NYC | Peaches Prattlings

{February 23, 2025} A whirlwind weekend in NYC!

Is there any other kind?!

After work on Friday, PSM and I jumped in the Jeep, well, climbed in is more like it, for me, at least! PSM is not as vertically challenged as I am! I digress…we got into the Jeep and headed for the big city, the Big Apple, the big NYC, sensing a theme here?

We were making good time and decided to grab some dinner and stopped in Easton, PA, at at Pop’s Kitchen and Taproom. It was an interesting place, as in, it was part of the gas station parking lot, and when you walked in there was a convenience type market on the left, the counter/kitchen straight ahead, and to the right was a bar with some tables, and the beer cooler right behind it.

It’s an eclectic little place, had a few people in when we got there, two people at the bar, and as time went on, the place filled up, some regulars, and some passing through like us. I really liked the decorations, definitely a tap room, especially with all the beer taps hanging from the ceiling!

Back on the road, we parked and made it to the hotel by about 930p, definitely made good time, let dad know we were safe and up we went, to the 12th floor. Our room was right in between two elevators, but…it wasn’t as loud as you might think! The only time I noticed the elevators was when I was in the shower and heard the gears, it took me a minute to figure out what the noise was!

We were having a lazy morning, but it was time for some grub! We walked right by my sister and dad’s hotel, literally next door! We went to two places that had a long wait, NYC is full of places to try, and we found the Brooklyn Diner, nostalgic, yet, not inexpensive…as evident by the price for one single pancake…$15! Let’s just say, the experience and food were worth it!

We sat at the counter, one of our favorite places to sit, and shared a frittata, potatoes, challah, a cup of coffee for PSM and hot tea for me. We almost always share our breakfast, we enjoy it! The food was good, the company even better, and the atmosphere was buzzing. You could tell some of the folks were regulars, by the way they were greeted and chatted with some of the staff.

Our waiter was great, very friendly, as we chatted, we found out he was from Mexico, so we chatted about our shared love of Mexico, my time spent there as a kid, and the trip PSM and I took 2 years ago. The manager was another character, very nice woman and we hit it off like gangbusters! Go figure!

After breakfast, we headed towards Central Park, which was only a few blocks away, we were going to stroll through the park to The Met, apologies, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for those not in the know! That’s where we were going to meet my dad and sister.

The walk through the park was wonderful! It was about 35 degrees, maybe it got up to 40, can’t remember, but the sun was shining and it was lovely! There were so many people about…horse drawn carriages, reminded me of my trip with SDL and Miss A almost 2 years ago, there were pedicabs, people walking, running, jogging, strolling, walking dogs, pushing strollers, playing frisbee with their dogs, visiting the vendors selling stuff, waiting for the Zamboni to finish so they could lace up their skates and take a turn on the ice at the Iconic Wollman Skating Rink. What more could you want?!

We walked through the park to the museum, isn’t it iconic?! I love this museum, so many fond memories growing up and spending time at the museum. We went in and found my dad and my sister, that took a little doing, only because the museum is huge and there is very little to no signal in a few parts of the museum, so if they moved…Marco… Polo!

After the museum we got a knish, NY pretzel, and some drinks, y u m!!! Then we got in a taxi, how very totally NY of us! and headed to The Village for a celebration of life for a family member, which I will tell you in a separate post. I will tell you that the celebration was just that, there were a few tears, but so much love, joy, life, and love, did I say love, in that room, you couldn’t help but smile.

After the celebration, we got in two taxis, you couldn’t fit us all in, so it was the girls in one cab and the guys in another. We headed back towards the hotel to find food and take a breather before we went to the theater. Near the hotel was Serafina, an Italian restaurant that could take 7 of us without a reservation at the moment, it was about 5p, it hadn’t filled up yet. Most of us had eaten at a Serafina before and liked it, this time…not so much.

Aside from smelling weed the entire meal, we think it was coming from the building next door, which was connected by a door that didn’t seem to want to close, the food was just…bland. PSM ordered an Old Fashioned and said it wasn’t very good, I asked to taste it, as I always do, and let me tell you… I did not make a face, I could not taste the alcohol and all I tasted was sugar, and you know how much I love sugar, this was not one of those times!

So… unfortunately, in addition to the drink, which they remade, the food was bland, I’m not sure if anyone truly enjoyed their meal. The bruschetta was good, that was the saving grace. Look, not all meals can be winners, but, for me, I don’t think I’ll be going to another Serafina any time soon, and it’s ok, there are plenty of other Italian restaurants to try!

After dinner, we went back to our respective hotels to take a breather, get off our feet for a few before we went to the theater, and when I say for a few, I meant it! We had just taken off our shoes and it was time to put them back on. Unfortunately PSM wasn’t feeling well, so he stayed behind and I met everyone in the lobby of their hotel to walk to the theater. As my dad would tell you, PSM didn’t miss much!

We walked to the Ambassador Theater to see a production of Chicago, now you may know it from seeing it on Broadway starring Bebe Neuwirth, who played multiple characters, Paige Davis, Sandy Duncan, Joel Grey, and one of my favorites, Jinx Monsoon, literally just to name a few! or a local theater near you, or maybe you saw the movie Chicago, starring Rene Zellweger, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah, and Chita Rivera. Maybe you just know the score.

The premise: Roxie Hart, a chorus girl, kills her lover after he tries to end their affair. Velma Kelly, a nightclub star, kills her husband and sister after finding them in bed together. The two women compete for the attention of the press and a lawyer named Billy Flynn.

There are some great numbers: All that Jazz, The Cell Block Tango, my favorite When You’re Good to Mama. There is a bonafide story there, truly there is. The problem we had with this production, in our opinion….there was no set, not a big issue, I’ve seen many shows without sets, maybe just a block here and there, but some pieces of set, besides a few chairs would be helpful. The orchestra was on the stage, so that took up most of it, even though there was an entrance in the middle of the orchestra, I thought the orchestra, while very good, was loud and drowned out some of the players.

The show opened with All That Jazz, then went into the next number, and the next, there wasn’t a lot of dialog that wasn’t sung, and without a story/backstory or some context, if you don’t know the show, you would probably be lost, or bored, as my nieces were. We thought it would be a good high energy show for them, which it was high energy here and there, but not enough for them.

The singing and dancing was good by the players, Dylis Croman was great as Velma, had the moves, motions, dance, vocals, character. Nakiya Peterkin was a powerhouse as Matron Mama Morton, Max Von Essen was good as Billy Flynn, Greg Hildreth was great as Amos Hart, and R. Lowe was fabulous as Mary Sunshine, the reporter.

The one actor we couldn’t get behind was Erika Jayne as Roxie Hart. You may know Erika Jayne, or not, from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She could sing, but her movements weren’t fluid, they were a little stiff, especially compared to the rest of the cast, we didn’t really get behind her as a lead. I just realized I said get behind twice, sorry!

Overall, we were happy to hear the music and sing along, sort of, but overall, not the best theater experience for us, well, when you have a favorite performance, you compare all others to that one and that happened this time, oh well…we still love going to the theater, won’t stop us from maybe seeing another performance of Chicago somewhere else!

After the show, it was back to our respective hotels. We enjoyed the walk together, discussing the show and reminiscing about our favorite shows. Dad and I made plans for tomorrow, PSM and I would drive him back home, an little extra time to spend together, bonus!

The next morning, we got up, showered, packed, went to a local diner, had a decent breakfast, back to the hotel to finish packing and go to pick up the Jeep. On the way, got to see and say goodbye to EJS and MGS, then back to pick up dad and drive to Staten Island. We got to the house and hung out for a while, then we hit the road, but not before stopping at Heartland Bagels to pick up supplies, and by supplies, I mean bagels, bialys, spreads, and a few sweets, NY bagels, what more could you want?!

We were then officially on the road, back to PA, listening to the next few chapters of the Jack Reacher book we’re listening to. We stopped to pick up groceries and then… the puppies! We were back early enough on Sunday to pick up the pups instead of tomorrow. The house is now intact, everyone is home!

Ok, that was quite the weekend, I think I need a nap, what about you?!

{February 14, 2025} February 14th…a bittersweet day

I say bittersweet because there is much sweet and a little bitter.

Let me start with the obvious, February 14th is Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine. It began as a tribute to a martyr, but it has transformed into a cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of love and romance in many parts of the world. No shade to anyone who celebrates and enjoys the sentiment, I, myself am a sucker for romance. When I can shower my loved ones with love, what could be wrong?!

There was the St Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929, when Chicago’s Northside Gang lost seven of their members, on the plus side, sort of?, it inspired the Paper Lace’s 1974 song The Night Chicago Died. On the happier side, Valentine’s Day has inspired countless stories, movies, tv show episodes, books, songs, and a feeling of joy.

For me…aside from showing my loved ones how I feel, there are three things that stick in my mind. One, I was a part of from the beginning, one I wasn’t there for, but I can wish them well, and one, I’m getting to the point I can smile. I’m going to share, happy, sad, then happy, that will be a good way to end this post.

My friend JCT and her husband celebrate their wedding anniversary today, isn’t that wonderful?! A day about love and they get to wish each other love and happiness on a whole different level. I’ve known JCT and JT, yeah, I just realized that myself!, for 16 years! WOW! I met JCT when I started working for a company that hired me as a trainer, my first official software trainer gig, and it just went from there!

I met her and two other people I am still good friends with today. We traveled together to different locations training for a soft drink company, she and I hit it off like gangbusters. I still remember her calling me that Thanksgiving about 12am, could have been later, telling me that she was going to Walmart to buy a laptop for Black Friday. I thought she was nuts, but why not, I’ll come and keep you company!

I ended up hanging with her while her husband was at some other store getting some other Black Friday deal. After we took our winnings with us, I introduced her to Waffle House! And a tradition was born! NO! That was my one and only Black Friday middle of the night waiting for a deal experience, thank you very much! No, it was let’s go to Waffle House! Once I left Georgia, I didn’t always have access to Waffle House, so…when I would visit Atlanta, someone, didn’t matter who, and they would take turns, someone…was taking me to Waffle House! Y U M!

I met JCT, then met her husband, JT, then their daughter, STY, she was about 8 or 9 at the time, wow! and JCT’s mom, who has become another mom to me. And now, they are my extended family and I love them for it. When I visit Atlanta, they are on my list of people to see and crash with, they welcomed me in and the door is always open. And mom keeps trying to fatten me up with some amazing, wonderful, and tasty Chinese treats, again…Y U M! Happy Anniversary JCT and JT, here’s to many, many, many, many more wonderful years together.

Next, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about the passing of a dear friend of mine, AGM, on Valentine’s Day. Kind of fitting, he was so very loved and when we all came together for the funeral, it was a definite celebration of his life and how much he loved and was loved. I still think about him and as time passes, it gets a little easier to smile when thinking about him.

Well, when you think about his life and when we were younger, it’s easy to smile, at the things he did and said and how he made you feel. And that’s what I’m doing, as we speak, I’m sitting here, writing about him and I’m smiling at the memories from high school, running and jumping up into his arms, he was so much taller than me, but who wasn’t?! Sometimes he’d catch me and twirl me around, other times, we’d fall to the ground…always said he fell for me every time.

AGM, I miss you, and I love you, thank you for being in my life and a part of it, and letting me be a small part of yours.

The last, I said would be happy… is Gotcha Day for SDL and Miss A! That is the day the adoption was official and they were officially a family. And me, of course! I became Auntie George the second I found out about Miss A! SDL and I had been talking about adoption for so long and it took a long time getting there, but she got there. I’ll never forget the day SDL sent a picture to her mom and I saying ‘how would you like to see your potential granddaughter/niece?’ oh boy…did our hearts melt!

I knew SDL’s parents from a few of their visits, but as soon as the adoption process got underway, a new family was born, yes, they adopted me too! It was me, mom-mom, pop-pop, and auntie D who went to the airport to pick up SDL and Miss A and oh wow, did we all melt into the floor when they got off the plane! And they have been stuck with me ever since!

SDL, Miss A, and I have had some grand adventures! Whenever I visit Atlanta, I am at their house, sometimes for a week, sometimes it’s my home base, then we’ve gone on some great trips! They visited me when I was on the road, traveling for work, New Orleans, we visited Elvis together, NYC, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, last year we went to London, there are more adventures in our future, and you know I’ll tell you all about them! I could go on and on, but I have to end this post at some point!

Today is a very special day, there are people in my life that bring me such happiness and joy just by existing. My husband, my family, who are related by blood and marriage, my kids, grandkids, my friends who are my chosen family, I am going to get cheesy…I want to send love into the universe, I know I tell them every time I see them, talk to them, text, I never want to let a moment go by that I don’t tell them how much they mean to me, today and every day.

I started to say some very cheesy things and while that’s me, I just want to say, I love you all, thank you for being you and allowing me to be me, yeah, that’s cheesy enough. Happy Heart Day to all!

{January 19, 2025} It’s Sunday…Club Breakfast, Java Journey, Snow, Football, Movies

The day started with no alarm, my favorite! It was about 10 degrees so it was feed the dogs and open the back door, no walk, sorry…less than 25 degrees, I’m hiding under the covers!

We got moving, slowly, but we got moving, headed to the Lebanon Valley Motorcycle Club clubhouse for breakfast, there weren’t a lot of people there, but it was most likely because of the weather, it was coming in! We were there for about an hour, had some good food, as BTK said, her favorite breakfast is one that someone else cooks!

After breakfast we headed to our second stop on the Lebanon Valley Java Journey. Oh no! I forgot to tell you the Java Journey has started and I picked up our cups yesterday! If you recall, from last year, the Lebanon Valley Java Journey is a fun event, or as is quoted on the front of the passport ‘An experience in every cup’! Isn’t that great! Basically, you purchase a cup for $10 and you get a passport with 15 coffee houses and cafes on it, last year it was 12, we’re up this year! Two of the coffee houses has two locations, and they added three new places and one of them is a mobile coffee shop, we’ll have to search to find it!

So… it started on Thursday, January 16th, who starts things on a Thursday, oh well…well, we didn’t have the time to get to one of the locations to get a cup on Thursday, so Friday, we met up at City Watch just before they closed and they were sold out! What?! Last year, so many places had extra, I think they ordered just enough. Turns out, they were sold out before they closed the doors on Thursday, ugh!

Saturday morning, I told you, I was in NYC at my dad’s, so PSM went to Timber Creek Coffee, they were sold out, what?! That’s two down! After we got off the phone, I looked up Timeless Cafe and called and they had plenty! And they agreed to put two aside for me, thank you! So…on the way to the IMRG lunch, we stopped at Mill 72 Bake Shop & Cafe and got our first two beverages and stamps! Weehoo!

Back to today! After breakfast, we went to Swatara Coffee in Annville, I really wanted to show BTK the Whirling Dervish Bakery, but they’re only open Thursday-Friday 7a-11a and Saturday 8a-12p, very convenient hours! We got our stamps and drinks, I told another group of people about the Java Journey, you should have heard me selling it yesterday! PSM said I should work for them! HA HA

After coffee, we went back to the house, the snow started while we were having breakfast, but it was really coming down now. Back at the house, we hung out, there was football to watch, I did some other stuff and when there was a break in the snow, I went out and did a pass over the driveway, to give us a starting point. BTK was planning on heading out tomorrow, so we wanted to be sure she could.

There were a few football games on, BTK and PSM were enjoying them, I was upstairs doing other things, then I came down and made a salad and pasta for dinner, we enjoyed the time together, more football, then PSM went upstairs and BTK and I settled in to watch some movies. We started one she hadn’t seen, followed by one neither of us had seen because it was a new release.

We started with Hidden Figures, the story of three female African-American mathematicians, or as they referred to them, computers, at NASA, amazing, powerful, emotional, fantastic, followed by The Six Triple Eight, the retelling of the story of the all-Black Women’s Army Corps, WACs, who were tasked with sorting and delivering years worth of backlogged mail. I will tell you all about it in another post, but wow, just wow. I am awed and amazed by what those women did for the army, the soldiers, the families, just wow.

When all was said and done, it was about 2 or 2:30am when we finished, off to bed for us! Guess who stayed up a little later because they couldn’t sleep?! No matter what, a good day was had by all!

{May 25, 2024} Indian Motorcycle, New York New York, Yum, Freemont Street, and the Strip!

Was that enough? Well…there is one thing I left out, but I will tell you about that in another post, promise! Let’s start with Saturday morning first thing.

We got up, no alarm, thank you very much! Headed downstairs to grab some food, ran into Uncle A, Auntie L was still asleep, he had already had breakfast, but stayed and sat with us while we had breakfast. We chatted, caught up, it was a lot quieter this morning than it was last night at Nacho Daddy, and of course we couldn’t talk during the show! Well, some of us had nodded off, so that would pose a problem for chatting!

PSM and I were heading to the place we always look for on our travels…an Indian Motorcycle Dealership, of course! We invited Uncle A, Auntie L, and dad, they were all in. I checked with SDL and J&S, they were all going to chill at the hotel and maybe go to the pool. Sounds good. So…we called an Uber, met in the lobby, went to pick up dad at the Paris Hotel & Casino and off we went to Sin City Indian Motorcycle, a very nice dealership and showroom. We hung out for a bit, looked at bikes, bought some t-shirts and we were good to go.

Order Uber. Back to the strip. On to the next adventure! Dropped off dad at Paris, he was going to see how friendly the tables were. PSM and I got off at the same hotel, Uncle A and Auntie L went on to the Mob Museum, National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement. It’s a great museum, in an old retired courthouse. You can rent it for weddings and other events, there is a distillery, and a speakeasy! I went years ago and really enjoyed it!

After we said goodbye to everyone, PSM and I hopped in a taxi and headed to the New York New York Hotel & Casino. I may have mentioned how much I love this hotel…I’m not that interested in the casino aspect, of any of the hotels really, not my thing, but the hotel itself, how they design it, how they style it, now that…I love. The Paris Hotel & Casino have a giant Eiffel Tower growing right up through the middle of it, you can to to the top, you can have dinner way up, the casino looks like Paris of the 20s, the restaurants are themed, it’s great!

New York New York holds a special place in my heart, being from there and all! But I just love the hotel, the casino is just fine, you’ve got different aspects of NYC, a nod to the Chrysler Building, there are man hole covers, shop fronts, the skyline, what more could you want?!

New York style eateries, that’s what you could want! When you head to the eateries, you’re right there in the alleys and back streets of NYC! You are transported, I promise, the street names, the lights, the wires, the lamp posts, the store fronts, all of it!

We went to one of my favorite places I discovered years ago, Greenberg’s NY Deli, part of the NY Eateries. It’s your average good, NYC, Jewish deli. The sandwiches are huge, the prices are ok, but the food is really good, and all sandwiches come with a pickle! PSM got corned beef and I got an egg salad sandwich, it was sooo good! Oh, we also had Dr Brown’s Sodas. As the slogan says, Drink One, You’ll Understand. PSM will have different flavors, I am a Black Cherry only kind of gal, and I’m ok with it! Soda is on my no-no list, so when I treat myself, I treat myself and it’s hard for me to pass up a Dr Brown’s soda! There was also a black & white cookie, some people call them half-moons, but they will always be black & white cookies to me! I prefer the more cookie version versus the cakey version, but it’s all up to the individual. We couldn’t finish it, so we got it to go! It was nice to share this experience with PSM.

We headed back to the hotel to get ready for something…not telling at the moment, but… after the something, PSM, SDL, Miss A, S&J, and I all walked down the street from the restaurant to Freemont Street, in the evenings, it turns into the Freemont Street Experience, a giant party, great for people watching!

Freemont Street itself, is where Las Vegas began, it’s considered Old Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Strip is New Las Vegas, as it were. A little history: The street was first established in 1905 as the center of the fledgling city where business and pleasure came together. Fremont Street was a busy travel route, with Las Vegas’ first train station just a few steps away, so it catered to travelers looking for a place to relax and unwind.

It’s wonderful to see it during the day, less people, and you get get a sense of it, at night, with, well, it seems like everyone not on the Strip, is at Freemont Street! But.. at night, aside from the people watching, you have the signs, the bright, lit up neon signs for the hotels, the businesses, and everything! I recommend it highly, but if you don’t like people, not a great fit! Just be prepared! Oh, and hang on to your wallets, I was told there were not so nice people who might decide they need your wallet more than you!

We started to walk through and take in all the sights, Miss A was loving on the music. We walked as close together as possible, just so we didn’t lose each other! Then we found out there was a free concert tonight! Seether was going to be playing. If you’re not familiar with Seether, they are a rock band from South Africa, Fake It is a song you may know. I like Seether, they are not everyone’s cup o’ tea, as it were.

We listened to one song, then headed out towards a less crowded area so we could get an Uber back to the hotel. Along the way, we saw a Bonafede fight, this guy was hitting on this gal, the other guy didn’t like that and threw the first punch, then they were on the ground punching the crud out of each other, fun! By the time we started to look for a cop, they were already on it. Yup, exciting!

Back in an Uber, back to Planet Hollywood, drop off and say goodbye to J, they were leaving in the morning, PSM, his brother S, SDL, Miss A and I went across the street to watch the Bellagio Fountains nighttime show. Same great show, choreographed to music, but this time, set to lights. Ahhh

Gotta love some MJ!

After watching twice, S went back to him room, we said goodbye, then PSM grabbed a taxi or Uber back to the hotel and SDL, Miss A, and I went off exploring!

We walked down one end of The Strip, people watching, listening to music, walked into a few hotels, the goal on this side of the street was The Venetian Hotel. What a spectacular hotel! There are gondola rides down the grand canal, this is something I’ve always wanted to do in Las Vegas, but haven’t gotten to yet.

We saw some awesome stuff… like this electric harpist!

A first for us too!

We crossed the street and went by the Mirage, which was the home to Siegfried & Roy and their tiger show for 14 years. We walked to Caesar’s Palace, which is a city in itself! We were too late by the time we got there to go in, not to the casino, but to the shopping area, which is the fun part, I know, I know, the casino, but the shopping area, mostly because they have a circular escalator!

So… after we saw Caesar’s, we’ll go back, we found the first spot we could get an Uber and headed back to the hotel. By now…it’s about 1230am, I’m done! Miss A was done! SDL was done! What grand adventure does tomorrow hold!?

Join me tomorrow and find out!

{March 9, 2024} A fitting tribute

I was going to tell you all about my day today, it was full, but right now, I’m only going to tell you about one thing, an amazing tribute to a dear friend.

I told you yesterday that today I was going to Staten Island for the funeral of my friend AGM, who passed on February 14th. Here we are, on Staten Island, staying at my dad’s house for the night, so we can proprely toast, I’m not going to say ‘so we can say goodbye’, because we’re not really saying goodbye, not to AGM.

AGM is…wow…is, was one of those people who, the moment you met him, you were a friend, a sister, a brother, you weren’t just friends, you were family. He had an infectious smile, you couldn’t help but smile when you saw it, but when he laid it on you…then there was his laugh, yeah, you know it, don’t you…once you’re in, you’re in.

The service was at Scarmardella Funeral Home on Staten Island, not a lot of parking at all! We parked a few blocks away and walked in the rain, fitting for the day, don’t you think? When we got there, there weren’t a lot of people there, but we were there just at the time the funeral was called for, 2pm. We spoke with AGM’s sister and we all laughed, because during the planning, the funeral home was only going to give them one room. You’re wondering why we laughed, well…as I said it was only the start, and as the preacher said later, AGM was known as the Mayor of Staten Island!

We walked into the chapel room and the flowers, when we got there, were beautiful, and the urn his sister had picked, perfect. AGM was a huge superhero fan, and how fitting what she got for him, just look at the memorial card for him, what could be more perfect.

People started to arrive and I don’t think it stopped, ever! Even after we left, which was almost 6p when it was scheduled to be over, people were still coming. Some people stayed, like we did, some came in and out, but they came, in droves, that just says it all and when we went into the chapel room to listen to a few people and a preacher, it was truly standing room only, expected nothing less for him.

There were people I remembered and some I didn’t, people remembered me, and for that, I am so very humbled. Even if we weren’t sure who we were or the other person for that matter, we had a connection. ‘How did you know AGM?’, unless you knew the person directly or through AGM, that was the question of each moment, each minute.

Some of us knew AGM from PS 22, some of us knew him from IS 72, Curtis HS, Port Richmond HS, College of Staten Island [CSI]. Others knew him post school, Legends, Joe’s Broadway, The Red Spot, any number of bars down on Bay Street in Staten Island, The Rocky Horror Picture Show in NYC, cannot for the life of me remember the theater name, sorry!, CVS, and anywhere else you may have known this force of nature, and he was a force of nature, no one can tell me anything different, and I don’t think anyone would disagree.

We talked, we screamed when someone we knew walked in, and we knew them or recognized them, we hugged, oh wow, did we hug, we held on while we cried, didn’t let go, we held hands, we side hugged, it really was about having human contact, and at that moment, no matter what happened way back when, we were back in school, or wherever you see yourself, and we were in that moment, and we were with him. I told a few people, as we were standing there, I kept expecting him to walk through the door, the door to the chapel, the door to the funeral home, just walk in to where I/we were with that big, goofy grin, reaching in to give you the biggest, warmest, silliest bear hug you could handle, or maybe, like me, he scoops you up and you fall on the floor together laughing and say the same thing you always said ‘falls for me every time!’.

We spent three hours going through every emotion…greeting, hugging, smiling, crying, laughing, shock, some anger, you can’t have something like this happen and not be a little angry, I don’t have to tell you why, I’m at least hoping you understand and don’t judge us.

About 515p, they ushered those of us who were still there, and there were a lot of us, into the chapel and the preacher introduced three people who spoke, all from the heart, and all with such passion, and love, and, well, I was going to say more, but love is it, a story, an anecdote, made us laugh and cry, yup. Then the preacher spoke and the big one was ‘life is too short’, he said a mouthful. And those of us who reconnected, I have a feeling we’re going to stay in each other’s lives in some capacity and what more could you want?

When it was finally time to go, it was slow going. Say goodbye to this person, ‘are you going to Joe’s Broadway?’, say goodbye to that person ‘will I see you at Joe’s Broadway?’ hug him, hug her, ‘I’m so glad we saw each other’, hold this one tight, hold that one tight, ‘I’m so glad we reconnected, I’d really like to stay in touch, tell each other how you feel, that they matter, life is too short.

So, I say to you, dear readers, my dear friends, tried and true, steadfast friends, I appreciate you, I am so glad we’re talking again, I can’t see letting go again, and do you know why…life is too short.

{March 8, 2024} A visit, a new place for dinner, we got in!

A normal work day, in the afternoon MM arrived, picked up PSM at work, went to a new place for dinner, then a club meeting, a movie, nighty night!

MM came in because tomorrow, we’re heading to Staten Island to attend the funeral of a friend. I don’t know if you recall me telling you about the passing of AGM on February 14th, a good friend from high school, someone who comes in and out of your life and it’s like no time has passed and just thinking about him right now I’m smiling. Well…tomorrow is the funeral, and then following, the celebration of life.

Since MM lives in South Carolina and he was driving up, I suggested he stop here, it’s about 7 hours from here, spend the night and we go together. We further planned…we are going to go to the funeral, then the celebration, then spend the night at my dad’s, there’s a brunch on Sunday, then we drive back to PA.

So…MM is here, I drove PSM to work because the beetle bug is in the shop, so we went to pick him up, we came home, chilled out for a while, then decided to head out and get some dinner. We went to the Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery, now we’ve been there before, but they only had a giant popcorn machine and food trucks on occassion, now…they have a full kitchen! Let’s eat!

The place was packed, and when I say packed, I mean packed, there was almost no place to sit. I happened to see two spots at the bar, I asked the people at the bar if they could move down two spots and we could sit there, thank you! We siddled up to the bar and settled in, right behind the taps, not a bad place to be, I love beer taps, they are so creative!

PSM had joined the LVCB Bierverkosters, basically a beer club. For your entry fee, you get a discount on food and merchandise, you get a 20oz beer for the price of a 16oz pint, and you get to punch a timecard on an old fashioned machine, pretty cool! And even more…

We ordered food, it wasn’t bad, I ordered a grilled veggie wrap, my only feedback was that it was cold on the inside, it should have been a hot sandwich, but it was tasty. Would I order it again? Yup, I will definitely give them another chance on this! They had a few things I might be able to eat, a few salads, not sure about the spicy black bean burger…but they have options. PSM and MM both had burgers, said they were pretty good.

One thing that wasn’t a plus was how long the food was taking. We thought because the kitchen has only been open a short time and it was really slammed in the place, the kitchen got slammed, add to that, we were all hungry, not a great combination. But will we go back and go back for more than just drinks, we definitely will, it’s a local place for us, the drink selection is good for PSM, they have very salty popcorn, fun to have while you’re there, the staff is very nice, and now they have a full kitchen, what more could you want? I’m sure as they grow, they’ll get better and I’m willing to go on the journey with them!

After dinner, we headed over to the Lebanon Valley Motorcycle Club for the Friday Night Meeting. We got there shortly before 8p, walked in, we were greeted so warmly, they know us now, especially since we’ve been to a few meetings. They missed us last week, that feels good to know! The last meeting they had some desserts that we both enjoyed and I told someone that I enjoyed the cherry bars, tonight, she gave me the recipe! Someone else had a recipe for their cake last week, but we weren’t there. Way to make us feel so welcome!

When we went upstairs for the meeting, they announced that we had been voted in, which was read from last week’s minutes, we had missed that, but we had a rousing cheer for us! MM introduced himself, we all had a good time, laughing, learning, just the camraderie! The events are starting to happen and I’m excited to participate! Thank you LVMC, we are excited to be here!

We came home got comfortable and put on Harlem Nights, one of my favorite movies of all time, just a classic with Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Red Fox, Della Reese, Danny Aiello, Michael Lerner, Jasmine Guy, and so many other great performers and comedians, I’ll tell you more about the movie another time!

Right now…gotta crash, getting up to get some brunch, then head to NYC for, well, you know.

Good night all, hug each other!p

{May 28, 2021} It’s Friday! What should we do?!

Well, since it’s Friday, even though it’s a holiday weekend, PSM and I were up and working, while I waited for SDL and Miss A to join us upstairs.

The rain was coming, so how much could we do outside? Not much, but we were going to have a great day, no matter what?! One of the things SDL asked before they came…a little pampering? Oh yeah! So…when I called, it turned out they didn’t have any availability for three people until about 1230p, perfect!

Breakfast, then groceries. I had to hang my head in shame! The usually stuff that we’ve had when they visit we were out of! I had just finished the giant jar of peanut butter the day before, no, not the whole jar all at once, but I finished it in a smoothie! And we haven’t had bread, loaves, bagels, nothin! in the house for a while, so I felt terrible about that! Luckily, SDL is always prepared and had two slices of bread and one of those small containers of peanut butter, whew!

We had some time until our appointment, so we went to the grocery store, just enough time to get what we needed, and even went to the Bagel Factory! Their bagels are pretty decent, it’s not NYC or Boston, which is all about the water, but they’re good and made fresh every day. They actually close at 130p, when we got there, there was almost nothing on the shelves and when we were about to drive away, they locked the doors, it was 1215pm! Well, alrighty then! Maybe tomorrow!

We took the groceries home, I unloaded and got everything put away, grabbed some sandals and away we went to our favorite nail salon, honestly PSM was jealous! You know I got him addicted when we lived in Hawai’i!

We got there just in time and they set up two pedi chairs for us, I helped Miss A get onto SDL’s lap and we both settled in to our massage chairs for some pampering! They did Miss A’s feet first, and she got the full treatment! SDL said it was the first time for her to get full treatment! Nothing’s too good for my niece! Miss A got the foot bath, scrubbing, trimming, clipping, massaging, and warm towel, what more could you want! Oh yeah, and pretty pink bubble gum toes!

When she was done, she hung out next to mom while SDL and I got pampered! They started with the pedis, pedicures for anyone not in the know! Oh wow, it felt great! It had been a few weeks since PSM and I went, actually, just over a month! My toes still looked good, a pedicure can usually last me over a month, unless your scraping the ground with your toes, you should be good! They did SDL’s manicure in the chair, she doesn’t get color, so they soaked her fingers where she sat, I love that! For me, I went over to a table and they got to work on my fingers. Claws and paws as the phrase goes! Just what the doctor ordered!

Back to the house, it was snack time for Miss A, walks for the pups, and a while later, it was time to head out for dinner. We looked at a few places and the winner was Three Kings Public House! I’ve told you about it! I go for the Brussel Sprouts! Y U M! We had food, drinks, laughter, silliness, dancing, a few trips around the pub, what more could you want?! Food, family, friends, and fun. Yup, that’s about it!

Back home, bath time, hanging out, talking to you and then…lights out. What adventures await us tomorrow?!

{February 12, 2021} Xin nian hao! [Happy Chinese New Year!]

Today is Chinese New Year! It’s the year of the Ox.

I don’t know if you fall into the category of believing in Chinese Zodiac signs, but I do. I enjoy learning about characteristics and traits and see if they match with the person I might know with that sign. I do it with astrological signs. That being said, if you are the year of the ox, and this is your year, let’s see if your personality and characteristics fit:

Oxen are honest and earnest. They are low key and never look for praise or to be the center of attention. This often hides their talent, but they’ll gain recognition through their hard work. They believe that everyone should do what’s asked for them and stay within their bounds. Though they are kind, it’s difficult for them to understand persuasion using pathos. Rarely losing your temper, they think logically and make great leaders.

Is that you?

I remember as a kid, celebrating with with a Pilipino family that lived down the street from us, our families were great friends. Their oldest son and I were the same age and their youngest and my sister were the same age, the middle kid, well, he was in the middle, ha ha, and we all played together. We would play after school, at holidays and over the summer, the family would come and stay at our summer house. AL, the oldest used to drive my mom crazy, he would make that dripping water noise with his mouth and cheek, it drove her insane, mostly because he would do it in the middle of the night. Ha ha.

Back to celebrating…They observed a lot of Chinese traditions, the boys went a Chinese school every Saturday, much to their chagrin, in Chinatown in NYC, how many of you wanted to go to school on Saturday to learn a new language, on top of going to school during the week. The most fun was celebrating Chinese New Year with them. Foods, traditions, stories, the red envelopes. Oh yeah, the red envelopes.

It is tradition to give the gift of a bright, beautiful red envelope (known as 紅包, hóngbāo) to friends and family. It’s not just any old envelope…The red color symbolizes good luck and prosperity in Chinese (and other East Asian) cultures. Here are 8 Things You Should Know about the Lucky Red Envelope.

I was a kid, so of course, I looked forward to getting those red envelopes and they always had money in them, but it was usually $2 bills! I know you won’t be surprised, I probably still have a few of those envelopes, might even have the money in them. But even then, as much as I enjoyed getting money filled envelopes, I knew they were special, not just because of the money, there was history behind them, I knew there was something.

As I mentioned, with the envelopes, there was laughter and joy, their house was always full for the celebration, so many people sharing moments, food, and stories. What more could you want?

I’ve been in different places for Chinese New Year to see the celebrations, including the fireworks, dragons, dancing, parades and so much more. There is nothing like it! I hope to travel the world to see more celebrations! We saw some celebrations in Hawai’i, I remember a celebration inside a mall! I’ve seen them in New York City, and Philadelphia, PA, it’s not something you ever forget and I hope sometime in your life, you get to experience the wonder and splendor and come back and tell me all about it!

I will leave you with a traditional Chinese New Year greeting: I wish you a year of abundance and prosperity. Xin nian hao.

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