What I love! | Peaches Prattlings

{December 1, 2015} They say opposites attract…

Boy do they ever! How have we made it this long?

No sense of smell and I smell EVERY-thing! [I have to admit, on occasion, I’m jealous]

Can’t hear and I can hear a pin drop! Taste buds are gone, what good is he for letting me know if something is too spicy?

He LOVES spicy, loves spicy to make him cry, I like to have the ability to taste my food.

He’s a southpaw and I’m a righty.

He likes the woods for hikes, I prefer the beach for…beaching.

I’m a cat person and he’s…allergic.

And the worst thing? I’m a Yankee and he’s a Red Sox fan, what is the world coming to?

But…we’ve been together for almost a year and it seems to be working. Will it last? Ask me in 40 or 50 years, I’ll give you an update.

opposites-attract

{December 1, 2015} I’m in Hawaii, what?

I was in Europe three weeks ago and now I’m in Hawaii? How does that happen? Well, I’ll tell ya…

I couldn’t say anything before, it was very hush-hush, but PSM was looking to shake things up a bit and one of the things he did was interview for new opportunities within his company.

And then we waited.

And we waited.

We got tired of waiting and ran away to Europe. And here’s where the cool part comes in.

It was our first day in Marseille and we were on the Il d’If, the prison I was telling you about that the Count of Monte Cristo was based on. We were in someone’s prison cell when he got the call. Cool, huh? I thought so.

Good thing it was a large prison cell, I had to walk around it for the next twenty minutes while he talked to his new boss! I took a lot of pictures from the same window, great view!

“But, JJ, you still haven’t told us why you’re in Hawaii.” I’m getting to that dear friends. The new position, if you haven’t followed my chaotic train of thought is…in, yup, you guessed it, Hawaii!

It has been a whirlwind! I couldn’t tell you before because I had to tell my family first and I couldn’t tell them until he told his family first and then his first cousin’s wife, AT was waiting so patiently for my sister to find out so she could say something! It was like a sitcom!

Now, I’ve told my immediate family, first reactions were: Dad “I knew that when JJ said PSM was going to Hawaii, she was going with him”, GES “April break, auntie’s house!”. ACS “oh yeah!” then I’ve told some friends and I’m working on telling the world. For PSM, it’s a quick phone call to friends and family, maybe a 15/20 minute call, max. For me…1-2 hours! My mouth went dry!

The plan is that PSM will move in January, he starts work mid-January and I will join him when my lease is up, around August/September. Until then, I will do what I can to visit him as often as possible, hopefully once a month, if not every two months. If I can get a job on the west coast, then it will be a lot easier to come on the weekends.

I have to tell you, it was easier getting here than I thought. PSM got a flight yesterday morning, very early as his girlfriend got him to the airport at 4am, what a girlfriend he has! He flew through Texas and got to Hawaii about 2pm yesterday. I flew out at 6pm, after a fabulous time at the Nutcracker with the family, got to LA about 9:30, got a room for the night and was back at the airport for my 8:30am flight, 10 hour layover and then to Hawaii and I got in about 12:15pm.

I have to admit, I think I liked the way I did it, especially if there were kids involved, fly 5/6 hours spend the night in a bed getting decent rest, then fly 5/6 hours the next morning, get in relatively early and have the entire day ahead of you. On the way back, I am flying through LA again, but with a one hour layover, we’ll see how I feel!

So, the reason I am in Hawaii with PSM…he is here looking for a place to live and I was hoping to, based on my schedule, join him so we could look and make decisions together and much to our surprise, things worked out and here I am!

It was a crazy day. I landed, PSM picked me up, we went to the hotel, dropped bags, went out for a bite to eat, then met the agent taking us around about 2pm, looked at about 6 or 7 properties. A few apartments, some houses, some town houses. We went in a few and others, we checked out the neighborhood to decide whether or not we wanted to even go inside.

The last house we looked at, from outside was in a great neighborhood, on a hill, overlooking the island and the farm PSM will be working with and met the neighbors, great people who we ended up talking to for TWO hours! The sun went down!!! It was a very long day, some of the houses started to blend in with each other, but I think we picked the one we want and fingers crossed it’s available!

We are on the island of Oahu, for those of you with inquiring minds. And now you know why I am in Hawaii! Looking for a place to live, can you believe it?

Yes, we’ll have a guest room, all ready for your visit!

{November 30, 2015} A very long standing family tradition continues…The Nutcracker

Today, the family went to see The Nutcracker Ballet at the Boston Opera House.

This is a tradition my parents started when GES and I were little kids. Every Christmas Eve we would all go into Manhatten and go to Lincoln Center and watch the City Ballet Company performance of The Nutcracker.

We would get dressed up, just like little girls do, get to our seats, settle in and wait for the the dings signaling that the lights were about to go out and the curtain go up.

It’s a little different as now, there are announcements instructing the audience to turn off their cellphones.

The lights go down and we sit on the edge of our seats waiting with anticipation…and then the conductor comes out to applause and the first note is played for the opening overture.

We are transported to a different time and place, not sure where, we were wondering that today, maybe Austria who knows, it’s timeless. We see Clara and her brother Fritz waiting for the party guests to arrive.

We did this every year for, we’ll, forever, it seemed, until we left NYC for other parts of the country and now, my sister had picked up where we left off and is making new memories with her children.

Last year was the first year I was able to go with them as that was my first time in Boston for Thanksgiving in a very long time.

I’ve been to and seen different performances over the years, NYC, as you know, Atlanta with my grandmother, once in an imax theater, on TV and now Boston.

I have to say that my favorite is still the NY City Company, is hard when that’s what you know and you’re used to, but I did enjoy the performance today. I was able to look at it as the ballet that was presented, some things felt different and some felt like they were missing, but it was still quite enjoyable and fun and my nieces enjoyed it and that’s all that really matters.

They were so well behaved, it was a pleasure to be with them. I have to say they outshone a lot of other kids!

We all had a wonderful time and another tradition is going strong and I how to be there for many more.

{November 28, 2015} A fine Chanukah party

Today my family and I were invited to a special event.

PSM hosts a Chanukah party every year for his family. It’s a tradition that has been going on for years.

PSM orders a lot of food, I mean a lot! There are platters of bagels, lox, cream cheeses, cheeses and crackers, a whole whitefish, egg salad, tuna salad, whitefish salad, a salad/salad, a kiegel, two quiches and I made a blintz souffle. We had platters of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and capers, all the things that go with bagels, cream cheese and lox. And of course…potato latkes with applesauce or sour cream

Then there were desserts…cookies, cakes and pies, how could you go wrong?

It was PSM, his brother’s family, aunts and uncles, their kids and their kids kids, cousins and then there was us, and PSM’s best friend from college and his family. 39 people total. That’s a good sized crowd, wouldn’t you say?

So, there was food, then lighting the menorah, then presents for the kids. The nice thing is that only the kids get presents because all the adults make a donation to the charity of the year. Each year a different family member selects a charity. One of his aunts even gives each adult a check made out to the charity in their name.

This year, I got a check!! Along with a desk calendar like all the other “kids”. I guess I’m now part of the family.

It really was a nice party, a good time with good food, family and friends and I’m touched that we got to share in the day and experience, thank you PSM.

{November 25, 2015} That was too cool!

This morning, I went to breakfast with my dad and we had a grand time.

We caught up, on work, life, stuff. We shared stories, laughed, got serious…yeah right, laughed, it was a lot of fun.

Then we started talking about the trip PSM and I just took and our stories started to overlap a little, he was just on a river cruise that took them to Budapest, some of the same places that we were when we were there. He even had photos of the same things I did, what are the odds? I guess pretty good since we were in the same place!

We had similar experiences and then we started swapping stories and as he’s looking at my photos he’s exclaiming “I took that picture too!” that happened over and over again! It was a very cool experience to have, I enjoyed every minute of it.

We started talking about some trips we would like to take together, I know it would be a blast, we have similar styles with the way we travel and look at things, I’m ready, where are we going?

pest

{November 19, 2015} The end is always bittersweet

Another project has come to an end. Boo.

Some projects go on too long, some too short, some end with notice, others close the doors. Every one is different.

My latest project was supposed to go thru mid January and a few weeks ago we got word that the project is ending sooner than later. At least this time we have the opportunity to say goodbye to each other.

It’s hard when you don’t get to say goodbye, when it ends abruptly, everyone is just gone.

This project at least allowed me a proper send off. We got to say thank you, from JO, we for mugs and key chains. How sweet was that?

I’ve been on quite a roll at my company. Theree have been good times and bad, laughs and some tears. But overall it’s been a great experience.

And now, I say goodbye again, who knows where this path that I’m on will lead.

Another great adventure!

{November 18, 2015} It’s good to be back

I’m back to blogging every day and it feels great.

For almost three years I have been blogging every day and it’s become a habit and a way of life. If I don’t blog, I feel weird. I’ve even woken up in the middle of the night realizing I didn’t post! I’ve also woken up mid blog, sometimes with my stylus in my hand, poised to write!

I know I told you, but I’m sure you can imagine how frustrated I was when we were traveling and I couldn’t post every day. I did get a post almost every day, but those few days were…grrrr.

Now I’m back and I’ve posted every day and it feels great. To be normal…so to speak. I still have the issues of writers block, if I am allowed to say that, some days I can’t think of anything to tell you and other days I can’t tell you enough!

I have told you before, I’ll say it again and I know it won’t be the last time…thank you for reading my posts, day after day, and caring about what I have to say.

Happy to be back! Here’s to the next three years! Wait, it’s not January yet! Until tomorrow…

{November 17, 2015} For the first time, I’m ok Christmas is early!

Tonight we checked into the Hyatt Regency Buffalo and Christmas is in full swing.

At first, I was thinking, like everyone else…it’s not even Thanksgiving! Of course, the Christmas/Holiday movies have started and don’t the mushpots out there love it? Yes, we do! But I digress…

It is a Festival of Trees, A Multi-Event Benefit for Women & Children’s Hospital and it is fabulous! http://www.festivaloftreesbuffalo.com/. This is the 38th annual event and to date, they have raised over $6.5 MMMMMILLION dollars, amazing!

Designers volunteer to design trees, wreathes, tables. There are some items that already have prices and others are up for auction. Such a worthy cause and ARA and I were completely blown away!

We even ran to our rooms to grab our credit cards and do a little shopping! I’m so excited! I can’t tell you what I got, but they gave us a bunch of sparkly snowflakes in different colors, because we bought some items and helped in a little way. It was so worth it!

There are Nutcrackers taller than EJS! There are presents, wreaths, trees, oh the trees!

Themes, like Nightmare Before Christmas, Disney, Peanuts, Inside Out. Clever trees that look like dresses.

If you are going to be in the Buffalo area over the next month, especially this weekend, stop by the Hyatt Regency in Buffalo and check out this amazing event and the trees, the trees, oh the trees!!!

{November 15, 2015} Ouch! It was H O T!!!

Today I burned my tongue and throat, but good!

We went out for a really good meal. I had a fried eggplant sandwich, a very tasty treat, but hot as hades!!! It was very juicy, pretty sure it was the juice from the eggplant, not the grease from frying.

I cut the sandwich in half, looked good. I knew it was hot, but, oh my! I took the first bite and the juice that squired out from the eggplant scorched my tongue and my throat! The look on my face said it all! Within the seconds the server came over and I asked for some ice, she was back post haste and I sat there sucking on an ice cube, ahhhh.

I didn’t stop eating, I was hungry and it was good, but I proceeded very, very slowly…

Let’s just say, I am still hurting! My tongu!

{November 13, 2015} Drinks after work

Tonight, I went out for drinks after work.

But…not with my co-workers. I got to join PSM and his colleagues and friends for drinks after work to celebrate to celebrate a 4oth birthday.

I don’t know of you remember me telling you about the wedding we went to for one of PSMs coworkers, PV, it was a celebration for him.

First, I met him at his office and I got a tour and met a bunch of people, then we walked to Abigail’s, a nice restaurant/bar, for drinks. There were four of us for a while and we had drinks and some starters and then more people showed including PV’s wife. We ordered more drinks and eventually food. I had a really good sweet potato and kale burger, wow! And I wasnt the only one either!

We ate, drank, told stories, laughed and had a great time. His coworkers are funny and og course , when they started talking technical, my eyes glazed over! But it was still a lot of fun.

I’m glad I was invited and I’m glad I went.

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?