My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{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.

{May 4, 2016} Ask and ye shall receive. I did and I did!

Today I was talking to someone and I said that I wanted to go to a White Sox game while I was here in Chicago.

I don’t know if you remember me telling you about going to a Cubs game two years ago with KLS. I was telling someone about going to sporting events in the city I am working in. I was talking to a coworker as another walked by and asked if I would like to go to White Sox game tonight. Suweet!

So…I’m going to a Sox game, awesome! Guess who they’re playing…the Boston Red Sox! Omg! Guess who won!

Ask and ye shall receive. I did!

{May 2, 2016} I’m not sure they could have cut that any closer!

Don’t you just love flight delays?

Friday’s delay was delightful because of my dear friend RJS. Today, not so much.

The flight was scheduled to take off at 4:50pm, we were on the plane, settled in and at some point they came over the loudspeaker to tell us there was a delay due to a faulty wire. Oh goody.

“We’re only six minutes behind”. Uh huh..and six turned to seven, turned to eight, turned to…

We arrived about the time my next flight was just starting to board, great. Luckily people actually listened when the flight attendants asked people to stay in their seats if Cincinnati was their final destination.

All well and good if we actually get to a gate. Which happened eventually…not to worry we were four gates away, about a five minute walk, with only minutes to spare.

But…we made it, took off and about 47 minutes later we landed in Chicago and here I am at The Palmer House hotel, snuggled in, eating a contraband apple, glorious, writing to you and when I’m done, sleep, well, try…

Sweet dreams my friends!

{April 30, 2016} A crazy, wonderful at home day.

Back to life on the road…ahhh…

When you’re a road warrior, as it were, meaning that you are on the road each week, for some it’s one or a few days a week, for me, as you know, it’s 100%, Monday thru Thursday or Friday and depending on the training or go-live schedule, it could be weeks in a row.

That being said, when you’re on the road that much, your home time is precious, you want to get things done and you seem to jam a lot of stuff in a short amount of time, you get good at it.

Today, I thought…I was at least going to get to sleep in, after the first week on the project, I could have used it. Well, what I thought and the fur beasts thought was different. It was barely 6am…really? Sigh

I got up and protested by not getting out of bed until at least 7:30/8am, so there, take that! I got up, gathered all items for laundry, I didn’t think it was going to be that much, but someone..not saying who, Jymy or Peanut…puked on my blankets, ick.

Laundry collected, check. I bought this giant rolling suitcase when I was in Colorado to bring stuff back and let me tell you, keeping it! It’s perfect to get my laundry, including blankets to the laundromat. Yessireeebob!

First order of business…food. I have no eggs in the house, so to the local diner I go,[ after a stop at the drug store to pick up a prescription. [IF I didn’t have insurance it would have been over $1000! Omg!]. Then breakfast. While eating, got some work done, gotta fit it in somewhere!

After breakfast head back to the apartment to pick up the laundry and head to the washers. The place was packed! I missed out on the giant washers, so two medium washers. One giant dryer and one medium. Two hours later I was done, the comforter took forever!

I took a picture of a set of socks GES got me for Chanukah. One of the women on the team had a shirt on that almost matched. Then we showed off our socks, it was goofy, I know! So, I sent the picture to her!

What did you think this post a about with a picture of socks

Back home, drop off laundry, grab grocery bags, head to the store. Eggs: check, litter: check, other stuff I don’t really need: check!

Back to the house, clean, clean, clean: litter box, bathroom, vacuum, bedroom. Clean…ahhh… somewhere in there I made egg salad and veggies chicken salad, fabulous!

All of a sudden it was 7pm and time to meet GES, ACS and some other friends to break Passover. What does that mean? Bread!!! Pasta! Bread!!! It was a lot of fun, always it, friends out, grownup conversation and silliness.

Back to the apartment, thinking about putting the laundry away and what I might need to pack for the week. Washing and folding is easy..putting away is hard! [Same thing for the dishwasher!]

Now, I am writing you and shortly, I will settle in, turn off the lights, watch Netflix until I fade out completely! Tomorrow is another day, heading back out to the client site. Who wants to come with me?

{April 28, 2016} What a day! It started blech…and got better!

When I say it started early, I wasn’t kidding. 3:30AM! Yes, I said 3:30AM!

I am staying at a hotel I really like in Chicago on my new project, The Palmer House, http://www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com/about-our-hotel/. It’s a grand and historic hotel, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about the weekend I spent in Chicago about two years ago.

I checked in, headed up to my room, changed into my jammies and settled in to eat some dinner and get some work done. I was tired and crashed out early, you know, for me that’s about 11:30pm/12am. There were loud voices coming from one of the rooms, I didn’t see anyone in the hallway and let it go.

At 3:30AM when I woke the voices were still going and getting louder, including the room across the hall. I can’t believe it, but I “narc-ed”, I called down to the front desk to voice my concern. I don’t think they actually sent security up to do anything about it, because the only thing I heard was more voices coming down the hall, calling out room numbers, looking for…yup, the room across the hall.

I opened the door and they just looked at me, no apologies, gee thanks. When I closed the door, I heard them continue to knock and the people inside the room, talking and “shush”ing. Please shut up!

And…as you know, with my trouble with insomnia, I couldn’t fall back asleep, pook. I did fall asleep about 6am for an hour, it was a glorious hour!

Ok, so that was the start. Then…when I went to take a shower…after 15 minutes I gave up and took a sponge bath in the sink, fun, at least there was hot water. I got dressed and headed to the office, it should take about 20 minutes.

I missed my turn, the sign is very small, so, I walked the quarter mile back to my turn and then on to the office. I really didn’t want to be late and…I wasn’t. It was a decent walk and it added to my steps, priorities you know. The flowers are all in bloom.

The training day was good, I learned a lot, got to know people even better, welcomed a new person and I trained them on what I learned yesterday, pretty cool!

After work, I walked back to the hotel, no issues this time! I decided to say something, so I ended up at the front desk talking to a manager, told him what happened last night and this morning. He upgraded me to a king room on the executive level, you know…need a key to get onto the elevator and it’s a special elevator that holds just a few people, with a bench, love it!

Part of the reason for noises is that the NFL Draft is happening in Chicago, this weekend and a bunch of them are staying at this hotel! Go figure! Sorry, I don’t know football players, couldn’t tell you who is here, but there are some massive guys walking around the hotel, blocking the doorways!

I went up to my new room…ahhhh. Then off to find some dinner and found a fabulous vegan restaurant, Native Foods Cafe, https://www.nativefoods.com/. I’m looking forward to going next week to get something in sandwich form! I got a chicken salad and a peanut butter pudding for dessert, just finished it, fabulous! And I feel great! All vegan! Wahoo!

On the way back to the hotel, I gave a homeless guy the rest of my salad, it felt good to be able to share my meal with someone who was in need. I missed that from my days in Michigan.

When I got in, I decided to take a shower, just to be on the safe side, in case I have the same problem in the morning and it was hot and glorious! Fingers crossed I don’t have an issue in the morning.

So…the day started out not so great, improved along the way, Hilton pulled it out and I had a great meal and now I’m sitting here talking to you, what could be better? Please keep your fingers crossed I get to sleep past 3, 4, 5, 6am even!

{April 23, 2016} Chag Semeach…second night of Passover

Another rousing success.

Today we hung out with PSM’s brother’s family, then went to his aunt and uncle’s house for their family seder.

It’s great getting to experience other people’s traditions. PSM’s family was raised more conservative than my family and their seder was a little different, it followed more traditional lines, there was more Hebrew and more singing, and more singing in Hebrew. everyone read from the haggadah, something I like that we do as well, everyone participates, that is very important.

What was not different in any way was the amount of food, the noise level, the kids, both children and adults were rowdy and out of hand here and there, which, it turns out, is very common. Don’t believe me, check out people’s posts on Facebook!

Everyone is always so accommodating to my special dietary needs. PSM’s Auntie L made me special soup and a stuffed acorn squash, oh my! And thank you so very much!

Everyone there is so kind, caring and welcoming, I feel like part of the family, we had only been dating a few months last year when he invited me to be a part of hours families second night seder, I was touched and this year it was even more familiar, thank you!

Some families will celebrate the first two nights and the last two nights. We are done! We will keep kosher and follow the dietary rules, for the most part, for the next 6 nights, but our seder days are over, for this year at least. I look forward to seeing what next year holds!

{April 23, 2016} Chag Sameach…second night of Passover

Another rousing success.

Today we hung out with PSM’s brother’s family, then went to his aunt and uncle’s house for their family seder.

Everyone is always so accommodating to my special dietary needs. PSM’s Auntie L made me special soup and a stuffed acorn squash, oh my! And thank you so very much!

{April 20, 2016} Going home…mmm never tasted so good!

Today we bid farewell to Washington, DC and hello to NYC.

We left Washington after a little shopping trip, loaded up the car and away we went. We were going to go to my dad’s house in NY to spend the night and then drive back to Boston tomorrow. That’s what they did going to Boston, overnight at dad’s then on to DC.

We got to dad’s house after a relatively smooth trip, a few pit stops and one for lunch. ACS had already decided where he wanted to go for dinner, Denino’s pizzeria and tavern, best pizza in NYC!

I did not partake in the fabulousness that is Denino’s, I had a salad. My thinking was that I had a slice of pizza last week in Atlanta, I wasn’t sure at that point if I would be coming with them, so there you go, they had a slice of heaven and I had a salad, yum.

Now…no boo-hoos for me! After dinner it was across the street to Ralph’s for some cremelata, I figured if I was going to knowingly eat something that was going to mess with them, it had better be worth it! Oh…it was!

It was great to be back home, feeling nostalgic and getting to enjoy a bit of our childhood.

Very sweet dreams tonight!

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