Edison Bulbs | Peaches Prattlings

{February 8, 2024} Hot Chocolate Expo…I should have paid for packet delivery

I talked about participating in the Hot Chocolate 15k, I want to tell you a little about the expo.

The race expo is where you pick up your race packet. Sometimes, you pick up your packet before the start of the race, maybe at a table or a tent. Some races, you pick up the packet at an expo, which is usually somewhere near the start of the race, a hotel, a convention center, if you’re Walt Disney World, it’s at the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo, I’ve done that one a few times, if you’re Disneyland, it’s at the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo, that one I did only once.

There have been some good expos, but my favorites were Disney and the Hot Chocolate. A great expo has a lot of vendors, could be up to 100, vendors include other races from around the country and the world, sign up for your next Disney or Hot Chocolate or Rock-n-Roll race, just to name three out of so many more! Footwear vendors, like Mizuno, or Brooks, or Saucony, running clothing, running skirts, like Sparkle Athletic, socks, hydration, photos, jewelry, medal hangers, recovery experts, running snacks, expert speakers, the list truly does go on.

In the past, I would spend an hour or two at the expo, after I picked up my race packet, just walking up and down each aisle, looking at everything, window shopping, browsing, and purchasing. I would get new Saucony running socks, my absolute favorite, an extra shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, from the race sponsor, maybe some fun things to add to my shoes, or a piece of jewelry, or if it’s cold, a pair of gloves, sometimes I would buy my next pair of running shoes, it was fun just walking, talking, exploring, and treating myself to something, I knew I was about to do something big.

The Hot Chocolate Expo has been at the Georgia World Congress Center, it’s been at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, at least I think it was! But…wherever it was, it was grand! Lots of vendors, big venue, just grand I tell ya! In 2021, it was virtual, as you can imagine, but I still did it…virtually! I walked to the park near where we lived, walked around the lake and back home, 9.1 miles. It had been snowing and doing it in my snow boots, not the best idea!

2022 it was virtual again, I actually did it on a treadmill at a hotel in Boston, I watched several episodes of Reacher, season 1 and the time went by like that! When I did the run virtually, I had the packet delivered, it cost a little more, but it was worth it, I had my stuff. Last year, I was excited to be back in Atlanta to do the race in person again! I went to the expo and I was disappointed, not many vendors, it was a small space, and I was able to walk around the entire expo very quickly and very disappointed.

This year, I was hopeful, but disappointed again…let’s just say, I paid $13 for parking because I was there about 30 minutes total! I walked in, went past the Hot Chocolate Runner’s store, and into the main area where we would pick up our packets.

It was very industrial, and dark. They had a few chandeliers up and groupings of edison bulbs giving off not much light. This wasn’t a date in a romantic setting with mood lighting, this was a race expo that should have had some more life to it.

I picked up my packet and asked where the gear exchange was, not happening this year! What?! Gear exchange is where you can try on the sweatshirt to see if it’s a good fit. When I asked customer service, they had shipping and supply issues, ok, that sucks. I tried my sweatshrit on, well, I tried, I got my arms in…it will look great in my closet with the rest of my Hot Chocolate gear! I should do a post with each year’s swag/gear!

Even some of the volunteers, because almost everyone who is working there is a volunteer, some of them said they couldn’t see anything, that’s great, they need to read people’s names and sizes! I did one tour around to see if there was something I might want, just had to have, couldn’t go home without it. Well, once around was enough to see that the answer was nothing…

I stopped by the Hot Chocolate store, nothing there either, they usually have some good deals, but I left with only my race bib and an event sweatshirt. It’s not the worst thing in the world to not spend money, but…one of the fun things I enjoy is finding a new treat or going to experts for some new gear or trucks, and my trucks, I mean running shoes.

I already signed up for next year, I didn’t purchase packet delivery, I’ll go pick it up…hoping to not be disappointed again. Fingers crossed the Hot Chocolate Expo comes back to life, maybe give it some chocolate and marshmallows, that seems to do the trick for some people!

A fine and happy good evening and happy Friday Eve!

{May 25, 2021} Two years? Where did the time go?

Two years ago today, well, May 25, 2019, not Wednesday, I married my best friend. I know, crazy, right?! I didn’t get to tell you about it then, so let me tell you about it now!

It was an amazing weekend! Yes, I said weekend. We did a destination wedding of sorts! I was trying to figure out what to do, we were still living in Hawai’i and we knew…if we wanted people to come, don’t have it in Hawai’i! I had a few ideas…I wanted to get married on the beach, no go. I looked at a steamboat, I even looked into a steam train, after watching Murder on the Orient Express! I looked at a lot of things, including what we ended up doing, which I think was the best idea yet, inspired by a suggestion from CWB!

We had it at a camp in the Berkshires, the mountains in Massachusetts. It was where my sister and I did weekends with our youth group, she went to camp there, then became a counselor, rising in the ranks, and now my nieces go there for sleep away camp, you can imagine the family connection!

It was Memorial Day Weekend 2019 and it was a grand affair! Seriously, it was laid back, campy [see what I did there!], and so much fun! We had the camp from Friday through Monday! My sister and I drove up Thursday night to get some things set up and everyone started arriving on Friday afternoon. I had so much help, both physically and emotionally and idea-ly! [with ideas!] I wanted the weekend to be exactly what it was, laid back, campy, and fun! I loved the process and getting all the little touches in there!

We had welcome bags, supplied by my enormous collection of reusable shopping bags, my endless supply of hotel toiletries, what I didn’t give to the shelters! I made personalized door signs where people were sleeping, personalized luggage tags with camp signs. We had mason jars with our names and wedding date for adults and kids. Farmhouse tables, jelly and jam jars with sand and candles, I hammered out our initials and hearts in tin cans to light the tables, we had Edison bulbs to light the dining hall. Signs on the bathrooms with pictures of us as kids.

Friday, my sister was wonderful…after we finished whatever we had to do in the morning, she took me for a fabulous mani-pedi, ahhhh, then people started arriving, so amazing how many people were able to make it! That night there was a cookout with a canoe full of beer, exactly what I wanted and got! Yes, the girl who doesn’t drink wanted a canoe full of beer! We had bon fires and s’mores. It was a chance to say hello, spend time together getting silly, having fun!

Saturday morning, there was a one-mile fun run with donuts at the half mile marker! A golf cart was ours for the weekend, how many of the kids do you think had a blast riding in that?! Saturday afternoon was chill out and do your own thing and people did, so much to do in the Berkshires! For me…I had to write my vows, finish painting our Converse for the evening, and get my sash ready, nothing much!

We had a cocktail hour, PSM and I were flitting around greeting people and eating some amazing food! The tables all had wild flowers in bottles that I got at the KoHana Rum Distillery, they look like square perfume bottles and it was perfect! People even took them home, wah to the hoo! Oh, along with the jam and jelly jars, and the mason jars, exactly as I hoped they would!

The food at the cocktail hour was amazing, I know I said that! We had a lot of fun picking the menu together! I was at the cocktail hour exactly one hour, I had to change dresses! Oh! We had a bluegrass band! The Brooklyn Bluegrass Collective! We decided that if we were going to have a live band, instead of a DJ, it would be bluegrass and it was! We only had a few song requests, the rest was up to them! I fell in love with them the first time I heard them! After the cocktail hour, there was a musical stroll to the dock! Can you believe it! Bluegrass stroll! That gave me time to get changed!

I raced around and got my rockabilly wedding dress on, that I got on Amazon! with the blue crinoline underneath, had to be blue, PSM wore a formal blue Hawai’ian shirt! He had also asked for a Ti Leaf Lei which I got in at Watanabe Floral in Honolulu and brought it to Massachusetts! That was probably the best surprise I had for him that whole weekend!

I went to the top of the stairs and waited while I watched PSM dance down the steps and aisle to the chuppah to Safety Dance BLUEGRASS STYLE! I was so excited an overjoyed watching that!!! Then I came down the stairs, met my dad and we danced to 500 Miles BLUEGRASS STYLE! He danced me to PSM waiting at the chuppah!

The ceremony was fun, silly, lovely, loving, we had friends and family, come on, they’re all family! Some of it was in Hebrew, but I made sure to have sheets that had the English translation so everyone was able to participate! MGS was our flower girl and ring bearer! I actually had a few of our favorite kids helping…we threw bio-degradable flower petals, programs with all the details and songs. Our rabbi was great, he had so much fun, and our crowd, well, you know me, so you can imagine how they were! After the ceremony, we had a Havdalah ceremony, which signals the end of the Sabbath and ushers in a new week. EJS and LaLa helped with that, so glad!

We decided to have everyone be a part of our ketubah signing, this is the Jewish marriage contract. My dad read it out to the group, CBW and JM, our sister-in-law were our witnesses. Another touching part of the ceremony was the Sheva Brachot, or seven blessings. Instead of having the rabbi read them, we asked friends and family to take part, some read the prayer as it was and some wrote their own interpretation. I cannot tell you how much laughter and love there was on that dock that evening, I’m smiling and tearing up just talking about it!

Before everyone took a musical stroll to the reception, we took a giant wedding photo, it was fabulous! Then there were some family photos and we were off!

The reception, more bluegrass music, dancing, food, and fun! It was such a warm atmosphere, I cannot even tell you! There was brisket, other meats, veggies, salad, vegan, gluten free! You know I checked all the boxes! Oh, did I forget…breakfast every morning! For dessert, we didn’t a wedding cake, so…I asked people to bring a dessert, we had a pot-luck dessert! It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! A huge table with all these different desserts, I don’t think there was a repeat in the bunch! Some were home made, some were store bought, who cares! It was amazing and guess what we had on Sunday evening…leftover dessert!

The party went on for a good long while, Uncle A did the blessing over the challah and the wine, the speeches were made, my dad, PSM’s best men, his brother SM and best friend, KN. My only disappointment of the entire weekend…. my sister didn’t get to make her matron of honor speech and she is a gives great speech! We danced, ate, chatted, laughed, had an amazing time! Eventually the party broke up, but…

The next day was Sunday and only a few people left! We had breakfast, some people went for a hike, some people hung out, some people went into town. We had arts and crafts for the kids, later ACS ran a Pitch tournament, pizza, more beer in the canoe and another bonfire with s’mores, what more could you want?!

Sunday came, breakfast, and then it was time to say our goodbyes. As people left, we stripped the beds, made the camp the same as we found it and we were on our way.

To say it was an amazing weekend would be an understatement! People talked about it for a long time! We even talked about getting together the next year during Memorial Day Weekend, just to spend time together, that’s how much fun it was! Covid said no, but…who knows what next year holds.

I’m smiling thinking about what an amazing weekend it was, fabulous ceremony, friends, family, love, love, love, and as I started this post…May 25, 2019, I married my best friend. What more could you ask for?!

{March 13, 2021} It’s chilly…but not too cold for a ride!

The rain was predicted, but held off! It held off for the day, it had been raining the few days before, but not today! So…what should we do?! Go for a ride! It’s chilly, but we’re in riding season!

Now…I’m not a hard core rider, I don’t ride when it’s below 48, I might put the top down on the Beetle-Bug when it’s in the high 30s/low 40s, but the bike, nope. I don’t have the fancy stuff on my bike to keep me toasty, like butt warmers in the car, you’re kind of exposed, so…bundle up. I was fine on the top, but from the thighs to the ankles, a little brrr. Next time, Cuddle Duds under the jeans. Such a chance from last weekend, when I could have gone out in a sweatshirt!

We decided to ride to Grafton, IL, I don’t think I’ve mentioned Grafton yet to you. Its a small town in Illinois on the Missisippi River, turns out it’s the oldest town in Jersey County, IL. It gets crazy crowded in the summer and it’s a known spot for bikes, motorcycles, that is. Someone told me about it as a nice ride and one of the biker bars, the Hawg Pit BBQ, it made it an easy destination to put in the GPS.

It’s about an hour ride from here, so not too bad, and a nice destination, as I mentioned. You can go by the highways, yesterday, PSM took us on some alternate roads and it was nice. We eventually connected with the main drag that takes us over the Clark Bridge to Alton, IL, the middle of the bridge is actually the state line, pretty cool. It really is a pretty bridge, I have yet to take a picture of it, we’re always on the bikes. Alton is a cute town, we haven’t explored much of the town, there is a cobblestone street where they have a few restaurants with tables set up outside, which we’ve eaten at, it’s charming.

It was a bit chilly on the ride, so we decided to stop in Alton, but inside, ha ha. We stopped at The Old Bakery Beer Company, as the name says they have beer, tee hee hee. It’s a certified organic craft brewery with food options. We were going to get lunch in Grafton, so I settled on a cup of tea. I would like to go back, they had a nice looking menu with vegetarian and vegan options. It’s a warehouse-like open space, exposed beams, streams of edison bulbs, with tables, spaced appropriately socially distant, mask mandates, hand sanitzier, just like most places. It had a nice open, welcoming feel. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

After warming up a little inside, we walked outside to the bikes getting ready to head towards Grafton, it seemed to have warmed up a little, outside. One of the things we love about having Indian Motorcycles are the conversation starters. When we came out, a woman was in her car looking at the bikes and told us she was just sitting there admiring them, which was nice, and a guy came up to us to talk about our bikes, he’s thinking about joining the club! We would welcome him! He was wearing a great utilikilt, we’re getting near St Patrick’s Day, people were out celebrating. A utilikilt is a kilt made for every day work wear.

We got to Grafton and pulled in to the parking lot and walked into the Piasa Winery and Pub, we were there for the view, not the food. It was a seafood restaurant, they had some other things, but it was mostly seafood. PSM had a fried alligator, I tasted it, I was curious. I’ll just say, aside from the spicy batter, which I wasn’t crazy about, it still tastes like salty chicken, didn’t make me change my vegan ways, ha ha. For me, I had the grilled pear salad, it was quite tasty. A variety of greenery, grilled pears, glazed walnuts, and cranberries. We sat on the deck and there were heat lamps warming everything up, we needed it. Even the table was warm, I was happy!

After the winery, we went to the Gold Bar Saloon, there was a bar with a few stools, but the true gem was outside, well, sort of outside. There was a building next door with fire pits, that was fabulous. We took our drinks in, took off our jackets and sat on one of the sofas and just enjoyed ourselves. There were a few other people in there, but they were each at their own set of sofas and firepits, awesome! The music was country, but classic country that everyone seemed to know, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and Boz Scaggs.

After a while, even though we had just eaten, we were slightly peckish and all I wanted was french fries. No idea why, I haven’t eaten or craved french fries in a long time, they just don’t agree with me, so I try to avoid them, but I was craving them, so off we went. We walked…next door, ha ha, to the Grafton Pub. We ordered fries, when I asked the cut, I was told they were somewhere in between steak fries and Burger King french fry. It was funny, when I asked what the cut was, she looked at me funny, so I explained the different cuts. We also ordered guacamole bites, which are a bit odd, but we were curious. We were told they were like wontons with guacamole in them, and fried. Ok…let’s just say, they were hot as all get out, to me anyway. We’ve had them before I realized, and let’s just say, not ordering them again, not everything tastes better fried…The french fries on the other hand, were tasty, if you could get past the coarse salt and pepper they put on them, seriously?! Just not my cup of tea honestly, I forgot to order them unseasoned, which would have meant fresh out of the frier, nothing extra, which would have made them perfect, they really were good fries, good size, perfect crunch on the outside, texture and taste of potato, I know that sounds weird to some, I’ll explain in a later post.

The Grafton Pub is also on the water, and Grafton itself it really is a pretty place in the Spring and Summer, especially with the trees in bloom and boats on the river.

After our snack, it was time to go. Interesting thing…until we sat at The Gold Bar Saloon, we didn’t see another motorcycle all day, then there were a few, it was nice to see some other cold weather riders like us. We got to the bikes, met another group of admirers, theses folks were slightly closer to inebriated, they were getting into the St Patricks Day mood, but still admirers of our bikes, which we definitely appreciate and welcome the conversation. After that, on the bikes and head back down by the river, over the bridge, on the highway this time and hello puppies.

The sun pretended to try to peek out, but aside from that, a great day overall. What could be bad, motorcycle ride, good company, laughter, the wind in your face, as I’ve told you…wind therapy! Wonder where the road takes us next…

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