Travel | Peaches Prattlings

{June 21, 2016} A reunion and Second City!

Today I saw a friend from college and went to see The Second City company!

JO’S is a friend from college who I haven’t seen in about 23 years! She happened to be coming to Chicago and check to see if I would be available.

As it turns out, tonight worked for both of us and…she had reservations at Second City, the improve repot troupe. This is something I have always wanted to see! Some amazing talent came out of there! John Candy, Gilda Radner, Dan Ackroyd, Jane Curtin, just to name a few.

I left my hotel to pick her and her friend/co-worker, then headed to Second City. We didn’t have time to get some food before, they have a kitchen, so we decided to eat there.

After we got into the club, found out that the kitchen was having problems, so no food, what? I never got to stop and get something after the airport, so I haven’t really eaten since I left Hawaii, um, I’m a little hungry! Oh well.

The show was great! Is improv, so it’s always hit or miss. It took a minute to build, then…bam! There were still some things that were like “huh?”, there were things that were specific to Chicago and sports, didn’t help me, ha ha. There was topical and typical [typical was actually a typo, but it fit!] political humor, some racist humor, it may have gone too far, but who am I to say about what’s funny to others. Besides, I think I’m hysterical, so there you go! Let’s just say, my cheeks still hurt from laughing.

After the regular performance, they try out new material. Let’s just say…keep rehearsing…they did try out something new with an audience member and it was great! One of the players only spoke Spanish and the volunteer they got spoke Spanish, which they didn’t know when they brought her up, or did they…she translated for both players on stage, very funny.

After the show we were ‘starvin’ like Marvin’ and I don’t know about them, but my head was about to explode! so we went across the street to the pub for grub.

Let me just tell you, catching up was fabulous! I can’t believe it’s been 23 years! Oh, we stalk on Facebook so we have an idea of things, and she reads my posts, thank you! But in person, amazing. We couldn’t stop talking! I know “what? JJ not stop talking? Impossible!”

We talked family, work, lives, travel and does she get to travel for work! Oh my! She and her friend arrange conferences [I hope I remembered correctly! And they are global! Then we talked day to day, cars, shopping, like we has just seen each other last week, so comfortable, really nice.

I hope we’re able to keep the promise to not wait 23 years to see each other again!

Best quote of the night “Sometimes you just have to laugh, it’s good for the soul”. No truer words could be said…especially at a comedy club!

{May 24, 2016} Getting sick on the road

Not fun.

It’s not fun getting a cold or more when your at home, but at least you’re at home, in your own bed and can stay there.

Now, you can do the same thing on the road if you need to, stay in the hotel in bed, sometimes a fabulously comfortable bed. Bu6y you can’t always take the day off.

It’s no wonder people get sick on the road, going from extreme temperatures, being around otherc sick people, being in planes, who knows.

I was on a project a few years ago and the second week I was there, I started to feel less than fantastic towards the end of the day. By the time I got to the hotel, I was a wreck, couldn’t function. I spent some time in the loo, then bed.

I got Nyquil from the front desk and I even ordered gingerale from room service, with a room service charge…I didn’t care! The next day, I stayed in bed, Nyquiled out and slept it out of my system. Then went back to the client site the following day, moving slower but feeling much better.

I know you’re wondering if I’m on my deathbed, and thank you for worrying. Nope, I just have a good old-fashioned cold. Or at least that’s what I’m hoping.

I started to feel the scratchy throat yesterday as I was teaching. Then last night while I’m prepping for a new class in the hotel, feeling a little wonky, so I took some Dayquil before bed, I can’t take a chance on Nyquil, that would knock me out completely! We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

The hard part about being sick on the road, depending on what you do, you can’t always call in sick. For me, I probably could, if I was in Chicago, closer to the home office, and if there were available trainers, but I’m almost three hours from Chicago and there’s no one to fill in for me.

So…it will probably be more Dayquil and fake it til you make it, then go back to the hotel and pass out!

Send positive vibes, I have two more days of teaching!

{May 23, 2016} Life on the Road

The life of a “Road Warrior”…Some tips and tricks.

I’ve learned a thing or two in my time as a road warrior, as it were. Road Warrior, for those of you not ‘in the know’, is someone who spends their lives traveling or ‘on the road’ for work. They travel generally each week, maybe a few days a week or, like me, Monday through Friday.

I can tell you it’s not for the faint of heart and not everyone can handle it, but me…if you know me, you know I la la la love it! Some people love it and then grow out of love with it, they get tired or want to just be in one place. You have to do what makes you happy. JCT and I talk about this from time to time, ok, probably more than that, but…there were times when she was on the road and couldn’t wait to be off and at home with her family and then after a few weeks, she was ready to get back on the road, it’s a catch 22 if you ask me!

Once I caught the bug, it grew and grew, I can’t see myself stopping, but it could happen, you never know! When PSM and I were dating while I was on my project in Massachusetts, we went places on the weekends, but rarely got on a plane and I was jonesing to fly! And not just fly, but fly each week, Monday through Friday! Can you believe it!

I spend a lot of times in airports, sometimes I’m not sure which one I’m in. You might be laughing and think, how is that possible? Well, when you travel as much as we do, you forget where you are sometimes until you get there. For me, I do a lot of connections and I don’t always remember where I am flying through, sometimes I think I’m going one place and it’s really another. I sometimes don’t know the airport but recognize the food court in Cincinnati or the bookstore and kids play area in Minneapolis. It’s crazy, but it’s what we do. Would we change it? I wouldn’t.

Tonight I was talking with someone on my training team, SS, about traveling and I’ve been giving her some advice on how to maximize her time, get the best bang for the buck, keep the packing simple and ‘it’s all about the points!’. She kept exclaiming, “girl, I love you! You teach me so much!!” she cracks me up!

So, a few things I have learned I will share with you, I’m sure there are more I’m not thinking of and maybe you have your own to add.

Pick your wardrobe and keep it simple. I teach classes three to four days a week, sometimes five. I asked SS what did she have for clothing? Four pairs of pants and almost as many shirts. Nope! I have one pair of pants and four shirts. I am not always going to see the same people in each class all week. Same pants and a new shirt every day. Who’s going to notice my pants?! [You can even wear the same shirt, just add a sweater to it!]
Do laundry on the road if you’re going to be away for two weeks or more. Buy the laundry pods and a box of dryer sheets to travel with you. No powders or over sized liquids in your carry on. Be sure you have enough britches in case you can’t get home or to the laundry.
If you’re traveling back to the same place on Monday, leave your bag at the hotel for the weekend. Take your dirty things home if you have time to wash them.
If you’re limited on where you can stay and spend, maybe find a place with breakfast and happy hour or dinner provided.
Pick a chain and stick with it. I am a Hilton girl, you’ve heard me talk about it. Sometimes I’ve stayed at Hyatt and that was fine, but I like where and what I get with Hilton. Loyalty shows and pays!
Maximize the points, join every program out there, you never know what’s going to get you the best bang for the buck. If you can do it, switch hotels during the week, that gets you nights and stays.
Charge the food you order in the hotel restaurant or bar to the room, you get points for everything you purchase at the hotel.
Pick an airline and stick with it if you can. I say if you can because maybe there are stricter limits with some companies. It’s points and segments and money with Delta. I fly two legs almost every trip, that gets me closer to my goal of Platinum status this year.
If you can do it, get a credit card for where you want the most points. Almost every hotel and airline chain have a points program you can join.
The thing to remember about the points is that the reason you are working towards your points goal with a chance to stay at really really nice, fingers crossed, hotels, for free. Maybe you get breakfast on the weekends, one less thing to pay for yourself.

I know there are more tricks and tips I know, maybe you have already thought about them, these are just a few to get you started. See you on the road!

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{May 20, 2016} Up In The Air…it’s about the points, right?

Up In The Air was on tv tonight, I took another look.

I remember when I saw it the first time, I was just getting into the “road warrior” lifestyle, so I got it, but didn’t totally get it.

Now…I get it..I really get it.

I was just a wee grasshopper in the scheme of things. Now…

Let’s see, I’m working on my Platinum status on Delta, maybe even Diamond. I’m Gold with Hilton, working back to Diamond.

You have to know how to work things and the system so it works for you. There are ways to work it so you get the most bang for your buck without going over the line and staying within the guidelines.

One of the nice things about my job is that I get to keep the points for my travel. Isn’t that the point, especially for when you travel for pleasure. Ahhh…

PSM got a taste when we went to Europe…now he gets it. I’m all for backpacking, just do it in style!

{May 10, 2016} A high end hotel deserves a high end meal

Isn’t that true?

I imagine that if you travel you might have a favorite hotel chain and if you do, there might be a favorite food you order at that hotel.

I was talking to a fellow road warrior and when I mentioned The Palmer House, she mentioned the mushroom soup she loves. I’ve had that at a few hotels here and there.

I imagine you might try some different things on the menu to see what you might fall in love with, you might even think you need to try higher end food, so to speak. I’ve done all that, as you know, from what I’ve told you before.

Well, yesterday I checked into The Drake Hotel, an old and historic hotel in Chicago. It’s grand, elaborate and beautiful.

I realized I was hungry and looked at the room service menu. It was limited on what I could eat and really expensive. Even though I can expense it, there are some things I still can’t do. Especially from room service.

So, what did I order? One of the least expensive items and exactly what I wanted. PB&J. I went for the healthier side, fruit, instead of fries or chips. I should have ordered that tonight, instead of the mediocre Chinese food I thought would be comforting.

PB&J. Ahhh…comfort food at its best.

{May 5, 2016} A special meal just for Lil Ole me?

You bet your sweet bippie!

I checked into the Hilton at the airport using the digital key for the first time, too cool! Then, when room service was a busy went down to the bar and dug in.

I asked about vegan options and was batting zero when the chef cane out. What would I like? Well, something with no meat or dairy, how about the eggplant?

“We are debuting a new menu, I can make you something from it…a vegan, gluten-free pizza”. What? Yes, please!

I started with minestrone, it was ok, then the pizza came out. It was a small personal pizza with eggplant, sauce and vegan cheese, fabulous! It was the vegan cheese I am not crazy about, but I had a pizza and it read made just for me!

The chef came out and asked how I liked it, I said it was great, that this wasn’t my favorite cheese, but I really enjoyed it! So thankful and happy! Yum!

I couldn’t finish it all, guess what’s for breakfast!

{May 4, 2016} Happy Hour and Dinner

It wad a good day, ended very nicely.

After a good day of training, I joined the team for happy hour at a bar near the office. It was great, I met more people, got to know others better and blend in even more.

Our numbers started to dwindle and eventually, there were just a few of us left. MS, the implementation lead and very smart man who brought me on to the project, and I left to get some dinner.

We went to a great place called La Scarola,
http://www.lascarola.com/. It is an Italian restaurant, two rooms, but small almost hole on the wall feeling. The place was packed and the got us at one of the last tables in the corner in front of the window.

It was a little get to know each other, what are my goals, where to you see yourself, that sort of thing. Then it was families, travel, life outside of work, quite enjoyable. It’s nice when you have the opportunity to get to know someone one on one, away from everything else, better working relationship.

We had grilled calamari, I ate some, it was really good, but I think that might be it for me for calamari. It was Italian and I went for it, eggplant parmigiano, fabulous mistake! So good, but so bad. I couldn’t finish any of it, the portions were huge! Looking for someone who might be hungry today!

By the time we finished it was about ten pm, time to catch a cab and head back to our respective domiciles.

I put on my jammies and started talking to you and let’s just say I was so tired I dozed off a few times trying to finish!

But I did it and now…zzzzzzz

PS…Maybe the fourth be with you!

{May 4, 2016} Ask and ye shall receive. I did and I did!

Today I was talking to someone and I said that I wanted to go to a White Sox game while I was here in Chicago.

I don’t know if you remember me telling you about going to a Cubs game two years ago with KLS. I was telling someone about going to sporting events in the city I am working in. I was talking to a coworker as another walked by and asked if I would like to go to White Sox game tonight. Suweet!

So…I’m going to a Sox game, awesome! Guess who they’re playing…the Boston Red Sox! Omg! Guess who won!

Ask and ye shall receive. I did!

{May 2, 2016} I’m not sure they could have cut that any closer!

Don’t you just love flight delays?

Friday’s delay was delightful because of my dear friend RJS. Today, not so much.

The flight was scheduled to take off at 4:50pm, we were on the plane, settled in and at some point they came over the loudspeaker to tell us there was a delay due to a faulty wire. Oh goody.

“We’re only six minutes behind”. Uh huh..and six turned to seven, turned to eight, turned to…

We arrived about the time my next flight was just starting to board, great. Luckily people actually listened when the flight attendants asked people to stay in their seats if Cincinnati was their final destination.

All well and good if we actually get to a gate. Which happened eventually…not to worry we were four gates away, about a five minute walk, with only minutes to spare.

But…we made it, took off and about 47 minutes later we landed in Chicago and here I am at The Palmer House hotel, snuggled in, eating a contraband apple, glorious, writing to you and when I’m done, sleep, well, try…

Sweet dreams my friends!

{April 30, 2016} A crazy, wonderful at home day.

Back to life on the road…ahhh…

When you’re a road warrior, as it were, meaning that you are on the road each week, for some it’s one or a few days a week, for me, as you know, it’s 100%, Monday thru Thursday or Friday and depending on the training or go-live schedule, it could be weeks in a row.

That being said, when you’re on the road that much, your home time is precious, you want to get things done and you seem to jam a lot of stuff in a short amount of time, you get good at it.

Today, I thought…I was at least going to get to sleep in, after the first week on the project, I could have used it. Well, what I thought and the fur beasts thought was different. It was barely 6am…really? Sigh

I got up and protested by not getting out of bed until at least 7:30/8am, so there, take that! I got up, gathered all items for laundry, I didn’t think it was going to be that much, but someone..not saying who, Jymy or Peanut…puked on my blankets, ick.

Laundry collected, check. I bought this giant rolling suitcase when I was in Colorado to bring stuff back and let me tell you, keeping it! It’s perfect to get my laundry, including blankets to the laundromat. Yessireeebob!

First order of business…food. I have no eggs in the house, so to the local diner I go,[ after a stop at the drug store to pick up a prescription. [IF I didn’t have insurance it would have been over $1000! Omg!]. Then breakfast. While eating, got some work done, gotta fit it in somewhere!

After breakfast head back to the apartment to pick up the laundry and head to the washers. The place was packed! I missed out on the giant washers, so two medium washers. One giant dryer and one medium. Two hours later I was done, the comforter took forever!

I took a picture of a set of socks GES got me for Chanukah. One of the women on the team had a shirt on that almost matched. Then we showed off our socks, it was goofy, I know! So, I sent the picture to her!

What did you think this post a about with a picture of socks

Back home, drop off laundry, grab grocery bags, head to the store. Eggs: check, litter: check, other stuff I don’t really need: check!

Back to the house, clean, clean, clean: litter box, bathroom, vacuum, bedroom. Clean…ahhh… somewhere in there I made egg salad and veggies chicken salad, fabulous!

All of a sudden it was 7pm and time to meet GES, ACS and some other friends to break Passover. What does that mean? Bread!!! Pasta! Bread!!! It was a lot of fun, always it, friends out, grownup conversation and silliness.

Back to the apartment, thinking about putting the laundry away and what I might need to pack for the week. Washing and folding is easy..putting away is hard! [Same thing for the dishwasher!]

Now, I am writing you and shortly, I will settle in, turn off the lights, watch Netflix until I fade out completely! Tomorrow is another day, heading back out to the client site. Who wants to come with me?

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