I even thought I would go back to Atlanta every six months to have my check-ups with him. That worked for a minute. I went to my sister’s dentist in Boston, that was temporary, I found someone I liked in Hawai’i, that was temporary…today, we went to a new dentist near where we live and he was great.

The world is very small, let me tell you why. We started talking about where we are from, where we want to retire to. Well, here’s the small world part, he’s from Hong Kong, no not that part, he went University of Buffalo, I went to SUNY Fredonia, and PSM went to University of Rochester. Anyone who has been to those universities, especially in Western New York, knows about Buffalo Wings, and not just any buffalo wings, the places that made them famous! The Anchor Bar is where it all started, and we talked about that for a long time. It was a long time ago, but when I was on a project in Buffalo, my sister and some friends, who went to UB, asked me to bring back wings from the Anchor Bar, and I did. About 25 pounds of frozen wings, they were very happy!

Back to the dentist…we had x-rays, cleanings, flossing, and rinsing. Wonderfully, I came away with nothing! And by nothing, I mean no issues! Was to the hoo! I called my dad on my way home and told him, he was very excited for me. I said “I guess the dentist didn’t need to buy anything!” ha ha. He even complimented one of my crowns, go Dr. Abbott!

All in all, a very pleasant experience and appointments have already been made for October, let’s go!

{April 20, 2021} Mother Nature…really? Were you having a personal summer?

If you have’t guessed it, today…in St Louis…we had…SNOW! in APRIL! It can happen, or so I had been told and here we are!

A personal summer is what someone once referred to, for women of a certain age, which I happen to be one, a hot flash, if you catch my drift. I love the term personal summer, instead of hot flash! That being said, apparently, Mother Nature was having one of those today, so she had to turn up the AC, to the point it snowed! Actually, when we were walking the dogs, I said to PSM, it looks like Mother Nature sneezed really hard and all the stuffing got knocked out!

When we were in Chicago this weekend, we heard it was going to snow this week and when we got back to St Louis, guess what! We live in the middle, so that can happen. It wasn’t very cold this morning, the usual 45, we went to yoga, came home, walked the dogs, it was just overcast. The snow was predicted about noon, and around 11am or so, it started to rain, it was only 39 at that point and then the rain started to become flaky. Next thing I knew, I looked outside my office window and falling were those giant fluffy snowflakes, the ones that look all pillowy and so cute when they land on my nose and eyelashes…

When I texted my dad and sister, GES said ‘we had that Friday, have fun!’, gee thanks! It was pretty, but not enough to make a snowman, oh well…

It’s interesting to walk through the neighborhood and see the trees in bloom in pink laden with snow, or snow on the roof behind it. I hope our flowers don’t suffer too badly. We had snow piled in the backyard and then for our evening walk about 5p, it had already started melting, but…we’re getting a freeze tonight, wahoo.

But…with the freezing weather, we noticed smoke coming from some chimneys in our neighborhood, so guess what we did…yup…PSM built us a nice fire and eventually, everyone was sleeping by the warmth of the fire and they all looked so peaceful with lit up by the light from the fire. It’s ok if it’s freezing out there, tonight, all is right with the world!

{April 18, 2021} It’s a beautiful Sunday in Chicago, what should we do first?

Well…not set an alarm for one! That was easy! We got up eventually, took showers and got ourselves ready to greet the day. First…since we didn’t want to have to carry our bags around the city all day, so we arranged with the hotel to keep the room for the day, wahoo!

Eventually, we ventured out in search of breakfast. I was disappointed that the Chicago Diner ‘Meat Free since ’83’, one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago, unfortunately, it wasn’t open until 12p, maybe next time we go to Chicago, we can eat there. We decided on a place that was less than a mile away, Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe. It had a high rating, so we were excited. We put our names on the waitlist, we didn’t actually have to wait too long, it was quite busy. Chicago seems to still be waking up from quarantine.

When we finally got a seat, we waiting for quite a while before anyone came over to the table, our server was nice enough, but frazzled, according to her, it was crazy busy and they were backed up in the kitchen. Not sure if they had enough staff working. We finally got to order, PSM got his decaf coffee pretty quickly, but my chai latte, on the other hand, came just before the food, which was about 20 minutes later, and it came in a to-go cup, that was a first. I watched several drinks come out of the kitchen like that, I have a feeling they were low on kitchen staff. I was watching the people at the table next to ours, who were seated at the same time we were. Their drinks came at the same time mine did, and they still didn’t have food. Our food got there and we started eating.

We had ordered a vegetable skillet, requesting the hash browns be fully cooked, I don’t know if we’ve talked about this, but I don’t like my hash browns white, still looking like it was a just shredded potato. The veggies were good, the eggs as well. I will say the pancakes were good, we hoped they were since the restaurant was called Wildberry Pancakes & Cafe! The toast, on the other hand, was cold. Oh well.

We headed out for a stroll down Michigan Avenue, also known as The Magnificent Mile. You might be wondering why it’s called Michigan Avenue is known as The Magnificent Mile, click the link! It really is a beautiful street, the flowers are in bloom and one thing Chicago is known for, well in my opinion at least! is the artwork that is found on the streets, be it in the floral arrangements, sculpture, graffiti, even, and you know how much I love graffiti! I didn’t take any pictures of it this trip, sorry.

There were also quite a few businesses boarded up along Michigan Avenue, in preparations for the protests that happened on Friday. Many of those businesses were still open, and the foot traffic was lively, but not unreasonable and everyone was respectful of their space. We made our way to the T-Mobile Flagship Store, PSM had some questions, and if you remember my time in Chicago, I love that particular T-Mobile! After T-Mobile, we walked down Michigan Avenue, our end goal was Millennium Park, just looking in windows and watching people, and taking photos of the flowers as we went.

We were about to pass a Starbucks, what we thought was just an ordinary Starbucks, when it turns out to be quite a bit more than that! It was the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Yeah, try saying that 5 times fast! ha ha. I can’t think of a better way to describe it “If Willy Wonka had built the ultimate coffee shop instead of a chocolate factory, the result may have looked a lot like the 15,000-square-foot Starbucks Reserve Roastery.” That is the description from their website about the first Reserve Roastery that opened in Seattle, of course, where it all began.

The Chicago Reserve Roastery is a five story building and each story houses something different, although, you can get coffee and tee on every floor, although, they don’t have all the same traditional drinks that you would get at your average, on every block, Starbucks. First floor: Coffee, tee, pastry, merchandise. Second floor: dedicated bakery. Third floor: the art, science, and theater of coffee: coffee creations, flights, nitrogen-infused gelato, and more. Fourth floor: Alcohol! A cocktail bar. Fifth floor: Rooftop terrace, reservation required.

It was quite the experience. After we toured each floor, and it really was something to see, and something to see at every turn, we ordered drinks. PSM got an iced decaf something and I didn’t want a hot drink, so I tried to order something similar to the Dragon Drink that I like, which is sweet mango and dragonfruit flavors, with creamy coconut milk, ice and a scoop of real diced dragonfruit. I love it! They didn’t have anything like that so I ordered something the person at the register recommended and I ordered it with oat milk. She looked at me kind of funny, I said I wanted something similar to the dragon drink, here goes. First…they made it incorrectly and while they remade it the way I ordered it, I got to keep the incorrect one. SO glad I did because the one with oat milk…yuck! it was awful! wow!

After Starbucks, we kept walking and eventually ended up in Millennium Park, across from where we had breakfast. We started with The Bean, which is technically Cloud Gate Park, it is a 10-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect Chicago’s famous skyline and the clouds above. Basically, it looks like a giant bean! It was designed by Anish Kapoor. The cool thing about it is when you get under it, your reflection is inverted and sometimes it’s hard to find yourself in it. It was gated off, which makes sense, since so many people get in there and touch it. Safety first! A cool thing…as we were standing there, we saw a couple just after they got engaged, the eruption of cheers and the now fiancé’s tears were very touching!

Then we walked to the gardens, flowers were in bloom, some just coming to life, some dying. I liked that there was one patch where they left the dying flowers to feed the new growth and the insects who live in it.

After the gardens, we walked to the Crown Fountain, two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool, designed by Jaume Plensa. They project images of faces which are animated and in the summer, they are true fountains. The fun thing is to sit and watch all the kids, young and old, running and playing in the fountain/water spouts. Right now, not much water happening.

Then there was an installation by a Chicago based artist, Christine Tarkowski. “When we call the Earth by way of distinction a planet and the Moon a satellite, we should consider whether we do not, in a certain sense, mistake the matter. Perhaps- and not unlikely – the Moon is the planet and the Earth the satellite! Are we not a larger moon to the Moon, than she is to us?“

This was the end of our tour of Millennium Park, thoroughly enjoyable! Now, we’re hungry! A few blocks and we are at a place I la la la loved when I was in Chicago, Native Foods. I would not have subjected PSM to an entire weekend of vegan, but I wanted at least one, maybe two meals, and this is the one I got. One of the things I have been thinking about since we planned this trip is their vegan Reuben sandwich, O M G! I lived on it when I was there, introduced so many people to it, who couldn’t believe it wasn’t real and my mouth is watering just thinking about it now! And it was the vegan Reuben I compared all other vegan Reuben’s to.

And guess what they didn’t have… O M G! NOOOOOOOoooo! I was heartbroken, what was I to do?! I ended up with a meatball sub with provolone and sweet potato fries, PSM had a brisket sandwich, remember…all vegan. For dessert, we didn’t care much for the peanut butter parfait, but my other go-to favorite…their oatmeal creme pie! It’s more like an oatmeal whoopee pie, to give you a visual. Oh wow! I was going to say OMG again, but you’re probably tired of it! It is so yummy and good, another thing I got my non-vegan friends hooked on! I still get texts from friends I was on that project with, who will go there on occasion to get just that! Wow, that’s saying something! It’s so tasty, but soo, sooooo, soooo sweet! I couldn’t eat it all in one sitting and it was a little much for PSM, he did try it though, and declared it was all mine! muwahahah. Needless to say, it is going to take me a few days to eat it! Ha ha.

After lunch, back to the hotel to chill for a bit, then head to the airport, we have puppies to see! I can’t wait to find out what they got up to this weekend. First class home, then puppies! What a weekend! What’s our next adventure?!

{April 17, 2021} It’s Saturday in Chicago! Yoga …Brunch … Walking [a lot!]…Food…Speakeasy!

Just your typical Saturday for us, right?!

We woke up before the alarm, that was nice, definitely don’t want to miss this! Got dressed in our yoga gear, put our clothes over it, no changing rooms at the event, yoga mat and yoga towels in the beach bag I brought to carry everything. There was some planning that went into this! Headed out, Dunkin’ Donuts was across the street, let’s wake up! There aren’t any DD’s close to us here, so we stick to Starbucks, which isn’t bad, PSM’s the choosy one when it comes to his morning cup o’ joe! Same in Hawai’i, the DD was not so good there! They got their first DD only a few years ago, they’ll get there. Uber ordered, just waiting.

Uber arrives, takes up the 2.5 miles to the Lighthouse ArtSpace where the Immersive Van Gogh Chicago is being held and where we were taking a yoga class offered by Core Power Yoga IN the Immersive Van Gogh Chicago Exhibit! We actually participated in a yoga class while the exhibit was happening.

The way the exhibit works, from their site: Be immersed in 500,000 cubic feet of stunning projection animating the master’s oeuvre and illuminating the mind of the genius. Wander through giant projections that highlight brushstroke, detail, and colour as you have never experienced them. Visitors will be immersed in Van Gogh’s works from his sunny landscapes and night scenes, to his portraits and still life. All of that, while set to music.

Originally, we were going spend a weekend in Chicago and go to the exhibit, and depending on the weather, we were going to take the bikes. I bought the tickets and we were set. Well…about two or three weeks ago, I got an email, telling me about the yoga classes in the exhibit! How could I resist!? I immediately emailed and asked if I could exchange our tickets so we could do this yoga class. As soon as they said yes, I checked with PSM which weekend would work best. This weekend it was, so exchanged happened, and…included with our tickets…we could spend time in the exhibit, win-win!

We got there early, got our temperatures checked, and waited, there was a class ahead of ours. The music we heard was nothing like any music any of our regular yoga instructors play! The room was dim, there were rings of light on the floor, spaced out. This is where they want people to sit, socially distant to experience the exhibit, but worked out for yoga, everyone just took a circle and put down their mats. There were three triangle or obelisk mirrors in the room, turns out they were for the event, but looked cool! The instructor came in and we got started about 8am.

As we are getting into child’s pose to get started, the exhibit began. That meant the music queued up, the video projectors started going, and we were immersed in the experience. It was a normal yoga class, well, not normal for us, we now know why it’s called Core Yoga! Wow! There were only two negatives to the entire experience…a few times, the instructor’s mic didn’t work, it was a big room, acoustics, and just technical difficulties and because it was moving all around us, sometimes the floor seemed to be moving, not good! Oh, and when you do a tree pose and the instructor tells you to look at something that’s not moving, to work on balance, and the entire place is moving…ha ha ha. Other than that…we moved, we stretched, we balanced, we downward faced our dogs! we sweat! So much fun!

After class, we got into street clothes and hung out in the next room, sitting in one of the circles on the floor, we missed an opportunity for a loveseat, all good. The exhibit began. Every space in the room was filled with images and movement. There wasn’t a nook or cranny the images did not catch. Look up, over, down, you name it, there was movement. The paintings were swaying, moving, morphing into the next painting, breaking down or deconstructing the strokes of the paintings, getting a feel for how he created them, the colors, the sights, the movements, all made sense in this amazing feet of beauty.

We sat through it once on the ground level, then moved up for the second time to watch it from the balcony, a different experience, you catch things from that angle that you didn’t see from the ground. You really paid attention, well, I did. “Oh, look over there!” “Now, look here!” and it went on from there. We essentially participated three times, nothing like it.

When we left, we headed to the gift shop, we picked up a few things, PSM bought me a mask with one of my new favorite paintings, after seeing it in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette. I love so much of his work, but his sunflowers series, sigh…you know how I feel about sunflowers! I love this mask!

Everything they did in the space was so clever, they stairs and walls were painted with Van Gogh’s work, the elevator, stairwell, even the signs were clever “Gogh this way” “No Gogh – Do Not Enter” “Goghing Up Elevators”. For one who so loves a funny pup, bad dad joke, I was Goghing Ga Ga over all of it!

After yoga and the experience, it was time for brunch! I was hoping to get to a few of my favorite places in Chicago to eat, but, just like the rest of the country, it was opening back up and things were limited. We ended up going to Kanela’s in Old Town for brunch, it was less than a mile away and had a good rating. We got lucky and didn’t have to wait for a table, wahoo. Our waiter was funny, the place a little kitschy, I absolutely love the signs on the way, berry punny!

I had avocado toast with a fried egg, kale salad, and some seriously crispy potatoes, it was seriously yummy! PSM had an açaí bowl and we shared a plate of challah French toast. Mimosa, decaf coffee, and a masala chai tea for me with oat milk.

Time to walk of brunch! We decide to walk the 3+ miles back to the hotel, it warmed up nicely as we were walking, then got downright toasty! ha ha, go figure! As we came upon Wabash Avenue and State Street, the lights were red and the bell was clanging, there were some sailboats coming and the drawbridge was going up! This is one of my favorite things about Chicago! And they still work!

We watched the drawbridge go up, we loved it, even though we really didn’t have a choice, since we had to cross the bridge when we came to it. Oh, sorry! ha ha. We enjoyed Spring in Chicago, flowers in bloom, all the way back to the hotel. At the hotel, hang up the wet yoga stuff, take our shoes off and relax! Executive decision from someone who is dairy sensitive to someone who’s allergic. Pizza and beer for dinner. How could I say no? We were in Chicago and they have bathrooms! HA HA

We were a few blocks from a Giordano’s, one of the two more famous places for deep dish or Chicago-style pizza in Chicago. There are many fine establishments, but PSM hadn’t been to this one and it was close. We got there, put our names in, ordered our pizza, and waited for a table, ended up walking towards the back of the restaurant and there were two seats available at the bar, sold!

We put in drink and appetizer orders and waited for things to magically appear! We went for the motherland! PSM had an Classic Chicago deep dish pizza and I went for the spinach and added pineapple, and for an appetizer, we ordered the combo, so not right! ha ha. Cheese bread, chicken nugget things, and mozzarella triangles. Hey, if you’re in, you’re all in!

Needless to say, there was more than enough food, for a few people, and we both ordered small pizzas! Normally we would share, but we were in Chicago, home of the deep dish pizza, have to get what you really want! NO, we did not eat it all! Let’s just say, there is a very grateful homeless man in Chicago eating really well tonight!

We didn’t feel like going back to the hotel just yet, so we stopped at Plymouth Pub, Restaurant, and Rooftop Bar. I had been there a few times, with work outings, and friends from work. We weren’t staying, just one beer and we were out. It’s got a nice atmosphere, and a decent view.

We left there, went around the block, because the entrance across the street, really wasn’t an entrance, go figure, to Brando’s Speakeasy! No secret knock, pook! We did have to show our IDs to the guy at the door, I held mine up, he said, “you showed me the back”, but all good. I said “You did say you just wanted to see that we had IDs…” Made him laugh. There was karaoke going on in the front, but no available seating, so we were lead to the back, ended up at the bar, and there was one other person in the room, how exciting…and the music wasn’t our taste.

I went up to the front and asked if there was anything in the front, no dice, I leaned over and said, there’s no one back there, it’s kind of dead, and the music sucks. I can’t believe I said that! So rude! Back to PSM I went. All of a sudden the music changed, it was like 70s and 80s, we were loving it! Then…all of a sudden, the room was filling up and everyone was having a great time, apparently, we made our own karaoke bar! Ha ha! When the guy who sat us came back around, I apologized for saying the music sucked, but thanks for sending folks our way!

The lighting was dim, the front room was washed in red, our room was cozy, with tv’s showing old black and white movies and tv shows. There were classic cartoons, black and white, of course, and old movies with ladies stripping, it was a speakeasy.

After about two hours, there was a two hour limit per table, and we were getting there, we sang our way out of the speakeasy and headed back to the hotel. Shoes off, jammies on, lay down, zzzzzzzz.

More adventure awaits tomorrow…but no alarm!

{April 15, 2021} It’s definitely Spring. Look at our killing fields…

As soon as the weather gets nice…one of our dogs, and I shall not name names, except…you could add the word slippers after her name and you would have my favorite movie! HA HA said dog, takes most of the toys in the house and takes them out back, well, into the backyard…and leaves them there!

In the house, it’s take this one out, leave it here. Take that one out, leave it there. Take this one and put it in my dog bed, and this one looks good on the other dog bed, and so it goes. We pick them up, put them in the basket, and there is a basket, I promise, and then moments later…where did they go! As I mentioned, in the Spring, grab a toy, take it outside. Leave it somewhere. Go back inside, grab another toy, take it outside. Leave it somewhere else. Then…if you try to bring it inside, it is either snatched from your hand or if it does make it back in the house, within minutes, it’s somewhere in the backyard!

Now…something they weren’t taught, before we got them, was to play fetch, it would be fun. How it happens in our house…we throw it, mostly Ruby, but sometimes Bee, runs after it, pics it up, races around the yard, then drops it somewhere and comes back to you…empty handed, or empty mouthed, as it were…not exactly the way it works! ha ha. Or…same scenario, just in the house…it cracks me up every time!

JS is going to be watching the pups when we head out of town this weekend and she was very sweet to ask if she could bring them a toy, so I sent her a text, thanking her, and showing her the pile and littering of toys we have. She really is sweet and the pups seem to like her! I can’t wait to tell you how it goes! We left them once last year at a kennel, this time, we’re hoping to be able to leave them with JS whenever we go out of town!

Back to our killing fields…you can see them through the window and when you walk the yard! Everywhere! The worst is when we forget to bring one or two inside…and it rains…ick! Then…it’s so sad when one of the toys just isn’t meant to be any longer, let’s just say…squeaker…gone, head…possibly gone or hanging by a thread, literally, stuffing…gone. Yeah, that happens too. What can I say, they love those toys to death! ha ha, sorry, couldn’t resist!

I love that some of the toys they came with, some we have bought them, and some, were Mollie’s, like Ruby’s absolute favorite opossum, a stuffed one, of course!, is the last toy we bought Mollie. We’re really happy that they are loving on these toys. Oh man, sometimes, when they have a few, or even just one, in the bed with them, and they are snuggled up with it, can it get cuter? Nope!

But…today…I went around picking up the toys from the yard. How long do you think it will take them to make their way, magically, of course, back out into the yard?!

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