Peaches Prattlings











{April 12, 2015}   What a weekend!

Oh friends, I had the best weekend ever!

You don’t know how much I would love to share pictures with you, but as you know, I value my privacy as well as of my friends and family, but if we’re friends on FaceBook, you can see them, if not, I know my joy comes through my posts!

So, sit back, grab a cup o’ something to keep you awake and away we go!

This weekend I came to Atlanta for a visit, but especially to see my fabulous niece, Miss A for her FIFTH birthday and I also got to see another fabulous niece, KK for her FIFTEENTH birthday!

Now, I did not get to see everyone on my list, but I stayed busier than a one armed paper hanger [I’m in the South, please say that with a twang!]. I also realized that I am coming back about every three months, so if I didn’t get to see someone, I will see them next time! Here we go!

I arrive Thursday night and headed to SDL’s house, I didn’t think I’d get to see Miss A on her big day, but I was lucky, they had just gotten home from the birthday dinner with CKM, I was bummed to miss it, but I know they had a great time. I was just in time to see her having a good time splashing in the bathtub, caught up with SDL while she was splashing, then after she got dressed, I got to do her hair, help her brush her teeth and then give a million kisses good night, sigh.

In the morning, got up before the alarm, was there to see Miss A before she left for school and then I left to have my taxes done. I thought my appointment was at 10, all of a sudden 8:50, my reminder went off, what?! Luckily, I was only about 15-20 minutes away! It still took about 2.5 hours! For every state I work in, I have a W2, then the house was a rental for part of the year, not an easy task, thank goodness for Ted Hagerstrom at the Townsend Tax Service! TS introduced me to them a few years ago, she uses them and her parents have been using them for years! They’ve been in business over 62 years, I think they might know what they’re doing! http://www.townsendtax.com/

After that, I headed to Marietta to meet DL, CC and JC for lunch at a great Thai Restaurant, http://www.thairedelephant.com/, the service was ok, food was good, that’s what counts, right? Great to catch up! Then I headed back to SDL’s house, we ran a few errands, then loaded up, to pick up Miss A from school and out for the next birthday dinner! The girl knows how to celebrate! Then it was home for bath, brushing teeth and bed! Friday was done!

Saturday came way too early! 5:45am to be exact, why? Oh, why not…I tried to go back to sleep, no dice, so I lounged, until I heard everyone stirring, had a little matzoh with peanut butter and strawberry jam, because…why not, yum! Then it was get dressed and help Miss A get dressed, teeth brushed and ready for her hippothereapy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippotherapy. She loves it and is fantastic at it! She has improved by leaps and bounds and as you know, ever the fashonista, has a helmet that says DIVA and diamonds!

After therapy, it was a few stops for me on the way home, lunch for Miss A while SDL went to buy a new lawn mower, shiny new red one! I hung with Miss A while SDL did her thing, then we snuggled while she napped, then SDL and I shared a piece of red velvet cake, one of the many cakes that Miss A had to enjoy during her birthday month! Then it was off to dinner with TS at CPK, California Pizza Kitchen, http://www.cpk.com/. Dinner was great, I had a fabulous grilled veggie salad [the veggies were grilled and served warm over cool crisp lettuce, Y U M!] the company better, it was great to catch up all together.

SDL and Miss A headed home while I went to TS to help her with a project, we had a great time and got caught up, which I love. Back to SDL’s by 11:30, talk to you and pass out!

That was just Saturday! Moving on to Sunday, you tired yet?

Sunday morning woke before the alarm, some quality catch up for a bit, discussing some of  the finer points of Dr Seuss’ work. Then it was time to get dressed and head to Kennesaw to see KAB and Baby A! I don’t know what I’m going to call him when he’s 15, might be a bit awkward! We had such a good time, and KAB was awesome enough to meet me at Waffle House!!! When she asked where I wanted to go, IHop or Waffle House, I actually said “Can we go to Waffle House? Can we? Please? can we?” I love Waffle House and there are none in the Northeast so I try to go at least once a trip!

I got there and Baby A was almost as excited to see me as I was to see him and his mommy! Almost immediately he raised his arms and said “down”, loved it! We spent breakfast catching up, playing with Baby A, down, up, down, up, throw this, throw that, catch me, chase me! I really enjoy spending time with KAB, we talk about so much stuff and I’m glad she’s back in Georgia, because I now get to see her almost every time I come for a visit! I can’t believe he is going to be two on June 1st, I remember meeting him when he was a few hours old and now look at him! Happy JJ am I!

After breakfast, I headed back towards downtown to meet CKM for some serious pampering…pedis were on the menu and ahhhh…so wonderful! I recommend them for everyone! And since we were the first ones there when they opened the doors, we didn’t have to wait and now my toes are neat and trim and all sparkly turquois, perfect for the beach!

Since we didn’t finish catch up during the pedis, we always have so much to talk about! We moved on to The Cook’s Warehouse, https://www.cookswarehouse.com/, the location in Brookhaven is closing so everything is up to 45 percent off! More Christmas and Chanukah shopping [and some birthdays too] done! I got a ton of stuff and saved a bunch! I can’t wait for Baby A to get his presents!

After a serious shopping spree we needed refreshments, so off to Olive Bistro we went for some light middle eastern tapas, yum! Then walking a little, found some snack to take back to Buffalo and then it was time to part company, this of course, took us about 20 minutes, as it always has. I so love catching up with friends, especially when it’s like no time has passed!

Next stop…LK’s house! The family is actually in town! I didn’t think I’d get to see them, the best part, total coincidence…we texted each other and then I went out there because my oldest, fabulous niece, KK’s FIFTEENTH birthday is tomorrow and tonight was the birthday dinner and cake made by her two younger sisters! It was chocolate with vanilla icing and lots of sprinkles! The frosting was delicious!

I so love spending time with the family! We caught up, laughed, goofed around, played with the two guinea pigs and three dogs, had a great dinner, the youngest, K made guacamole, yum! and she and mom made home made salsa, what a treat for me! I walk in that house and it’s like we just saw each other last week and I always feel like part of the family, never skipping a beat!

That is the best part about my friends, they really aren’t just friends, they are family and when I send emails letting people know I’m coming to town, I never say “Dear friends” it’s always “Hello family” and it is. I value and treasure each and every one of them. I hope they know and feel it, because it’s so important to me! Thank you for loving and liking me for who I am and wanting to spend time with me! I can’t wait to see you and everyone else next time!

Then it was back to SDL’s to do some laundry, talk to you and get some sleep, the alarm is going off early! I hope you’re not too tired after reading this! And if your weekend was at least half as good as mine, I think that is stupendous!

I am going to crash now, off to Buffalo I shuffle in a few hours!

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{April 3, 2015}   A Zissen Pesach

A sweet Passover to you.

Now, I know I have talked about Passover with you before, but that was a year ago and I don’t remember what I said, so I’m going to tell you again, and you’re going to like it. [so bossy!]

Tonight was the first night of Pesach, or Passover, and it is the first of eight nights. Some families will celebrate the first an second night and the last or last two nights. In my family, traditionally, we celebrated the first night. A few years ago, my sister started hosting first and second night because there were so many families to celebrate and some would do first night with us, second with their families and vice versa, it’s been a great tradition was started and enjoyed.

Now, growing up, the Passover Seder would take us a few hours, because of all the food, talking and fun. Today, because we have so many wee tots, and I mean soooo many, the Seder takes about thirty minutes, tops, because the little ones can’t really sit still that long and it’s ok, we do the important stuff and more importantly, we are all together.

The Passover Seder is the telling of the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and Pharaoh’s evil reign. It includes the killing of the first born, Moses’ mother putting him in a basket and sending him down river, his sister saying she would watch over him, Moses being found and brought up in the palace and eventually leading his people out of the land of Egypt. There is the parting of the Red Sea, the ten plagues, from boils, to locusts, to the killing of the first born, pretty harsh, I know.

There is a saying “Jews and Catholics are the same, just different foods” and that is pretty true, we like to tell stories through food and there is so much symbolism in the food we eat at different holidays. I don’t know if you’ve heard of matzoh, but it’s unleavened bread that we eat for the eight days and the reason is that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t get a chance to bake their breads in the oven so they baked it on flat rock and matzoh was born, therefore, we do not eat anything that rises, nothing containing flour, things like that.

Matzoh, or the idea of eating matzoh, is entertaining at first, a piece with butter or margarine, I prefer egg matzoh, it’s a little sweeter, then you are coming up with new and exciting ways to eat matzoh, for example, tomorrow is EJS’ birthday party, they are having matzoh pizzas, creative, huh?

We dip our greens in salt water to symbolize our tears, we eat matzoh with maror, or horseradish, to symbolize the harshness and bitterness of being slaves, we make a sandwich with matzoh and charoset, which is a sweet brown mixture, a lot of times made with apples, cinnamon and sweet wine, to symbolize the mortar that held the bricks together that formed the pyramids. See how much symbolism there is!

And that was just the beginning! The Seder plate holds all the symbolic items that we will partake in and talk about, imperative to the Seder. My sister and I crack ourselves up because every year, we try to remember everything that’s on the Seder plate, it’s right there in Hebrew and English and we still can’t figure it out! We write it down, take pictures, doesn’t matter! We are very smart women, but sometimes…forget about it!

We go through the Seder, reading, holding up foods, eating at particular times. Now, the food I’ve talked about is just a touch of what is served, and those are things that are symbolic! Then there is the spread of food that we eat because it’s tradition! The turkey, matzoh apple kuegel, carrot soufflé, brisket, chicken and matzoh ball soup. Hungry?

But wait, there’s more! There’s dessert! Candies special for Passover and so much more!

The Seder is participatory, everyone reads something and then there are the Four Questions, those are supposed to be asked by the youngest at the Seder, the kids take turns asking them, unless the youngest has practiced them in Hebrew, then it’s all eyes on them! After the four questions, we sing, Mah Nishtana HaLeila HaZeh, which means “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

Then there is the hunting for the afikomen, or matzoh. Someone, traditionally my dad, will hide half of a piece of matzoh somewhere and all the kids will hunt for it, there doesn’t seem to be an age limit on the kids who can hunt for the afikomen, yours truly still hunts every once in a while. You would too if there was a cash prize to the winner! The hiding and searching creates interest , aside from the cash, and the kids of all ages love it and get in on the action “you’re getting warmer” “brrr, so cold”! When the piece is found, you join the two pieces together to symbolize the reunification.

If all that didn’t get you, how about the four glasses of wine? There are different times during the Seder that you drink a glass of wine and then there is the glass of wine for Elijah, always have a place for him at the table, as well as anyone who is hungry could come and sit and eat with us, the Seder is rich with symbolism and tradition.

Now, I think you can probably imagine why it takes us so long to get through the Passover Seder. Maybe next year you will join us and get to experience it for yourself, you are most welcome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover

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It may not seem it,  but there is a difference and this project reinforced it for me.

Dinner with the team is without really talking about it, the entire team goes to dinner, everyone takes turns deciding where the group will go to dinner, maybe everyone comes up with a list to try or one person says “ooh, what about here?” As well as when they will go, a lot of times you are all working together and decide when you’re done for the day, “ok, who’s ready to go?”

This group might even send a meeting invite for dinner, location TBD, but with an agreed upon time, it kind of sets an expectation of ‘we are so getting out of the office by …’ The main point is, you are going to dinner as a team and everyone knows it. That’s the way it’s been with the team I am working with now and I love it.

A team dinner is when there is an occasion or maybe it’s a once a month thing and someone organizes it, sends out the invite and everyone goes to dinner and socializes and has dinner and, I find, talk mostly about work. Not that you don’t talk about work at dinners with the team, it just doesn’t seem to be as much.

I enjoy team dinners because it gives you the opportunity to catch up with some people you might not get to see on a daily basis, but I’ll be honest, I really like dinner with the team a little better, when you work with people, then go to dinner, it’s like you’re with family, then when you don’t see them, you miss them. Since I’m training now, I don’t see them every day,so when we can get together for dinners, it’s a treat! We catch up on life.

As the project is wrapping up in the next few weeks, people are beginning to roll off and we won’t see each other every day, so these dinners are extra special, this team has been so much fun to be on, working with great people and going to fun places with great food, wahoo.

I wonder what’s in store next for us!



{March 29, 2015}   A good veggie burger

I love a good (veggie) burger.

When I say I love burgers, I always mean veggie burgers, I have to explain as people give people me a funny look.

What I don’t understand is why more places don’t offer veggie burgers, it’s such an easy thing to have on hand. You can buy a box and keep them on hand in the freezer, especially burger joints or pubs, just saying.

I’ve told you about some good ones I’ve had,  but tonight, while I was thoroughly enjoying my home made veggie burger,  baked in the oven,  not on the grill, at The Common Man restaurant with PSM, http://www.thecman.com/m/restaurants-and-menus/common-man-concord.aspx…let me just say Y U M!!! I decided that I need to keep track and share with you the different veggie burgers that I experience around the globe.

Who knows what other veggie burger lovers are out there, you know I love to share!

Here’s to a new venture of tasting and sharing! 



Today was a travel day, so get ready!

The day started at 4:15am, more like 4:30 with snoozing…two hours after I fell asleep, just one of those nights, unfortunately! My flight was at 7am, so the taxi was arriving at 5:15am, to be on the safe side.

Arrived in plenty of time, the airport was quite crowded at 6am on a Monday, a lot of high school and college teams traveling places. The agent at the counter where I dropped my bag off wasn’t in the best mood when she started helping me, but got a little better. Much better than the “oh so pleasant” security officer who got incredibly snippy with me due to the fact that in the 10 seconds from receiving the slip of paper regarding modified TSA pre-check and getting to the security screening, I had not read the piece of paper. I hope you have a pleasant day…

The flight was fine, eventually, I fell asleep, thankfully, sometime before we took off…30 minutes late. So at least I got a little sleep. Got the rental car, headed to my first class, stopped off at Wegman’s to pick up some provisions for the week [coconut milk yogurt, some yummy bars from Don’t Go Nuts, http://www.dontgonuts.com/, no nuts, just soy! I tried one at the wellness expo yesterday, really yummy and healthy! I also found some dairy-free ricotta cheese! I am so going to have to try that!

Off to the first class, wait for the room to be opened, which it’s supposed to be unlocked at all times…Eventually got in the room and set everything up, then start getting emails that there is an issue and part of the application won’t load. So…until they were able to get it fixed, I reviewed the PowerPoint with the guys that were there and I’m sure they will reschedule soon to get into the application and have hands on. A solution was finally found and all was right with the world. Classes could be taught again.

Except when no one registers, then the class is wide open, but I have to be there in case someone shows up. I left the first location, went to the second and performed the fix on the desk tops as everyone was effected.

I headed to the hotel, checked in, chilled out in my room, did some expenses, stuff like that. Then it was time to go out to meet my friend and his main squeeze for dinner in Rochester. Get the car from valet, head out, it was a little over an hour’s drive, not too bad, especially to see one of my best friend’s and his girlfriend.

Dinner was good, the conversation was great, they make a great couple, I can tell how much she likes him and that is all I ever wanted for him. Then it was time to go, kids to get, blog to post and sleep to be had.

Are you tired? If not right now, you will be when that alarm goes off at 5:30, so I will bid you a fond farewell, until we meet again upon the morrow!



Face it, we all love bread, even if you don’t, you do.

We can buy it in the store, but we love when we get it on the table at a restaurant, it seems to taste better. Especially warm french bread and butter? I’d rather have that than dessert…

The reason I am inspired to write today is that I had a great sandwich tonight. Now…as you know I am a veg-head, a vegan, if you will and a lot of times, I need to ask for something special to be made. Now, I will tell you when I first became a vegetarian, I didn’t like vegetables, slightly awkward for a vegetarian, but understandable for a 14 year old. Not to worry, that changed, I love veggies.

I love veggies and I enjoy them prepared in different ways, grilled is ok, but I find that there are certain vegetables that I don’t enjoy grilled or on a plate, but put them in a wrap or between two pieces of toasted bread of some sort, with some sort of sauce on the side, say a garlic mayo…and I am there!

Bottom line, grilled veggie sandwich on toasted whole grain bread with a said of garlic mayo with a Caesar salad with the dressing on the side and I was golden! Happy happy yum.



{March 16, 2015}   What a day…start to finish!

I started in Boston and ended in Buffalo.

Today was a travel day, there was good, blech and great. Got up, showered and dressed, taxi to the airport, dropped my yogurt when I got out of the taxi, breezed through security, had a egg Mcgriddle, yum! Eventually boarded the plane, settled in and then the flight attendant asked for a volunteer to move to the back of the plane [it was a baby “planelet”] to help balance the weight. What?

Well, no one volunteered, so guess who raised their hand? Went to the back, ‘re’-settled in, put on Joe vs. The Volcano and fell in love with it all over again! Waited to take off and waited, de-ice something and waited. Multi-tasked by playing a game while I watched the movie. Get to Buffalo a little late, get off the plane, get my bag, head to car rental, get in the car, can’t find my license, ack! I get to the hospital where I am teaching, still can’t find my license, but I had to get to class to teach.

I get down there, where are the materials? over there instead of over here, where’s the presentation? Can’t get to it right now, no worries, taught without the presentation on the overhead, class still went well. Taught two classes, took care of things during the third as no one was registered.

Got the car, headed to the hotel, bumped my head not once but twice getting out of the car and looking for something, front and back seat! What? Checked into the hotel eventually, while I was waiting, the valet brought my license to me, wahoo! I didn’t have any cash, but I gave him a $1M chocolate bar to say thank you!

Headed to the room, same as the one I was in last week, what are the odds! Hung out, got some work done and then my friend from college, JC, well, when I knew him he spelled his first name with a G and that’s how I will always think of him GC. He came from Rochester to go to dinner, how awesome was that?! We went to Chef’s, http://www.ilovechefs.com/, which was a recommendation from someone in the office as well.

The food was good, company was great, décor typical, lots of famous people on the walls. Dessert is still in the bag waiting for me to eat it [cookie is mine], probably tomorrow, I couldn’t resist it! Then on the way out, the $5 for 3 raffle tickets for a FIFTEEN POUND chocolate bunny, what? If I win, who gets it?

So, all in all, a good day and now I’m chilling out in my room at the hotel, ready to start everything over again tomorrow. No head bumps please!

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{March 11, 2015}   What a day!

The day started like all the others since I started training…early.

The alarm went off at 5:15am, snooze until 5:30, I also have a second alarm set up so that I won’t be able to oversleep, it worked. I showered, got dressed, finished packing and headed out about 5:50am, on the road, after check out and headed to my first hospital.

Got to the hospital about 6:30, parked, headed in and got my class ready to go. The classes I was teaching today were 1.5 hours each and there were 4classes that I taught today. After the first two I headed to the next hospital to teach two more classes. In between, there were some technical difficulties and I didn’t have an instructor’s pc, but no worries, I’ve got this! I kept them on track and entertained.

Four classes later, at 4pm, one debriefing call at 4:30pm and then to one of the offices to get some paperwork. Next, I headed to meet MY TWIN NB!!! For dinner! I’m in Buffalo and he’s in Rochester, so…we got to see each other, he came my way to an Irish Pub not far from my hotel, so awesome of him to do that!

What a great night, we talked and laughed and realized how much we adore each other and look out for each other and reinforce why he’s one of my closest and best friends, he has to be, we’ve known each other for…wait for it! TWENTY SIX years! OMG! Freshmen year of college!

Now to the next hotel, check in and get a little work done, then sleep. Sleep. Sleep..Perchance to dream, is it coming? Please say yes!



Every project is different, structure, hours, etc.

As I may have mentioned I am on a new project in Buffalo, NY [I threw the NY in there because you never know who is reading and know to which Buffalo I refer.

On previous projects, depending on the schedule or workload, we would get out at reasonable or early hours and go to dinner between 6 and 7, this project we start between 8:30 and 9am are working until between 7 and 9pm and then go to dinner. I am so not complaining about the hours, I promise, I am loving what I am doing, getting ready to teach classes, starting tomorrow, oh my!

I am really loving having a group to go out to eat with as well! The last two projects, it was me and one of my co-workers, PMc, who I had been on two previous projects with, it was nice, but I really like when there are a few more people, at least once or twice.

The thing I am not loving is that when we work until anywhere between 7:30 and 9pm, we are going to dinner after that and no matter how healthy we might eat, it is still eating less than 2-3 hours before going to sleep! And that is not the best thing in the world! Tonight, we worked until 9pm, came back to the hotel and had dinner, and here I am at 12:30am, not quite ready to go to sleep and I have to be up at 5:30 so I can be in the classroom by 6:30am. Last night, even though we ate late, I went to the gym about 10:30 and did my time on the treadmill and that helped, that did not happen tonight and I feel it, even though I walked this morning, I was hoping to go tonight.

The one saving grace, I laughed about it with my co-workers tonight, is that tomorrow, they are gone and I am on my own, I can either eat at a reasonable hour or not eat at all! Go me!

So…in conclusion…loving the project, loving where we are eating dinner, loathing the late night eating! I think I need a detox!



{January 26, 2015}   My weekend in Atlanta…

Was it busy? Yes it was! Was it awesome? Yes it was! Do you want to hear about it? Yes you do!

I told you a few things here and there, but here is the blow by blow, so to speak.

Friday I arrived in Atlanta, after an uneventful flight, which is always a good thing, and watching The Equalizer. Let’s just say, I heart Denzel Washington! This was a feel good movie in the best sense of the word! [Now, if you don’t know anything about it, until I write a review, just know it is a violent movie, but awesome!]

After I landed, I got my rental car and did something I should not have done, but I did anyway, which I told you about on Friday…I went to Fellini’s Pizza for a slice, salad and soda, ah memories [http://www.fellinisatlanta.com/fellinis.html]…After a filling lunch, I went to Junkman’s Daughter [http://www.thejunkmansdaughter.com/] to look around and met a charming chick working the shoe department upstairs, Twinkle, we had a nice chat, she really wants me to give Hedwig and the Angry Inch another try, I promised to.

Then I went to see CC and JC and their adorable son MC. They bought a house a few months ago and have asked me to come and see it when I was in town, unfortunately, I was not able to the last few times, but Friday, it was on! CC and MC had made some very yummy and healthy cookies earlier, they were so excited to share with me! While I was getting a tour of the house, MC kept saying “Ladies, ladies, come on!” How cute is he! And what a great visit we had!

After I left, I headed to JCT’s house to spend the night. She was on her way from the airport herself and I was going to get there before her, so I was lucky and got to spend some one-on-one quality time with her mom, who I affectionately refer to as Mom. We talked health and happiness, kids and crocheting, had cups of tea, it was wonderful. Then JCT’s brother GC came home and we chatted for a bit, until JCT came home.

When JCT came home, we talked and talked and laughed and talked until almost two in the morning! Isn’t that happens when besties get together? Did you forget… this is still only Friday!

Slept a few hours, got up, chatted, caught up some more then it was time to shower and head out to meet CKM for brunch at Home Grown, http://www.homegrownga.com/, waited a few minutes and then hopped up to the counter for breakfast.

After a great breakfast and good conversation, we headed to the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k Expo to volunteer and I picked up my race packet. Our shift was 1:30-6:30, our feet hated us at this point! After the expo it took us almost an hour to get out of the parking deck! Then another 30 minutes to drop CKM off where she was meeting friends for dinner. The only other bad thing was that RJS was having a get together for her birthday, which is actually today! Happy Birthday! And I missed it, but I made up for it today, sort of.

I headed to JT’s house to wait for BG, I was going to crash with him since we were riding to the run together. I was so tired, I just crashed art JT’s house. A few hours of sleep and 5:30am on Sunday we were in the car and on our way downtown, smooth sailing for a while, then lots of traffic, taking us about an hour to go about five miles, par for the course, ha ha, runners joke.

I hope you were able to check out my posting on the Hot Chocolate race yesterday. We were both a bit tired and sore, my feet were mad at me, but we did it! We headed back to BG’s to shower and headed back downtown to Sweet Melissa’s, http://www.sweetmelissas.com/, for brunch with some good friends.

After brunch, I drove to JCT’s because I left my Surface charger, grrr…and then to SDL’s house for a visit and some quality one-on-one time. Lots of talking, laughter and love. I crashed there for the night, even got to brush Miss A’s teeth for the first time…so many new firsts with her!

This morning I headed to see RJS for a little bit before making a mad dash for the airport and getting to the gate a few minutes before the flight took off! Even luckier that it took off at all, as a huge snow storm is coming to Boston tomorrow!  So bad that they closed Logan airport at 8pm tonight!

So… that was my weekend, you tired? I am!



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