Travel | Peaches Prattlings

{September 17, 2016} Sharing veganism…sigh

As my dad always says..’sharing is caring’.

LJ and I met tonight to get some dinner at Kitchen 17, the vegan place that KP and I went to on Wednesday because she wanted to try the vegan deep dish pizza.

Guess what they don’t have on Fridays…deep dish pizza! Noooooo! But they do have scicillian style pizza which is thick, so we ordered that. Odd thing…it was round. But…fabulous! We also ordered spinach and artichoke dip, O M G!! So, two for two at this place! This may be my new favorite vegan place in Chicago.

After we finished, well, finished as much as we were going to…we decided on a milkshake, equally yum!

As we were waiting on the milkshake, there was a couple next to us who asked how we liked the pizza, we both said it was fabulous and offered them a piece! They declined but asked for vegan recommendations in Chicago, they had just moved there. He had been in Japan the last two years and she was from Atlanta, what are the odds?

So, we gave her the run down, and it was great having LJ there because even though I’m vegan, I can say something is great, if a non-vegan or meat eater says this food is good, it helps with other people. Some people think when I say something is awesome, it’s just because I can eat it, not true.

I also told them about Happy Cow, the veg-friendly app. You get vegetarian, vegan, veg-friendly and stores. The best part, it’s global, I’ve used it all over the globe!

All in all, a great evening! A good dinner with a friend, sharing vegan options with new friends and now…on my way to pick up CKM at the airport for the weekend! Wahoo!

{September 16, 2016} I just got called what?

I just got cussed out by a homeless woman!

DLP and I were heading to meet LJ and some other people for dinner. I had leftover lunch so I was looking for someone to give it to.

Normally, when i see someone who looks like they might be hungry,I ask and then give them my food. This woman…I asked if she was hungry and she proceeded to shout at me!

“I already ate!” OK, so I started to walk away, then…”what’s wrong with you, you whore!” Well, I thought she called me a whore, apparently she called me slut and she was calling DLP a whore! Alrighty then! Oh, then she accused DLP of following a white woman down the street!

I think I’ve seen her, well, heard her, cussing other people out before, I guess we’re now part of a club…

She just kept going, screaming her head off at one or both of us as she walked down the street! I didn’t hear everything as I was walking away to find someone to give my food to, he was appreciative, by the way, thankfully!

The people you meet in the street!

{September 14, 2016} I ate deep dish!

Oh my, but it was fabulous!
I have been getting vegan restaurant recommendations since I got to Chicago and I’ve tried a few of them, so far all good. Tonight I tried another and was not disappointed!

KP and I were going to see sketch comedy and one of the places near the theatre was Kitchen 17, which was on my list and I’m so glad we went!

We ordered a “garbage” deep dish pizza and a buffalo “chicken” sandwich. If you don’t know what a garbage pie is, it’s basically everything, meat and veggies on one piece. The sauce was tangy, which KP loved. It also had ricotta, mozzarellaand some other goodness!

Since Chicago is known for deep dish pizza and I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to have some, think I was happy? You bet your sweet bippie!

One of the best parts, aside from having a non-vegan or meat eating friend share..this meat eating friend loved it! So it’s not just me saying it!

Will I be going again? Oh yeah! Want to come with me?

{September 13, 2016} Yea Hilton

Score another one Hilton, you came thru.

I arrived in Chicago 30 minutes early this morning, how often does that happen? We landed at 430am, I collected my things from baggage claim and headed to my hotel.

I didn’t have hopes higher than changing into work clothes, storing my bags and hanging out somewhere until I could go to the office.

Turns out they had a room available for me, a king suite, score! Up to the room, jammies on, finally falling asleep after 30 minutes and getting about three hours of sleep. Ahhhh…

Then off to the office slightly refreshed, had a decent day and didn’t fall flat on my face.

Yes, I’m a spoiled Hilton girl, can you blame me?

{September 10, 2016} The family is back together…ahh

PSM got home tonight, yeah!

The tables were turned this week, I was at home and PSM was traveling. I picked him up at the airport and we went off in search of adventure.

First stop? Furniture shopping, you’re jealous, I know! But we bought a bedroom suite, we really needed it, poor PSM has been sleeping on a futon mattress on the floor since we moved, that will not do! It’s being delivered tomorrow morning, the guy really wanted me to be able to sleep on it at least one night before i head back on the road.

Then it was a drive and a very nice long walk down the beach. Walking and talking, catching up, talking about everything and nothing, watching the sun go down with everyone else.

There actually aren’t a lot of places to eat in the beach so we went to a place we’d been before. The server was very nice, and funny, always a plus.

Then a nice walk back to the car, getting caught in a rain storm… with the you down on the car! Home to spend quality time with the puppy and lights out! He couldn’t tell you if her was coming or going!

It’s going to be tough to leave on Sunday, but it will be nice to come home again.

{September 8, 2016} What a day! Maui, ziplining and a luau, oh my!

It really was a great day! Only thing missing.. PSM, he’s in St Loius for work.

LJ is in Hawaii this week with her family and we knew we wanted to get tougher, so I flew to Maui this morning on Hawaiian Airlines, it’s a quick 40 minute flight.

We met up at the Hyatt on the other side of the island, I met her bf, JD and her parents, all very lovely people.

Bathing suits on, first order of business… the pool. A lovely little wouldn’t you say? I am still floored at this phone’s camera!!!

After the pool and the infinity pool, back to the room to change and off to ziplining. Oh my, so much fun!! I had done some ziplining on a small scale, when i was doing a challenge with a group, but not like this, amazing! When are we going again?

We did the medium zip, a trek up the mountain in a van, get set up with our equipment, back in the van for the first stop then zip, hike, zip, hike eight times, then van, remove equipment, van back down.

After ziplining, off for margaritas, chips and guac, we worked up quite a thirst and hunger.

Then back to the hotel too shower and get ready for the big luau! It was awesome! Great entertainment, fire, dancing, singing, food! They even made me a vegan plate!

Error

This video doesn’t exist

After the luau, a nice walk along the beach and dime quality time chatting. Next order of business… passing out!

What’s tomorrow hold??

{August 10, 2016} Uber driver…why can’t you all be the same?

Ok, I don’t mean the same person or all look alike, what I mean is manners, attitude, things like that. Let me ‘splain.

I started taking Uber about two years ago and a lot on this project in Chicago. After a while, certain Uber drivers have treated me so well that they have brought up my level of expectation. A good or bad thing?

I like a clean car, that’s not too much to ask, right? I like it when you see that I have bags, ask if I want it in the trunk and you get out of the car to help me or put the bag[s] in the trunk, I think that’s courteous.

I like a polite driver, someone who says hello, how are you?, someone who is didn’t frighten me with their driving.

So…to much to ask?

{August 8, 2016} What a travel day!

Did anyone else get caught up in the Delta debacle?

My flight was scheduled for 535am this morning as it has been for the last few weeks out of Boston. I got to the airport about 430am and the security lines were crazy, I’m so glad I have TSA Pre-Check! The lines for bag drop were crazy and at the Sky Priority line for Delta it was almost out the door with ONE person working, what!? Apparently the system was down, I thought just at check in, so luckily, I had two small bags and decided to travel with my checked bag. Off to security I went.

I get to the gate and find out that the system is down globally! No idea why, but down, uh oh. Since the system is down, they can’t print paperwork for the pilots and if they can’t print paperwork, we can’t get on the plane. They also printed paper tickets for us in case they can’t scan.

So, about 630, they still have no updates, I get on the phone to call my travel company. I wait for 30 minutes to talk to someone, it’s understandable. I get booked on a 730 Jet Blu flight, problem is…by the time I get to the terminal it’s too late to check in and get a boarding pass, so I call the travel company. One hour later, someone picks up the phone…

I am now booked on an 11am from Boston to Chicago. So, off to the gate I go, sit down, plug in and get to work.

Finally get on the plane, 1st row is nice, nice guy sitting next to me, was in the same boat I was, I think quite a few people were…

I finally got to Chicago, took a taxi to the airport and got in to the office about 2pm, only for hours late. But…everyone knew what was going on. GES texted “Are you on Delta?”, when I emailed someone at work to let them know I’d be late…their only response, “Delta?”

How did you all know? It was on the news! While I was switching terminals, there were at least four news stations there.
I got to the office, printed what I needed and in less than two hours, out the door for Amtrak for Springfield! I got to Springfield, took an Uber to the airport for a rental car, then to the hotel. It’s about 930pm, think I’ll make it past 1030? We’ll see…

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/08/08/delta-air-lines-system-outage-causes-worldwide-delays.html

{August 6, 2016} A better day and a homecoming

MGS is definitely on the mend, happy about that!

We all are! Apparently she woke Papa up at 6am because she wanted to take her medicine, good girl! Then they all went back to sleep, well, Papa and LaLa did, MGS went down stairs and watched tv.

I ran some errands this morning eventually when I got up, after I convinced the cats to stop trying to wake me every hour starting at 6am…then back to GES’ to hang with MGS, dad and LaLa.

Then I headed to the airport to pick up GES and ACS. Now, when I was leaving, LaLa asked MGS who I was going to pick up and her first thought was EJS! “EJS? Oh! I get to see my sister!” So cute!

I picked up my sister and brother-in-law from their trip from Iceland and Copenhagen, they had an amazing time! Sounds fabulous! We might be following in their footsteps, who knows.

They brought all of us treats and what did I get? Some fabulous seasoning and…she fed into my addiction…a bag! Wahoo!

MGS is better, welcome home GES and ACS.

{July 28, 2016} A nice end to a busy day

Shouldn’t they all be like that?

The day started early with some time on the treadmill, the elliptical machines were both busy. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a treadmill, let the sweat pour!

Of to the office for a very busy day, good lunch company, more busy and work, problem solved, whew! then a good bi-weekly check-in with my manager.

After work, I went with one of my co-workers, who I have become good friends with, LJ, to get much needed pedicures and then we ordered food while we walked back to get apartment. IWe ate, talked and watched the Wednesday night fireworks at Navy Pier. I also got to meet and play with her sweet cat, Max, sigh.

Then back to the hotel, a prior work and now I’m talking to you.

Pretty good day, huh?

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?