What I love! | Peaches Prattlings

{May 9, 2015} A triple date

Tonight, I went on a triple date, it was fun.

Question…there are dates, that’s with two people, then there are double dates, that’s with two couples, after that, are they called triple dates or are they just dinner with friends. Things that make you go hmmm…

About two weeks ago, PSM forwarded me an email from his sister-in-law, JM, about going to dinner with them and another couple A&J T. Of course, I would love it! GES and ACS had a prior engagement or they would have joined us, but as I like to say, there’s always a next time.,

PMS picked me up on the bike and we went to Season’s 52: Fresh Grill, a nice restaurant with a nice atmosphere and ambiance, we were in a round booth in the back of the restaurant. PMS, his brother SM are first cousins with JT and it’s nice that they all get together and it was nice to be included. The cool part was that S&JM’s son J babysat for A&JT, so convenient!

The food was good, they had those dessert samplers in the cups, perfectly portioned for tasting.The conversation was great, there were lots of stories and laughter, catching up and good times all around.

It’s nice to go out with other couples, when you’re part of a couple. It’s something different, a chance to catch up with friends, or in this case, family, a chance to laugh and relax and just have a good time and that’s what we did, we had a good time.

Does it get too crowded if its more than three or four couples? I think its just the right amount to still be intimate, more people and its a gathering and not as cozy. So, when’s the next one?

https://www.seasons52.com/

{May 6, 2015} Some days I want to be Tony Stark

There, I said it, some days I want to be Tony Stark.

It’s not every day, but there are days…c’mon face it, he’s good looking, uber rich, uber smart and has some of the best toys known to humankind, right?

Boy genius, can build almost anything, has the means to do it and won’t stop until he accomplishes his goal, some times at great cost, but he really doesn’t care about much, aside from himself, so what does it matter, to him anyway. Well, he does care about Pepper Potts, she’s his kryptonite, so to speak, the only ‘thing’ he truly cares and worries about.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are times I would love to be each of the Avengers, one at a time of course, they each have amazing qualities and just think of all the good in the world I could do. But still, you have to agree…Tony Stark is bitchin’!

I took one of those dorky quizzes on FaceBook and guess who I got!

You’re part leader, part rogue. You value those around you, but if you’re convinced you’re right, you don’t care what anyone else thinks.

{May 3, 2015} Another fabulous day! Am I lucky? You bet your bippie!

Another fabulous day, awesome!

I have to tell you what I forgot yesterday, one of the best things and the perfect way to end the day. I got to the house just before GES and ACS, after they got home, I went in and right after GES, I went to EJS’ room and kissed her cheek while she was sleeping and then I went to MGS’ room and kissed her little cheek, SO cute and sweet while they sleep! Then chatting with GES a bit, talking to you then sleep…now that’s the perfect end to a day!

Today I woke up too early, it was after 7am, but still too early! About 8am, I had a visitor in the form of a very ticklish MGS, we giggled and laughed and tickled and jumped for about 30 minutes and then like a flash she was gone! Relaxed a few more minutes, then got up and took a shower, my hair felt waayyyy better!

Got dressed, checked on the laundry, saw AS & JS, who were there to hang out and pressure wash the deck, bonus! PSM showed up on his Yamaha, inspiring me a little further to get another bike…I miss Thing2! It’s coming soon! Then we all went to town to watch the Softball Opening Day parade starring EJS and ACS! Very cool! Then at the park we listened to the opening day ceremony, saw the first pitch, then PSM and I took off for brunch at Petit Robert Bistro, http://prbneedham.com/, c’est manifique!

The restaurant was charming, the food was good, the company was terrific and all I want now is to go to Paris, sigh.

After the restaurant, we headed back to the house, after a stop at CVS for some supplies for the week and as we all know, I am easily amused and excited on occasion, today, I found a travel size of the lotion I use, I haven’t found it in a smaller size, I usually have to take the giant tub, so wahoo me!

Back at the house, everyone was there, including JS and AS, who didn’t even know they were coming back! We went upstairs to see what was going on with the movies on my hard drive, finally fixed some of the issues, wahoo! Then we went outside and climbed into the hammock to hang out for a while, that was great!

About 5pm, GES, ACS and the girls went to dinner with the family/friends across the street and since my taxi was coming at 7, PSM and I hopped in Annie, dropped the top and headed out and on ACS’ recommendation, went to The Walnut Grill, http://www.walnutgrille.com/. It was terrific! We shared a cup of butternut squash soup, a salad, a VEGAN pizza and dessert. YUM! We will definitely be going back!

After dinner, headed back to the house and the taxi was waiting, perfect! Collected my stuff, headed to the airport and went right through security, I LOVE traveling without luggage! They changed the gate without changing the signs, luckily I got up to ask a question!

The worst part about today was my allergies killing me, but…I found my wonderful herbal allergy medication online, on the way to the airport, I am going to pick some up tomorrow. Props to PSM for the suggestion.

Got to Buffalo, picked up the car, got to the hotel and the guy at the desk recognized me, that was a nice feeling.

So…another great, wouldn’t you agree?

{May 2, 2015} What a day! A great day!

Today started early in Buffalo and ended late in Boston.

I got up, got showered and ready, headed downstairs for some breakfast, back to the room to brush my teeth and finish packing, thinking my flight was at 9:25, it was at 9:11am! Thank goodness PSM happened to ask what time my flight was, at 8:25am! Not to worry, I filled up the car last night and I wasn’t checking any bags and…the airport was across the street from the hotel!

I headed down, gave them my bag and some groceries to hold for me and off to the airport I went, dropped off the rental car and walked through security and to the gate. It was really nice not having to check luggage! Such a treat. I got to the gate, boarded about 8:50, we took off soon after and as I had no seat mate, stretched out my legs, read a little, played some games, watched the end of a movie and we were on the ground.

No need to stop at baggage claim, right to the taxi and away we went. I pulled up just as GES and the girls were getting home from karate. We hugged and spun, caught up and made a decision to get sandwiches and have a picnic on the lawn. While GES and EJS were off somewhere, MGS said “let’s surprise mommy and clean the basement!” Where did that come from? Sounds great, she will be so pleased! So off to the basement we went.

A little while after we finished they came home and we set up a picnic on the front lawn, it was great. The sun was shining and warm on our faces, which hasn’t been happening for a while. Some of the neighbors came over, EJS went to another neighbors house, some of the kids rode bicycles while the parents watched. Yes, it is that kind of neighborhood. And at some point, I went in and made popcorn to snack on, good thing, I was hungry!

It felt so good to be out there with the sun shining, good food and good friends, what more could you ask for!

We all headed inside eventually, then headed upstairs to get ready GES and ACS were going to a fundraiser at their temple and I headed out to meet PSM and his friend JP for dinner and a movie. But the best part…I got to pull Annie out of the garage, drop the top and drive! MGS watched me put the top down and shouted “That is so cool!”

We were going to eat at the pub, but the wait was about 30 minutes, while the Japanese restaurant next door, no wait, guess who won! After a yummy dinner, we headed to the movies to see The Avengers: Age of Ultron, review coming later. After the movie, we went to JP Licks, an ice cream place. Since I don’t eat ice cream, I got a sugar cone filled with sprinkles and some teeny peanut butter cups. It may not have been ice cream, but at least Ii felt like I was participating!

Then it was time to drive home, I hung out across the street for a bit with MF and OF and their friend T in front of their fire pit, it was the perfect end to the perfect day.

I hope your day was just as fabulous!

{May 1, 2015} A great day

The day started way too early, but it ended up quite nicely, as the pictures should prove.

Today was Go-Live for the application that I have been training on here in Buffalo. The morning was crisp and cool at 5:30am when I left the hotel, I got to the hospital where I will be in the command center supporting the end users for the next week and settled in. I wasn’t expecting to leave the site until 4pm when my shift ended, but I got a request to go to another site and when I did, wow.

Look at the sky, isn’t it magnificent? Look at those clouds, they are like something out of a painting in a museum…a Monet…a Manet…Hockney…definitely Magritte…not quite Van Gogh, but oh, the wonder, the beauty, the splendor, is Mother Nature an amazing artist herself?

It was hard not to look at the sky while I was driving, it made me long for my convertible, I can’t wait to take her for a spin tomorrow! How can you not smile and feel your heart fill with joy at the wonder of the universe!

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed witnessing it first hand!

{April 27, 2015} A great beach memento

I love the beach, I don’t know if I told you that, but I LOVE the beach. There, I said it and I’m proud of it!

One of the things I love about going to the beach is bringing a bit of the beach back with me. Sometimes it’s in a bag, sometimes in a vial, sometimes in a magnet and sometimes, inadvertently, it’s in my shoes. It’s always fun to try to remember where I was the last time I wore those shoes, especially when I get to my new location and the sand falls out!

As you’ve probably figured out, I was on vacation this past week. I will be telling you all about it in the next few days, I didn’t follow my own advice and write down what I did every day, so I am going back and thinking about it and writing it all down. Now, the fun part about that is I am going through the photos from each day to remember, great way to re-live the trip right after. You are going to need a nap and a cup of caffeine for that one, I can promise you!

So…as I said, I love the beach and bringing back a little bit with me. I have a nice collection of sand from around the globe, thanks to me hopefully remembering to collect some and my fabulous friends who I ask to bring me some sand from their trips to a beach locale. I saw a great idea by Martha Stewart to put the sand in old glass medicine bottles with those great glass stoppers, maybe I’ll use cork if it works out better, and then use a typewriter setting to write where it’s from and who gave it to me on a piece of paper on the bottle. Doesn’t that sound awesome?!

Well, this trip I found something that was absolutely perfect! I was in one of the gift shops and saw a bracelet to fill with sand and dad got it for me, thanks daddy! Then later I ended up getting an ankle bracelet to fill as well! A wonderful set! I filled them with sand and tonight, when I got home, I put a little Gorilla Glue in each end to ensure I don’t lose any of the sand! I am so excited to wear my little piece of beach when I am out and about! Why don’t more places think of this?

{April 25, 2015} Coming home

Coming home from a vacation, especially a really good one is tough!

First, you have the anticipation and buildup of going on vacation. Then you have vacation brain, about 2 days, maybe even more, at work before you are going on vacation. You know vacation brain, when you can’t do your job or function like a normal person because you are already in vacation mode. Then there is the excitement of getting there, then you’re there and where do you start and what do you do next?

Then you relax…ahhh…you have seven or eight days to relax, if you’re going somewhere beach related or themed, maybe you have seven or eight or more days to explore and see and do, like I did in Ireland a few months ago, I didn’t want to sit around and do nothing, I wanted to go and do and see, although, there were a few places I could have seen staying more than one night and exploring.

Then there is the wind down, it’s the last three, two, days of the trip and you’re packing, where did the time go. Then you’re ready to head back to life, back to reality [no, not singing], you realize it has been long enough, or possibly not long enough, as the case may be, but it’s time to get back to whatever it is you do in between vacations. You pack and get ready to head to the airport.

At the airport, you reminisce about the trip, talk about what a great time you had together, if you were with other people, then you might talk about the next trip you want to take, maybe even together. You get home and settle in, unpack and do laundry, because it’s early enough you don’t want to do it tomorrow. Then…you are so beat, it’s time for bed.

The next day, you are kind of lost, if you went with your immediate family, you are still together, but the grandparents and aunts and uncles aren’t there, they aren’t next door to run into their rooms or down the hall to run back and forth, play hide and seek, tag, hot and cold. It’s the same when you travel with friends or neighbors, it feels weird. You go through withdraws for those people, you just spent seven or eight days together day and night and now they’re not there…where did they go?

So, if it’s family and/or friends, you make plans to see each other soon and if it’s neighbors, walk down the street to say hello! Make a dinner date so you can see each other, maybe look at photos together!

Of course, when you get back to work, everyone wants to know how the trip was, did you have a fabulous time, let’s see pictures! That puts you into a happy mood, reliving the trip. Of course, you joke about wishing someone was there to bring you your morning coffee and to make your bed every day. You’re joking, sort of…

You get back into your routine and then in a few months, you start the process over. Sounds pretty good to me. Although…how do you turn all of that into a money maker?

{April 22, 2015} Rain, rain go away…

You have to make the best of a bad situation.

I promise, I’m not going to give you a bunch of sayings like “when life gives you lemons…”

so, when you’re at the beach or on an island resort and you wake up and the sun is not shining and the sky is foggy and very grey and you can see the storm clouds roll in, what do you do? Pout because you can’t go to pool or the beach?

Nope, you change direction and plans and make it a new exciting day. First,
you watch the storm roll in and marvel at the wonder of Mother Nature, the lightening, the thunder, the rain going sideways.

Next you check the weather to see what the storm is doing and you see things that might make you nervous.

Next, you make other plans in the assumption that the pool or beach may not happen and you have a great time!

Eventually the rain stops, you go outside and enjoy your new adventure!

{April 19, 2015} Ah…The wonder of playing in the water

I don’t know about you, but I love water, just about everything to do with water.

Now, when it comes to water playgrounds and water features and slides, my nieces are champs at them! They absolutely la la la love playing in the water, try getting them out of a fun bath time!

But put them in a kids pool with a water feature and slide and they are in heaven! They know where they are going, what they want to do and are so excited after they try something new and love it. At first, they are trepidatious, but once they do it, they know it and want to do it over and over and over and over and sometimes you are required to go with them and try it and some times, you just have to watch so they can show you how awesome they are at it!

Today, we went on a rapid river tube ride that I have been on many times and it’s not too rough, so we thought the girls could go with us. PSM and I got in one double tube and GES and EJS got into another and away we went. We, of course, had a blast and EJS, who we were concerned about, LOVED it! “Again! Again!” Should we see if ACS and MGS want to do this? We came around the bend and who did we see? ACS and MGS getting into a tube!

Did they have fun? You bet your bippy! Just before the rapids, MGS got into my tube and the boys went on their own and she had the best time! So good that when we got to the end…”Again! Again!” And again we went!

Those girls have so much fun and it’s such a fabulous thing to see and watch and experience and enjoy and I am so privileged that I get to share the experience with them!

{April 18, 2015} When people get loopy…

The jokes keep coming and coming and coming and quite possibly, they may get worse, but do you care? No! And why not? Because you encourage them and participate!

Tonight, the family was at a seafood restaurant we had conch fritters and PSM had grilled conch. All of a sudden dad says something using the word conch, then ACS says something and it goes downhill from there.

“I used to play a video game, Donkey Conch”

“Truth or Conchequences”

“There was that movie about the big ape, King Conch”

I am now sitting here realizing I can’t remember a single other conch parody and we were going on for a long time. I have to admit, that while there were a few that were totally dorky and a stretch, the majority of them were conghtagious! [see…a stretch!]

So, help me out, give me a few new ones!

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