What I love! | Peaches Prattlings

{March 8, 2015} End with the Theater…as promised!

Oh brother was I tired last night! A 12 hour day can do that to a person!

Let me tell you how tired I was…I slept until almost 10am! Yes, me…the girl who doesn’t sleep, slept until almost 10am! It was awesome and now I am caught up for the month!

We saw…BOOK OF MORMON! OMG! SO FUNNY!

So…after the museum, we drove down town to the theater district, parked and walked around for about 1.5/2 hours, it was great. The sights, the sounds, the smells of New York City and Times Square and all of it, I was at peace, I love this city! No other like it in the world! And I love that I was with my dad!

We stopped in a Pret a Manger for a bite to eat, lunch had finally worn off and I didn’t want my tummy grumbling during the performance! Then it was time to go, we walked to the theater, found our seats and settled in to have a good time. If there was a little more leg room between the seat and the railing, it would have been better. I’m short, just imagine what it was like for my dad!

The show is so funny! The high level overview? Two young wide eyed missionaries, one “the perfect elder” the other…”the perfect screw up” well, that’s what his parents seem to think, who are paired up and sent to a remote village in northern Uganda. There are several missionaries there already, no converts and the village is terrorized by a warlord, can’t tell you his name, not PG, and the villagers are more worried about disease, torture and death than the lord. The less than perfect elder has a breakthrough with the villagers and presto-chango…new congregants.

Let’s just say the less than perfect elder, who has not quite read the Book of Mormon tells them his own version, so to speak. This one has Yoda, some hobbits, Darth Vadar, BobaFet, just saying. Do you get the picture?

There is singing, dancing, hilarity, flashy sequined numbers, from simple vests to an entire underworld red sequined extravaganza! There are lessons to be learned, friendships to be made, humility to be experienced, warlords to be defeated, body parts to be saved.

The important thing to remember, this show was created by the guys who brought you South Park, very tongue in cheek, poke fun at religion, among so many other things! If you are a very religious person or offended by bad language this show is not for you. But…if you have a good sense of humor and can take things in the spirit they were written, go see this show!

Thanks daddy, I had the best time!

Enjoy the opening number: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzS5rUEsy3M&list=PLF4A9BACDC3B1E6E3

http://bookofmormonbroadway.com/show

{March 7, 2015} Start with the Museum…End with the Theater…What a day!

I am a spoiled daddy’s girl and I love it!

Having a moment…did I mention, last night, that I am in NYC visiting my dad for the weekend? Well, I am and it’s been fabulous so far! I got in late last night, as I told you and then we stayed up until about 12:30 talking, it was great.

This morning I got a text way too early, as I had forgotten to turn off the volume, a mistake I will not be making this evening. So, no worries on getting up early, I’m getting used to it for teaching class, so it’s all good.

Dad and I talked for a good long while, got some breakfast, played on our pc’s, got ready and headed into Manhattan to have some fun! We drove in and parked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, headed in, but first, had to stop at the main entrance, go outside and get a knish! Mmmm…and for those of you not in the know, a knish is dough filled with goodness and often fried. Trust me, y u m! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knish

After sneaking the knish in, we sat down to munch on it and then headed into the museum for some culture. We started with some amazing Chinese calligraphy and images, I need to show you some of the amazing work my dad has done, in this medium! He really is gifted and I love when I get an original piece, sometimes he even writes letters on the back and mails it, how cool is that?

Aren’t these beautiful? He gets inspired looking at them, I love to see it and talk to him about what he’s going to create, it’s fun to see.

Then there were the Impressionists, which I love! Degas’ Dancer was there! I hadn’t seen it in years, since I was at Musee D’Orsey in Paris about 7 years ago! What a treat! I walk into this area, see Manet, Monet, Seurat, Pissaro and so many more and I feel a huge sense of calm and happiness wash over me, I am at peace and well, happy.

Somewhere in there, we have a sit down and some lunch, which was very nice, my view was of the park outside of the museum covered in snow, people out there walking around, it was about 30 degrees, a heat wave!

I have to tell you, I love going to the museum with my dad more than anyone. I enjoy going with others, but there is nothing like going with my dad. We have similar tastes and reactions, we sometimes both look at something and wonder “What?” “Really?” And we laugh at a lot of the same things, I absolutely love it!

After lunch, we went to one of my favorite areas, the Lila Acheson wing, where they keep the modern art. There are some pieces I adore and some I scratch my head, well I should say we scratch our heads.

There was the Lichtenstein and the Close and the Rauschenberg and the Stella and the…and the… I was happy.

Now, when I said we like to have fun…Take a look at this this one, I made my dad stare into it and I whispered “I want a pony, I want a pony”

Eventually, it was time to go and folks…this is where I sign off because I am one tired puppy and I need to get some sleep! I will tell you all about the theater tomorrow!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!

{March 5, 2015} I’m on a runners high!

And I didn’t even run anywhere! But I did walk 17, 441 steps! Let me tell you how!

Today, I taught my first class on my new project and it was awesome! I got here last Monday and hit the ground running. Monday we did orientation, meet the other trainers, get the lay of the land, even started working on updates or talking points to some documentation.

Tuesday we did T3 or Train The Trainer. For those of you not “in the know” that is where someone trains the trainer, me, on the application. Depending on the size of the project, number of people to be trained, material covered, length of class times, a lot of factors, will determine how long T3 lasts. Well, we started last Tuesday and I taught my first class today!

During T3, we will watch a full class being presented and then over the next few days, the trainers will take turns doing teach backs, where they present to the instructors, to get a feel for the application and what they will be training and it gives the people running T3 an insight into the trainers strengths, weaknesses, how they will do in front of the class.

We started T3s on Wednesday, I was the second person to do a teach back and since I have more experience than the majority of the trainers on the team, I stayed to help them with their teach backs, go through the material, get comfortable in front of a class, some of them have never taught before. I had a lot of fun doing it and one of the reasons I enjoyed it is that when I am helping them, I am also reinforcing my knowledge of the product, so a win-win!

The first time you do a teach back on a new application is always the toughest, it’s new, unfamiliar territory and you want to get it right. After that, you’re golden. I have been practicing and I have been ready to go for a few days and today was the day. I was going to sit in on another trainer’s classes and be the co-teach and help her if she needed it, which she did not, just so you know! I was also there for moral support, which is always a good thing, I like think. It also helped reinforce things for when I was going to teach.

I’m always a little nervous when I teach my first full class, but I am good enough that you would never know it! Fooled you all! muwahaha! It was time for my first class and I jumped right in and I told some bad jokes, got people comfortable and got started and I made the 1.5 hour fly by, at least I think and hope I did! Everyone seemed to learn a lot and have a good time, which is a great thing!

I was done with the second class and I was over the moon! I barely even look at my notes during the second class, that felt great! I walked around, looked at what everyone was doing, guided them to where they needed to be and taught two very successful classes, I am so very happy to say!

Now, back to my 17k steps! How did I do that, you might ask…well I’ll tell you. It starts with getting up at 5:30am, getting ready for work, heading out the door and then proctoring two classes that you never sit for, walk around to get the keys for the classrooms, never sit while you teach, then do 3.1 miles on the treadmill!

And now, my friends, I think I just hit the preverbal wall, I am going to say goodnight and pleasant dreams! I have to do it all again tomorrow!

{March 4, 2015} Please…Not another late night meal!

Every project is different, structure, hours, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

{February 28, 2015} Challenge issued…accepted…accomplished

Today I faced a new challenge, accepted it and accomplished it…with lots of help and encouragement.

I don’t know if you remember me telling about not having skied for almost 20 years before I moved to Colorado. GES and I skied as kids, for me all the way through college and the year after while I was still living at home and then I moved to Georgia and no skiing for me, the wasband wasn’t a skier and I never really thought about going to North Carolina to ski, so it didn’t happen, while GES continued skiing and eventually had time in a ski house in Killington, VT, where she met ACS, so perfection there!

One of the reasons I was so excited to move to Colorado almost two years ago was the opportunity to go skiing again. I know I’ve told you some of the stories. The first time I went to ski, the entire way up in the gondola at Keystone, I kept thinking, “Please let me like it again, please let me like it again”. I didn’t want to have wasted the money on skis and the pass. As soon as I put my skis on and started down the mountain I thought “Please let me get good enough to ski black diamonds again!” So awesome!

For those of you not in the know, there are symbols for each run, which is a path down the mountain and the symbols tell you the level of difficulty for each run. Keep in mind that the symbols are pretty much universal wherever you go, it makes it a lot easier to know those symbols even if you don’t speak the language. Beginners start with green circles, as you can imagine and then you move on to blue squares, more difficult, black diamond, which is the most difficult and double black diamond, really, really most difficult!

When I was skiing regularly. black diamonds were the way to go for me, since I started skiing again last year, I pretty much stay to the green circle and blue square, which, on some mountains are perfectly challenging. I skied black diamonds at Nashoba with EJS a few weeks ago and they weren’t very difficult, but for that particular mountain, they were the most difficult, which got EJS excited, because she’s skiing black diamonds. Someone needs to tell her the black diamonds are not the same everywhere!

Well, a few weeks ago, I went skiing with PM at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH. It was the first time we skied together and it was great, he’s a “real” skier, and by that I mean, he has been skiing for years and is incredibly graceful and enjoyable to watch as he skis or more appropriately, swishes down the mountain. He is a double black diamond skier, so I feel bad that he has to hold back because of me, taking my time and not doing double black diamonds, we did go down a black diamond a few weeks ago and it wasn’t horrible.

That was on one side of the mountain, today we were on the other side of the mountain with some more difficult runs. I also need to interject that we are here with two other families, friends of PM’s that he has known for years, and they all ski, including the kids. Collectively, they have a lot more experience than I do and ski more often, all incredibly nice, we’ve been having a great time!

Today, one family went to another mountain and the other family and the two of us went to Loon, as I said. We had a great time, all of us skiing together, run after run. The two girls got tired after a few hours and decided they were going to hang out inside while the grownups skied.

After a few runs, PM and I went down a diamond that didn’t seem too bad until I hit some ice, that was fun. But I made it to the bottom, in one piece, both key points to be made. We took the next run blue square and S and B went double black diamond. S said I was about her ski level and thought I could do that one, there was a steeper drop in the beginning, but once you get past that, no problem. Just like the black diamond earlier, it was a challenge and if I want to get better, I have to practice and take a change on a black diamond every once in a while, right?

I am always up for a challenge, S said she challenges herself with new things she wants to improve on each time she skies. Ok, I can do this, right? Double black diamond, how bad could it be? Let’s just say I fell on my personality more than once and I felt really bad that PM had to slow down and help me so much, but he is incredibly sweet and wanted to ensure that I was alright.

Let’s just say there was a lot more powder and ice than I would have liked and it was a bit steeper than I was prepared for. I fell a few times, slid a few times, it was frustrating, on top of feeling bad that PM had to wait on me, but he was a great help trying to help me up. The whole tongue sticking out of the corner of my mouth wasn’t cutting it!

S was great and hung around waiting for me and B went to go and get the girls, I appreciate that. It probably took us twenty full minutes to get down the mountain. The one thing I was really frustrated about was that I used to be able to do all that, diamonds, double diamonds and I know, in my head, realistically, I have a ways to go, I get that, I just want to be able to do things and keep up.

So…The challenge: Black Diamond and Double Diamonds. Challenge: accepted, what girl doesn’t like diamonds, wink, wink. Challenge: Accomplished, with a little help from my friends!

Now, it is time to crash! Tomorrow is another ski day!

{February 27, 2015} Live long and prosper…a legend is lost

Today a legend was lost.

Leonard Nimoy, better known to millions of fans as Mr. Spock, from Star Trek, not to be confused with Dr. Spock, the baby expert, I’m just saying.

I remember the first time I saw Mr Spock on Star Trek, GES and I were watching on Saturday evening as kids and I have been. fan ever since. I have seen every episode of Star Trek and every movie, I know I’m probably not THE biggest fan, but I’m up there.

A bit of background about the man, the myth, the legend…He was born in Boston, Mass, to Ukrainian Jews, began performing at age 8, served in the Army Reserves in 1953 and has had an illustrious career in television, film, theater, a writer, director, musician, was there no limit to his talent.

I know a lot of people know this, but some may not, but the way he holds his hands with the fingers spread is a Jewish symbol and something he learned attending synagogue as a child.

Did you know he was a private pilot who owned his own airplane and that The Space Foundation named him the 2010 recipient of the Douglas S Morrow Public Outreach Award for creating a positive role model that inspired untold numbers of viewers to learn more about the universe. Pretty impressive, don’t you think?

His acting career included more than 134 credits? That is staying power.

Did you love him as much as I did in the new Star Trek movies? There is something about him that is lasting and timeless. And he’s a song and dance man, do you remember the few episodes Mr Spock cut loose? I do! Singing and laughing, those showed true range and were a treat to watch.

You will be missed by millions and I know there are hundreds of thousands, maybe more, of people who will miss you, Mr Spock, thank you for the memories and wherever you are, live long and prosper.

Leonard Nimoy singing about Hobbits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGF5ROpjRAU

New and old Spock…Challenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPkByAkAdZs

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000559/?ref_=nv_sr_3

{February 25, 2015} I heart “Chuck”

Oh boy do I love this show!

Apparently on some shows, I am not a right then, when it comes out kind of girl, I am a wait until the entire show is over and then watch all the episodes in a row. Maybe that’s so I don’t have to wait a week for the next episode, yeah, that sounds good. There are some shows I used to watch every week, but now with DVR and Netflix and Hulu, why wait.

In addition, there are some shows that don’t hook me when they’re out and I stumble upon them later and then get hooked. The Sopranos, Ugly Betty, Eureka, Warehouse 13 and now Chuck.

This is a great show! I was first introduced to the star, Zachary Levi, wow I made it sound like we’re great friends! watching Less than Perfect, which he played a tool, kind of turned me off, then in Tangled, playing Flynn Rider, which I absolutely loved and now, in Chuck, I think he’s just dreamy, so funny, sweet and cute, and he plays them all very well.

The show, “When a twenty-something computer geek inadvertently downloads critical government secrets into his brain, CIA and NSA assign two agents to protect him and exploit such knowledge, turning his life upside down.” It’s clever, it’s funny, it’s smart, it’s silly, I really like it. I’ve watched about 8 episodes and I’m looking forward to more!

I don’t know the rest of the cast, except for Adam Baldwin, who I also heart, but I like the rest of the cast. It’s an interesting dynamic, each group that Chuck interacts with. The government agency, getting into scrapes and going on missions, he can talk to them, mostly, wanting to maintain a normal life, but knows it’s impossible. Then there is the group he works with at Buy More, a Best Buy knock off, all quirky and funny, sarcastic, goofy, a good contrast to what Chuck has to deal with keeping secrets.

Then there is his family, he lives with his sister and her boyfriend, Captain Awesome and his best friend from childhood, Morgan, all supportive and love Chuck, not sure how to deal with him now that he’s become secretive and evasive and think he’s that way because he’s got a new “girlfriend”, the cover he and one of the agents have, how much would that stink, not being able to really be with the person you’re supposed to be with and you both really like each other.

This was some review. Bottom line, I am loving this show and I’m excited to watch all five seasons. I hope there is a good ending, please do not spoil it for me!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0934814/?ref_=nv_sr_1

{February 22, 2015} Kingsman: The Secret Service

Let’s say…I HEART this movie!

I went to see Kingsman: The Secret Service today and O M G! I la la la loved it. Did I say I loved it? Just in case…I LOVED it!

Now…why did I love it? Let me tell you…First, the cast, wow! Colin Firth was Fabulous did you like how I did that? as Galahad, he is a well dressed, well, spy, part of a secret organization and he brings in an unrefined potential recruit in, the actor I don’t remember seeing before, but was fantastic, Taron Egerton. Mark Strong was Merlin, he played a good guy, very unusual, but a great character, part of me kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but he was a good guy throughout.

Michael Caine was Arthur, think there was a Round Table, knights, defenders of the realm feel? I love Jack Davenport, who was Lancelot and not in the film very long, but I love him, loved him in the original Coupling and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I promise I am not glancing over Michael Caine, but what could I say about Michael Caine that hasn’t been said about the man, the genius, the legend.

Mark Hamill was not part of the Kingsman, but who doesn’t love to see him in movies? Sofia Boutella, who I didn’t know, was an assassin of sorts, with the most wicked prosthetic feet, very sharp, let’s just say. Samuel L Jackson was, well, really bad, but what was comical was his lisp throughout the entire movie, hard to focus or take him seriously.

There were a bunch of actors I was not familiar with, but still quite enjoyable. Then there were fist fights, umbrella fights, gun fights, gee a lot of fighting! Really cool spy gear and wear, bullet proof suits, transmitting glasses, lethal fountain pens, just to name a few of the items you would receive if you were invited and passed the test to join the Kingsman.

There were a few really grody moments, but now you know so you can decide for yourself. I look forward to hearing what you think!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802144/?ref_=nv_sr_1

{February 21, 2015} Goodgies

Goodgies are for good luck.

This is something that my family does to wish each other luck, for whatever. It could be for an exam, a presentation, an interview, competition, whatever you could use a little extra mojo for. You wish each other good luck, we give goodgies.

It started with my parents when we were kids, I don’t know if it was my mom or dad who started the tradition, but they both did it and it’s something we have come to value, still doing it for each other and now, with the girls, better known as my nieces.

You start by standing in front of the person, put your pointer fingers on the temples of the person you are wishing well and then the important part…you make this weird noise with the back of your throat.

Now, it’s always better to have the person on front of you you are giving goodgies to, but it can still be done over the phone.

The important thing is to announce “ok, it’s time for goodgies” and then you do your thing.

It is a wonderful tradition I hope never ends and to all my friends and family, if you have something coming up that you need a little extra luck for, let me know and I’ll be happy to “give you goodgies”

{February 20, 2015} Kiss the boo boo

This is an age old tradition that is the responsibility of the parent, grandparent, auntie or uncle.

I am inspired to write this post based on the ouchie, yes, I said ouchie, on my head as a result of my miscalculation of the attic door opening and hitting me on the forehead, ouch! that would be putting it mildly!

As I sat there reeling from the shock of the door hitting me and the intense pain of the moment all I kept thinking was, “ouch!” and “who is going to kiss my boo boo? ” and lastly…”I want my daddy! ”

Why do we want our mommies and daddies to kiss the boo boos? Well, from early childhood when you have an ouchie, mommy or daddy will kiss the boo boo and make it all better…there’s is magic in those kisses.

Muwah (that is a kiss noise)..all better.

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