Family | Peaches Prattlings

{February 15, 2015} Rummikub

Tonight we played a few rousing games of Rummikub.

Let me start with a why…Rummikub is a game that I have played with my family since GES and I were kids.

Now, a what…The synopsis, if you check out the Wikipedia link, it will give you more details, of course, Rummikub was invented by a Romanian-born Jew, who hand made the first sets with his family in the backyard, then sold the first sets door-to-door and on consignments at small shops. It has become Israel’s #1 export game and in 1977, it became the best selling game in the United States.

Yes, I do play games that were invented after 1980, but these are games from my childhood, classics.

Rummikub is a combination of Rummy and Mahjong, I don’t know if you’ve played either, but Rummy is played with a deck of cards and Mahjong is played with tiles. If you have ever played Rummy, it’s played with seven cards and Gin-Rummy is played with ten cards.

Rummikub is similar to Rummy in that you have to make runs and groupings. You start with fourteen tiles and put them on the stand. Each player turns a tile over to see who goes first, then, technically, you are supposed to open with tiles totaling 30 points, but we play that you have to have a run when you open.

So…a run is when you have three of a kind or three in a row. There are four colors in the game, red, orange, blue and black, if the light is not bright enough the two colors each look very similar! Just as in Rummy, three of a kind have to be all different colors and a run would be all the same color, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. Now, you can have more than 3 in a row, no limit.

Then, there are other things you can do, break up sets and make new ones, as long as you don’t leave less thank three tiles together. If you can’t put anything out, pick a tile.

It may sound confusing, I know, but once you sit down and play, after a few minutes, you’re in it to win it! And look out if you play with EJS or MGS, they are good! Tonight, the whole family played, lots of fun!

Tonight, something happened that almost never happens, a run of one through 13! Picture proof!

The object, go figure, is to go out first and most important…have a good time!

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

{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 11, 2015} My brother-in-law

Is pretty great.

I haven’t talked much about my b-I-l, that’s brother-in-law for those not in the know. I know I’ve mentioned him in posts, ACS, but I haven’t told you much about him and what he means to my family.

I remember when my sister first brought him home, I wasn’t sure about him, but come on, I’m the big sister and no one is ever good enough for my baby sister. We happen to be the same age, well, for a few months we are, born the same year, he’s January and I’m September, so same age for a few months, but I still call him my baby brother, he’s married to my baby sister, see how my logic works?

I have to tell you, he is a great father. He’s loving and silly with them and firm when he needs to be, he loves them and they adore him, you can see it on their faces and hear it in their voices.

When it comes to my sister, there is no one better to take care of her, after me and our dad, of course, wink wink, but he has been amazing, especially over the last year and a half. He went to every single doctors appointment, treatment, procedure, you name it, he was there, sitting by her side when he could and keeping the rest of us informed, a very important job.

He is a generous person and very popular with his friends, many of them from childhood. The joke is that everyone we meet went to camp with him, I always ask, but the reality, he lives in the town he grew up in and a lot of the people we meet, he went to camp with. He is someone who works hard and people know they can depend on.

The reason I am telling you all of this is, yesterday, he did something really nice, which he does, but it helped me out a lot. I had that appointment with the GI in the morning and it had been snowing and when I came outside, he had cleared off his car so I could take it. Even clearing it off before he left for work, moving the other car so I could get out and then he went back for MGS so they could leave for school and work.

He helps a lot of people and they appreciate it and yesterday, for me…props to him.

{February 8, 2015} Good old fashioned snail mail

I may have talked to you about snail mail before, but I am here I am doing it again, with a twist.

My dad is a great supporter of snail mail, he sends letters back and forth with EJS, I believe LaLa does as well. There have been times we’ve exchanged letters, the old fashioned way, and I enjoyed it and here and there we write, but not consistently.

I have a very dear friend, CGS, who is great at letter writing and I actually owe her a letter, which I will be completing very soon. We were great about writing back and forth for a while, then life gets in the way, then great about it, then…

Well, it’s a new year and I want to try something. Three years ago I set out to blog every day and except for one day last year, I have done it. They say, as I’ve said before, it takes twenty one days to form a habit and I would like to form a new one.

I was inspired a few weeks ago and bought a brand new box of stationary when I was at Barnes & Noble, hard to get out of there without buying something fun, this time was no different.

So…I have my new box of stationary and I want to use it. I want to send letters, it has 30 sheets and envelopes, let’s see who wants to help and exchange with me. I am going to put a post on Facebook to see who wants to become my pen pal.

There are two people who will have letters in the mail in the next two days, I hop they know who they are, daddy…wink wink.

{February 3, 2015} Carwash with MGS

This weekend I had a fun experience.

I don’t know if I’ve told you this before, but I am not a huge fan of car washes, never have been. I think my dad even remembers me not enjoying them either, I don’t know what it is, I’m just not a fan, weirded out.

But… cleaning the car is a necessary evil and in the spring and summer I actually love washing my car by hand, in the winter, it’s a bit chilly and Annie needed it, badly. First… all the snow! Second, she had been sitting under a tree and there was sap like crazy on the windshield and windows, needed to be done.

Sunday, I picked up MGS from the temple where GES and EMS were doing stuff and we had some shopping to do, but first, and you should have seen her face light up when I said “How about we go to the car wash, how would you like to sit in the front seat with the butt warmers going?” Oh boy! You know it! And away we went!

We got there and just before we went through, she climbed into the passenger seat, I turned on the seat warmers and in we went and oh the excitement and joy, how could I not join in! The look on her face and each new section, she called out what was happening or asked me what it was, so cute. It was probably the best experience I had in a car wash, I so wish you could have seen her!

Here’s something for your listening pleasure!

{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!

{January 25, 2015} 15k…goal accomplished!

Today I accomplished a goal…I completed my first 15k!

That is 9.32 miles, for those of you “not in the know”. CKM and I have participated in the Hot Chocolate 5k for three years and I also did one in Denver, for the past three years, she and I volunteered at the race expo, handing out bibs.

This year, I decided to participate in the 15k, one of the reasons is that CKM was not participating and the other… the medal! Remember… it’s all for the being or the swag!

As I have told you about my ‘racing’ history, I have done 5k’s, 10k’s, a few half marathons and a number of mud runs, both 5k and 7miles. The only race I have thought about and have not completed…a 15k. I cannot say that anymore!

Last weekend, if you remember, I was at Disneyland for a 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday. The 10k was successful for me, the half marathon, not so much, I was disappointed in myself because I did not finish. I was close to the 9 mile mark when I got pulled from the course.

Today, the run was 9.3 miles and I finished! That was a huge deal for me! There were also people behind me, another goal!

This time, BG and I did the run together, well, we started at the same time. BG is a runner, he does 10 milers, half marathons, that is his speed and I admire him for it. They divided the run into 7:30 and 8:40 start time, 5k and 15k in each start. I was in the 8:40 start time and BG said he would start with me.

We carpooled at 5:30 and it was smooth sailing until two exits away from our exit and then it was sit and wait and sit and wait. We finally got to the stadium, parked, got ready and headed out to the start.

BG took off, as he should and I started running at my snails pace, ran about 3 miles, then walked then ran, then walked, then ran. I ran about 5 miles total out of the 9 miles. I felt good, my feet hurt, but it felt good!

Here comes the 9 mile mark, then it was only .32 to the finish! I crossed the finish line and got my medal! It was such a feeling! Then it was pick up the finishers mug, then meet BG to head to pick up my car, shower and then head to brunch.

This is going to be my last race for a while, keep checking my posts to find out why.

I’m happy!

Hot Chocolate 15k/5k – Atlanta
Atlanta, GA Jan 25, 2015 7:35AM
57143
02:30:25
16:09
roomfield, CO
a43

INTERVAL TIME OF DAY CHIP TIME CHIP PACE GUN TIME GUN PACE
Start 8:33:47AM
5K 9:20:25AM 00:46:39 15:01 min/mi 01:40:16 32:17 min/mi
10K 10:09:50AM 01:36:03 15:28 min/mi 02:29:40 24:06 min/mi
Finish 11:04:12AM 02:30:25 16:09 min/mi 03:24:02 21:54 min/mi

{January 22, 2015} It is 2015, right? Seriously people!

What is the deal with all the bullying?

I know, bullying is nothing new, it’s been going on for centuries, but it’s gotten worse in the last decade and I just don’t get it. I guess the thing that makes it more prevalent is with the internet being what it is and cell phones and Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and…

Part of the reason I don’t watch the news, especially at night and most especially before bed is all I do is cry and then go to bed depressed and sad and crying. I get my news from a lot of sources and yahoo is one of them.

Today, I am disheartened yet again… Another case of cyber bullying and its just nauseating. A set of twins made nasty comments and video messages towards a young girl, calling her nasty names and being disgustingly rude and immature and just plain mean. There was also a voice mail from the twin’s father, equally disgusting.

Her father made an equally public video, how he was dealing with it, helping his daughter get through it, his disgust, revulsion and lack of understanding for something so disgusting.

Look at some of the statistics for bullying from 2014. http://nobullying.com/bullying-statistics-2014/

I am sickened and disheartened, someone please prove Me wrong!

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/dad-calls-out-daughters-bullies-on-viral-youtube-108843392047.html

{January 21, 2015} UNO!

I am not counting in Spanish, I am referring to the game of UNO.

UNO was created in 1971, by a barber in Ohio, to play with his family and families have been playing for over forty years, know how I know that? I was born in 1971. Boo-yah!

Boo-yah! That is what is shouted by the 7+ and 4+ year old, better known as EJS and MGS every time they get a good card or throw something down that will jam someone up or put them in a better place in the game. “Aw, man!” is what they say when things don’t go their way and “is it my turn?” “is it my turn?” EVERY TURN! No, someone else has to go!

The version of the game in the picture is an older version, it shows the word and not the symbol for the action and this is what we are playing on… the very deck that GES and I played with as a kid, in the same blue plastic pouch we used to carry it around in! GES counted and we are only missing one card out of the entire original deck, that’s pretty impressive if you ask me for a card game that is obviously over 30 years old!

What a great memory to be building, first playing games with the girls, then it’s playing a game from our childhood and then it’s remembering our childhood, which was awesome, if you ask me. Win-Win-Win… Boo-yah!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uno_(card_game)

{January 19, 2015} Long travel day

Friends, I am beat!

My day started at 5am in California, the alarm was set for 5:30 and 5:45, just to be on the safe side. I happened to wake up at 5, lucky me. I snooze twice, but then got up, took a hot bath, hoping it would help my legs a little, then a shower, finished packing and headed out, about 6am.

As it was a holiday, the dreaded traffic was not so dreaded and it took me less than an hour to get there, got gas, dropped off the car and took the shuttle to the airport. Dropped my bag, got through security, no problem, had some breakfast, hung out and then boarded the plane.

Flight was uneventful, except for the girl sitting next to me slept the entire way, I was lucky that she woke up twice, I had to go!!! There was a plane [equipment] change, they must have told us about 10 times and we left about an hour late, part of the reason was that we were waiting on some passengers that were just getting in from Australia, so we waited for them, I thought that was cool. The best thing… I’m pretty positive one of the pilots was from Ireland. Could he just talk some more?

I did watch 3 free movies: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, The Book of Life and The Boxtrolls. I was thoroughly entertained!

We arrived in JFK, two + hour wait…I went in search of some food, miso soup, seaweed salad and sushi rice, yum! Then I hung out waiting for my flight, upgraded to first class, go me! Flight was less than an hour, up and down.

Wait at baggage claim for about 25 minutes for my bag, then head to the Silver Line to South Station, then the commuter rail to home. I wasn’t paying attention and got off one stop early, ugh. GES was kind enough to pick me up, I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t so cold out and 11:30pm, but there were no other cars on the road.

Here I sit talking to you. A very long travel day. And now it is bedtime for bonzo!

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