What I love! | Peaches Prattlings

{January 14, 2024} A snuggle, a freezing walk, two coffee shops, groceries, a movie, and football. Oh my!

Just another Sunday. I was going to say ‘Just another day for you and me in paradise‘. PSM asked me to play Phil Collins when we were driving on St Thomas and now I’m on a Phil Collins radio kick on Pandora, not a bad thing in my opinion.

Got up liesurely, it was about 7am, or a little before. I wasn’t quite prepared to get up and officially greet the day, so I decided it was time for a momm-puppy cuddle session, another good thing. I went downstairs and got the dogs out of the crate, tried to sneak past PSM, trying not to wake him!, and got them upstairs and on the bed.

We settled in and Bee did her thing of circling the bed and settling in and falling asleep almost before her head hit the bed, Ruby did the same, stretched out and proceeded to try to lick my arm clean, no thanks. We were snuggled in for about 2 hours, we cuddled, watch some tv, not even sure what we watched. I say we, but we know the truth, it was really the dogs in control!

Got up eventually, took them to Stover Dam Park for a walk, they absolutely love it there! I chose the wrong footware, go figure, I wore my Chucks, which was fine for most of the park, a few areas were a bit wet, mushy, muddy, and slightly puddley [I made that last one up!] It was a teensy bit chilly while we were there, about 31 out and it was supposed to snow at some point and as we were leaving, here come some flakes, not much though.

Back to the house, feed the dogs, grab our Java Journey mugs and off to Ancester Coffeehouse & Creperie, which happens to be attached to Schnitz Creek Brewery, different. We ordered the drink of the day for PSM, something waayyy too sweet for PSM, but he’s a trooper, did you see…it came with one of those hearts in the foam! and chai latte with oat milk for me. Yummy, not a lot of variation on the chai lattes, in terms of crazy taste, each one is a little different, but ultimately, I usually enjoy it.

I ordered a savory crepe, the Secret Garden, and PSM had a egg and sausage bagel. While we waited, we were chatting, I said hello to the little boy at the table behind us, and I liked his glasses. We started talking with the parents and all of a sudden, the dad says “PSM?” Go figure, they work together! That was fun! We chatted with them for a while, about work, the town they live in, the town we live in, and the Java Journey, how much fun things like this are.

Our food came, y u m! We will definitely go back! Well, actually…to get another stamp we have to go to their other location, not a bad thing! We chatted some more and as we were sitting there, the brewery was taking over the tables around us, they opened at 1130am, and guess what time it was. PSM said we could finish our food and drink and move straight to the brewery!

After the brewery, we realized we needed salad fixings for the week, motorcycle cleaner, and we were contemplating going to a movie, so we headed in that direction, stopped at the Grocery Outlet, one of our favorite grocery stores. They have a good selection, some interesting items, a decent vegan selection, and not very expensive, a win-win! After the grocery store, we decided to check another coffee shop off our list…Sydney Roasting Co.

Turns out, we don’t actually have to bring the mugs with us, as long as we have the passports, we are good to go. Good to know! We orderd a chai latte for me with almond milk for me and whatever frozen, overly sweet drink for PSM. I tried it and agreed for the first few sips, it tasted like coffee ice cream, which I used to love, but 4 sips in…coffee, no thank you! We hung out, enjoyed the atmosphere, added this place to the list of places we might come back to! Loving this whole Java Journey thing!

After finishing, well almost finishing, our drinks headed to Auto Zone, unfortunately, they didn’t have what we needed, oh well, but..the movies await! We went to the local Regal Movie Theater to watch Wonka. LOVED IT! I’ll write another post about it, it was charming! We laughed, we cried, we just really enjoyed it!

After the movies we went to 7th Street Bar & Grill, one of our new favorite hang outs. It looks unassuming on the outside, inside, it’s not big, but it’s nice. They have two pool tables, a bunch of booths and tables, and a nice bar, we’ve only sat at the bar. My only issue with this place…the bathrooms are ffffrrreeezzzinnnnggg! I would say, if you can skip it in the winter, do it! Go in the summer, it will be great! I had a veggie burger and PSM had a reuben. One of the footbal playoff games was on, the Greenbay Packers were trouncing the Dallas Cowboys, on their own field, ouch. PSM started talking to a few people at the bar who could talk football, I was ok with that!

At some point, I headed home to take care of the dogs and left PSM in his football element. Dogs fed, toooo cold and windy for a walk! Took care of a few things around the house, started to talk to you and PSM called and said he was ready to come home. Off I went to pick him up, back home, change into sweats, hang out and talk to you while PSM watches some more football downstairs. Sounds like a win-win! Oh, I also ordered something for my art studio, can’t wait for it to get here!!! It’s all coming together, I can’t wait to share pics and updates!

Tomorrow the demo starts on the kitchen! If you have the day off tomorrow…enjoy! If you have to work…I hope it’s an easy day for you. Whatever you do…Happy Monday!

{January 13, 2024} A jam packed day!

Breakfast, hardware store, hardware store, haircut, hardware store, coffee shop, hardware store, paint store, brewery, home, move stuff, dog walk, rest. Oh my!

What a day! PSM let me sleep in and took the dogs for a long walk, it was great, I slept in until about 8am. Much needed after not falling asleep until about 330am, go figure. Even though I got about the same amount of sleep I normally do, there’s something about waking up on your own, no alarm, and after the sun comes up.

After bagels, we went to Harbor Freight to pick up a power screwdriver and craft desk/workbench for me and some drill bits for PSM. We were there the other day and I saw this Yukon, Three Drawer Hardwood Bench and I thought it would be perfect for my art studio. Something I’ll tell you about another time! I love it! The studio and the workbench! Not exactly looking forward to putting it together, but now that I have a new power screwdriver, I’m ready to go! I am now the proud owner of the bench and a Warrior Cordless Screwdriver Kit! Who’s with me getting excited about power tools?!

Next was Lowe’s to purchase the tile we were looking at for the kitchen renovation that starts on Monday, oh my! They had three boxes left, we needed five, go figure…but we found an associate to take the boxes down and found out that they had two more boxes at another location, score! The nice thing…we had appointments for hair cuts across the way, we’ll be back soon.

Across to Great Clips, we’re not fancy-schmancy folks when it comes to getting our hair cut. PSM does miss Sports Clips in St Louis, it was mostly the neck massage he misses. I used to go there too, since I like an almost high and tight, clippers work for me. But…we used to go to Great Clips as well and they do a good job. Let’s just say, having hair this short is great in the summer, but brrrr in the winter!

After hair cuts, we went back to Lowe’s to pick up the tiles, back to the house to drop off our purchases, then on to the Lowe’s in Palmyra, but along the way, we were thirsty, never got anything to drink with breakfast and we stopped into Swatara Coffee Company in Annville. According to the website, Swatara Coffee is a nationally recognized cafe using locally sourced ingredients and elevating Pennsylvania Dutch flavors. Bonus!

What a charming town, we haven’t spent a lot of time there, but we’re going to go back for sure. When the realtor was showing us around over the summer, we went through Annville, and we’ve driven through it a few times, but hadn’t stopped yet, but there are a few places on my list.

When we walked in, I immediately saw the mugs for the Lebanon Valley Java Journey! I got a text about this on Thursday, this is one of the things that happens in this area to get folks out, going to local places, and trying new things. It’s in its fifth year and it’s a trail of coffee shops across Lebanon County. There are 12 participating businesses, you purchase your Java Journey mug, we really liked them! And then at each location, they have a secret drink, which you can only get if you have one of the mugs. Once you make a purchase, you get a stamp in the ‘passport’. At the end, you turn in the passport and you’re entered into a drawing for prizes. You know me…I’m all about the swag!

While we were there, another couple had their mugs, we talked to them about it, then another two couples came in and we talked to them about it. They had done it in the past, and they made a day of it to go to all 12 places in one day! The hard part…the hours for the coffee shops is not condusive to weekday ventures, unless you can go before 2 or 3pm! So… it looks like we have our weekends set up until it’s over March 9th!

We love doing stuff like this, it gets us out and trying new places and cities, helps us explore, and…some of the places on the passport are already on my list of want to try! We are also doing a brewery passport tour, and someone told us about the Scooped ice cream tour in the summer! Cannot wait for that one!

PSM got the secret drink, I forgot what it was, sorry! and I was able to get a chait latte with mac milk, that’s macadamia nut for those not in the know, and we shared a french toast muffin. What a nice treat! I can’t wait to explore more coffee shops! Hmmm…maybe tomorrow morning we’ll try another. The hard part…remembering to bring the mugs!

Back in the car, off to Palmyra Lowe’s, got our tile, asked if there was a Harbor Freight nearby and they said yes, the one we were at earlier! ha ha. Next stop…Sherwin Williams for paint color books so we can figure out what color to paint the kitchen. We need to picks something that will compliment the grey cabinets, white marble countertops, and white-ish stone backsplash. Working on it, but we’re getting there!

Next, we needed lunch! We did a lot and it was time for food! We went to The Rotunda Restaurant and Brewery. This was an interesting place…in the front, or door we walked into, it was a bar/restaurant/brewery with a nice big bar to sit at, great big fireplace, cool decor, and in the back, there is a tiki bar! Yes, I said tiki bar! I did not take pictures of the tiki bar, I will save those for the next time we go!

We saddled up to the bar, placed a drink order, PSM got a flight of beers, I got hot tea, go figure…some of the beers were good, one, not so much, well, in his opinion, I tasted them all and, well, don’t ask me! We ordered food, I got the vegan refried bean tacos, and PSM got a burger. The food was good, the bartender was great, the other patrons at the bar were fun to chat with.

All told, we had a really good time and we look forward to going back!

After the Rotunda, back to Harbor Freight, I forgot something, PSM said he’s done with hardware stores for the day! I agree. Then home to finish clearing out the cabinets in the kitchen, pics of the whole process another time, you’re probably done with this post! After we cleared the cabinets, take the dogs for a walk and it was freezing! Temps in the 30s, winds 30-60 mph! I do love my winter parka and thank goodness for my new hat with the headlamp and the fuzzy lining, I would not have made it, my head was cold!

After that friends, isn’t that enough? Back home to put on comfy clothes, sweatpants were the order of the day! Then off to write to you to tell you about my day! I’m sitting here in my cozy sweatpants, a flannel top and my oversized sweatshirt. And I have a dog sitting under my desk, happily snoring away, what could be better?

Good night my friends. Cannot wait to find out what tomorrow brings! But whatever it is, you know I’ll share it!

{January 12, 2024} St Thomas Day 2: Red Hook and a Snorkel

I don’t think I ever got tired of that view! The only thing I wish our room had was a screen door to the balcony so we could have slept with the door open and had the sea air and breeze, sometimes, coming through the room. I do so love the sleeping with the windows open! Especially at the beach!

Waking up on our own with the sun, maybe even a little before…eventually got motivated and went down to the beach to put our feet in the sand and the sea, feel the water on my toes. I may have mentioned, our goal at every beach is to get our feet in the water and get a picture! I think I only missed doing that on one beach! I got pictures of the beach and in the water, but not our feet in the water.

What’s that song by Zac Brown, Toes? Yup, I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand. Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand. Life is good today. For me, all except for the beer, spot on! I just put that song on and now I’m staring longingly at the window and the rain on it imagining its waves gently laping at the window! Sorry, back to you!

We went down to Sangria’s and got some breakfast, quite tasty actually, and not horribly expensive. It was the view that beat all! And with that view, what more could you want?! And one of my favorite parts of being at the beach and on an island, you can go almost anywhere barefoot! I am a barefoot baby, aside from being a beach baby, and if I can go barefoot, I’m doing it! And..having sand on your feet, what a great way to scratch your feet if there’s an itch! Win-win!

After breakfast we went to talk to the concierge and booked our first boat excursion for the next day! We picked up a calendar and some ideas on things to do, asked the hotel to get us a taxi to take us into Red Hook to get some groceries. I apologize, I don’t have any pictures of Red Hook except what I shared from the Tap & Still.

We went to Moe’s Fresh Market to pick up supplies. Turns out Moe’s, where they say “Welcome to Moe’s”! I couldn’t believe it!, is one of the pricier markets on the island, go figure! We did go to another market later in the week that was definitely cheaper, but we’re in a touristy area, so… but…what Moe’s does have is an amazing wine cellar, with not just wine, but hard alcohols, rum from the islands, of course. The food, it’s a gourmet market, was stupid expensive, you have to remember, everything has to be shipped in, think Whole Foods, but more expensive! But their wine cellar had some of the best alcohol prices on the island.

This was also when we found out, no Uber on the island, just taxis, and they charge not per trip, but per person, and it’s more expensive if you’re travling solo! We’re supporting local economy…If you do take taxis, be sure you have exact change, or at least singles, you won’t always get change back if your ride was $7 per person, were you going to give a $6 tip on a 5 minute ride? Just a piece of travel advice. The taxi drivers are all very nice and some will give you tips on local flavor, some try to send you to the very touristy spots, it’s a mixed bag, and adds to the experience.

After Moe’s we crossed the street to Ocean Surfari who would become some of our new best friends! They set us up with our next two ocean excursions! Tuesday will be our Do It All Snorkel, I can’t tell you about it now, but it involves water, a boat, snorkeling, alcohol, and pizza! More next time on that! And they also set us up with a day trip to Jost Van Dyke, British VI, more on that later!

Almost everything in the store was BOGO [buy one-get one free]! You cannot beat that! And…if you spend $50, you got a $10 off coupon. We spent, we got, we spent, we got! We ended up with some fun treats, a hat and swim trunks for PSM and I got a swim shirt and sweater/sweatshirt. And you could tell almost everyone on the island, tourist and local, went to their place! The island was a walking advertisement for this place! I also picked something up that I’m super excited about, but I’ll tell you another time!

After Red Hook, we went back to the hotel, it was time for water! We changed into a beach gear, grabbed our snorkel gear, headed to the hotel lobby to get beach towels, a short walk and we were at our beach. It really was a nice beach. We both got in the water, the snorkeling wasn’t great, turns out we needed to go past the swimming area to see stuff, we’ll know for next time.

After snorkeling, PSM went to rest on the beach, I put up my gear and went back to swim and stand in the water, I was just happy. A few days later PSM said it was almost impossible to get me out of the water! And? ha ha

As I was in the water I started talking to some people, you just randomly talk to people at the beach, especially when you’re at a resort, people are more chatty, it’s nice. I ended up talking to a woman about traveling and told her about PSM’s Bourbon Trail Ride, I’ll tell you about that another time! And we became friends, I even sent her the itinerary I built for PSM. Now, speaking of meeting people, almost everyone we met while we were there, I say almost everyone, was either from Massachusettes or Pennsylvania, not far from where we live, some southern connection, and Jewish. What are the odds on that one?!

I got out a little while later, PSM was happy on the beach talking to a guy, with a drink in his hand. We were both hungry so I went to Sangria’s and put some snacks on his open tab, and another rum, works for me! We ate and chatted with the family, I talked to my dad, sat in the sun, went in the water…it was like a wash, rinse, repeat for the holidays!

We stayed on the beach until the sun went down. Why do I hear The Cars song You Might Think…could be the line “But you kept it going, till the sun fell down, You kept it, going. Now you see how my brain works sometimes!
We kept moving from one spot to the next on the beach because the sun would set over here, but not over there, so we moved over there, then that would become over here, and the sun would set over here, but not over there. It was a vicisous cycle! You definitely do not hear me complaining!

For the life of me, I cannot remember what we did for dinner that night! It’s all good because the next day was great, and the next day, and the next. How could it be wrong in paradise.

More tomorrow!

{January 11, 2024} Nostalgia

I was going to tell you more about our trip to USVI, but I ate something that sent me down another path. I know, you’re surprised…ha ha

What did I eat? A piece of celery with peanut butter, and it was so good…I had to go make another one to munch on while I talk to you! I can’t remember if that was something my mom or dad would make us, but it makes me feel good. Another one was apples with peanut butter, either slicing the apples or using one of those apple wedgers and serving the apple slices with peanut butter. How about this…celery with cream cheese and paprika, so good!

Some things may sound odd to you, but they were comforting to me. Noodles and cream cheese, if we weren’t feeling well, that was something she would make for us, I still do that to this day, but it has to be wide egg noodles, you can do it with almost any noodle, but it really has to be something that can pick up the cream cheese as it’s soft and melted, maybe add a little salt. I remember my sister telling someone that she knew ACS was the one when, early on in their relationship, she wasn’t feeling well and he made her noodles and cream cheese, it’s the little things.

I was just telling someone about my mom making her meatloaf with a hard boiled egg in the middle, most people have never heard of this, but it was a special treat that she did for us, and if there wasn’t a hard boiled egg…it wasn’t the same. Warm milk with honey if we were sick made us feel better and even if it was just in our minds…I’m ok with that. I know, milk with meat, ha ha. Not to worry, the meatloaf was a treat and the milk with honey was a remedy.

And the gems my dad taught me…I could never eat New England claim chowder without a pat of butter melting on the top; rice pudding, right out of the pot is really much better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, specifically Bryer’s vanilla, and the strange one that just works…those cheese crackers with peanut butter in them? Smear some strawberry jam on top, oh man, you will not be disappointed!

I’m sure there are others, but at the moment, those are the ones that are on my mind and making me smile. I wonder what some of yours are.

{January 9, 2024} Wash, Dry, and Fold…No problem, but…

Put away, well… that’s another story.

Anyone who knows me knows I don’t have a problem with a good mess. What’s that saying? ‘a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind’ or a ‘messy desk is the sign of a genius’, well, neither apply to me, I can assure you, but tidy is just not me! Creative, yeah, that’s it!

It’s funny, I enjoy the lived-in look, I don’t like sterile, Messy Marvin, kindred spirit, but what I don’t like is dirt! ha ha. I will pick things up, clean, and put them back down! My parents were worried that the next world disease would start in my bedroom! The cleaners would come, I would pick everything up, they clean, I put it all back where it came from! In college, the clothes went from the closet to the desk to the bed, in one continuous stream!

I am not that bad anymore, I’m not the complete opposite, but in the common areas, like the living room, dining room, and kitchen, things are in their place, but lived in. I want people to feel like they can come in our house and put their feet up, please do!

Know what’s even crazier…I can organize the you-know-what out of someone else’s space! Need a closet overhaul? Need your garage organzied? Pantry straightened, medicine chest checked? Call me, I absolutely love it! But when it comes to my own stuff…well, that’s a different story! I know me, I’m ok with that!

So… back to my post. I will wash, dry, and fold laundry. I will unpack my bags, re-fold and pile everything on the bed ready to be put away. I will wash dishes, I will load the dishwasher. But when it comes to putting away, ugh…like pulling teeth! There have been times I have folded my laundry and just worked out of the basket. And you know what? I’m ok with it! The same can’t be said for a certain someone I live with! He unpacks his bag within 24 hours of getting home, I do admire that! If he knew where all my stuff went, I might be able to convince him to put them away for me!

It only took me 3 or 4 days to finally unpack, get all the laundry done, and put away after we got back from St Thomas. The bedroom is free from clutter, the baskets are all in their place and now…I can crawl into a freshly made bed and say…goodnight! Happy folding y’all!

{January 7, 2024} Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Maybe it should have stayed lost?

It wasn’t the worst movie, by far, and it wasn’t the best, by any means. It was ok, but you know it’s not great, in my opinion, when you start to wonder how much longer and looking at your watch.

Now…I’m a comic book fan, and I’m a superhero fan, and I’m a superhero movie fan, and I’m a D.C and Marvel girl, I won’t choose which one I like the best because they both have good and they both have bad, they both have characters, movies, and stories I like.

I loved the first Aquaman, I loved Aquaman in the Justice League movie, I just didn’t love the second movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, PSM and I agreed. I love most of the cast: Jason Momoa, especially in this role, he has a new costume for part of the journey…c’mon, seriously, poor PSM, his arm must be bruised, can’t help itI I love Nicole Kidman, she’s a bad arse in this role! I love Patrick Wilson, he plays a great bad guy, and in this movie, he was still a bad guy, power hungry, like in the first one, but he can fight, the banter between him and Aquaman/Arthur was great, quick witted barbs, brother stuff. I like Randall Park, one of the few D.C./Marvel crossover actors, one of 20 to be exact, out of the hundreds of actors, it’s a rare group to be a part of! Temuera Morrison, who doesn’t love Chief Tui from Moana!? Martin Short, I knew his voice the moment his character spoke! Dolph Lundgren, Drago from Rocky IV and Gunner from the Expendables! And lastly, John Rhys-Davies, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Princess Diaries 2, and Aquaman, just to name a few, that voice! An amazing cast! Oh, how could I forget Topo, the wicked, scary smaht octopus, who in the comics was his constant companion, but in the movie, his new-to-him, travel companion on the mission to find Orm, since he couldn’t have comms to speak with Atlantis, what an awesome cephalopod!

The story…opening wasn’t great, it was ok…seeing Aquaman as a husband and dad, but they were living at the lighthouse almost all the time? Cute with his son, Arthur Jr, awesome when you see they share some of the same gift when it comes to communicating with the fish, I thought there might be more of that…but more domesticity than action.

A lot of the movie felt like pieces were taken from other movies. I got Star Wars, AT-ATs, Jabba the Hutt, the fight scene between Luke and Darth, or the fight scene between Yoda and Dooku, or the fight scene between Darth and Obi Won, mostly because of the fight scenes with the tridents. The Mos Eisly Cantina, and one of my favoritest bands Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes ok, mostly Star Wars, oh, and Dr Who, sorry if you don’t agree, that’s what it felt like.

As always, there are great one-liners, the banter was spot on in quite a few places, some of the dialog was good, the back and forth between the brothers, it had its moments, you could definitely feel how Orm still hated his brother and loathed to be called little brother by Arthur, but they came together to fight for Atlatis and the world. The villain, Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, admittedly, I’ve only seen him in this a The Greatest Showman, but only remember him in Aquaman, he does play a really good villain and you know he’s a good villain when all you do is want someone to kill him! or hope he somehow kills himself! The graphics were amazing, the colors of Atlantis and other underwater worlds, give me more, please! How do I get there to see them?!

Don’t waste your time waiting for a post-credits scene that we’ve all come to expect, there is a small scene mid-credits, it won’t make or break your movie-going experience, it’s funny, but doesn’t give any insight to what might be coming next.

Apologies if this was harsh, I don’t know if was the movie or it just wasn’t the time to see it, but I have a feeling it was the movie. Although, I wasn’t crazy about Iron Man 3 and after I saw it a second time, I liked it a little more, still wasn’t my favorite, but it kind of grew on me a little more, even more when I saw how it tied into Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. So…will I run out to the theater and see it again, nope. Will I watch it when it comes out on video? Pretty sure. Right now? I’m going to watch the first Aquaman movie. Gimme a little more of that!

{January 5, 2024} Alright, alright, I’ll tell you where we spent the end of 2023 and rang in 2024!

The USVI! Yup, you heard right, that’s the United States Virgin Islands! Even threw in the BVI! British Virgin Islands. Not a bad way to spend the holidays and ring in the new year!

When we started planning our end of year trip, we thought about all the places we were interested in going. Two years ago it was Mexico, warm weather, beaches, mountains, sun, sand, and tequila, what could be better?! Last year, it was England, three weeks of adventure, tours, exploration, and family, that was pretty darn awesome! Are we alternating cold for warm, cold, warm, cold, warm? Hmmm…Actually the funny thing was last year it was warmer in the UK than it was in the states! Last year we were actually on target for Puerto Rico and a hurriane hit, we’ll get there one day. This year, we were close, distance-wise, we decided on the USVI.

If I tell you the week of December 18th was a tough one for concentrating, I have a feeling you might believe me! I had to teach a few classes that week and the fun fact I shared…going to the USVI! A few people gave me recommendations, but Thursday…it was tough! Best part of Thursday…actually Wednesday into Thursday…SDL and Miss A stopped by on their way to visit her folks for the holidays, how lucky was I?! I actually got to spend a bit of time with them last year, this was a great ending to the year!

We headed to Philly on Thursday evening, we were crashing at a hotel because for some reason, we thought a 541am flight was the way to go! There is definitely something wrong with us! ha ha. We found the parking lot, that was an adventure, grabbed an Uber to the hotel, got some dinner, so not worth it, but we were starving, showered, and set the alarm for 3am, UGH….they recommneded we get to the airport 2-3 hours before the flight, you know me, I’m a ‘by the skin of my teeth’ kind of flyer, but that’s when I’m solo, and it’s not right before Christmas. It’s a good thing we were there by 345a, the lines were crazy, but…we weren’t checking a bag, thank goodness, the line was ridonculous! Gotta love TSA pre-check! Board the flight, layover in Atlanta, grits for breakfast, yum! Next flight…there is an island in our future!

Both flights were uneventful, thankfully! We got a taxi to the hotel, this was the start of learning how things were going to go. Taxis are not inexpensive and…they charge per passenger, not per trip, interesting, no Uber or Lyft on the island, ok. The roads…well, keep your eyes open, and if you get motion sickness easily, um…might be better to be in the driver’s seat…the roads are not that wide, the speed limit seemed like a suggestion, and they drive on the left. There are signs everywhere ‘Keep Left’ done!

The room wasn’t quite ready so we went put our slippahs [flip-flops, sandals] on, and walked to the beach on the property. The sand was lovely and the water felt amaing. The first thing we always do is stand in the water and take pictures of our feet in the water. ahhhhh….

We had been traveling for a while, it was about 2p, time for sustenance…food and drink. We’re in the USVI, where some of the best rum comes from, what do you think the first thing PSM wanted was?! We went to Sangrias Beachside Bistro. Cover over head, sand on the ground, no walls, and a view of the beach, what more could you want?!

Food, that’s what we wanted, food and drink! PSM’s goal on this trip was to eat fish, fish, and more fish! PSM had ahi tuna nachos, and I had a tropical spinache salad, water for me, and a sangria for PSM, that was the name of the restaurant, after all! A delicious lunch and a few drinks later, we walked on the beach, talked to the concierge, and booked our first excursion, a catamaran for Sunday, talk about hitting the ground running!

By now, our room was ready, we hitched a ride on a golf cart up to the room, we had our luggage with us. That was the first time we hitched a ride and on our last day was the last day we hitched a ride, we walked the steps, the steps, the steps to get to our building and room! The room was charming, very beachy vibe. Seafoam colored accent walls, white walls and white exposed beams above, balcony overlooking the beach.

We stayed at the Elysian Beach Resort, it was a little away from things, a bit quieter, good location, not far from Red Hook, I’ll tell you about Red Hook and the next part of the trip in the next post. We got settled in, put our traveling clothes in the closet, we knew we wouldn’t need the long pants, long sleeves, and heavier outer layer until it was time to leave, ok with us! Unpacked, didn’t take much, a few pairs of shorts, tshirts, bathingsuits, and snorkel gear, done!

We walked around to check the resort out, sat on the beach for a bit, talked about where to go for dinner. Right onsite was a place people told us about for fish, the Caribbean Fish Market, not an inexpensive establishment! But could you beat the view?! We didn’t have the best bartender/server, that was a bummer. I know it was busy, but maybe acknowldge us, smile at us to welcome us, when PSM asks for a rum drink that’s not all sugary sweet, suggest something instead of tossing the drink menu at us? Maybe that’s asking too much.

Despite all that, we had a great time, we were together, we were on an island, the weather was perfecet, and we weren’t at work, that makes for a great time! We ordered a few appitizers: brussel sprouts, eggplant frites, and a flatbread with brie, pear, and arugula. Y U M! That flatbread lasted us two nights!

We talked, drank, started to relax, and just enjoyed each other’s company. We often talk about what a great life we have together and the life we’ve made, it’s not too shabby and we can’t think of anyone else we would rather spend it with. Sounds like a win-win!

After dinner we sat by the beach, it was probably about 20 feet from the restaurant, enjoyed the breeze, and the sea air that was kissing our skin. Again, not a bad life we have! Eventually, we decided to head back up to the room, up, up, up the stairs. I will see if I took pictures of all the steps to get from the room to the beach! We got our stpes in for the day for sure!

Back in the room, no plans tomorrow, we’ll think about it tomorrow! We’re on vacation!

And that friends, was day one of our USVI trip, not a bad way to start. I can’t wait to tell you more! But for now…going to say goodnight and crash! Coming back to reality…even a short week, feels like longer than a 5-day week! Aloha my friends! Happy Fri-yay!

{January 5, 2024} Last year this time…

I was dragging and gagging! The Thursday after New Years Eve 2023, I was on a train from Liverpool to London, checking into my hotel near the ExCel London Convention Center. I was going to RuPaul’s DragCon UK 2023!

Yes, you heard right, DragCon UK! I was going in London, I was between contracts, PSM said go! So…I went! Everyone who asked what my plans were while I was in the UK, I told them a bunch of stuff, then I said I was ending my trip at DragCon, they were gagged! If you’re a fan of drag, that’s a good thing!

So…Thursday before the convention started, I was on a train back from Liverpool, checked in, turns out…SO many of the queens were staying at the same hotel! I totally fan-girled! Sigh…but…had to keep my cool, I didn’t want to overdo it! I checked in, dropped my bags, then headed to the Prince Edward Theater in London, DragCon is at the ExcelLondon, down by the Royal Victoria Dock, about 20 minutes by tube, I was going to see Mary Poppins on stage! Or, as I called her as a child and still do…Mary Muffet!

The weekend was amazing! The entire trip was amazing, I need to tell you all about it, but not here, or not today, the post will be crazy long, but I will tell you about it, promise!

I’m going to leave you with a few teaser pics! Happy Thursday!

{January 2, 2024} Not the same view…sigh

What a travel day yesterday! We were up early, why, oh why, do we keep waking up early…on vacation?! I don’t think I slept past 6am any day while we were on vacation…some mornings my eyes opened at 3am and they stayed that way until I went to bed again the next night, and you know me…it’s never an early night! And you would think after swimming and snorkeling all day, I would be wiped out…nope, not me!

We were up early again yesterday, I set the alarm for 8am because check-out was 10am, didn’t matter, I was up before the sun, go figure. But…this did allow us to see some really pretty sunrises, that goes in the win column! So… up early, repacked my bag, figured out what could go on the plane and what could be checked, what we would take, and what we would leave behind. We decided to check our bags on the way home so we didn’t have to deal with them in the airport and on two flights, good decision on our part, go us!

Up early, repack, check out at 10am, head to airport about 1030am, we were supposed to be at the airport about 3 hours before our flight, we’re rocking and rolling. We were flying out at 3:28pm, so we were going to be there in plenty of time. Turns out…Delta does not open their ticket counter until 1115am, so we got to hang with other people who thought the same thing.

We met a nice mother and daughter from Charlotte and a woman from Philly and New Orleans, lots to talk about! One of the things I enjoy about meeting people is finding out where they are from, getting to know one another and compare notes. I got to talk to the woman from Charlotte about places that MM would take me, and the woman from Philly/NOLA, we talked food, museums, and Magazine Street. Time passed and we checked our bags…sort of.

I forgot this is what it is like in some airports…you check in at the desk, then you take your bag somewhere else. This somewhere else involved going through customs/border control…we were in a US Territory, but yup, that’s what they require, ok…PSM and I took our passports, just in case we needed them and it turns out, if you have one, it’s best to bring it with you, getting there, no need, but coming back, it would help, and it did! But…we finally got to use our Global Entry cards! Wah to the hoo! We bring them, but haven’t needed them! This time…we could only use the Global Entry [super fast and empty] line if we had the actual card. What? Score!

We got through customs, then took our bags to another place to put on the belt. Whew, gone! We needed the 3 hours, now I get it. Now…got into the airport, hurry up and wait! The whole process, from waiting for the desk to open to giving our bags took about hour, fun…

Turns out this post is more about our travels than what I woke up to! Ha ha, well, you’ve met me, start here, veer there…we got some lunch, PSM sat at the only table left in this cafe while I waited on line and ordered food. We thought being out of the airport and on the island was expensive! Veggie burger, regular burger, one order of fries, plantains, and two drinks: $52, yes, you heard that right! $52! Yes, airport food is expensive, but, come on…

We ate, loitered, took our time, finally finished and got up to give someone a chance at the table, the line for this place never really went down. Oh, I know you’ll be surprised at this, yeah right…happened to start talking with someone who is going to Hawai’i in March, I said we had lived there, she asked for some recommendations, and then gave me her email and I sent her a list for each island. Need a recommendation? Let me know.

We finally boarded our flight, uneventful, PSM shared his first class meal with me, love him! A few hours later, we were in Atlanta. We were hoping to go to the Delta club to enjoy and relax for the 4 hour layover, but…I haven’t needed the Delta Sky Club in a while, well, for about a year, and it turns out Delta changed their Sky Club policy and I am going to refrain from telling you what I thought and said under my breath. In order to go in the club, no matter what status you have, and if you are willing to pay the $50 to get in, you can ONLY get in if you have one of Delta’s AMEX cards…seriously? grrrr

Next flight, slept about 20 minutes, finished a docuseries and started a new one and we were back in Philly. Then to get our bags, call for a shuttle, get the car and head home. It was now 1am and it’s about 1.5 hours back to the house, fun! I started driving, we stopped for gas and I turned over the reigns or wheel to PSM, thankfully he slept on the second flight, he was good to go! The funniest thing…after getting gas, we got a cup of coffee and two snacks…$2.58! I could NOT stop laughing! After what we spent on food and drinks for almost 2 weeks, $2.58! LOVE it!

We got home at 3am, unloaded the car, put on jammies, and managed to crawl in bed about 330am. I was pretty much sleep walking at that point, but my pjs and the flannel sheets, I was good to go! I set the alarm for 745a since we didn’t have the dogs in the house and I could sleep in, ha ha! I slept until the alarm went off and it was glorious!

Then I looked out the window…not the same view or view I was expecting, as you can imagine. The sky was grey and overcast, no water view, sailboats, beach, fluffy clouds tinged with pink from the sunrise, so, as I said…sigh.

The sun came out a while later and all was right with the world. I will say our backyard, when the sun is coming up, the way it throws light across the trees and the barn, yes, I said barn, which I will explain another time, it’s lovely.

After waking up to the sea, salty air, sunshine, 80 degrees for almost two weeks, a little different, but good to be home and this afternoon, even more sunshine, we picked up the dogs from doggie camp, they smelled so good [they had been groomed]! and so happy to see us! What more could you want?!

That was a long way to get there. Ok, I’m done! Thanks JJ, I know you’re saying! Time to crash! Nighty nights!

{June 3, 2021} Our dogs have amazing hearing…selectively!

Yes, I said selectively! They crack us up, in case you couldn’t tell by some of the stories I have shared with you!

There are times they hear us and times they don’t, I don’t think they are different from any other dog. If it’s time for bed, Ruby sometimes pretends she doesn’t hear us, but Bee, well…there is a treat involved!

So…when I open the treat jars, Bee jumps up from a dead sleep! Ruby, she might look up, but she’s not as interested. Especially if we’re going out, or it’s bedtime and she’s not ready, and that means she has to go in to the crate. On the other hand, Ruby LOVES her walks, so…when she hears me open the Velcro on my sandals, she loses her mind! If it’s anywhere between about 415 and 5pm, which 5pm is their walk time, any time I move…are we going?!. I actually have to pick up my Chucks and carry them into the bedroom so I can put them on without her jumping on me!

Now…I know Ruby can hear my feet on the floor when I have my Chucks on, or almost any pair of shoes, and she thinks it’s walk time! But…if I walk towards the garage with shoes on, they are both on my heels like the world is gonna end! They think I’m heading for the car and we are going for a drive! HA HA

PSM said they never do that when he goes to the garage, I reminded him, most of the time when he leaves, he leaves through the back door and through the backyard fence, for me, my car is in the garage, that automatically signals car ride! Ruby is up for it, I think I told you, Bee isn’t a fan of going for drives, but she doesn’t want to be left behind more! What motivation!

When we get back from being out, they hear the garage door or the kitchen door and they perk their heads up, we have to tell them that we’ll be there in a minute, we might have to put some things down or away and then those tails start wagging and banging against the crate. We are super quiet when we leave for yoga at 530am, we know they can hear us, we hear them stirring! Ya can’t get past them!

So many times our dogs do something that cracks us up, makes us go hmmm or just plain tickles us. We love those goofballs!

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