My Random Musings | Peaches Prattlings

{September 13, 2014} Small towns

Today I was working in a hospital in Shelbyville, KY and went into town to get something to eat and it got me to thinkin.

I think small towns are charming, but could I live in one? They are sweet, have an old fashioned feel to them and in the movies have a vibe, a friendly, everyone knows each other vibe.

On the other hand, there is the everyone knows each other vibe. Same statement, different meaning.

Everyone knows each other and each other’s business, do I want that? Have you heard the expression, you can’t ….without everyone knowing what color it is? That’s kind of what it’s like in one of those towns.

Do you remember that scene in Footloose when Ariel blew up at her dad, the preacher, because he spoke out against Ren and Ariel asked if it was because he didn’t grow up in that town? [I tried to find a clip and couldn’t, sorry]

But then you walk down the street and look at the buildings and the signs and everyone says hello when you walk by and the town events. See how pretty?

{September 8, 2014} I’m so tired…I might be seeing things!

Ok, I’m so tired I’m more loopy than anything else!

Who am I kidding, we’re tired! I have had the pleasure to work with a zone lead, who is also a nurse, VP, at the location I am supporting. Our shifts are 12 hours, as the facility is 24/7 and someone has to work days and someone has to work nights, guess who’s on nights for the first few days? Yup, yours truly and VP.

We started 3am-7am Friday night and then 6pm-6am, how much fun do you think we are having?

For people who normally work days, nights is a tricky situation, it takes a lot of getting used to and of course, we are only doing go-live support for a few weeks, not long enough to get used to the hours and then guess what is going to happen in three days, shift change, working days, so 6am-6pm, like that. Fun!

I don’t know about you, but the less sleep I get, I get loopy, well, more loopy than normal! especially if I have to function. I know you’re aware that I don’t sleep a lot each night, but it is still precious to me and I value it. The other night, I got five hours, but it was deep, deep, coma like sleep and it was wonderful, I was good to go!

No matter how much sleep you get, unless you work an overnight shift regularly, you’re going to get tired! It’s the same thing when you’re driving over the road. Just to clarify..I admire EVERYONE who works the night shift and has made it work for them.

About three and four am, you get loopy [I’m tired and getting more loopy, hence using the word loopy, a lot, too much, maybe] and really tired. Last night in particular, VP and I were sitting here, getting progressively more tired she turned to me to say she was going to close her eyes for about ten minutes and saw me with my head back, mouth open, dead to the world! OMG! So embarrassed! [but remember, she was going to do the same thing!] I was out for at least five minutes, but it was the best five minutes ever!!!

I am looking forward to leaving the facility and heading to the hotel at 1am, I got in at 4pm, same shift tomorrow, and crawling under the covers and hopefully catching up on some sleep. Shh..do not disturb!

{September 7, 2014} Who doesn’t know Michael Jackson and his music!?!?!

Ok, I should say, who, under 15 years old, and I may be stretching it here, doesn’t know Michael Jackson or his music?

I am sitting in the command center doing one of my go-live shifts and we started talking about music, which led to talking about Michael Jackson and one of the guys doing support said he wasn’t familiar with Michael Jackson, WHAT? He only knew one or two songs because they were performed by the marching band in high school. Really?

Come one, who doesn’t know Michael Jackson..who doesn’t at least know Thriller? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA. Just to name one! Or Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five?

How many tributes can they do? How many songs can they put in movies? How many…how many…how many? It’s Michael Jackson!!

Ok, rant over, I just had to get that out.

{September 6, 2014} Go-Live

Last night I mentioned that I was taking a nap before I had to go back to work and I would explain more tomorrow, here it is today!

As you may or may not know, I am a software trainer and for what I am working on now and when I was in Ann Arbor, I should share the life cycle of a project. At the start of the project, there is a week for orientation, badges, getting to know you and stuff like that. The next few weeks, hopefully 6-8 weeks of T3, Train-The-Trainer, this is where the trainer learns the application so that they can turn around and for the next 6-8 weeks, depending on the number being trained, there is End User training.

After End User training, there is Go-Live, where they flip the switch and “go-live” with the application. And this is where I am sitting right now.

The go-live or “flipping the switch” usually happens about 4:00 in the morning and that’s when it’s “All hands on deck” and everyone is on-board for support. You will have 24/7 support for at least two weeks, that means someone has to be there twenty four hours a day, 12 hour shifts.

Last night, my first shift was 3am-7am, after that I was able to go back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep and up again to go in 6pm-6am and here we are at about midnight, with six hours to go. I am on this shift for a few days, have a day off, then on again, but this time 5am-4pm and so it goes.

When it is jumping and people have questions it’s great, lots of activity, when it’s quiet and things are going well, it’s really quiet.

So, here I sit, writing to you telling you what my life is going to be like for the next few weeks.

{September 5, 2014} These sheets are too tight!

Yes, I said these sheets are too tight!

I am staying at a Hilton in Louisville and while I love that they make the bed every day, these sheets are tucked in way too tight!

This fabulous housekeeping staff could give the military a run for its money!

I practically have to rip the sheets off to get under the covers and if I don’t, you can bet that it doesn’t look like anyone slept in the bed the night before!

That being said, I’m going to take a nap before my 3am shift at the hospital (for work) More on that tomorrow.

Good night.

{September 5, 2014} New places

I know I’ve talked about some of the trials and tribulations of traveling for work, but there are some terrific advantages.

One of them being, I get to try new places to eat and maybe do some touristy things. I know I talked about a few of the restaurants I went to in A2, Ann Arbor, for those of you not ‘in the know’ [I promise, A2 is EVERYWHERE around that place!

Well, here I am in Louisville, KY and there is a whole new world of places to try! I have asked for recommendations from people that I’ve met and so far, they’ve been great! I also like driving down the street an finding a new place which leads to another new place which leads to another and so on!

So…PM and I have found that! We’ve had a great time discovering new places! He knows he’s not KLS or KNOB, but it’s been great getting to know him and explore the city and all it has to offer together.

So far, I think we’ve done pretty well trying new places almost every day. Here is where we have been to date:

Gordon Biersch, a microbrewery and restaurant. It’s a chain, one that I frequented and enjoyed in Atlanta and PM had never been there. Once was good, twice, in a row…what? We went with the team, a welcome to Kentucky kind of thing. Ok, but that’s it, new places from now on!

We went to lunch at Wild Eggs, it was wild and we had eggs. groan. We also found Earth Friends Cafe, they had some vegan friendly dishes, the vegan Philly Cheese steak was AWESOME! Ok, that place I will go again! Safier Mediterranean, another place for lunch, is tasty and inexpensive and within walking distance to the office, so it gets lots of points. The baklava was yummy!

Decca was fun and interesting, the decorations were fun and the food…FABULOUS! I love anyone who can do magic with broccoli! The last three restaurants we’ve tried this week were The Grape Leaf for lunch yesterday, great hummus and baba ganoush, how can you go wrong there? I also had yummy lentil soup and a giant fatoush salad! Yum!

Last night we went to Sway, which is off the lobby of the Hyatt, where PM is staying this week and it was fabulous! Our server, Jean, made the evening, we became fast friends and I was so happy to pass on to her, as a tip, the $10 bill I had found earlier that day! And last, but definitely not least..today for dinner we went to Harvest, we had seen it several times and tonight finally went in. A wonderful creation with spaghetti squash, mmmm.

The great thing about these restaurants lately is that the staff has been terrific and the kitchens very accommodating to my needs as a vegan. Nothing bad to date! What can i say, I’m spoiled and i like me that way!

I have a list..who knows where we will go next! Stay tuned!

{September 2, 2014} Travel Day

Travel days can be exhausting!

People who don’t travel for work often think that it’s a simple process. Book the flight, show up at the airport and get to where you’re going and you’re done.

Here’s the reality.

Go to the travel portal or wherever you book travel, find the shortest distance to get where you need to go, connecting or no connecting flight? If there is a connector, how long will it be? Will there be enough time between flights to get to the next gate, is it across the airport, same terminal? Do I have time to grab a bite to eat? Will my connecting flight be on time? Will weather delay it? Will I be delayed taking off? Will people on my first flight wait while I get off the plane so i can make my connecting flight?

You finally make it to your destination may have just taken six hours or more of flying time. Get to your final destination, then you have to wait for your luggage, when is it coming out? go find your rental car, is it ready?

Get your luggage in the car, get to your hotel or office first? If it’s the office, you had to travel in your work/business clothes, fun. Then you finally get there and it’s anywhere between 11am and 3pm. Don’t forget you started off between 4 and 6am because don’t forget you have to get to the airport an hour before your flight, so that means you had to leave at least an hour before that.

So…as much as I enjoy traveling for work, sometimes it’s a bit taxing, hence the reason I try to travel on Sunday afternoons. No pressure to get anywhere in a hurry and I can get to work easily the next day.

Still love traveling for work! Don’t knock it until you try it!

{August 27, 2014} My friends and my blog

I know that you read my blog every day or almost every day and for that I thank you.

I also know that I’ve thanked you for reading my blog before, but I think it warrants another thank you, so thank you! And even though I know you read it, it’s times when someone messages or calls me after reading a post that I feel even happier.

After my sad post last night, as soon as it goes out, I get a text from TS and then first thing this morning, I get texts from MM and SR, all sending me hugs via text. I needed those.

I love when my dad calls and says what happened? Yeah, that makes me feel good too.

So, in conclusion, thank you for reading my posts and don’t be surprised if I say thank you again, I think it’s important! That’s the way i was raised and since I can’t send each of you a thank you card…I’ll just say:

images

{August 26, 2014} Losing something

I was looking for something and I think it’s gone and I’m sad.

I have a feeling it is gone for good and it is totally my fault, but I’m still sad. I was unloading my car on Sunday when I got to the hotel in Louisville, finally! and I had to make 3 trips since I was not able to park near the front desk, specifically to get a cart and I think I left this small container on the ground during one of my trips and either missed it or left it while I was making a trip and someone must have come by and taken it.

I’ve searched the car, but it was dark, so I’m going to take another chance tomorrow in the daylight to see if I can find it. If I can, wahoo! If not, my fault and stupidity and I’ll get over it eventually.

Don’t you hate [yes, I know it’s a strong word] when you do something like that? Grrr…I could use a hug!

{August 25, 2014} Meeting new people

A little flirting and a lot of fun!

As I told you last night, I drove to Louisville for a new project and today was my first full day. My hotel is less than a mile away from the office I had to go to, so I went for a walk this morning. Boy howdy, it was HOT!!! It felt like the surface of the sun! Ok, I know I’m exaggerating, but I’m ok with it!

You know it’s bad when it’s so cold inside that you are looking forward to walking outside where it’s 90 and muggy to warm up! I got a ride from a very nice RN back to the hotel and then it was time to meet one of my co-workers for dinner. PM is a very nice guy who was on the University of Michigan project with me, but we did’t get to spend much time getting to know each other and as we are the only ones from that project here, guess what we’re going to do over the next month or so!

Tonight we went to dinner at Gordon Birsch, had a great waitress, Rockin’ Robin, she was a lot of fun and better than the food. I’ve eaten at GB several times in Atlanta, with CKM, TS and a few other people, so I usually like it. The sweet potato fries were awesome!!

After dinner, I went for a walk, found a nice guy to give the rest of my dinner to and watched someone getting arrested, what else could you want for your evening activity? Louisville is interesting!

As I was crossing the street I started talking to a group guys watching what seemed to be entertainment for them and the oldest of them all, a very nice older gentleman, wearing a USMC t-shirt, Ooh Rah, asked if I needed help crossing the street, how sweet was he!

So, being a shy person, HA, I stood there and talked to some of the group for a while. The Marine was a sheriff and the rest of the group were S.W.A.T. in town for training. You know how guys like to make women feel good by telling them how young they look? I’ll take 31, he was sweet, a professed dirty old man with 14 grandchildren! Wow! But what a sweetie I enjoyed talking to and when we parted company I got a kiss on the cheek and a hug.

Let’s just say, I smiled all the way back to my hotel. A little flirting is good for the soul!

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?