My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{October 3, 2017} It really pays to say something

I’m a legacy! Wow!

Ok, let me explain what a legacy is and then how I am and why it pays to say something.

As you know, this weekend I did the Hot Chocolate 15k in Denver. This was my fifth Hot Chocolate race, two 15k’s, the rest 5k’s. The majority were in Atlanta and some in Denver.

A few months ago Ram Racing, who sponsors and puts on the Hot Chocolate Race, among others, sent out an email to all participants about their new Legacy Program. You would get an a medal, pin, beanie, picture frame and a special bib to wear, in addition to your race bib showing that you’re a legacy.

The legacy categories are three, five and ten years. Three is bronze, five is silver and ten is gold.

I got the email and rushed to check, yup, I have five! You know me and my bling!

Then… they send an email changing the policy… you have to participate for those years… in the same city.. what?! Now I’m just annoyed…

So… Have you met me? You guessed it, I went to guest services and said my peace. The woman I talked to, Serena, was very nice and understanding. She looked up my name and saw that I had participated in at least five Hot Chocolate races.

And… ready… She told me that the organizers are going to honor those that received the original letters that said three, five or ten years in a row. What? Really?! I wasn’t trying to get something, I wanted to voice a concern. But… yrs, they are going to honor my five years!

So…I got a five year silver medal, in the shape of a mug, a silver five year pin, a picture frame and my legacy bib! There is also a beanie, which they are mailing to me. I got it!

Now, if I decide to do this race again, which I have a feeling I will continue to do, I participated in the inaugural race in Atlanta in 2013! I will be sure to do the race in the same city.. if I want the legacy to continue.

Thank you to Ram Racing and The Hot Chocolate Race for honoring what you said and recognizing those of us who made it.

It really does pay to say something!

{September 30, 2017} A good Yom Tov

It’s the second of the High Holy Days. So to speak.

Last week I wished you L’Shana Tova, a happy and sweet new year. The beginning of the Jewish New Year.

On Rosh Hashanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed. We hope our names are written in the book of life, so we will see another year.

Tonight begins the fast, at sundown, tomorrow is the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is a day for reflection, prayer, asking for forgiveness. We fast because we should only have one thing to focus on, reflection.

You can begin observing at any age, but when you become Bar or Bar Mitzvah, it’s expected, you’re a man or woman and looked to to follow the laws and traditions. That being said, you might be wondering what if you’re ill or on medication, all part of life and while it’s ‘expected’ you do what is comfortable, so to speak, and what doesn’t jeapordize your health.

I wished you sweeteness last week, this week, I askforgiveness. We say to one another ‘If I have wronged you in any way, intentionally or unintentionally, I apologize’. My dad likes to remember when GES said, if you wronged me in any way, I forgive you.

I was born the day after Yom Kippur. This is a very special day. Needless to say, my mom wasn’t fasting the day before I was born! That being said, it doesn’t I don’t fast on the day I was born! Many times throughout my life, I have been in shul observing Rosh Hashanah or fasting for Yom Kippur. My most vivid memory of this, my 18th birthday, fun… but… My birthday cake, said “happy chai!” This was so special because the number 18 is, special and in Hebrew, its chai.

Now, if you’re following along, any guesses what I started doing tonight at sundown? And… any guesses what tomorrow is? A very special day, on multiple fronts.

So, I will leave you with this… If I have wronged you in any way, intentionally ot unintentionally this year, I apologize.

An easy fast my friends and a good Yom Tov.

{September 26, 2017} It’s not October…

Please stop with the Halloween decorating!!

I get that it’s fall, officially. Halloween is in October, I don’t know if you know this interesting fact. I know once fall comes, it’s time for pumpkin spice and fall decorating, I’m good with that.

If you know me, you know I la,la,la love Halloween and used to have the biggest, most fabulously decorated house. I loved decorating, setting up for trick-or-treating, seeing the kids faces when they walked the path to come to the door for candy.

What’s hard is seeing all the decorations for Halloween is that my birthday is in September and I always refused to decorate for Halloween before October!

I know the decorations are in the stores in July, I’m just never ready to put it out until October 1st!

I’m not ready, so please stop! You only have to wait six days! Then, go for it, I cannot wait to see what you do!!!

{September 21, 2017} L’Shana Tova

Happy New Year.

It’s Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the new year, the High Holy Days, the most holy of holy days of the year.

This is a joyous time, celebrating life, health and happiness.

All I will say to you is what I wish for you this coming year. A happy, healthy, joyous and sweet new year.

L’ Shana Tova.

{September 17, 2017} Go ahead, ride my bumper…

Tonight, coming back from dinner, someone made that mistake…

First, she flew up the street behind me, we were on a 35, she had to be going 50…I say she because I saw her eventually. I could barely see the headlights.

Then she was riding my bumper. Big mistake.

One thing I got from the wasband was when someone follows you that closely, sllllloooooowwwww down. So I did. And she was miserable! I drive slow and stayed on my tail, then backed off, tried to figure out how to get around me, no dice.

I kept that up for a while! Until she turned off. Tickled me all the way!

Go ahead, want to get to know me or my car?

{September 15, 2017} Does your car come with turn signals?

Mine did! Imagine that!

I so love driving and someone either just cuts me off or decides to turn somewhere, either all of a sudden into the turn lane or even better… right turn into a driveway, entrance, whatever, with no notice! Or… just stop, then turn. What?

I know I am guilty of not using my signal when there is no one behind me, my apologies. But come on!

That’s it, my car came with turn signals and so did yours, I am sure of it! Rant over.

Happy Friday!

{September 15, 2017} Waking up in a bad mood…

From a dream… does that ever happen to you?

I so loathe when that happens. It sets your day off on the wrong direction. That happened to me last night/ this morning. Not a great feeling, right? So not a fan.

Not sure exactly what was going on, but it was someone from my past doing something underhanded… to me. I also knew I was dreaming, I kept telling myself this wasn’t real and to wake up.

Did I listen? Not a chance, I let this play out until I was really upset and when I finally woke up, it was because I was incorporating some of my reality into the dream.

Ok, this last part is a slightly funny ending to the dream, I really needed to brush my teeth! In both the dream and in reality. Icky, but I’m so glad, that’s what woke me up!

The mood went away eventually, but I woke up not the happiest of people, in a slight snit, took me a minute to focus and decide this was not going to ruin my day…

{September 14, 2017} A small victory!

They delivered to the room! Go me!

Ok, let me explain, since I know you’re thinking, huh? As you know, I live in hotels and eat out just about every meal. Well, some nights, I just don’t want to go out, I want to go back to the hotel, put on my jammies and ahhhh… just like we all do at home sometimes.

Well, tonight was one of those nights, it was a full day of teaching, energy level high, just wiped me out! It happens every once in a while and tonight was one of those nights! I got back to the room, had a little work to do then I realized I was hungry, butI just didn’t feel like going anywhere.

So, to grubhub.com I went and ordered food to be delivered. I also requested that the food be delivered directly to my room. I also called the restaurant and asked them to ask the driver to bring it right to the room.

Usually, at some hotels, they won’t let the delivery person come all the way to the room, its kind of annoying actually when they tell you its a security risk to let them up. Why is it more of a security risk for a delivery driver than any other person coming into the hotel?

I understand if the elevator requires a key card to access, then by all means, I will come and get the food, but if there isn’t a key card, why can’t they come directly to the room?

Well, it worked! I was in my jammies watching tv and all of a sudden…a knock on the door and ta da! My food delivery!

Small victory! Let’s see if I can do it again!

{September 1, 2017} Three flights, $150, and oh so many hours, I’m finally home!

It is just about 10 p.m. in Hawaii, 3 a.m. in Chicago and I just got home.

The day started in Peoria, Illinois, wake up very early, workout, shower, breakfast, pack, airport. At the airport I had quite the shock…when I attempted to check in my third bag that I had already paid $150 for. Seriously?

I qualified for gold status on United within the last month. It was funny, PSM and I were talking and I said, why haven’t I promoted to gold by now, with all my flights to Hawaii this year and look at that! Well, with gold status comes two free bags, wahoo! I’ll take it! The bad part, that third bag isn’t a regular bag charge, it’s $150! Oh my! So, I paid it when I checked in for my flight yesterday. It would have been $300 to ship the two boxes, so there you go. Not everything ships to Hawaii via Amazon… even with a Prime account, go figure.

I looked at the gate agent like she had two heads and she knew my anger and frustration were not directed at her. She understood and worked with a supervisor and online with support, no dice. So out comes the credit card, $150. I could have driven to Chicago, checked in there and paid $150 once. Grrr

When I got to the gate I called the dedicated status United line. Oh no, that should not be happening says the second person I talked to because the dedicated baggage line didn’t know anything about baggage, hmmm… my heroine for the day, charge reversed!

Flight number one, 1035am flying time about 25 minutes in the air. I had about 4 hours until my next flight, United Club, sounds good. Plug in, grab some food and get a lot of work done.

Flight number two Chicago to San Francisco, 4.5 hours, 347pm, and what are the odds, someone who had been on my current project until last year, was sitting in the aisle seat across from me! We talked, caught up while people are boarding the plane, they noticed us talking and would try to stop before blocking us, it was funny.

We talked project, life on the road, travel, she’s going to Ireland in a few months, so of course I had lots to talk about! And like me, this is her first solo international trip. Such a treat!

Land in San Francisco, grab food, check the board, head to the gate, crickets… gate change, ugh. New gate, get in line, board eventually, flight number three, 5.5 hour flying time, get settled, try to watch what’s on the video screen but I don’t remember classical playing during the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy. Back to my phone, which I had downloaded a bunch of stuff.

So, it’s now just about 10pm, I started my journey to Hawaii at 845am leaving the hotel, 3am in Chicago, approximately 11 hours in the air, how many hours total travel time is that? That is way too much math for me!

But who cares, I’m home! For the week and I can’t wait to tell you what we’re doing for the week! Gotta get home and do laundry! Off we go!

{August 29, 2017} Summer cold – I say no thank you!

Aren’t summer colds the worst!?

In the winter, you’re ok with it, right? No, you don’t want a cold, but it’s understandable, it’s winter and it’s cold out, so naturally, more germs and you catch something you didn’t ask for.

But in the summer, how does this happen? I know, we go from hot to cold to hot to cold, get into the air conditioning with a wet head after a shower or swimming. But we still can’t wrap our heads around it, we should be outside enjoying the warmer weather, not shivering under the covers, that’s supposed to be a winter thing! praying for a quick death! Yes, I am kidding on that one, mostly!

So, yes, the reason I am talking about this is i might have a summer cold. It’s happened a few times this summer, my throat gets scratchy and it feels like it’s closing, could be strep, swallowing hurts! Sometimes I’m not sure about the scratchy dry throat since I am talking all day while I teach. And it happened again tonight, so I take Sudafed 24 hours, get on the sofa, under the covers and hope for sleep, or death, whichever comes first. Then I doze in and out for a few hours, take myself to the bed and wake up, really?

But the nice part, I am usually better in the morning, feel like I was hit by a Mack truck, but better. Hopefully the same holds true for tomorrow, I do not need to be sick before I go home!

Fingers crossed!

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?