Blog | Peaches Prattlings

{January 9, 2025} OneDrive Memories

Do you use OneDrive Memories? Well… do you use OneDrive, or Microsoft 365? Is that a better question? Either way, not sure if you use it, but as you can tell… I do.

One of the things that I enjoy is when it pops up on my laptop, lower right corner, and I click on it, I never know what I’m going to get. Ooh, I just thought of something! I could do a post a day of what’s in my OneDrive Memories, that would be cool. Thinking…thinking…

Well…while I decide on that one, and by the way, I had a whole different topic I was going to talk about tonight and got waylaid by my memories, ha ha, that was just funny to me. I have to file the lottery thoughts to another day. Back to OneDrive.

Two years ago today, I was flying back from a three week trip to England. I spent a week with my dad, then Paul arrived and it was the three of us for 2 days, then my sister’s family arrived and we spent a few days together, then PSM and I went off and spent a week in London/Wales/Bristol, then I was on my own, went to Liverpool for a few days, back to London to attend RuPaul’s DragCon UK and on Sunday/Monday I was flying back to the US from a whirlwind trip!

Three years ago, I was with my friend CGS, and have a pic of her four kids, wow! I just texted her with the pic, I apologized for the late text, but I couldn’t help but share the love! That’s one of the things I love to do, when some memories pop up, I take a pic with my phone and text it to the people who are in it and I get to share something special with them, makes me so very happy.

Four years ago, KFN sent a pic ‘How to spot a biker chick’ and it’s a pick of the top of a pair of Chuck Taylor ‘Converse All Stars’ with black clutch marks on the left toe…and I sent him a pic of my chucks that look exactly like that! There’s also a few pics of PSM with Bee and Ruby, awe.

2019… pics of an overcast sky with a rainbow coming through, from our lanai off the back of our house. And lastly…2016, pics of us with my sister’s family at PSM’s family’s celebrating my b-i-l, ACS’, birthday, which is tomorrow. Our nephew, JM, and nieces, EJS, and MGS were soooo little! That was just before PSM left for Hawai’i, he was starting work a week later, and I officially moved towards the end of that year, wow…

I’m sitting here, just smiling, thinking of all the random memories that pop up, taking me back, making me smile, marveling at how time flies and how good my life truly is, and it is. Who knows… maybe a memory with you will come up and I’ll text it to you, be on the lookout!

{April 20, 2024} A Bike and Biker Blessing

Say that 10 times fast! Today was a great experience, I told you last night I would tell you all about it today and here it is!

A biker and biker blessing is a truly moving event, we participated in our first one in Hawai’i. It was held at a church, it felt like every bike on the island was there! We met, there was a blessing, in Hawai’ian and we went on our way, knowing we were, well, blessed!

Today, we were with the Lebanon Valley Motorcycle Club [LVMC], there was also the biker/bike blessing with our Indian Motorcycle Riders Group [IMRG], it wasn’t an easy decision, but we went with the LVMC because we haven’t ridden with them yet and last weekend we had our first IMRG group ride of the season. I also needed to be closer to home, after the blessing and lunch, I high tailed it to Boston for a few days!

We got to the clubhouse at 1030a and there were already about 30 bikes and people there, by the time we left, I think we were somewhere between 50-60, maybe, I couldn’t tell, but there were a lot of us! It was fun meeting some new people in the group and seeing what everyone rides, that’s always the best part.

We were very organized, not us personally, the group. There were several people who would be blocking traffic, that means that they block traffic at lights and stops so we can all ride together as one big group. The idea, which I liked the analogy when we rode in Hawai’i was we should function like a tractor trailer, everyone stays together.

We left in one big group, I know someone was taking photos, I can’t wait to see them! I have to tell you, it is such a site to see all the bikes riding in one long procession, it sounds wonderful and it looks beautiful! We rode to the Lebanon VA Medical Center, what an honor! There were some residents who were outside watching, some in the lobby, and many from their rooms. We did a tour around the perimeter, came to park in front and we all got off our bikes and walked towards the chapel.

Father Paul was waiting for us, he was wearing a long white robe, full regalia, with sunglasses, a baseball cap, and sneakers! LOVE IT! We all gathered around and Father Paul read from his prayer book, a few prayers I recognized, what I loved was he added motorcycles in there! He talked about being able to ride was freedom, reminding us of what we can do, and to keep each other safe. It was a lovely ceremony.

We all received badges/pins, oh yeah, before we left the clubhouse, we all received an American Flag with the Biker Blessing on it to attach to our bikes! After we received our pins, we got back on our bikes and rode past Father Paul, who then blessed us each with holy water! SO cool!

After we were blessed, we made our way back to the clubhouse for a fine feast of picnic and comfort foods and good conversation. We met some new folks and really just enjoyed ourselves. I know we would have had fun with the IMRG folks, this was fun getting to know the LVMC folks!

After lunch we headed back home, played with the dogs a little, I loaded up my car and headed out and here I sit at my sister’s house writing to you. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow! I need sleep! After getting up about 6am, then the biker blessing, then a 7 hour drive to Boston, I’m beat!

Vroom Vroom…God natt (goo nat) [Good night in Norwegian]!

{March 19, 2024} I’ve learned something about myself. And Happy Spring!

Ok, I sort of knew this, and it’s not always applicable, but…I do better blogging sitting up at a desk or a table than in bed with my laptop propped on my knees. I’ve said it, it’s out there.

When I’m sitting in a chair, I’m more focused, when I am laying or lounging in bed, I don’t seem to focus as well and let my mind wander, which is a good thing for me, that’s where I get my inspirations sometimes, but other times, my mind is wandering when I should be talking to you! And wouldn’t you rather me talk to you than stare off into space?!

Then sometimes I stare off into space for so long, or scroll on my phone that I run out of steam and I start to doze off, great…I used to blog on my phone, I love having a phablet, tablet/phone, it’s big enough, I could use the s-pen that came with it, to feel like a pen, but I really like using a keyboard, I like hearing the tick, tack, tick, tack, typing on the keys, there is something satisfying about that!

Now… I do have a tablet and I have a keyboard for it, so I use that sometimes too, but even then, I feel like I need to be sitting up when I do it, in a chair, at a table, I know, I already said that! But I do, I feel more productive, what is wrong with me?! I love writing, I should be able to do it from wherever, whenever!

I do actually enjoy writing with a pen and paper as well, but, and do you find this…since we are in the computer age, it’s harder to write, your hand cramps and gets tired! I’ve thought about getting a reMarkable ‘paper tablet’, you write on the tablet with a special pen and it converts your written word into text. I think they might be coming down in price, not sure. But it’s a thought.

Anyway, I’m sitting here, cross-legged, writing to you, at my desk, on my laptop. Yeah, I’m happy, and I’m writing, and it’s 1132pm, I’m watching my fingers fly over the keyboard, sometimes amazed that I can type that fast without looking at what I’m typing, but I know, I just said I’m watching my fingers fly, I can see them as I’m looking at the screen. I’m not that tired, who knows what’s going to happen when I step away from the pc and the desk, I might go get in my jammies and sit in bed and… watch tv, read a book, practice my Duolingo, the possibilities are endless!

But I do know that I have to stop rambling or you might fall asleep while you’re reading that! So, to you, I will say Good Night, parting is such sweet sorrow, until we meet upon the morrow. And…

Happy Spring! [officially!]

{February 11, 2024} It was a long long long day! Goodbye, hello, goodbye, hello.

It was a good day, but a long one! Mostly a long drive.

I got up, said goodbye to JCT, JT, mom, and Oscar, the pug. Oh, I haven’t told you about Oscar yet, have I?! I didn’t tell you about the other four legged fur babies I got to hang out with this week, I didn’t! Tomorrow it is!

Well, back to today! I got up, said my goodbyes, and was on my way, I had a long drive back to PA today! I let PSM and dad know I was on the road, and I let MM know as well, I was going to have a stop in North Carolina to see him on my way in about four hours! Score! Podcast on, butt warmer on, let’s go!

If I were to drive straight, from JCT’s house, it’s 10 hours 58 minutes. Was I going to go straight home? Nope, the drive time is the same, but the time I’m on the road, not so much! I left about 840a, I would have been home before 9p, that would be loverly. I’ve done 12 hour drives, no problem, especially if it’s light out. I drove from St Louis to Denver a few times, about 12 hours, leave at 8a, especially gaining 2 hours, get there about 7p, it was great. This was not that!

I started my drive with a stop at Starbucks, drove to meet MM at a place called the Famous Toastery, not far from MM in South Carolina. We had a great visit and a good meal. I met him about 12p, told you, just about 4 hours, I left him close to 2p, a little later than I wanted, but we were having such a good time!

Goodbye hugs, we could have talked all day, I love that about my friends! Stopped for gas before I got on the highway and I was off! I listened to a podcast, then another, and another, let’s just say I pod-casted until I got home! I stop about every half tank, that gets me a good ways, I get to get out of the car, stretch my legs, fill up, bio-break, maybe get a snack, it helps the time go. Sometimes, a stop at a rest stop, same except for the gas, of course!

Oh! One of the things that I love, when I’m driving and using Google Maps, each time I cross a state line, it pops up a Welcome To! I’ll grab a few pics for you next time! I crossed from GA to South Carolina to North Carolina to Virginia to West Virginia to Maryland to Pennsylvnia. I could be going out of order, I have no sense of direction, ask anyone! But I know I was in those states! HA HA

It was raining on and off all day, so no top down, boo. I talked to a few people, but mostly it was me, podcasts, the road, and Annie, my beetle bug. My one stop for food was at a Taco Bell, I love running for the border! The thing I love about Taco Bell is that I can eat there! The rice and beans are vegan! Wah to the hoo! I ordered a black bean crunch wrap, but I ordered it fresco, which means no meat. Not sure what happened between me placing the order, I saw it on the screen, and actually making it. I got a little way down the road and two bites in when I realized this was a beef crunch wrap, no bueno! I can tell you, I haven’t had beef in over 25 years, no matter what I’ve tried throughout the years, this was not one of them and I did not have a good reaction! I turned around and went back, they made me a new crunch wrap, but it took a long time for my body to get over that one, it wasn’t fun.

On the road again, got to get back on the road again. By now, it was definitely full dark, but I’m still doing alright, it was about 730pm. I was back on the highway and moving along, doing great until about 930p and the day was starting to catch up with me. I pulled into a Love’s Travel Stop, it’s a gas station, truck stop, travel stop, they have showers for truck drivers, well, anyone who wants to pay for one, food, beverages, car supplies, and there’s usually some fast food restaurant attached. The restrooms are clean, it’s bright, and I even signed up for a Love’s card finally, I’ll at least get a discount on gas from now on and points to boot!

I had about an hour to go! Back on the road, and I can do it! PSM called about 1015p and I was just getting off the road, almost home! Wahoo! I pulled into the barn about 1030p, unloaded my laptop bag and my duffle and headed into the house to be greeted by the pitter patter of a Ruby and a Bee! I dropped my stuff, immediate bio-break, I felt bad for the dogs, they were trying to get in there with me! Came out, got covered in kisses and nuzzles, then came up for air, said hello to PSM, grabbed the dogs and took them upstairs for a cuddle.

PSM came up about 30 minutes later, not sure if I was awake or not! Put the pups in the crate for the night, I managed to get in my jammies and I don’t know if I’m sleep writing to you now!

A great trip, but I’m beat! Good n…..zzzzzzz

{February 9, 2024} It’s Krazy…A New Experience

So…tonight, I did something new to me, not to a lot of people, but definitely new to me!

I was with JCT and her husband JT, and we went to Krazy Deals. What is Krazy Deals you may be asking? Well…it’s held in several locations, different days, but the concept is the same. Basically they have inventory that was Amazon reutrns, overstock items, things like that and they are out on tables, or what they call bins, and on certain days, at dedicated times, you can go and all of the merchandise is one price, some days it’s $8, some days everything is $7, some days $2, you get the point.

Well…the reason these are Krazy Deals, as the name implies, is that no matter what the item is, it’s that price that day. Some of the items are returns, they could be brand new, they might not be, you don’t know until you look. They have bedding, electronics, clothing, kitchen wear, home decor, holiday decorations, you name it, they probably have it!

You have to see it to believe it, and you have to scan the barcode to really get the idea, JCT got a pair of brand new, still sealed, JBL earbuds, that retail for $99, for $8, now that’s a deal! And that’s how it works, someone else they know got a metal detector, it retailed for $75, they got it for $8.

Now…you go to the place, some have hours in the morning, then the evening, they’re not open ever day, and you get there when they open, so you can get the best stuff, or at least you’re hoping to get the best stuff! You don’t know what’s on the tables when they come out, they are covered with a plastic sheet so people can’t scope out what they want before they start.

In between sessions, meaning, after they have the first set of tables, or bins, out, they do a raffle to give items away, then they bring out the next set of items, lift the tape and they’re off! People are drawn to this stuff like little kids after they break a open a pinata! There’s the thrill of the chase and the find, you put it in your shopping cart, fill it up, and then when you’re done, you determine what you really want to keep and what you’re going to put back. Some peopel go with friends and they trade items, you know your friend is looking for socks, and they know you’re looking for kitchen knives, that sort of thing.

Some people are looking for things for themselves to keep, some people are looking for things they can sell on eBay, Amazon, Marketplace, wherever they might sell items. So…you buy something that retails for $50, you get it at Krazy Deals for $6, then you turn around and sell it for $50, or more or less, whatever you think you can get for it, and make a little, not a bad deal…if you can sell the item. If you’re good at it, great, more power to ya! Good luck.

I bought a few things for myself, things I want to try to craft with and either give away or sell eventually, I’ll be telling you about that venture eventually! But what I got, a box of 8 whatevers, for $8, I could have bought on Amazon for $30, yeah, I’d say that was a good deal for me!

I don’t know if I could do this very often, I’m sure if I did it more, I would get the hang of it, people know how to work the game, I wasn’t quite there, I was looking liesurely at everything and for everyone else, they were on a mission! JCT and JT do this as a date night some nights, they really love it and travel to the different locations. JCT has been telling me about it for a while and promised to take me when I was in town next, and here I am!

She knows what to look out for for me when she goes again, and I appreciate that! It was definitely an experience and I enjoyed it because we did it together and I saw their excitement and met their friends who they met through ‘binning’. Who knows what we’re going to find next visit!

{January 30, 2024} How do I come up with my blog post ideas?

That’s a great question! I have no idea…most of the time!

When I first started this blog it was a way to talk about things, cheap therapy I think I said, and then random things started popping into my head, and it became a blog about everything, something, and nothing all at the same time! And I’m ok with that!

When I say random and about something and nothing, I remember talking to you about bathrooms, well, specifically if there is only one stall or if it’s a room with a commode and a sink, and a place to dry your hands and store supplies, why do we have to have a separate men’s and women’s room? And my next point, I am thinking, why is it women’s vs ladies? I like when they have a gents and a gals, or a her and his, or something equally clever…come to think of it, I do take pictures of different bathroom signs when they are interesting, I need to do a post and just show those pics.

Oh my…do you see how this is happening? I stated talking about one thing and look at this lovely rabbit hole or bunny trail I have gone down. And that, my friends is how it works, or doesn’t, depending on your opinion!

Some days, I will tell you all about my day, like on the weekends, I tell you where we went, what we did, where we ate, when we travel, I tell you about that, where we went, what we did, where and what we ate, wait, that sounds like a regular weekend! So does that make a vacation just a long, I mean really long weekend? Hmmm… During the week, well, a work week anyway, sometimes I might tell you about my day or some random thought, a movie or book review, or about a past trip. Or if I happen to talk to someone, boom, another thought. I actually have a list of things I want to talk about, just piling up…a thought comes to me and I write it down and then pull it out of the air when I need inspiration or I just don’t know what else to say! But come on…when have you ever known me to not know what to say? Muwahaha.

And here I am rambling about where I get my ideas and I can’t stop, so I’m going to stop, ha ha. Do you have something you would like me to wax philosophical on? Let me know…see if it gets the little grey cells going! Thanks Hercule Poirot!

Happy thoughts all!

{March 29, 2021} I wish I could use telepathy to blog

I know, it might sound crazy, there are so many reasons someone might want to use telepathy, and by the way…telepahty is apparently one of those words I have trouble typing without sounding it out. Do you have any of those words? I digress..shocker!

Back to my reason for this post. I know there are many reasons someone might want to be a telepath or have that ability, not here to talk about that, but the reason I want it…so I could blog any time! There are so many times I think about things I want to tell you and I’m not near my pc or even able to use my phone to jot down notes or even dictate, so…how great would it be if I could just think my post and there it would be?

Yeah, that’s about it. Are you loving this? This might be my shortest post in a long time.

You’re welcome. ha ha.

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