Sunday, August 31, 2008

Standing Up in Omaha...

I am back in the air again! And I have to say, my first trip is probably one of the weirdest that I have ever been assigned!

I started out this morning at 6AM at the Denver International Airport, and was the A flight attendant on a flight to Omaha, NE. There were only 20 passengers, and the flight was only 1 hour long...a nice reentry into the working world!

But that's when it gets weird...instead of flying back to Denver, we were sent to a nice, old hotel in downtown Omaha - to spend the day! We will go back to the airport around 7PM...this is what is called a "stand-up."


I'm flying with one of my classmates, Suzette, and she and I just got back from taking a walk around the riverwalk area. We came across a "Walk for Inclusiveness" - a nice way of saying that we should welcome all immigrants, legal and not legal. We ended up as part of their walk as we walked back to the hotel, and at the end of the walk we were invited for dinner! They had some sort of chicken & rice dish...very spicy...and water!!!

The statue pictured above is dedicated to the many unions that started in this area - especially fitting since it is Labor Day weekend!

When we leave here this evening, we fly back to Denver and then on to Las Vegas! We'll get in around 10:30PM. I wonder what time the "Thunder from Down Under" showtimes are?!?

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Killing Time...

It's late here...Jen is in the air somewhere between Dallas, TX and Newark, NJ and the Mom in me won't allow me to rest until I know she is back in her apartment in NYC. It's gonna be a long night...

Here are a couple pictures of Kikko and Kodi in the "yard" at the cabin. I bought temporary fencing last summer and set up a nice area so that we didn't have to worry about leashes getting tangled, unwanted dogs coming over to visit, etc. We take it down and store it in our shed when we aren't there - the boys love it. They'd love it even more if we had a doggie door in our screen door there!


This next photo is VERY RARE. It shows Greg R-E-L-A-X-I-N-G on our deck at the cabin. If you look closely, you'll see that he's still reading about R/C planes...but at least he's hanging out.

After I saw Jen off at the airport this evening, I came home to a nice surprise from Kodi...

He has discovered the extra rolls of toilet paper that we keep in the downstairs bathroom (as well as the roll hanging next to the toilet). He likes to bite patterns in the paper so that when you go to use it, it looks like lace. Such a creative dog!

Well, I guess I'll go get ready for bed and wait for Jen's call...it's so quiet here without her. I am officially "back at work" in 1-1/2 hours, and I have three days off until my first duty day on Sunday 8/31...hmm. Maybe I should use these three days to fly to NYC to see Jen!

Speaking of work...I am now #21 from the bottom of the seniority list of 914 flight attendants. My two lunch buddies from my training class have both moved on to bigger and better things. I'm happy for them, but bummed for me. Rumor has it that another furlough is in the works for October 1 and/or November 1...I suppose if I get another nasty WARN letter in the next couple of days, I'll know the answer. The bright side is that if I do get furloughed, I'll be able to travel on my benefits for 90 days...

Would anyone like to take a guess as to where I'll be going?

All Good Things Come to an End

I've had a great time with my little girl visiting from NYC. We watched Gilmore Girls, did a bit of shopping, went to the cabin for a couple days with Greg, put out several grass fires, flirted with firemen, and we just spent the morning at the Spa at The Broadmoor.

I'm gonna miss that kid...

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Roller Coaster Ride

What a roller coaster ride it has been! Jen came home on Saturday and met Kodi for the first time.

Next, we spent my birthday on Sunday doing some "retail therapy" (as Jen and I like to call it) at Kohl's and the local mall. We finished up the day at IHOP with my birthday dinner. DON'T LAUGH!!! I love eating breakfast for dinner.

On Monday, we took Kodi to the vet to be *snipped* - and he was none too happy. Everything went well. Tuesday was the roller coaster day...here's a brief synopsis of what happened:
  • Electric line explosion behind our house (clear view from my office window)
  • Jen, Kikko and I all freak out - running around trying to figure out what to do
  • While talking to the Utilities Dept, I realize that there was a grass fire on the other side of our back fence - I hang up and call the fire department
  • Jen and I take turns battling the (small) blaze with our garden hose
  • The fire(s) are put out by the time the CUTE firemen arrive - we are heroes!
  • I pick up Kodi from the vet's office - he's not real happy with his collar that he must wear for a week

So that leads to the really big (as if what's already happened isn't enough) event - Kikko ran out through the doggie door and landed badly in the yard - human equivalent to bulging discs. He tried to use his back right leg, but it wouldn't do anything. Jen & I freaked, Kikko freaked, and poor Kodi was stuck inside the house wondering what the heck was happening.

We rushed Kikko to the vet and they took xrays and put him on an IV of fluids and steroids. This morning, he had regained about 30% use of his leg and the doctor hoped that further treatment today would help him recover enough to come home later today.

We are heartbroken. Jen & I had planned a several day vacation at the cabin with both Kikko and Kodi, mainly to help Kodi relax and recover. Now we'll probably have to keep Kikko on leash, too, until he's back to normal.

We miss our little boy!!!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Any Takers?

Princess Cruises
Royal Princess 107-night World Cruise - Fort Lauderdale to Rome (Civitavecchia)
Jan 20, In/Out/Bal $8598/9719/11398[Fort Lauderdale, At Sea, Grand Cayman, At Sea, Cruise Panama Canal, At Sea, Manta, At Sea 2 Days, Callao (overnight), At Sea 4 Days, Easter Island, At Sea 2 Days, Pitcairn Island, At Sea 2 Days, Papeete, At Sea, Rarotonga, At Sea 2 Days, Cross International Dateline, At Sea, Auckland, At Sea 4 Days, Burnie, At Sea, Sydney, At Sea, Brisbane, At Sea 2 Days, Cairns, At Sea 2 Days, Rabaul, At Sea 2 Days, Guam, At Sea 3 Days, Osaka, Hiroshima, At Sea, Inchon, At Sea, Shanghai, At Sea 2 Days, Hong Kong, At Sea 2 Days, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), At Sea, Sihanoukville, At Sea, Bangkok, At Sea 2 Days, Singapore, Port Klang, At Sea, Inchon, At Sea 4 Days, Bombay, At Sea 3 Days, Dubai, At Sea 2 Days, Salalah, At Sea 4 Days, Safaga (Luxor), At Sea, Suez, Port Said, Ashdod (Tel Aviv), At Sea 2 Days, Istanbul, At Sea, Athens, At Sea 2 Days, Venice, At Sea, Messina Strait, At Sea, Barcelona, Cannes, Livorno, Rome (Civitavecchia)]

Friday, August 15, 2008

Happy Early Birthday to Me!

I just got back from running a couple errands, and a deliveryman was waiting at my door for me. Look what he brought!!!


My sister, Diane, and her family (Mark, Matthew and Natalie) sent this to me for my birthday and as a thank you for vacationing with them recently in southwestern Colorado.

Word to the wise...if you haven't ever tried "Edible Arrangements," do so now! The fruit is of very high quality - there are pineapples, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, grapes, and this one even has some chocolate-covered strawberries!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Let the party begin!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Going Under the Knife...

Kodi had an appointment at the vet's yesterday for surgery (neutering), but he got to go home after it was determined that his temperature was too high. I guess Greg and Kikko had "a talk" with Kodi and warned him what was in store...he must have freaked himself out enough that his temp soared!

We're going to try again next week (I will ensure that Greg and Kikko don't talk to him)...in the meantime I have to watch Kodi and make sure that he isn't exhibiting signs of an infection of any sort. His white cell count was normal, so we think this was just a case of nerves. But better safe than sorry!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

The Case of the Missing Bones

Rawhide dog bones have been mysteriously disappearing from this household ever since the arrival of a Klee Kai named Kodi. In fact, yesterday I handed out two bones in the morning, then the three remaining bones from my bag in the afternoon.

This morning...only two could be found. One under the dining room table and one in the backyard. Where are the other three? (Plus the several others that I have handed out in the past few weeks?)

I took a walk through the yard, looking at all Kodi's "usual" hiding places, behind bushes and trees, and in corners of the yard. Nothing.

Then I noticed Kodi sniffing at the ground by the south side of the house. He was nudging the gorilla hair mulch with his muzzle, and uncovered rawhide bone #3! He is burying the bones in the backyard!?!

I have to somehow figure out how to find the other two bones from yesterday...as well as the several others. Too bad there's not such a thing as a "bone detector," like a metal detector. That'd make my life a bit easier.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Last Day - Mesa Verde

On Tuesday, I sent the Seidels onto the Four Corners on their own. I figured that they'd had enough of "Aunt Susie" for one day! They had a great time posing in the monument and being in four states at one time.

On Wednesday, we took a tour of Mesa Verde and then had a 7-1/2 hour drive back home!!! Here are a few pics of the Cliff Palace...

Our road trip was almost 1100 miles! It was the first road trip for the Seidel's, and definitely not the first for me! The main reason that Greg didn't join us is that we'd done this trip at least twice before! Once with just Jen, Greg and me; and the other was all of us and Greg's parents.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

My Summer Vacation with The Seidels

My Summer Vacation with The Seidels

Natalie enjoying our backyard with Kikko.

Mark, my brother-in-law, REALLY enjoying our backyard.

Here we are on Sunday evening at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

This was taken at Colorado Gators in Mosca, CO on Monday. I gave Diane a 3 hour alligator wrestling lesson for her birthday! She and the family came to Colorado to collect on her gift.

Even though I bought the lessons for my sister, her son and husband decided to give it a go, too!My nephew, Matthew, is dragging a gator to get him into position so he can wrestle him!

My brother-in-law, Mark, turned out to be a natural-born alligator wrestler!!!

Natalie was the only sane one in the family...she saved her alligator adventure for this 10 footer.

Diane has actually said that she's probably not going to take up alligator wrestling...it's alot harder than it looks!

This was the extent of my alligator wrestling...

Here we are on the lower Animas River this morning - this was the biggest rapid that we encountered today. The river was a bit lower than the last time I was here with Jen and Greg on 7/7/98. But we still had a fun time!

Friday, August 1, 2008

The Rumor was True!

It's official. Forty-five flight attendants are being furloughed in early September...and I am currently seventy-two from the bottom. After the furlough, I'll be twenty-seven from the bottom!

To avoid furloughs in October, the company is offering COLAs (leave of absence without pay) for October and November. Their hope is that enough flight attendants will come forward so that additional furloughs will not be needed.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am that my medical leave is ending and that I get to go back to work on 8/28! I will not be taking a COLA, since my one-month June COLA has turned into almost three months! (Note to self: wearing slippers is not a good thing.)

A big Thank You! to everyone for your good thoughts, prayers, finger crossings, shoulders to cry on, words of support, and other acts of kindness.