Grounded...

I have been sick since 12/12/07. First, I had a cold...which turned into sinusitis on 12/22/07. I saw a doctor and he gave me an antibiotic, but would not take me off flying duty. I took a day off anyway, and stayed at home. Then on 12/27/07, I came down with some nasty flu-like bug. I went to a different doctor yesterday, and she said that I have a virus and she took me off flying duty for the rest of the year. I have been ordered to rest in bed and drink plenty of fluids! Hopefully, this reprieve will allow my body to heal so that I can go back to work on 1/2/08.

Buenos Dias!

My evening in Salt Lake City went very well - we arrived at around 10PM, and the Red Lion hotel (INCREDIBLE BEDS) treated all the flight crews to a turkey dinner with all the trimmings! Again, I staggered off to bed with a full tummy...

When I arrived back in Denver at 8:30AM, I found out that I had a showtime in one hour for a turn to Guadalajara, Mexico! My first Frontier flight to Mexico! I was assigned the "C" position, but had to trade to the "B" position because I am not a fluent Spanish speaker.

Traveling to Mexico is a whole 'nother animal. The passengers didn't seem to understand English OR Spanish...we think that they were in their own little world, governed by bells and lights. When the "fasten seatbelt" sign was illuminated, they'd get up to go potty...including as we were still taking off or landing! One "ugly American" guy was a nasty sum b*tch, moaning and groaning and being generally not-so-nice. I just smiled, told him that I was sorry that he was unhappy, and turned and walked away!

But, on the other hand, I got to practice my Spanish (I have a Spanish language course on CD that I'm listening to as I drive to/from Denver) with a little girl about 6 years old! I forgot most everything I had learned, but at least I was able to tell her that I can speak a little Spanish!

Since it was my first flight to Mexico, I was confused about all the forms, procedures, etc. But when I go again, it should go a lot smoother. When we landed in Mexico, a bunch of security guards and plane cleaners boarded through the back door - I had to seal off all my cabinets, and then watch as they tore the airplane apart. I have to give them credit...they put everything back together really nicely, and then new passengers boarded.

Though I am looking forward to one of the Mexico trips where we have a layover - can you spell R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N?

Speaking of which, I am off today and tomorrow. My management team called yesterday and left a message asking me to work my days off - there is a critical shortage of flight attendants, and they want to avoid having to cancel flights (like some other airline...). But I just CANNOT do it. I am SO TIRED, and I want to hang out with Jen while she's still in town.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Chicago! I arrived here yesterday afternoon with my crew and checked into our hotel. Then Randy, my cousin, came and picked me up and brought me to his house for the evening. When I told him that I was coming into town, he refused to let me stay the night at the hotel...he insisted that I stay in their guest room and celebrate Christmas Eve with him and his family. It was WONDERFUL.

We started out by going to Mass at 6PM, followed by a gourmet meal of lobster tail and filet mignon! Boy...I could sure get used to that! Afterwards, it was time to open presents - there were even some presents for me! What a nice surprise! Everything was opened by around 2AM and I staggered off to bed...and slept incredibly well.

Now I am back at the hotel, waiting to take the shuttle bus back to the airport. Last I checked, I had a 3 hour layover in Denver, and then I deadhead (ride as a passenger) to Salt Lake City. Tomorrow morning I work the first flight back to Denver, and then I get to see what Crew Scheduling has for me...hopefully, they'll release me to my days off so that I can go home and hang out with Jen, Greg & Kikko!

I Am Still Alive (Barely)

I got back from Tampa, FL on Wednesday morning 12/19, and expected to be put on couch duty until noon...but when I called in, they put me on phone duty until 2:15PM - all I had to do was be near my phone and be ready to come in in a moment's notice. So I sat around the crew lounge until noon, and then felt brave enough to venture towards home.

I stopped at the Container Store by Park Meadows Mall in Denver (I LOVE that store!) and did a little Christmas shopping...then hopped back in the car to drive to the Colorado Springs Airport to pick up Jen!

We've had a nice couple days of visiting, and even celebrated Christmas this morning - opening all our gifts from our family and friends! Then I planned on cooking our traditional turkey dinner tonight, but have come to realize that I don't feel good...AGAIN! I thought I was getting all better, but this morning I'm running a fever, my face hurts and my head hurts. I saw a doctor and have been diagnosed with sinusitis. He doesn't feel that there's a problem flying, but I do. So I already called in sick for tomorrow, and hope that the antibiotic he prescribed kicks in soon.

So Jen generously volunteered to cook dinner - the infamous Chicken Parmagiana that she makes for her babysitting client! And I'll make our traditional dinner tomorrow. My goal is to take a day to relax and get better before I fly high again! They are severely short of flight attendants for the next few days...and I don't want to make that situation worse, but I don't want to compromise my health in doing so.

So, gosh darn it, I'll have to sit around and nap, and maybe watch movies with my daughter. Darn!

An Unexpected Surprise

When I got back to Denver, I called crew scheduling to check in and was told that the reason that I was taken off the San Antonio list was that the person who I was replacing had called in "well." So instead, they assigned me to an overnight trip to Tampa, FL. Nice!

I called my friends John & Jeanette to see if they were busy tonight...luckily, they had some time to spend with me!! Jeanette fed me some dinner, their son Hamilton kept me entertained, and John spent time with me after he finished his evening class.

Jeanette and I took a walk with Hamilton around the island on which she and John live...seeing Christmas lights on palm trees is wild! But what a beautiful setting...

I did have a disabled girl "freak out" on a flight this evening - she is mentally challenged and did not react well to the bumps we experienced in the air. She was traveling alone and was totally scared. I arranged for another passenger to sit with her and keep her calm until we landed. It was an interesting event.

Back in the Air

After my first sick day, I felt well enough to go back in the air! I agressively bid on two different four-day trips, but did not get assigned to either. But...another one appeared out of no where and crew scheduling gave it to me! So early (3:30AM) yesterday morning I left my warm home and drove to the airport in Denver!

First, I had a turn to/from Indianapolis, and then a trip to Dallas, TX. The crew that I flew with was great! The captain has been (and still may be) the most senior of all the pilots, and the forward flight attendant was on her first flight! I actually was able to guide her and impart my wisdom...I'm no longer low seniority! All of us, except for the captain (his Mom is in the hospital and he wanted to stay close to a phone) had dinner together at Bennigan's. It was fun just hanging out. The aft attendant has been with the company for 7 years, so I have been able to get lots of wonderful tips from her.

Then early this morning we left Dallas (where I got to fit 2000 carry-on bags into the 30 overhead bins and I did it!!!) and flew back to Denver...an hour later we left for Seattle, WA with a different captain and a different forward attendant. What a great flight that was...I "bonded" with this one couple - I kept dropping blankets/pillows and headsets on him (unintentionally). He was seated right below the storage bin. Poor guy. But I made light of it, teased them, goofed off, etc. and kept them laughing! At the end of the flight, they came to me and thanked me over and over for a wonderful flight! They said that I had made it SO FUN!

At the hotel, I checked in and went right to the bar to have a bowl of clam chowder! Yummy!!! I've stayed in my room since then...I finished our Christmas cards and am going to go to bed early! We leave the hotel at 5AM to fly back to Denver.

Originally, I was assigned to fly to San Antonio, TX with the same crew (except for the captain), but I just checked my schedule online, and for some reason (probably at the request of a higher seniority FA who lost hours due to schedule changes) they took me off the last night of the trip. So now I am hoping that they just send me home and prepare for Jen's homecoming on Wednesday! Time will tell...

Under the Weather...

Today is the last day of my three days off, and unfortunately it's also the third day of not feeling well. I used to admire Greg in that he never gets sick on a work day - he gets to a weekend and WHAM! he's down for the count. That's what I've done - on my first day off, I could feel the telltale signs that a cold was coming.

Seeing as how the cold is still partly in my head, I decided to call in sick for tomorrow. Hopefully, by Sunday my head will be clear and flying will be safe again...!

Send chicken soup!

From One Extreme to Another

I ventured out yesterday afternoon - it was GORGEOUS outside. About 79 degrees and a gentle breeze...I walked on the Riverwalk that was right outside the hotel...then I walked across the bridge over the Jacksonville River so that I could take a look at the Jacksonville Landing...let's just say that it is not even an iota as nice as Baltimore's Inner Harbor! After grabbing a bite to eat at their Food Court, I took the water taxi back across the river to the dock by the hotel.

Since it was still early, I decided to walk in the opposite direction and boy...am I glad that I did! First, I found a great consignment shop that had really cute things. Then I walked another mile or so down the road and entered a little village called "San Marco." The Church bells were playing a song, there were Christmas decorations everywhere, there was a little town "square" (it was really a triangle) and lots of little shops and bistros. It was so beautiful!

I stopped in a couple of the shops, including The Snob Shop - an upscale consignment shop. Let's just say that it was a GOOD THING that Jen wasn't with me...they had tons of designer purses and shoes, as well as articles of clothing...if she had the cash, she'd buy up the store! There were other cute shops along the street and it was fun to window shop.

We flew out this morning at 6AM - it was probably in the 60s and foggy in Florida and in the 20s and snowing in Denver! I called Crew Scheduling when I arrived and they released me for the rest of the day!!! So I carefully drove home...the roads were horrid, but I made it! I am now off until Saturday morning at 12:01AM. I need this time to do Christmas Cards and a Christmas letter (I think I am going to skip the poem this year...after all, I am a working woman!!!), not to mention doing some Christmas shopping!

Sunny Florida

I got to see a few classmates last night in the crewroom, including my buddy E.C. (he flew his family of SEVEN to Detroit for lunch after he graduated!). My crew was already on the plane - they had just finished a Las Vegas turn.

It was a quiet, almost uneventful flight - there were about 40 passengers...most did not even want a beverage - they just went to sleep! So I spent most of the flight reading. The reason I said "almost uneventful" was because we almost got diverted to Orlando! There was lots of fog in Jacksonville and the auto-pilot ground system in JAX was not working!!! Fortunately, they finally got it working and we landed about 20 minutes late.

By the time I got to my hotel room, it was around 6:30AM local time and I slept until about 12:30PM. I've been hanging out in the room and now getting ready to venture out. We're right by the Jacksonville Landing, which is modeled after Baltimore's Inner Harbor. It'll be nice to go outside and walk around.

But it'll be early to bed tonight! We have to be in the lobby to catch the shuttle back to the airport at 4:30AM...yikes!

Snow, Snow and More Snow!

To pick up where I left off...I did CPD (couch potato duty) on Monday until 6PM at the airport, and then on Tuesday I did CPD at home! That was nice, because I still had a lot of Christmas decorating to do.

Then I had Wednesday through Friday off...

Yesterday, Saturday 12/8/07, I was assigned CPD from noon to 6PM but then was immediately assigned to do a St. Louis turn at 4PM with Renate from my class (she's the first person I've flown with more than once). In the meantime, though I got to visit with several other classmates as they came in and out of the crewroom. One in particular is my buddy, Hope! We got a few hours to "catch up" and talk, and we even called Janel to find out how the heck she's doing.

At around 3PM, Renate and I met our crew - very sedate and calm looking. Boy...were we wrong. The gate agents were trying to get our flight out of the gate early so that the de-icing process could get done and the flight out on time. Well...let's just say that the ramp people forgot about us and didn't load the bags! So we were all ready to go but couldn't leave. But everyone had a great attitude.

When I said that I was wrong about the crew, this is what I meant - when the Captain made his first announcement introducing the flight attendants, he said that we had a pseudo-celebrity on board. He told the passengers that our B attendant was flying her last flight, because she was going off to work full-time training the women's Olympic volleyball team. He went into such detail that the passengers all broke out into applause and congratulated her. I went up to the cockpit and asked if he was serious, and of course they assured me they were. NOT. So as we landed in STL, I announced that the Captain and the First Officer had been selected as the "Flight Deck Team of the Month" for November, and to please be sure to congratulate them on your way off the plane. And sure enough, the passengers were so impressed and wished them well!

On the leg back to Denver, the Captain announced that the C attendant was Rosetta Stone, an entreprenuer who is doing this job as a hobby, but that she has a tape/CD language instruction series empire. He said to be sure that we spoke to her in as many different languages as we could. When the B made her introductions, she introduced the Captain as "Captain Storyteller" - this time we were all rolling our eyes and shaking our heads no as he was telling the passengers this "story."

It sure made for a fun flight!

When we got back to Denver, it was close to midnight and the roads were icy and snowy. I had made arrangements to stay with my surrogate parents, the Geyer's, for the night, and on the way there I passed a multi-car pile-up on I-70 that appeared to have started with a jacknifed truck. But I managed to get by and continued on my way to their house...they kept a light on for me, and had the electric blanket on and a warm bed all ready for me!!! They are such sweet people!!!

I'm back in Colorado Springs now - the sun came out this morning, cleared off the roads, so I came back home and repacked my things. I have to report at 11PM for a redeye to (drumroll please...) Jacksonville, FL. YIPPEE! We arrive at 5AM local time and leave the next day around the same time. So after I catch some sleep in the morning, I hope to hit the beach!!!

I still can't believe that I'm being paid to do this job...

Speed Demon

I had a very relaxing day in Ft. Myers - I read books, surfed the Internet, hung out by the pool, ate at a BBQ place, got propositioned by a guy in a maroon pickup truck, marveled at Christmas stuff for sale right next to swimming pool noodles and goggles in a CVS pharmacy...all around fun!

It was a great flight back to Denver with lots of very fun passengers. I spoke German with one gentleman, another older gentleman flirted with me as his wife of 22 years tried to get him to behave himself, and I had fun talking with the group that was sitting in row 1 - one of whom is a former FAA employee. She still has connections at the FAA, so I made sure I followed all the rules and regs!

I got home late last night, and was greeted by an enthusiastic Kikko! Then this morning I slept in until 8AM, and sat around thinking that I should shower and get dressed, just in case I get "the call." Well, I was still sitting around doing nothing at 10:45AM when my cell phone rang. "Unknown" usually means that crew scheduling is calling...yup. I got my first "short call" this morning. They wanted me to report to the crewroom at DIA by 1PM. OMG!!! I was still in my jammies! So I jumped in the shower, threw on some clothes, and rushed out the door. I got to the crewroom by 12:45PM...15 minutes early. Whew.

Let's just say that once bad weather sets in, if I am on reserve I will most likely hang out in Denver on my reserve days so that if I get "the call" I don't risk killing myself trying to get here!

It turns out that the reason I got called in was that a girl already on the couch just got assigned to a 5-day trip! I have only tomorrow left on duty, so if they don't assign me a trip today I doubt I will go anywhere.

I should count my blessings, though...one of my classmates got "the call" at 4:30AM and had to be here at 6:30AM! She had a quick turn to Los Angeles, and is already back and off for the rest of the day. But she is EXHAUSTED. Legally, I was off duty until 7:10AM so I lucked out!

Ah...what were my new words? FLEXIBILITY, SPONTANEITY, PATIENCE AND TACTFULNESS!

An Unexpected Treat

There I was, riding the couch from Noon to 6PM yesterday, the second day of my five duty days. About an hour after I got to DIA, I received "the call"...you and the other two couch riders will be going to Ft. Myers, FL! Yippee!

It was snowy and cold in Denver, and sunny and hot in Ft. Myers. When we got into town around midnight local time, the crew sat by the pool for several hours telling war stories and learning about each other. We had a moment of silence for the flight crew that was supposed to be on our flight - they were stuck in Chicago in a snowstorm!!! Tough luck, huh?

We will be back in Denver later tonight, and so far I think I'll be off. There are only a few open jobs available for tomorrow and Tuesday, so I doubt I'll be sent out again. This is a traditionally slow week in the industry...

As expected, it is very hot here! We are about 12 miles from the beach, and it is so tempting to go there, but it's also so tempting to just hang out at the hotel and RELAX. What a dilemma!

An Evening to Remember

Well...now I know why I was assigned to the Dallas turn yesterday evening - because I had the most incredible evening! God had a hand in the assignment, because lots of things came together confirming WHY I am doing this.

First off, I was super-tired...it was my fifth day in a row of flying, and let's just say I was a bit "punchy." I started the evening off by telling the Captain (who was relaxing in a reclined cabin seat watching TV before the flight), that he needed to "put his seat in a full upright position in preparation for boarding." He thought that was very clever...

Next, I just started joking around with the passengers - fitting their bags into the overhead bins like a jigsaw puzzle. One woman commented on how good I was at working that puzzle! I told her that my husband taught me well - he's an expert at packing the trunk of the car and I guess I must have taken mental notes.

Next, several passengers told me how much they love Frontier, even before the flight had taken off! I told them that that is why I chose Frontier...it's always nice to hear that I'm working for a great company!

The flight to Dallas was pretty uneventful, but the flight back to Denver was INCREDIBLE. The flight was booked solid. I had one young woman who was assigned to a window seat, but a man had taken her seat so that he could sit next to his companion and he refused to move. So the young woman defeatedly said she'd move back to his assigned middle seat, several rows back. Next, there were people assigned to the same seats, young children assigned to sit in the exit row (the FAA requires that you be at least 15 years old) - it was a mess. So during the next five minutes or so, I shuffled passengers around, swapping this person for that seat - it was SO MUCH FUN! Everyone followed my direction, I got everyone seated, and most importantly...everyone was satisfied.

I had offered free DirectTV to the displaced young woman, but she turned me down. She had had a very bad day, and was on the verge of tears...I even offered her a free drink, but she didn't want that, either. Later in the flight, she came up to the forward galley and she was crying. So Bridgette (an incredibly wonderful flight attendant who I hope I get to work with OFTEN) and I talked with her, supplied her with Kleenex, and let her pour out her troubles. She had had a not-so-good job interview that day, and was really bummed, and all the hassle with the seating just confirmed her bad day! She had a bit of a cry, and then she went back to her seat.

A couple weeks ago, I had ordered 100 yellow smiley face pins from a vendor with my own funds - I had wanted something to hand out to those passengers who really "touched me" in some way. This young woman was my first recipient...I gave it to her and told her that I know she's upset now, but that everything will work out for her in the long run, and to keep her chin up. I told her that if things don't work out, she should consider coming to work for Frontier for awhile - I'd LOVE to work with her! Then I went to the next two recipients - a young "hippie-type" couple who had seats A and B, but volunteered without even being asked to move to separate middle seats so that two young brothers could sit together. They, too, had refused my offer of free TV. They were just so sweet and kind - and I was just so impressed by their generosity. They were very touched and happy to receive my smiley face pins.

As the passengers deplaned, Bridgette and I each gave the young woman a great big hug and wished her well - she smiled and pointed to the smiley face pin on her jacket! Then the young couple came up, each wearing their pins, and gave me a "high five" on their way out the door.

Lastly, I gave a pin to Bridgette - a truly lovely and warm person. She's from South Africa, has an amazing accent, and has such a soothing personality. She kept complimenting me on a job well done (my passenger shuffling efforts, infectious humor, etc. - she really pumped up my ego last night), and during our free time we spoke often of our daughters - hers is 5 and mine just turned 19. I felt she deserved a smiley face pin on her apron. As we were riding the bus to the employee parking lot, I found out that her birthday was the same day as Jen's - the previous day! Finding that out just gave me chills...

I guess the moral of the story is that you CAN touch people's lives in a positive way (or they can touch yours), even if it's just for a few minutes, a couple hours or more. That's what my goal was - I wanted a fun, adventurous new career, where I could have a positive impact. This confirms that I made the right decision!

"Clean-up on Aisle 12!"

Well, I experienced my first clean-up last night...a lap child (less than 2 years) who wasn't feeling well. Most of what she expelled landed on the passenger next to her, so it wasn't too bad for me!

Other than that, things went really well. I enjoyed working with my crew for four days - only the First Officer kept changing. Everyone seemed to have a pretty good attitude about life in general! I hope I continue to work with fun people.

When I got in right after midnight, I called Crew Scheduling to be released, and he told me that I had an assignment for today! At first, he said "Your flight leaves in 10 minutes - I hope you aren't too tired!" WHAT!?!?! Fortunately, he was teasing...my flight is really leaving at 1630 and I'll be back in DEN by 2105 - just a quick turn to DFW (Dallas). Whew. I am really tired and am looking forward to having the next three days off.

So I drove back to Colorado Springs last night, arriving at 1:30AM. Then this morning I drove Jen back to the airport in Denver - her flight left around 12 Noon. I've been hanging out in the crew room since then...doing a little napping, a little talking, a little drinking (no...not alcohol), and a little emailing. Before you know it, I"ll need to check in for my flight and I'll be on my way!

The Emerald City - Seattle

The movie ended and the sun was still shining, so out I went!!! I took a public bus to the heart of the shopping district in downtown Seattle, then went to the Space Needle (my Dad took me there for dinner back in the early 80s) and the arts district. Then I walked back and found the big fish market...though they sold lots more than fish! It had food, clothes, jewelry...but it was a bit on the touristy side.

After going back to the hotel, I went to the hotel bar and sat down with a nice big bowl of clam chowder...yummy!!! As I walked back to my room, the heated outdoor pool and hot tub were enticing me! So off I went! I hung out in the hot tub until I was smokin' and then I cooled off in the pool. Then back into the hot tub. The temp outside was in the 40s and the hot tub was around 108 degrees. It was very relaxing...

Now off to the airport I go in a couple of hours! This time I'll end up in Denver around midnight and I'll get to go home (I hope!).

Not so Sleepless in Seattle

I think it's Sunday, and I think I'm in Seattle! I had a wonderful time in Tampa yesterday - my good friend, Jeanette, picked me up at the hotel and we had a very enjoyable lunch at Bahama Breeze...it was so relaxing! Then we went to St. Andrews Episcopal Church where her husband, John, is the Rector. John gave me a tour of the facility...it was awesome. They've got some big plans for renovation, it is going to be exciting to see. Then we hung out at their home with their 6 year old son, Hamilton..what a cutie!

Last night we flew back to Denver, and then on to Seattle. The crew decided to walk to the hotel from the airport, even though it was almost midnight! But when I arrived, I realized that I had left my cell phone on the plane! So the First Officer and I walked back to the airport and retrieved it! So I got my workout in last night! Then I hung out in the bar with the crew, eating CLAM CHOWDER at 1AM...it was SO GOOD.

It was all foggy and cold here this morning, but now the sun is out and I feel that I should get out of this hotel room...but I can't seem to get motivated!!! Today is Jennifer's 19th birthday, and I'm wishing I were with her and Greg at home! But, I knew being #1000 out of #1023 on the seniority list was going to have it's downside, so I need to make the best of it! "Happy Gilmore" is on TV and I've never seen it before. And I think the next website I visit is "What to do/see in Seattle!"

In the Air Again

I am having a great time! I took a walk "around the block" from the hotel in Nashville...saw lots of neat things, including the Dominican Sisters' Mother House and Novitiate. After a relaxing morning, we took the shuttle bus back to the airport and then flew back to DIA.

We had about an hour's layover, and then boarded our plane to Tampa. The crew I am flying with is great! Our First Officer from the Nashville flight had another assignment, so we got a new one - Jim. His employee number is within 10 of mine! He started on 9/10/07 and I started on 9/14/07...though I've been flying more than he has... But the crew is getting along great. Cathy's (the "C" flight attendant) husband had the Nashville ground crew sing Happy Birthday to his wife last night as we deplaned - but I found out today that it wasn't her birthday. And then today, the Captain announced on our flight to Tampa that Rodney (the "A" flight attendant) was named "Flight Attendant of the Month" - and I believed him! I found out tonight that he was pulling our leg. I told them all that I am a very trusting person, and that they are ruining that for me!

I'm now all settled into a great hotel room in Tampa, complete with a balcony overlooking the pool. I can hardly wait until daybreak so that I can see what the heck is around us. Let me tell you...this is a really tough life!


View from my hotel room...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great flight to Nashville - I was the "B" flight attendant assigned to the aft galley. As usual, we're staying at a GREAT hotel! Life is really tough...! Fortunately, when we got here, the restaurant was open for another hour, and the crew and I got to have a great Thanksgiving buffet! The bonus...no dirty dishes to clean up!

I have a lot to be thankful for...a great new job, a supportive husband, daughter and family, and lots of friends! Hopefully, soon, I will be visiting with you!

What are the Odds?!?!

I am on duty for six days, starting today. Jennifer is coming home for six days, starting today. What are the odds that I get called for a job that lasts the same amount of time that she is in town? Well...I guess they were pretty good.

Jennifer flies in tonight at midnight (it'll be closer to 1:30AM due to a flight delay), and I have to be at the airport at 2:15PM tomorrow for the start of a four-day trip! Oh well. I already figured that I'd miss Thanksgiving dinner, but I had hoped I'd be home for Jennifer's 19th birthday on Sunday. I'll miss it by minutes - my trip will officially be over at 12:11AM on Monday. Bummer.
It's tough being #1000 out of 1023 flight attendants! Next year I'll have a bit more seniority.

To make things a bit easier, the three of us and Kikko will spend tonight at the Geyer's house in Denver - it's only 20 minutes from the airport, so it'll work out well. We'll get to sleep in a bit, have breakfast, celebrate Jennifer's birthday early, and then I'll go to the airport and they'll head home, drop Kikko off, and then go to the Littlewood's home for Thanksgiving dinner.

Anyway, I get to spend Thursday night in Nashville, TN; Friday night in Tampa, FL (where I'll bug John & Jeanette if they're available); and Saturday night in Seattle, WA. I've looked through my address book and actually don't know anyone in TN or WA. We'll have to change that.

Fun-filled Weekend!

On Friday night, my crew and I flew to Dallas - fairly uneventful flight...and we got to our hotel pretty late so it was bedtime for me! (Especially after not getting home until 2AM that morning!) When I woke up, I threw on my workout clothes and went in search of a Diet Coke...in a can...cold. Success!

It was a beautiful day! I had no clue where I was (Bedford, TX - between Dallas and Ft. Worth), so I went out and started walking. In an hour's time, I saw more eateries than I had seen in quite awhile, including a movie theatre that served meals! If there had been a movie I was dying to see, I would have spent the day there.

Instead, after my walk, I grabbed my book and sat poolside for a few hours reading and napping and reading and napping. I cannot remember the last time that I did that.

That night, we ferried (flew it empty) the plane to Monroe, LA where we hung out for a few hours until the San Jose State football players arrived. Let's just say they were pretty sullen...they had lost their game 27-24, the fifth of six away games that they've lost. There were a few cutie patooties who I was going to give Jennifer's phone number to, but my Mom told me "don't go giving out my granddaughter's phone number!!!"

By the time we arrived in San Francisco, it was after 2AM. I was SO GLAD to see the hotel. The bed was SO COMFY, and I slept until noon (unheard of). When I went in search of a cold Diet Coke (in a can - do you see a pattern here?), I walked out the back door and right towards the San Francisco Bay! I had no clue we were right there. Either the tide was out, or the bay is drying up, or maybe it wasn't the bay...but the water was kind of far from shore.



In the early afternoon, my crew went back to the airport to deadhead home to Denver. There were lots of non-revs on board, including a male flight attendant - Will, who was a card! What a great attitude, but what a kidder. It was hard to nap - he kept goofing off, but it was a fun flight - just sitting there, getting waited on.

I had today off as well as tomorrow...and then I begin SIX DAYS of duty! It should be interesting...and busy!!!

Frontier's Friendly Skies

We had a mini-reunion in the crewroom last night - I saw Nancy, John, Wendy, Bonnie, Mary, Kelly, Stephanie, Kim, and Venica! It is hard to believe that we graduated from training one month ago today...

Yesterday, I flew the couch and caught up on my filing and reading. Earlier in the afternoon I was given a three day trip which starts tonight. I will fly to Dallas tonight and spend most of the day in town. Tomorrow night, my crew and I will ferry the plane to Monroe, LA where we'll pick up the San Jose State football team and fly all night to San Francisco. We'll get in around 3AM and head to the hotel for some sleep. Then on Sunday afternoon, we will "deadhead" (ride as passengers) back to Denver.

Seeing as how I'll be hanging out with a bunch of college football players, I have asked if it'd be appropriate if I passed out Jen's picture and phone number...but unfortunately, that'd probably fall under the "No soliciting" rule that I have to follow. Bummer. It was suggested that I wear a pin with her picture on it, instead!

Flying the Couch, Again!

I started duty again this morning at 12:01 - I am on again until Sunday night at midnight. We are very lucky to usually get a call in advance telling us what our assignment is - yesterday, I received a call telling me that I am assigned to fly the couch on the "D" shift tonight - 8:30PM until 12:30AM.

I don't mind flying the couch...it is a great time to catch up on reading, tv watching, chatting with other flight attendants. So far, I have not been called out on any trips from the couch, so I complete my duty and go home. This afternoon between noon and 1PM, when they assign jobs for tomorrow, I fully expect a call assigning me to a job - there are quite a few open jobs listed. So stay tuned to see where I get to go next!

Palm Trees

We had a blast on our flight from MDW to DEN - I selected a row of women (11 DEF) to be my "troubled row" - I warned them ahead of time that they had been selected, and that I would be telling them to "keep it down" and to "behave themselves." Fortunately, they played along! At one point, one of them untied my apron as I walked past, causing the cabin to erupt in laughter! I told them that I would speak to the captain about them...and I did! At the end of the flight back in Denver, everyone was laughing and saying what a fun flight it was...that we were all great! The Captain and First Officer were confused as to why everyone was so happy!!!

We flew to Phoenix later that night, and arrived at our hotel after midnight. We changed clothes and sat in the bar for a little while watching the antics of another flight attendant from a different airline. She was a bit on the wasted side. I didn't last long, and headed back to my room. The next morning, when I opened the curtains and stepped out onto my balcony I saw PALM TREES! Sunshine, palm trees, bushes with red flowers, birds singing, water from a fountain making trickling noises...ahhhhh. I could have stayed there for awhile. But alas, it was time to take the shuttle back to the airport and fly back to Denver!


The view off my hotel balcony...

And I totally lucked out...once I was in Denver, crew scheduling released me to my three days off!!! Yippee! It was time to go home and RELAX.

My Kind of Town, Chicago Is!

Last night, I flew from Denver to Chicago on the first leg of my first three day trip! What a flight it was...let's just say, that up until last night, all my flights have been very uneventful. The passengers have been quiet and calm, the crew has been very ordinary and normal. But last night, the alcohol was flowing, the voices were raised, and the tempers of the passengers started flaring. There was one girl in particular who was a LOUD drunk - I finally asked her to "tone it down a bit because other passengers are complaining" and let's just say, she didn't think there was a problem. But when the other passengers clapped as she left the plane...that should have told her something.

We checked into our hotel after midnight, and then early this morning my cousin, Randy, came by and took me to breakfast! And then afterwards he took me to a Lithuanian bakery...oh my, my, my. It was a good thing that I was not hungry!!!

Then Randy had to go to work, so he dropped me off at the airport where I picked up what is probably the UGLIEST RENTAL CAR I have ever seen! I won't say the make/model of the car for fear that I would offend someone...but I will say that it is CANARY YELLOW. YOW! Off I went, driving around Chicagoland in my tweety bird car.

First stop was St. Casimir's Cemetery where I researched where all my relatives are buried, including my Dad - I counted 13. I now have a map of the cemetery that I've marked with all the locations.

Afterwards, I hung out a bit more with Randy and Jack at their stores (a costume store and a rare records shop). And then to top off my day, on the way back to the hotel I stopped and got some White Castle SLIDERS! Yummmmmmmmmy.

I leave the hotel in an hour or so to turn tweety bird back into Avis, and hop on a flight back to Denver...sometime later tonight I will end up in Phoenix!

I Love New York!

I was successful getting on the Monday night redeye to LaGuardia as a non-rev, so that I could spend a couple days with my baby girl! We had a wonderful time together - did a little bit of shopping, a little bit of eating, and saw a couple Broadway shows...one of them, Hairspray, had "Norm" from Cheers as the main character's Mom (played by John Travolta in the new movie). It was a fun, fun play - but we were a bit disappointed...Lance Bass from N'Sync was supposed to be in it, but his understudy played the role of Corny Collins, instead. That made Jen sad, cause we were front row center - she had hoped to reach out and convince him that SHE is the one he's been looking for (even though he recently came out of the closet). The other show we saw was "Legally Blonde" - a bit different than the movie, but a lot of fun to watch!!!


Watching the skaters in Central Park...

I lucked out on my hotel - I stayed at The Pod Hotel (where Jen & I stayed this past August when she attended the Rockette Summer Intensive in NYC). I had reserved our "usual" - bunkbeds (yes...you read correctly) with a shared bathroom. But somehow (God was looking out for me) I ended up with a bunkbed room that had a private bath and shower! Yippee! I was thrilled. It's a cute, modern, boutique hotel that is only 4 blocks from Jen's dorm.

I start three days of reserve at midnight. I hear that things have been pretty slow for all the reserves, but that there will be lots of open flights starting around the 15th...gearing up for the holiday season!

Sheer Panic!

Have you ever seen the look of sheer panic on a pilot's face? I did...on Saturday night after we told our pilot that all three of us were new graduates! Let's just say that our pre-flight crew briefing was A LOT more detailed than usual. You could tell that the guy wanted to have all his bases covered.

But...not to worry! We did GREAT! There were no medicals, no emergencies, just a bit of trouble with the DirecTV. On the way to the hotel, we offered to buy the pilot and first officer a drink in honor of our successful flight, but they were flying out again in only five hours. So instead, we told them that they should buy US a drink since we weren't flying again for ten hours. No dice. Oh well...we tried.

The three of us got to sleep in - I even watched a movie on HBO2, though I don't know which one it was cause I missed the beginning - then we got to ride as passengers on the flight back to DEN. It was fun to watch the flight attendants on duty...one of whom was one of our instructors! I even picked up a few additional tips. When we got back, we called crew scheduling and we were released for a ten hour rest period! Wow. What a job.

I'm heading to DEN today in an attempt to be released from duty early - I hope to fly to New York this evening to spend my days off with Jen. It's been TOO LONG since I've seen her!!!

California, Here I Come!

I got to "fly the couch" yesterday from Noon until 6PM, and was not called to do a pre-board or take a flight...bummer. But I did get a lot of reading done, a lot of visiting with other flight attendants, and some TV watching, too!

I saw quite a few of my classmates - Casie, Kelly, Tamara, Colette, Roz, Sherri, Hope, E.C., Renate, Steph, Maura...! Almost 1/3rd of my class. And how fun is this...I got assigned to a flight for tonight to Sacramento - Casie is the "A" attendant, I am the "B" attendant, and Renate is the "C" attendant! I had just commented to someone earlier in the day how nice it'd be to fly with my classmates. We'll arrive in Sacramento just before midnight, and then fly home tomorrow right before noon. Weird thing is, we'll be deadheading home (flying as passengers and not having to work). Once back in Denver, I'll continue to be on call until 11:58PM Monday night.

Rumor has it that things are slow now, but that around the 15th of the month the holiday schedule will kick in and we will be "on the go." Plus, there are over 100 flight attendants on reserve duty right now...

The Waiting Game

I went back on reserve at 12:01AM this morning, but the phone has been quiet...I was actually able to get a couple projects done! When Noon rolled around, I watched the open jobs for tomorrow slowly disappear from the open list, but none of them showed up on my schedule. Then a bit later, as I ran a couple of errands, Crew Scheduling called to let me know that I was assigned to "fly the couch" from Noon until 6PM tomorrow. I had unpacked a few things from my suitcase, and had gotten my uniforms dry-cleaned, so this evening I get to fit it all back in the bag!

I'm Baaaaaaaaaack!

On Sunday, I received a call from Crew Scheduling telling me that I had a 7:30AM flight on Monday to St. Louis, MO with a return flight at 6:30AM on Tuesday back to Denver. No problem!



Let's just say...I felt pretty decadent getting off the plane after working only two hours and then going to a nice Marriott Hotel for the rest of the day! I had done a little homework and found that if I took the hotel shuttle back to the airport, I could pick up the Metrolink light rail system. So I bought an all-day pass for $4.50 and rode it to the stop for the St. Louis Arch. It was the first time I had seen it up close. I did not have any desire whatsoever to go into it, but my co-worker, Vicki did. Brave gal.

Afterwards, we rode the Metrolink back to an area called "The Loop" where there were tons of eclectic shops. There was a vintage clothing store, a head shop, a Mod furniture shop, a unique gift shop (and I do mean unique), and the St. Louis Walk of Fame (similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame). It was a fun way to pass the time.

While being a tourist, I received another call from Crew Scheduling - they tacked on a quick turn to Salt Lake City after I returned to Denver. I'm glad that they let me know a day ahead of time, so I didn't expect to be able to go home right after returning from STL. Instead, I had a quick turn to/from Salt Lake...the plane was pretty full both ways. When I got back, I called Crew Scheduling and they told me that I was released to my day off (Halloween!). Yippee!

I continue to meet all kinds/types of employees...happy ones, disgruntled ones, tired ones, upbeat ones. I try to take it all in stride and not let them adversely affect the way I feel. I told several the other day that I was still in the "honeymoon phase" - and it's wonderful!

Day Off...

I had a fun time visiting with Steve, C.J. and their kids Alicia and Tommy - they had me over for dinner and we spent a few hours visiting and exchanging stories! I look forward to seeing them again the next time I'm in their neck of the woods (or if they are in ours).

But, boy...that alarm clock sure went off early this morning. Our flight left Hartford, CT at 6:30AM and believe it or not, I felt great! The flight was only 2/3 full, so that was a nice break, and most people slept on the way to Denver. I did get to visit with one woman - she was so excited she was about to burst. She had just finished a 12-day Mediterranean cruise with her daughter and granddaughter - it was their 80th birthday gift to her (I hope my Mom didn't just read this...). Her favorite was Greece (her land of origin) and Turkey. It was really fun listening to her tell me about all the tours they took and how she was treated so special on the ship. That's one of the perks of this job - getting to meet some really nice people, if only for a short time.

Another special thing was that the gate agents in Hartford had a little "trick-or-treat" bag for each of us! Mine had a Halloween finger towel, some candy, a few trinkets - it was a nice thing for them to do. I'll have to put on my creativity cap and come up with something cute to give to each gate agent as I'm flying.

I continue to fly with people of all different seniority levels - this last crew was fairly new. And even so, one of the flight attendants was on her last flight. She needs to take a long leave of absence and was not able to work it out with the company to her satisfaction, so she was quitting. Nonetheless, she gave me some valuable tips during our travel time together, and I really did appreciate that.

The Hartford turn isn't the most desired because it's a long layover with only 10 flying hours (that's what our pay is based on). Also, the hotel is near the airport and to do anything you'd have to rent a car. Well...you guys know me! Had I not had Steve & C.J. lined up, I would've rented a car and gone to Mystic Seaport for the afternoon, or I would've figured out the bus system and gone to a mall. But I know one thing, I wouldn't have stayed at the hotel all day (unless I really was super-tired and wanted to just rest...then maybe I'd have lounged by the indoor pool all day).

But I am learning, a POSITIVE attitude is SO IMPORTANT! Let's just suffice it to say that I am being exposed to some "less than positive" attitudes, and have decided that I'm not going to let them drag me down. I am doing this because it's fun! If it wasn't, I'd quit tomorrow.

When we got back to Denver, I called crew scheduling to report in and then they released me for my day off a day early! Yippee! So instead of just Sunday off, I now got most of Saturday and Sunday! I go back on reserve at 12:01AM on Monday. Stay tuned...

My First "Official" Trip!

What day is it and where the heck am I??!?!

I was the "A" flight attendant (forward) on a "turn" out of Denver to Salt Lake City, UT yesterday evening, and then on a "redeye" to Hartford, CT! We arrived at the hotel at around 6AM, and I discovered that when I am in a very darkened room I CAN SLEEP!

It was interesting to experience "being on my own" on the plane after getting such a glowing review the previous weekend...I learned that "I ain't all that!" (Jen, please forgive me for the phrase, but it really does fit.) There were things I did great (such as serving warm cookies and milk to the passengers at bedtime), and there were things I wish I had done differently (forgetting to make an announcement that the flight attendants needed to prepare doors for departure...oops). But all in all - I DID IT!

What is really neat is that all the stuff they taught us in five weeks of class is all "coming together" now that I'm seeing it in action. It is pretty neat.

Trying to figure out what to pack in my bags, what to bring in my lunchbox (so that this new experience in my life doesn't cause me to gain tons of new weight), and then how to lug it all from point A to point B is a learning experience. And I am proud to announce that I finished a Sudoku puzzle IN PEN while everyone else was sleeping...I had to stay awake somehow!

This afternoon, I'm hanging out with Steve & C.J. - Greg's classmates from Georgetown Dental School. They'll give me the nickel tour of their town and we'll grab a bite to eat. This is one of the perks of this job...I'll get to see people that I don't see very often!

We will leave tomorrow morning at 6:20AM and arrive back in Denver at 8:45AM. I get to go back on reserve duty at 9:15AM and am on until midnight!!! But Sunday is my day off! Yippee!

Pick me! Pick me!

I guess I shouldn't complain (since I'm being paid whether I fly or not), but I want to be picked for a flight! I had my cell phone with me all day yesterday, and not one peep out of it! I even called crew scheduling later in the day to see if they had anything...nope, not a thing. In the meantime, my classmates are flying 3-4 day trips, Hope is flying to Orange County tonight for an overnight, Fabian flew a charter to Boston yesterday with the Colorado Rockies friends and family members...how cool is that?!?!

The lessons for today are: Patience Flexibility Spontaneity Tactfulness

Please remind me of this post when, down the road, they're flying my butt off and I'm dead tired and want to be sitting at home watching daytime television...

Flying the Couch

Yesterday was my first day of duty as a flight attendant! I am "on reserve" from 12:01AM Monday through 11:59PM Saturday. I received my first call on Sunday evening telling me that I was assigned to "ready reserve" on Monday from Noon to 6PM (also known as "flying the couch"). That meant that I had to be in full uniform, with my bags packed (for a possible 3-4 day trip), and sit in the crew lounge at DIA waiting for "the call."

There were three of us flying the couch yesterday, and right as we checked in, we were given our first assignment! We headed to a gate and pre-boarded a flight to San Francisco. We each took a position, did the safety check of all the equipment and then set up our stations and made our announcements. About 15 minutes before departure, the real crew showed up (they had just arrived on a flight from the opposite end of the concourse). So, we pulled our bags down from the overhead bins and rolled em back to the crew lounge!

We didn't get any more calls, but I actually enjoyed my time - I visited with other crew members, did a little research on the internet, etc. It was fun to watch the "waves" of crewmembers coming into the lounge. The captains would walk around calling out their destinations in an effort to find their crew..."Austin! Chicago! Seattle!" I'd keep responding by saying "Is it an overnight?" But alas, the couch is where I was meant to be yesterday...I was released from duty at 6PM and was officially on "rest" until 4AM. But now I'm up and at 'em, but I have no assignment so far for today - not even to fly the couch...but "all my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..."

I'm Officially Official!

Yesterday I passed my "IOE" (initial operating experience) with flying colors! My "check flight attendant" was very, very positive and complimentary, and swears that I must have been a flight attendant in a previous life. (I figured it's okay to brag about myself in my own blog!) She said I was very confident and knowledgeable, and took the initiative on getting the job done without waiting for her direction. She was very impressed, and I felt really good. So now, according to my airline's standards, I am officially official!

My flight yesterday was to/from Denver and LaGuardia. I cannot begin to tell you how tough it was being in LGA, just across the river from my baby...I wanted to "jump ship" but thought better of it. So now I'll try for overnights to LGA, which would allow me at least a few hours visiting Jen in the big city.

I just received my schedule for the remainder of October, and I am "on reserve" for the next six days, starting tomorrow. That means that I must be available from midnight to 11:59PM on those days...yikes! I guess I'll sleep fully dressed, with my bags packed, all ready to go! Ha! In the best situation, they'll call me the day before and let me know what flight I am on for the following day. But the more likely situation is that they'll call me two hours before I'm needed at the airport...and I live 1 hour and 20 minutes away! So, I'll always have my cell phone with me, and my uniform will be hung with care in my car, ready to be put on at a moment's notice.

Then there's always another option - ready reserve, also known as "flying the couch." That's where I'll be assigned to the crewroom for a 6 hour shift. I'll have that time to read, walk around the concourse, learn all the computer systems, etc. Most of my classmates who took their IOEs before me are currently flying the couch. But when I received "the call" today, she didn't assign me for tomorrow...yet.

So, flexibility and spontaneity are the name of this new game. I've got lots of books I've been wanting to read, and a couple Sudoku puzzle books waiting to be completed if I'm flying the couch. If I'm at home, I have THOUSANDS of projects that I can work on (just ask Greg). So...we'll see what happens.

Have you bought your tickets yet to fly with me?!?

What a Great Day it Was!

Well, I did it. Yesterday, my class of 37 graduated. Boy, was it a tough road...but we pulled together, helped each other out, and came out as flight attendants!

On the way to the office yesterday morning, I was all decked out in my uniform (sans wings). I started to get nervous...I'm not sure why. There was no reason to be nervous - all the tests are behind me, and I was just on my way to the office for a couple lectures and then graduation. But worry still took ahold of me. And then guess what happened? My Dad popped in again. The next thing I knew, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" came on the radio. Now tell me, how many times have YOU heard that song in the past month?!?! I listened to the words and realized that there was nothing to worry about...the hard part is in the past. Enjoy this day - we've earned it!

The ceremony was very nice. Friends and relatives of all the graduates filled our little auditorium. Greg was there, as were Herb & Rovene (my surrogate parents for the past 4 1/2 weeks). The CEO spoke, as did the VP of Inflight. And then from the training department we had a few speakers...it was a wonderful event. I had asked Greg to pin my wings on me, and he did so proudly. A lot of people supported me in this venture, and my deepest thanks go to all of them!

So now I get a few days off to readjust to "normal life." My next flight is on Saturday, and my check flight attendant will have me walk her through all the steps of being the "A" flight attendant, and then on the return flight I will be the "B" flight attendant, all the while being reviewed. I could be definitely freaked out by all this, but I've been trained well and I KNOW that I KNOW all this stuff.

I hope to start traveling soon (for fun) - but fortunately for my airline and unfortunately for me, the seats are pretty filled on almost all the flights! But after my check flight on Saturday, I will OFFICIALLY be OFFICIAL and will be able to ride on the extra flight attendant jumpseat! So as long as a flight attendant with more seniority doesn't bump me...I should be good to go! Also, the training department gave us a certificate to allow us to take one one-way flight in the COCKPIT! Let's just say that Greg wishes he could use that instead of me...

Graduation Day

I honestly don't think it has sunk it yet...I've packed up my room and loaded up my car, and will soon don my new uniform for the first time. Wow. I actually did it. What an incredible feeling.


My wings...


Me, Janel, Kelly


Sherri and Nancy


Steph, EC and Mary

I PASSED!!!

This morning, we took our final exam and we all passed!!! Yippee! So now we get to go to our graduation ceremony tomorrow afternoon. Greg is going to come, as are the Geyer's - my hosts for the past 4 weeks. It is going to be an exciting day!

My "check flight" is on Saturday, and I am free until then. Hurray! On Saturday, I will fly to/from LaGuardia (with only a 45 minute layover or so...DARN!) and I will be evaluated on what I do and do not do. Once I pass that "check flight," I will be a full-fledged flight attendant.

It's been a long four 1/2 weeks...but I DID IT!


Bonnie

Over the weekend we had a potluck study group, where we had a chance to eat and do some last minute studying...I guess it really paid off since we all passed!


Bonnie, Glenda, Renate, Maura and Crystal

Aloha!

Today was "Hawaiian Dress Up Day" in honor of our overwater evacuation studies. I brought in my 6' tall palm tree (and set it right behind my seat so that I could bask in all its glory), my straw hat, my shell necklaces and my tall pina colada glass, complete with paper umbrella. I was, by far, the most decorated student. However, our instructors for the day - both men - wore grass skirts! It was a fun day.


Hope, Nancy and LuEllen


Me (with all my Hawaiian accoutrements) and Janel


Roz, JJ, Pat, Joe and Dymetra

We headed over to a hotel pool after lunch and got to get into a slide/raft. We also wore life vests and got to float around in them and form formations with our classmates. One called the zipper was so neat and RELAXING. I could have stayed like that all day.


Man, I hope I never have to experience this in real life!


Putting up the sun/rain cover - very tight quarters!


The instructors imitating large waves...

We are coming to the end of lessons - yippee! I am looking forward to NO MORE TESTS! Speaking of which, we have one tomorrow...so off I go to study some more.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Yesterday was an especially tough day...we had a big written exam covering all our emergency procedures and commands - I did just fine...only missed one true/false! But the pressure to memorize, memorize, memorize was incredible. It felt good to get it down on paper. To help reinforce it, we went to the mock up and role-played different scenarios to "put into use" all the steps we had just learned. It really does help you LEARN, and not just memorize - only to forget an hour later.

We ended the day watching a Dateline piece about the United Airlines crash in Sioux City, IA back in 1989 - it was tough. We ended the day with a letter from one of the flight attendants on board who still cannot talk in public about what happened - what a powerful letter. Most of us were in tears...again. When I left yesterday, I was drained.

This morning we have our hands-on testing - CPR, evacuation skills, and safety equipment identification. Then in the afternoon, we get to go to the DIA fire station! So, it'll be a fun ending to the day!

I Left My Heart.....in San Francisco

Well...not really! I was only on the ground for 40 minutes and didn't even have time to get off the airplane! This flight was different than last week's - this crew had an average of 4 years experience with Frontier (the last crew had an average of 12 years!), so this flight was a lot more laid back and relaxed. I shadowed the attendant in the back of the plane on the way out - we had a full flight (because United OVERBOOKED one of their planes severely and sent over about 40 passengers!). I made most of the announcements for that flight.

At SFO, I got to go into the cockpit with my classmate, and we tried on the pilot's oxygen masks - cool, cool, cool! I felt like Darth Vader! We had to do that as one of our class assignments. For the return flight, we had a total of about 20 passengers or so (in 119 seats)! It was a breeze. This time I shadowed the forward attendant, and I gave the safety demo at the exit row - for about 10 people! They all paid attention, and at the end I encouraged them to give me a round of applause (I had to start the clapping, but that's beside the point!) We arrived back in DEN around 11:30PM, and boy, was I beat.

Yesterday, I did a little shopping and then spent several hours at the GO (general office) practicing on the mockup. One of my classmates was there, too, and we critiqued each other as we performed an evacuation of the plane, gave CPR to a man and child, and helped a choking infant. It was a very productive (and fruitful - all our patients lived) afternoon.

Scary Week Three

After having learned how to do our jobs in a "perfect world," we've spent the past week discussing a lot of those "what ifs..." (which we'll continue next week, too). We've seen videos, pictures, first-person accounts, etc. of what happened and how they survived. Definitely not an up week. Our last speaker yesterday was from the company accident recovery department - she spoke about all the things our company will do for our families after there's been an accident. Lovely. She was speaking at 4PM on a Friday...we all stared at her like we were zombies. I'm not quite sure if what she was saying sunk in to everyone.

But once she left, we got our first paychecks!!! Yippee! There's not much left after all the deductions for medical insurance, life insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability, etc. but what the heck! I'm not doing this for the money...I'm doing it for the adventure!

Speaking of adventure, I came home last night and will leave early this afternoon because I have an evening flight to San Francisco! Once we land, we'll be on the ground for 40 minutes and then turn around and come back to Denver. We'll get back around midnight, so I'll just stay at my crash pad in Denver tonight. I'll spend tomorrow at the Tall Girl Store in downtown Denver and at the general office practicing my evacuation drills - we have a piece of a real plane to practice on - a main cabin door, four rows of three seats each, an overwing exit and an aft galley (how do you like my airline correct lingo?). I have to practice screaming my commands while opening doors, leading people out, etc. Practice makes perfect!

Cherry Ames, Flight Attendant Nurse

I don't know how many of you remember Cherry Ames - when I was growing up, there were a series of books written about her adventures of being several different types of nurses. Today, I felt that she was sitting next to me in class and a new adventure book was being written about her life! We learned how to save a choking person, a person experiencing a heart attack, etc. What a day. Tomorrow is our written test. Our practical exam will be next Wednesday - before then, I'll have to put on my nurse's cap to try and remember what order things go in...

We had fun today "playing flight attendant." We have a mock-up of an airplane, and we watched as a few of our classmates conducted a "flight" - I was observing today, but I'm sure that before we graduate, we will each get a chance to practice. I continue to be amazed at the level of training that we are receiving...just incredible.



It's that time again - I'm falling asleep at the keyboard, and I still have hours of studying ahead of me...

Super Susan, To the Rescue!

Today was a fun and gory day, learning all about bleeding, burns, amputations, and other fun things. We ended the day practicing our CPR techniques. I just have to make sure that I don't eat fried onion rings the day before any flights...!


Resuscitation dummy and Fabian

I realized that I'll be getting my flight attendant wings two weeks from today! So if you happen to be in the Denver area around 3PM on 10/16/07, come and watch! I hope that Greg can shuffle patients around and be the one to pin on my wings, but if not, I'll ask one of the instructors.

I am really looking forward to the day when I can stop MEMORIZING things and just start DOING my job. But obviously, I have to KNOW the job before I can do it!!! I still amaze myself every day that I'm able to retain this stuff in my brain. I guess you CAN teach an old broad new tricks!

Shhhhhhh!

I'd love to tell you how I spent this past Saturday and then how I spent today, but then I'd have to kill you. Suffice it to say, I have been trained by the best, and the lessons learned are not happy ones...all because of what happened on 9/11/01.


Mary, defending herself against Pat and JJ

We'll be starting First Aid training tomorrow after we take our morning quiz...speaking of which, I'd better go STUDY!

Today's lessons were hard ones to learn. It's so sad that we live in the kind of society that we have to worry about what could happen in the skies.

Off I Went...Into the Wild Blue Yonder!

Today, I flew to/from Washington, DC - the sad thing was that I didn't have time to jump off the plane and run to my Mom's house or to my sister Diane's house! We had 45 minutes on the ground...15 minutes to clean the airplane and then the passengers were boarding!

What a great experience today was. On the way to DC I shadowed the flight attendant who works in the back, and on the way back to Denver, I shadowed the flight attendant who worked in the front of the airplane. The three flight attendants had each worked over 10 years for our airline! What a great knowledge base for me, and trust me...I picked their brains. I got a wonderful review from them, as well as from some passengers who found out that this was my first training flight. I feel good!

What's really neat is that I really felt my Dad's presence with me today. First off, being assigned to fly to DCA was prophetic. Dad used to fly in and out of there so much that he should have had his own personal parking space! And then on the way to the airport this morning KOSI 101 played "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Now tell me, when was the last time YOU heard that song?!? I had just sung it for a classmate last week, and then to hear it this morning - someone has a great sense of humor, and I feel that someone is my Dad. And lastly, the name of the mascot of my plane was "L.J." the baby lynx. For those that don't know, my Dad's name is L.J. Svihla. Eerie, huh. No. Not eerie. It was very comforting and helped me to relax.

Watch Out World...Here I Come!

Today, we got to take our "mid-term" exam, though they didn't tell us ahead of time that's what it is considered! Thank goodness! We would have all freaked out. But we all did well. I had a case of the nerves and couldn't remember one announcement as I was presenting it - I had to stop at each line and think - too bad the instructor isn't in my car every morning as I recite it PERFECTLY. We also got tested on opening/closing, arming/disarming the main cabin door (we have a mock-up in our building), and presenting the safety demonstration. All in preparation for...

My first training flight will be tomorrow! I will be flying to/from Washington, DC (DCA)...I am so excited (and scared). I will be flying with another flight attendant student - Ashley (about half my age). We have a report time of 7:30AM, but I'm sure we'll both be there at least an hour earlier! We'll be flying non-rev, so it's possible that we might be bumped from the flight going to DC, but our instructors assure us that we WON'T be bumped from the return flight. After all, we have an 8 hour training program with the Federal Air Marshals on Saturday learning hand-to-hand combat. But if we do get bumped going there, we were told to find another place that we'd like to go and get seats on that flight (just as long as it's not Mexico, and a place where we can get back to DEN the same day).

I think the key for tomorrow is to RELAX and LEARN. We don't know how the assigned crew will treat us - sometimes they let the "newbies" do everything (except touching any of the doors), and sometimes they make us just sit and watch. Since we don't have our wings yet, we'll have to sit in regular passenger seats, but we're expected to be up and about for most of the flight...!!!

One other thing that we practiced today was serving drinks out of the cart - we walked all over the HQ giving beverages to the employees - I learned that those little cart drawers make a mess if you pull them out too far...it was not a pretty sight. Good thing that I had my name badge covered up so no one knew who I was. We also got to sample all the snacks that we serve on the plane - from the dry snacks to the warm foods served on longer flights (wraps). Delicious!

If you're flying to/from DCA/DEN tomorrow, keep an eye out for me!

What day is it?

I am having the best time of my life! The classes are stimulating, the material is fun, I get up early, am there early, and enjoy every minute of the the experience. Tomorrow, we have a few demonstration tests and a written one, and then we'll push our service carts around the HQ, wearing our Frontier aprons, serving the employees beverages from our carts! Ha! They try hard to make all our tasks fun! Then at the end of the day, they'll break our group in half - one half will attend a hand-to-hand combat course with the Air Marshals on Friday and the other half will go on their first training flight. Then on Saturday, we'll switch! We'll find out where we're going tomorrow afternoon. We'll be under the direct supervision of a current flight attendant, we will not be in uniform, but we are encouraged to perform as many duties as we can... we're all pretty excited (and nervous).

So...if you happen to be flying to/from DIA on Friday or Saturday, you might be on a flight being serviced by ME or one of my classmates!!!

I'm Sad!

Today was Human Resource's turn to teach all about our benefits (which, by the way, are incredible). But the day started off on a sad note. My 73-year old buddy, Stanley, was late to class and got released from the program. My buddies and I were devastated. He had forgotten his ID badge and headed home to retrieve it, but couldn't make it back in time. If you are late, you are out. They showed us today that they meant it. But Stanley has written me a couple email, and seems to be in good spirits. I'm just sad, because we were expecting to be able to fly with him! Plus, he was our lunch buddy. As he said, "life goes on." He very well may reapply in six months, and we'll all get to fly together yet!

I did find out that after 90 days I will be able to fly to New Zealand for $260 round-trip!!! BUT, I must get through training first...I went to dinner tonight with two of my friends - Hope and Janel - wonderful ladies that are a lot of fun. We hope to be able to fly together when we graduate. But first, we all must STUDY. So that's what I'm going to do...

Thank God it's Friday...

I am back in Colorado Springs for 48 hours, and boy...am I beat! This constant studying is wearing me out (and increasing my brain power)!

I have sad news to report...I am no longer PERFECT. Darn. Just like the first scratch on a new car, I have missed my first test question. The horror of it all.. this morning's test was 80 questions, and I got 79 right. That wouldn't have been so bad, but the one I missed was so silly and stupid of me to make such a mistake. Oh well. Life goes on.

Yesterday, we got to jump down the evacuation slide - I did it, but it wasn't my most favorite thing to do...we also got to tour all parts of an Airbus 319 - it was so cool!

I'm losing steam...so off to bed I go. I'll write more later, along with doing the laundry, unpacking and repacking my stuff!

Wow...What a Day!

I got another 100% this morning...hurray!!! But let's just say, they're going over this stuff multiple times to ensure that we know the answers...

But today was a tough one. We had an all day lecture about the different instrument panels in the airplane (those that flight attendants use), and man...I am so confused. The lecture continues tomorrow for half a day, and then we head off to a place where we'll be jumping down the evacuation slides! I sure hope I won't need to file a workmen's comp claim after tomorrow!

After that, we'll end the day at the airport climbing all over an Airbus 319 (or will it be a 318?). Anyway, we'll get to pull up the seat cushions, etc. - almost anything but set off the evacuation alarms and drop the oxygen masks. Darn. From what we've been told, everything that we're learning today will come together when we actually see it on the plane and touch it. So tomorrow should be good.


Bonnie, LuEllen, Kelly, Kim and Fabian

What'll make it even more interesting, is that a film crew from Good Morning America (the weekend edition) will be following us around all day - their reporter will be joining our class for a day, and will be interviewing us for our "stories." Hmmmm. I'm not sure I want any witnesses... I'll post when it'll air when we find out - rumor has it our 12 hour day will be condensed to a 3-4 minute story!

Time to do homework and study!!!

Yes...I am Still Alive!

Whew. What a few days it has been! On Sunday evening, I "moved into" my friend Bev's parents' house in Denver so that I didn't have to drive I-25 every day...what a lifesaver, literally. You see, I was spending my driving time memorizing stuff. And as Greg pointed out to me, I probably wasn't focusing on my driving a whole lot...so now I have a 20 minute drive in the morning - much closer than 1 hour 20 minutes! (But a lot less time to study on-the-road!)

Anyway, Monday was the BIG DAY. Separate the men from the girls, the crazy from the foolish, and what a day it was. We started out having to take our FIVE tests - one oral and four written. I got put into the group to do our oral test first, and I immediately volunteered to go first (to get it over with!!!). Well...on my first recitation, I forgot to introduce myself in my announcement as well as the other flight attendants and the pilot!!! Fortunately, after the first time you recite, you sit down with the reviewer and she tells you what you did wrong.

Then you get the option to say it again right then, or wait until the others in your group get their turn. NO WAY! So I went again right then and did it right!!! Yippee! I passed the oral test!

Next up were the four written tests...they were tough, but funny (long story). When we were done, we were asked to go to the lunchroom and wait...and wait...and wait...finally, they came and got us all. They handed back our tests in our "official folders" and I got 100% on each of them!

And to top it off, I got a 100% on my test this morning, too! YESSSSSSS! I can tell you that if I hadn't studied, I would not have passed. What an accomplishment.

We started with 44 on 9/12, had 40 on Monday morning, and had one person fail the program. She was discreetly fired after the testing and class continued without her. Bummer. But no one knew she was gone until the end of the day.

There are 5 men, 3 girls right out of college and the rest of us - lots of variety, lots of different backgrounds! I am having a blast, and am really challenging my brain more than it's been challenged in quite awhile! Watch out, world! Here I come!!!

I Am Officially An Airline Employee!

Today was the first day of my employment as an airline employee! We had a half-day today reveiwing all the materials on which we'll be tested on Monday (we have four written tests and one oral test at 8am - or should I say 0800?).

You should see me driving up and down I-25...I'm cruising along at 80 mph - not singing out loud - but TALKING out loud. I have been concentrating too hard on what I'm memorizing to pay attention to the reaction of those passing me. But by doing this, I managed to memorize a page-and-a-half announcement yesterday! I guess the old brain really does work. But I still have a lot more memorizing ahead of me! I have the next two days to study, study, study! I CAN DO THIS!

After 18 years of being a stay-at-home Mom, my wardrobe is sadly lacking. When they discussed our class dress code, everything they listed as verboten was what I had in my closet! Tank tops, sandals, flip flops, shorts, jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, sweatshirts, capris, etc. Oh boy. I have a few new pieces I've purchased and I will need to get creative over the next 30 days to abide by the Business Professional dress code...

Almost There...

I have successfully made it through the paperwork, pre-orientation, medical physical, drug screening, physical capacity test and uniform fitting (the uniform looks SO GOOD!!!) phases of my pre-employment process! Yippee!

But now, I will be really tested...it's time to exercise my BRAIN. I have several lists of airport codes and airline abbreviations, a page of airline history, and an airline announcement to MEMORIZE by next Monday. Can I do it?!? Me...who sometimes doesn't remember where I put my cell phone? YES!!! I am SUPERWOMAN!!! I've memorized all types of stuff over the past 18 years without even realizing it...when Jen's dance classes are, what colleges courses she's taking and when, remembering when to file which federal report for Greg's office...ok...I mess that one up every once in a great while...but I've done fairly well over the past 17 years!

My employment officially begins this Friday, 9/14! My training class of 44 - ranging in age from 21 to 73 years young - will meet for a half-day review of all those terms/symbols/history and announcements. Us "oldsters" in the class will have to show the young 'uns that "WE STILL GOT IT!" Fortunately, this isn't a competition - we're all in. We will all have jobs (provided we get an A on each of the 26 tests) at the end of the next 5 weeks! So we'll quiz each other, coach each other, and give support to each other - so that we have the privilege to work together high in the sky!

Stinky Day

My tale today is so sad,
cause last night I got really mad.
My dog got skunk-sprayed
then on the carpet he laid
and now the house, it smells pretty bad.

He got it all over his muzzle,
so tomato juice he had to guzzle.
I soaked the stink out
from his face and his snout
But de-stinking the house is a puzzle.

I poured this and that on the floors,
and opened up all of the doors.
Greg and Jen are not near,
I'm the only one here,
the cold air feels good on my pores!

So if you are out and about,
come on over and check it all out.
Bring a clip for your nose
and a sweet-smelling rose,
You won't stay long...there's no doubt!

Enjoying the Summer

In less than one month, I will go to my first appointment with the airlines - I need to turn in a ton of paperwork. In the meantime, I've quit all my part-time and volunteer jobs and am trying my best to enjoy the summer!

My daughter and I just returned from NYC, where we had a wonderful time! She attended a one-week summer intensive class with the Rockettes, and I enjoyed a week of roaming the streets of NYC. We took in Broadway shows, met several celebrities, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the big city.