My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{March 2, 2015} Packing…Challenge: Accepted…Attempted…Success…Almost

I must be out of practice!

When I first got back on the road last year, just like with every new job, there is a challenge mine is packing.

Now, when I get into the groove, no problem, I know exactly what I am taking each week, it’s pretty much the same. When I was in Michigan, it was easy, I left stuff there over the weekends when I would go home. Sometimes I would either bring just my dirty laundry with me or nothing, since I could do laundry there.

Now, with weekly trips, if I am at the same hotel week after week, no problem, either take the stuff home or leave it over the weekend and take dirty laundry home. The problem arises when you are going to be gone for two weeks, with a weekend trip somewhere other than home, now you have to think about clothes for the weekend and will you be able to do laundry. Normally you pack for the week, but when you’re gone for two weeks, you need to bring a few extra things so you’re not wearing the exact same things two weeks in a row, you can mix and match, but that only goes so far.

So, I hope you have gathered that I am going to be gone for two weeks, next weekend I’m so excited about, I’ll tell you about it next weekend! Now that we cleared that up, you have deduced that I have more stuff to take with me and I was hoping to put it all in my one bag, I got that sucker stuffed to the gills, everything went in, even the bulky sweater I like…zipped shut, good to go.

And then…I turn around and there are the boots I was going to change into when I get to the office…drat! So close….

Down to the basement for a bigger bag and now it all fits, go me! So…challenge accepted, attempted and quasi success. But still…only one bag.

Happy travels!

{March 1, 2015} Writer’s block

Having a little bit of writer’s block at the moment.

I have a lot to say, I just can’t remember what it is at the moment! There are some days I don’t think about one blog post idea, I think of multiple ideas and then other days, like tonight, I can’t think of anything I want to talk about…I really need to write these down.

I had a great weekend, but I’ve told you about that, I’ve told you about the snow, snow and more snow. The countries where they were wonderful and the countries where, not so much.

Tonight is just one of those nights…I have been staring at the same screen for over 30 minutes now and this is the best I could do.

Thank you for indulging me here tonight, tomorrow will be better, promise!

{February 21, 2015} Goodgies

Goodgies are for good luck.

This is something that my family does to wish each other luck, for whatever. It could be for an exam, a presentation, an interview, competition, whatever you could use a little extra mojo for. You wish each other good luck, we give goodgies.

It started with my parents when we were kids, I don’t know if it was my mom or dad who started the tradition, but they both did it and it’s something we have come to value, still doing it for each other and now, with the girls, better known as my nieces.

You start by standing in front of the person, put your pointer fingers on the temples of the person you are wishing well and then the important part…you make this weird noise with the back of your throat.

Now, it’s always better to have the person on front of you you are giving goodgies to, but it can still be done over the phone.

The important thing is to announce “ok, it’s time for goodgies” and then you do your thing.

It is a wonderful tradition I hope never ends and to all my friends and family, if you have something coming up that you need a little extra luck for, let me know and I’ll be happy to “give you goodgies”

{February 20, 2015} Kiss the boo boo

This is an age old tradition that is the responsibility of the parent, grandparent, auntie or uncle.

I am inspired to write this post based on the ouchie, yes, I said ouchie, on my head as a result of my miscalculation of the attic door opening and hitting me on the forehead, ouch! that would be putting it mildly!

As I sat there reeling from the shock of the door hitting me and the intense pain of the moment all I kept thinking was, “ouch!” and “who is going to kiss my boo boo? ” and lastly…”I want my daddy! ”

Why do we want our mommies and daddies to kiss the boo boos? Well, from early childhood when you have an ouchie, mommy or daddy will kiss the boo boo and make it all better…there’s is magic in those kisses.

Muwah (that is a kiss noise)..all better.

{February 20, 2015} Mother Nature, did we make you mad?

As I have been in Boston for a while now, I have experienced snow.

I know I talked about this already, but I wanted to talk about it again, so there.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I grew up in NYC, it snowed. I went to college in Western NY, it snowed and I mean…a lot. It would snow in October and might not melt until May sometimes, crazy, I know.

Yesterday it was about 26, oh my, a heat wave! And some flurries, but there has been snow almost every day, some days more than others.

I just wanted to share what it was like, the streets are built up, there are pathways down the sidewalks, some people can’t see out of the end of their driveways, the snow is so high, same at the end of the street, getting out onto the main roads, tricky.

People have made the best of a bad situation, clearing the paths, making snow forts and even skiing to work, it’s been entertaining,

The icicles are amazing! Some are out of control, taking over the houses, but oh some of them do look so dreamy!

There was a swing set in the backyard, I promise! And the thing on the right, a hammock! Oh well, Spring will be here eventually!

Stay warm my friends!

{February 17, 2015} Opinions are like…

I’ll finish the quote in a bit.

So, tonight I was talking with BG about opinions and I mentioned one of my favorite quotes and he had never heard it before, so thanks BG for the inspiration. He did laugh his arse off when I told him the quote.

I first heard during a Monty Python skit they were performing live, I saw the recorded version, thank you very much, as much as I would have loved to have seen them live at the time.

Now, I heard it on Monty Python, but it’s been in a few memorable movies and the quote is, sorry for the language…

“Opinions are like assholes. Everybody’s got one and everyone thinks everyone else’s stinks.”

Have you heard a better quote? I am sure you have, but I am saying this with all sincerity, it’s bloody brilliant! And isn’t it true? Everyone has their own opinions and everyone is entitled to them, even if we don’t agree and just because you’re passionate about your opinion doesn’t mean I have to agree or change my way of thinking to yours.

Case in point, I was having a heated discussion with a neighbor years ago and he kept getting louder and louder and louder and I finally said “J, the louder you get the more clear your opinion does not become.” I wish I could say it ended there, I eventually just had to walk away, it was safer for everyone involved!

There you have it, we all have opinions and you are entitled to yours just as I am entitled to mine, and in the end, come on, my opinion is going to be right, so shouldn’t you just agree with me? Ha ha ha

{February 14, 2015} Gotcha Day

Today is Gotcha Day! And Valentine’s Day! Could anything be more wonderful?

What is Gotcha Day you ask, well, I’ll tell you. That is the day that Miss A and SDL became official!

SDL has wanted kids for a long time and started the adoption process many moons ago. Finally, it was getting closer and I remember getting an email from her, “Auntie G…how would you like to see a picture of your niece?” Let’s just say, I had tears in my eyes when I opened the attachment and I couldn’t say anything to anyone! Not fair! I wanted to shout it to the world, but my lips were sealed!

SDL started going to a far off land, Kazakhstan, to meet the little one who would soon be her pride and joy.

She had set up a blog so that some friends and family could keep up with their progress. It was great! Every day she would post so we would know what was going on and on the days she visited with Miss A, pictures of the two of them. Soooo cute!

What a doll baby! She was adorable and wonderfully fat (only when children are babies is it ok to tell a mother her baby is beautiful and fat!) and she smiled like crazy. Simply wonderful.

There were multiple trips to Kazakhstan for bonding and paperwork. Finally…the day had come…it was going to be official!

Mother and daughter were officially a family, it’s called Gotcha Day and what a wonderful coincidence that their Gotcha Day was February 14th, Valentine’s Day.

As you know, Miss A is not only the light in her mother’s life, she is so very precious to me and I love spending time with her, watching her grow and blossom into a bright, precocious, soon to be five year old, I cannot believe it!

What better day to become a family. Happy Gotcha Day to SDL and Miss A and Happy Valentine’s Day to them and everyone out there!

{February 13, 2015} Nicknames

What is a nickname? What’s in a nickname?

Nicknames are names, duh, that we give each other, even give ourselves sometimes, although, is it pretentious to give yourself a nickname? Does it matter? Go for it, it’s your name, it’s what represents you, have at it!

When I was a kid, in school, I was friends with a girl named RJ and we were inseparable, we used to giggle like crazy, they called us the Giggle Twins, sometimes having to be separated. In high school, I had three nicknames, all in my youth group, one carried over to high school. One was Giggles, what a stretch…the funny thing about that is when I went to see one of my closest friends, her daughter, five at the time and was in speech therapy, had trouble with her G’s, called me Diddles, I loved it and I will forever be known to her as Diddles, I’ll take it!

Another nickname was Lennon, I had John Lennon round glasses, [I am so glad my Sally Jesse Raphael glasses didn’t inspire anyone!] so, I became known as Lennon and I have to tell you, there were a lot of people who didn’t know my real name, even when we saw each other in college, just Lennon. It’s alright, I’d rather be remembered as Lennon than not remembered at all.

And isn’t that the point of a nickname? Makes you more memorable, and there you go.

The last nickname, which has stuck to this day is George. I know, or think I know, you’ve figured out what my name is and there are so many of us, you would remember a girl named George first, right?

Enough about me, what do you think about me? ha ha ha.

The inspiration for this post…I was talking to PM and he got a voice mail with someone shouting his nickname, Boo. It stemmed from a story from college and stuck, now everyone calls him Boo and he answers. My neighbor in Atlanta, CA, he has bear tattoos on his forearms, so his nickname is Boo Boo.

So…what’s your nickname? Where did it come from? How long have you had it?

{February 12, 2015} Luke Skywalker got old!

And kind of bloated. Sorry, I know that’s rude, but that’s the truth.

Let me start off by saying, I heart Luke Skywalker. I know he was in a lot of stuff before Star Wars, but that is when I really first noticed Mark Hamill, yes, that is his real name, for those of you who did not realize. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved Han Solo, but I was 6 and my heart went pitter pat for Luke.

Mark Hamill has been in a multitude [did you like that, multitude? That’s a six dollar word for you SAT Prep Course survivors] of tv shows and movies, and I know I saw quite a few of them, but when I saw Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, it hit me, Luke Skywalker got old.

And then, when I watched an episode of Criminal Minds and he was on it and he was…bloated. It happens, people age and bodies change, and boy had he. It wasn’t horrible, but when you just watched Star Wars two weeks ago and looked at the younger version, it’s well…unsettling.

That’s all, I still heart Luke Skywalker, no matter what. sigh…

{February 6, 2015} The Adventures of Robin Hood

I heart Errol Flynn!

Last night, I watched part of one of my favorite movies, The Adventures of Robin Hood.

There are so many different versions of Robin Hood. Disney animated version from 1973,http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070608/?ref_=nv_sr_5, Russell Crowe in 2010, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955308/?ref_=nv_sr_1, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102798/?ref_=nv_sr_2.

But, I have to admit, my favorite, and I do love the ones I mentioned above, is still The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1938, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nIufsXSuB0. And it is probably because this was the first one I saw. Maybe it was a toss up between this and the animated version as to which I saw first, but I have more of an affinity for this one, Errol Flynn, swoon, as Robin Hood, Olivia de Havilland, lovely, as the Lady Marion, Basil Rathbone, one of the greatest film sword fighters ever as the twisted Guy of Guisbourne, Claude Raines as the evil Prince John and Alan Hale as Little John. If you’re not quite sure who Alan Hale is, his son, Alan Hale Jr, played The Skipper on Gilligan’s Island.

It is on my list of movies I would like to have in my collection and I am sure I will get it eventually.

There is something about this movie, every time it comes on tv, I must watch it, it makes me feel good. Robin Hood is such a good guy, true to his band of merry men, loves Maid Marion with all his heart, fiercely loyal to the king and all he holds dear. How can you fault a man for robbing the rich and giving it to the poor? Loving the girl next door, even if she is a Royal and he’s an outlaw, is there anything more romantic?

Black and white or color, this movie has it all…sword fights, romance, unrequited love, villainy, tyranny, justice, sibling rivalry, honor and a happy ending, what more could you want?

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What was I thinking?