My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{February 16, 2018} Gong hei fat choy

That is Cantonese for “wishing you great happiness and prosperity”. In Mandarin, you would say ‘gong xi fa cai’.

This is what you would say to someone to wish them a Happy Chinese New Year. And why? Because today, February 16th, is the beginning of the Chinese New year! It’s the year of the dog.

I found out some facts when I went online. Officially, the holiday is three days, unofficially, it will be celebrated over two weeks, I like that! Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, so it’s not the same date every year, hmm…sounds familiar!

The holiday was born out of the myth of Nian, which is also the Chinese word for year, who was a beast that would appear every New Year’s Eve and attack villagers, ouch! So, the legend says that to scare away the beast, villagers would put up red banners and explode firecrackers and bang drums. Does that sound like some Chinese celebrations you’ve seen or heard of?

When I was a kid, we would celebrate Chinese New Year with a family we were close with, it was wonderful, the food, the family, friends and I’ll never forget the red envelopes with cash in them. I bet I still have one of those envelopes!

Just like astrological zodiac signs, each sign of the Chinese zodiac has their own personality traits. The dog is a true companion, associated with loyalty, honestly, intelligence with a strong sense of right and wrong. They are known to be swift and passionate believers in their own personal philosophy. The dog does its best to protect high-integrity people and support their cause.

Famous dogs: Winston Churchill, Mother Theresa, Elvis Presley, Bill Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Madonna and Michael Jackson!

I wish to tell all who are celebrating and especially JCT, her daughter, ST and her mom, LaLa, Gǒu nián jí xiáng.

{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} Two random butt dials in a day? What are the odds?

I finally remembered what it was I was going to tell you yesterday!

First, do you know what a butt dial is? That is where you randomly dial someone’s number on your cell phone without realizing it. It’s called butt dialing or pocket dialing because people would keep their cell phones in their back pocket, hence, pocket or butt dialing.

I had two random butt dialed calls from two of my sister/friends…on the same day! The first was JCT at about 7am, I answered and called her name, nothing. I’m not sure if she got my text checking on her, hmmm

The next came at 4pm, it was RJS! She answered when I said her name and then asked if she called me or did I call her?! We caught up for a minute and then it was over. It was loverly.

So, what does that say about our bond, I say it’s something special, they both had me on their subconscious, so not in their control and I love that about them! Hmm…who’s butt dialing next?

{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 8, 2018} Just an observation

Ok, this is totally my opinion, nothing for anyone to get worked up about. There, my disclaimer.

I think I’ve told you about my guilty pleasures when it comes to tv viewing, some of the reality shows, like some of the baking competitions, Hoarders and My 600lb Life. Now, I watch it and sometimes even while I’m eating and wonder what is wrong with me, but that’s another analogy for another day.

I like seeing the success stories and sometimes there aren’t any. You root for them when they try, when they have little victories, you get frustrated for them when they have setbacks that are out of their control and you look at them and go ‘huh?’ when they cheat and say “but I’ve been working so hard, this little cheat won’t matter”.

It seems that most of the people who are on the show for weight loss help, they weigh 400 to 600 to even more pounds, they need the help. Before they can have the surgery, they have to prove to the surgeon that they can lose weight on their own, at least 100 pounds, so they start off having to lose 40-50 pounds, then another and then, approval.

Ok, the observation. The people are big, but so are their families. I would say at least ninety percent of the family members of these people are not just heavy or have a little extra, a lot of them are large, some are even obese.

On occassion, the families are right there, helping, participating, going on the airtight loss journey with them. But it seems like more often than not the person is on the journey on their own, no family support, sometimes making fun or sabotaging. It’s frustrating.

Of course, we don’t live in their houses, don’t walk a mile in their shoes, we don’t know what their lives were like, even though they give us some backstory, but they got that way somehow.

No matter what, shouldn’t the entire family work together? What can the rate of success be if they fight this battle alone?

{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 3, 2018} Grace and Frankie Season 4…I want some of that

So, you know how much I love Grace and Frankie, well, I hope you do, I’ve mentioned it a few times. So, now you do!

If you haven’t watched it, basically the women, Grace and Frankie were married to Robert and Saul, respectively and Robert and Saul have been having an affair for about 20 years, it all comes out, the men leave the women and marry each other.

Grace and Frankie only tolerated each other all these years and now, they share the beach house the two families owned together and they’ve become friends and more, they become family, if that makes sense.

Now, it’s a few years later and they are closer than ever, they are best friends and when one moved away the other was devastated then she moved back and now they’re together again.

Grace is a little more straight laced and serious, loosening up a bit and Frankie is an artist, free thinking and coo-coo for cocoa puffs. I have a feeling my friends would say I’m more Frankie than Grace. I’m ok with that!

So, I’m sitting here watching season 4 and someone points out what they have with each other and someone said “I wish I had a Frankie” her sister says “I thought I was your Frankie” and I realize, I have that with my close friends, I am so very grateful for that.

But then I started thinking…who would be the Grace to my Frankie when we’re older? Someone to live in a giant beach house with an attached studio, share things with, do nothing with, scheme, watch movies on the sofa eating junk food, take care of each other when we’re not well, hide us when we don’t want to be seen and fight for each other.

Each of my sister/girlfriends have so many great qualities, I want to live with all of them in a giant house. They don’t all know each other, but they all know me and I want to grow old with all of them. Can’t I build this fabulous house on the beach that has enough rooms for all of us and each night I get to veg out and be silly with each of them? Wait, now we sound like one of those Mormon families with multiple/sister wives! OMG!

That’s what I do with each of them in different ways and I love it! JCT and I sit in her recliner chairs, even fall asleep there sometimes; TS and I sit on opposite love seats; RJS and I sit on opposite sides of a sofa sharing a blanket, SDL and I sit at the kitchen table and drink tea, CKM and I were always out, so we had a tradition of either sitting in each other’s cars or standing between the two for hours! LBK and I sit in her recliner sofa or at the kitchen table. DLP and I sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace at the Waldorf Astoria or on the floor in her apartment and WIS and I sit for hours in different vegan restaurants. And GES, we sit on the sofa together sharing a blanket, in the kitchen at the counter or on one of our beds at her house. CWB and I don’t live anywhere near each other so our time is on the phone, but I bet we’d sit on the sofa and talk all night.

Wow, I do the same thing with each of them, in slightly different ways, but it’s the same wonderful tradition and it’s not like it’s planned, it just works out that way. I wouldn’t change a thing!

So…back to my original idea…can’t I have that fabulous house with room for everyone? I want to grow old with each and every one of them. I love you all so very much! Wow I’m lucky!!!

{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!

{January 30, 2018} Three years! Happy Anniversary honey!

Who knew that January 30, 2015 was a day that would change my life forever! Here we are three years later, wow!

We emailed for a week and then went out on our first date, go figure! We didn’t talk over the phone, just email and the emails were great! Back and forth, getting longer and longer and more clever, I knew I was in for an interesting ride, no matter what the outcome!

We agreed on an Irish pub, I had just gotten back a few months earlier from Ireland, so you know where my head was! He picked me up on the very snow covered street of my sister’s house, that was the year that no one flew or went to work for about five Mondays in a row, Mother Nature was having quite the year!

We went to the pub, had a great time talking, laughing, getting to know each other, even closed the place down. We talked in the car on the way back to GES’, then a little more inside, everyone was very much asleep.

We had two more dates over the following weekends, one was a bad mystery dinner theater at my sister’s synagogue, the next…you ready for this?! He took me skiing for the weekend! Now, that’s how you do a third date! It was Valentine’s Day weekend, so there roses, how do you think the other fellas fared with their honeys?!

By then, we knew, yup, I was for him and he was for me and we were gonna be happily stuck with each other and neither of us have regretted a moment of it since!

We’ve had quite the adventure! In our first year together, he went with my family to the Bahamas after only a few months of dating! Then we went to Nova Scotia over the summer, there were ski weekends, beach weekends, Boston weekends, then our third and biggest international trip, twenty one days, 24/7 in Europe together. Do you remember? Portugal, Spain, France, Hungary, not too shabby!

Then, a move to Hawaii, talk about an adventure! Surprising him for our first anniversary! I’ll never forget the look on his face, oh, how wonderful! And there began my weekend travels to Hawaii, it’s not for the faint of heart my friends!

We’ve had great adventures together, explored new territories, for us, tried new things, enjoyed the old ones, seen each other through ups and downs, surgeries and recoveries, craziness, distance, frustration, joy, compromises, defeats, triumphs. Each moment, each experience, each year has brought us closer, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I’m going to speak confidently about PSM, neither would he!

Happy three years together, my love, here’s to the next thirty!

Day 25

{January 24, 2018} Do we know each other that well?

Please don’t call me hon… I’m sure I’ve talked to you about this before, but this morning…yeah, just happened again. And I didn’t feel any better about it. Let me preface that I lived in the south for about 20 years and it is common for southern women to call each other hon and darlin’ especially in a retail setting and I got used to it. It was more in the retail clothing stores and restaurants, not so much fast food. Now, where I do expect it, is if someone has been in that establishment before and builds a rapport with the staff or one particular person, I get it, hon, sweetie, darlin’. I know I have been in places like that and envied that connection and I had it myself in a few places, hey, I get hugs from the staff at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago, I’m sure some people look at that with a head cocked. The place I did not expect it was at the Dunkin’ Donuts this morning that I have never been to in a city I have never been to by a person I have never met who was apparently trying to speak above the din that was non-existent. Think it just rubbed me the wrong way? Yup. I’m sure the people who go there regularly enjoy it, but let me go at least one more time before we get that familiar. Day 19

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