My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{May 26, 2016} PSM…This is for you!!!

This is fabulous!

Headline on Yahoo: A Company Makes Ice Cream Black As Your Soul To Battle The Rainbow Food Trend

I remember asking PSM once why he liked the coffee at Dunkin Donuts, sometimes Starbucks, he told me he likes the taste, it’s bitter. Without missing a beat, I said, “oh, like your soul” and it’s been a thing between us ever since!

Me: “PSM, how’s your coffee?”

PSM: “Great, it’s bitter”

Me: “Like your soul”

PSM: “Yup, ha ha” [genuine giggle, I promise!]

End scene.

So…PSM, we gonna try this?

http://www.konbini.com/us/lifestyle/morgensterns-black-coconut-ash-ice-cream-new-york/?utm_medium=Social%26utm_source%3DFacebook%26utm_campaign%3DEchobox%26utm_term%3DAutofeed

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I heart you, PSM.

{May 23, 2016} Life on the Road

The life of a “Road Warrior”…Some tips and tricks.

I’ve learned a thing or two in my time as a road warrior, as it were. Road Warrior, for those of you not ‘in the know’, is someone who spends their lives traveling or ‘on the road’ for work. They travel generally each week, maybe a few days a week or, like me, Monday through Friday.

I can tell you it’s not for the faint of heart and not everyone can handle it, but me…if you know me, you know I la la la love it! Some people love it and then grow out of love with it, they get tired or want to just be in one place. You have to do what makes you happy. JCT and I talk about this from time to time, ok, probably more than that, but…there were times when she was on the road and couldn’t wait to be off and at home with her family and then after a few weeks, she was ready to get back on the road, it’s a catch 22 if you ask me!

Once I caught the bug, it grew and grew, I can’t see myself stopping, but it could happen, you never know! When PSM and I were dating while I was on my project in Massachusetts, we went places on the weekends, but rarely got on a plane and I was jonesing to fly! And not just fly, but fly each week, Monday through Friday! Can you believe it!

I spend a lot of times in airports, sometimes I’m not sure which one I’m in. You might be laughing and think, how is that possible? Well, when you travel as much as we do, you forget where you are sometimes until you get there. For me, I do a lot of connections and I don’t always remember where I am flying through, sometimes I think I’m going one place and it’s really another. I sometimes don’t know the airport but recognize the food court in Cincinnati or the bookstore and kids play area in Minneapolis. It’s crazy, but it’s what we do. Would we change it? I wouldn’t.

Tonight I was talking with someone on my training team, SS, about traveling and I’ve been giving her some advice on how to maximize her time, get the best bang for the buck, keep the packing simple and ‘it’s all about the points!’. She kept exclaiming, “girl, I love you! You teach me so much!!” she cracks me up!

So, a few things I have learned I will share with you, I’m sure there are more I’m not thinking of and maybe you have your own to add.

Pick your wardrobe and keep it simple. I teach classes three to four days a week, sometimes five. I asked SS what did she have for clothing? Four pairs of pants and almost as many shirts. Nope! I have one pair of pants and four shirts. I am not always going to see the same people in each class all week. Same pants and a new shirt every day. Who’s going to notice my pants?! [You can even wear the same shirt, just add a sweater to it!]
Do laundry on the road if you’re going to be away for two weeks or more. Buy the laundry pods and a box of dryer sheets to travel with you. No powders or over sized liquids in your carry on. Be sure you have enough britches in case you can’t get home or to the laundry.
If you’re traveling back to the same place on Monday, leave your bag at the hotel for the weekend. Take your dirty things home if you have time to wash them.
If you’re limited on where you can stay and spend, maybe find a place with breakfast and happy hour or dinner provided.
Pick a chain and stick with it. I am a Hilton girl, you’ve heard me talk about it. Sometimes I’ve stayed at Hyatt and that was fine, but I like where and what I get with Hilton. Loyalty shows and pays!
Maximize the points, join every program out there, you never know what’s going to get you the best bang for the buck. If you can do it, switch hotels during the week, that gets you nights and stays.
Charge the food you order in the hotel restaurant or bar to the room, you get points for everything you purchase at the hotel.
Pick an airline and stick with it if you can. I say if you can because maybe there are stricter limits with some companies. It’s points and segments and money with Delta. I fly two legs almost every trip, that gets me closer to my goal of Platinum status this year.
If you can do it, get a credit card for where you want the most points. Almost every hotel and airline chain have a points program you can join.
The thing to remember about the points is that the reason you are working towards your points goal with a chance to stay at really really nice, fingers crossed, hotels, for free. Maybe you get breakfast on the weekends, one less thing to pay for yourself.

I know there are more tricks and tips I know, maybe you have already thought about them, these are just a few to get you started. See you on the road!

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{May 20, 2016} Up In The Air…it’s about the points, right?

Up In The Air was on tv tonight, I took another look.

I remember when I saw it the first time, I was just getting into the “road warrior” lifestyle, so I got it, but didn’t totally get it.

Now…I get it..I really get it.

I was just a wee grasshopper in the scheme of things. Now…

Let’s see, I’m working on my Platinum status on Delta, maybe even Diamond. I’m Gold with Hilton, working back to Diamond.

You have to know how to work things and the system so it works for you. There are ways to work it so you get the most bang for your buck without going over the line and staying within the guidelines.

One of the nice things about my job is that I get to keep the points for my travel. Isn’t that the point, especially for when you travel for pleasure. Ahhh…

PSM got a taste when we went to Europe…now he gets it. I’m all for backpacking, just do it in style!

{May 19, 2016} 57 Channels…

And there’s nothing on. Well, that’s what Bruce Springsteen said.

There are a few more channels today, but the statement till holds true, wouldn’t you agree?

I miss my Amazon Firestick, I was taking it to hotels because you could get past the firewall with it. Last week, someone unplugged it from the TV and it stopped working. I don’t know if it’s because they touched it or because it’s hit is limit because I used it a lot. I’ll just have to get another one, or maybe a roku.

The thing I liked about it was that I could use it wherever and not have to flip channels to find something to watch and there’s nothing on. Even my guilty pleasure TV shows aren’t on.

Sigh…

{May 18, 2016} I said what?

I still cannot believe I said that!

Does this ever happen to you, a slip of the tongue? Today I had a doozy!

Get ready to laugh! I was talking about scheduling and instead of saying time slots, what did I say? Time sluts!!! What?

Think the class was derailed for a few minutes for laughter? You bet your sweet bippie!

Time sluts! OMG!

{May 18, 2016} Hoarders…OMG!

You think you just collect? Really?

So…I know I’ve talked about the show Hoarders before. Do you remember me telling you about watching it with CKM, we would be in different places and on the phone! “Oh my goodness, did you see that!” “Did that really just happen?!” I miss that, we had so much fun!

The reason I am talking about Hoarders is that when I teach class I tell the class that I look at these software applications like hoarders, then I ask “Who knows what a hoarder is?” Then…”Who watched Hoarders and felt better about themselves?!”

I tell them I look at the application like a hoarder because it tracks all information, key strokes, everything.

That inspired me to find episodes on Hulu and now I’m watching Hoarders. CKM, where are you!

{May 16, 2016} Zoolander2

Loved it!

This movie was just as horribly fabulous as the first movie! Or was it fabulously horrible? I don’t care, I loved it!

I’ve probably told you I wasn’t always a fan of Ben Stiller, I found him or the characters he played annoying. Then he was in The Royal Tannenbaums, I liked it and then there was Night at the Museum, I really liked it. I really liked him in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

When I saw Zoolander, I loved it! It was like a spoof of itself. A bevy of superstars acting goofy and or stupid and by stupid, I don’t mean acting like fools, but actually stupid.

I was excited they were making another and they did not disappoint, this was just as bad. I still don’t like Will Farrell and this did not change my opinion. I’ve only liked him in one movie, Stranger Than Fiction. He was goofy, silly, obnoxious and evil, just what a good villain should be, well, in this type of movie.

The one character I really didn’t like was Kristen Wiig. Her character was like the off female characters in the first movie. She played it quite well.

Owen Wilson was back in his role as sex crazed Hansel. His “Orgy” [relationship] was a mush mosh of characters, headed by Keifer Sutherland, great, along with some great cameos throughout the movie.

The premise is pop stars are being killed off and the only one who can help…Derek Zoolander…go figure.

Want to laugh out loud here and there? I did, on my flight today, first class, laughing my arse off!

If you’re looking for Oscar worthy material, go somewhere else!

{May 12, 2016} An apple for the teacher

First, sincerest apologies for not posting last night, apparently, I fell asleep in the middle of posting and then woke up at 6am, apparently I was tired.

That being said…Today, I had a great “teacher moment”.

Yesterday and today I had a class of Managers learning the new system. We had a great time yesterday, they warmed up, got into the material and the application, relaxed and we had a great time, have to, we were going to be together for two days.

I opened with some bad jokes, well, I say opened, it was really the few minutes before class started, we can’t start early. I teased and engaged with the class as I always do and feel you need to. One of the guys in the class had an apple and I teased him, asking if he brought enough for the class, stuff like that. Everyone was a really good sport.

Well, today, one student brought a box of little strudels and lollipops for us to give out later in the day, she knew we’d need a pick me up later in the day.I ended up giving them out for right answers and people were clamoring to get them! So cool!

Another student brought pastries from a Mexican bakery, this was great! And finally, the student I teased about the apple…brought two apples for the teachers! How cool is that! I really was touched. I have it sitting on the nightstand. Am I going to eat it? You bet your sweet bippie!

I can’t wait to see what next week brings!

{May 11, 2016} Taught my first class…killed it!

I think we talked about practicing with the cats over the weekend to teach a class.

Well, today was my first class and I…killed it. You knew that was coming! The day didn’t start as well as I had hoped though.

I got a taxi and gave him the address…what I forgot to give him was the city. He took me to the address in Chicago, we both thought it wasn’t quite right. An abandoned lot and building, yeah, no. I asked if this was Melrose Park and, guess what…nope, that’s in the suburbs, oh brother! Drive on…another 3o minutes. Let’s just say I was supposed be there about 8am, got there about 8:40am. I did make it!

We headed out and I was SO very lucky that LS was there early and was able to set the classroom up with everything we needed. She was also my co-trainer, she’s written most of the materials, so she’s pretty knowledgeable, you might say.

We were set and at 9am, we started. We stayed on track, kept everyone engaged, you know my teaching style and finished on time! There were spots where we were behind, once 8 minutes, another time 20 minutes, but made up for it here and there. There is A LOT of material to get through in six hours, we are there from 9 to 4:30, but you have two 15 minute breaks and one hour for lunch.

We felt great when we were done and there were some great questions asked during training. We had some folks in the class who could answer questions, which was incredibly helpful.

But…in the end, it was a great experience. I got through my first class, tomorrow and Thursday are the next class and then next week I do it all again and then the next week and the next. But, I’ve got my first class under my belt and I’m excited about that.

Can’t wait for tomorrow!

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{May 10, 2016} A high end hotel deserves a high end meal

Isn’t that true?

I imagine that if you travel you might have a favorite hotel chain and if you do, there might be a favorite food you order at that hotel.

I was talking to a fellow road warrior and when I mentioned The Palmer House, she mentioned the mushroom soup she loves. I’ve had that at a few hotels here and there.

I imagine you might try some different things on the menu to see what you might fall in love with, you might even think you need to try higher end food, so to speak. I’ve done all that, as you know, from what I’ve told you before.

Well, yesterday I checked into The Drake Hotel, an old and historic hotel in Chicago. It’s grand, elaborate and beautiful.

I realized I was hungry and looked at the room service menu. It was limited on what I could eat and really expensive. Even though I can expense it, there are some things I still can’t do. Especially from room service.

So, what did I order? One of the least expensive items and exactly what I wanted. PB&J. I went for the healthier side, fruit, instead of fries or chips. I should have ordered that tonight, instead of the mediocre Chinese food I thought would be comforting.

PB&J. Ahhh…comfort food at its best.

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