Merry Christmas (finally)!

Yes...it is 12/27/09, and it is Christmas in the Moore household!

After arriving back in Denver, we found out that our CPT was being replaced with another - we were a little sad, because we (the FAs) were working on "setting him up" with our single FA. He did leave our trip with our phone numbers and email addresses...the ball is now in his court.

Our flight to Portland, OR was uneventful and our new CPT was really very nice. We did not do anything as a team for Christmas Eve - I think we were all trying to pretend that it was just another ordinary night. In the morning, however, you could see that the hotel staff was trying to make their guests feel like it was Christmas - there were Hershey's hugs, candy canes, fresh pastries and fresh fruit for us to take with us as we flew back to Denver (normally, there isn't any of these). And, I'm happy to report, the carpeting in my hotel room was not soaking wet (like it was in my previous two visits)!

When we arrived in Denver, I went to a "real lunch" with the CPT and the FO at the Denver Chop House - a "real restaurant," complete with tablecloths and waitstaff. Yay! We had artichoke dip for an appetizer and then prime rib sandwiches for lunch. Delicious! Merry Christmas! We also had a good talk - the CPT is the VP of FAPA (which I think stands for the Frontier Airline Pilots' Association). I told him that he had the entire lunch to convince me of the need for the flight attendants to unionize. And he did a good job. If we could manage to do what they have done, it'd be the same as our current "leadership council," but with legal protection. There's no need for Teamsters or AFA to represent us - we can speak for ourselves.

After lunch, we picked up our "Christmas Lunch" from Frontier (a delicious ham or turkey sandwich, snack bar, applesauce, brownie and tangerine) and headed to our Nashville turn. One of our FAs from the trip had dropped the turn, so we were joined by some "fresh blood." We also changed our positions, so I didn't have to deal with Christmas passengers' bags any longer!!! Woo hoo! By the time we finished the loooooonnnnnnnng turn, we were all ready to be home. We all agreed, however, that it was a great trip with a great team!

So I went ahead and drove home. Jen was home from college, the tree was decorated, the presents all wrapped, and we decided to wait and see what the morning held. I came downstairs at around 6:46AM on 12/26 and looked online at my schedule...bummer. I saw a turn to Orlando. A senior mama evidently had too much eggnog and called in sick. I was so upset. I really wanted to stay home and celebrate with my family. After throwing myself a pity party, I pulled myself together and moved on. (However, I do plan on using my voodoo doll to seek revenge on the unsuspecting slacker.)

The trip to Denver was horrific. Just as it was the night before, from the south edge of Denver to the airport, the roads were snow-covered and icy, and there was blowing snow everywhere. Not what I needed to get me into a holiday mood. Then, as I was exiting the highway onto the airport property, my car started fishtailing...fortunately, I seem to be pretty good in keeping cars going straight on snow/ice, and I made it safely to work.

But unfortunately, I did not enjoy my fellow FAs as much as I might have - I got an overwhelming sense of "having to defend myself" as to how I was doing my job. I do my job the way that I was trained. Period. No questions. But I was asked, "why do you do it this way?" and, "why do you do it that way?" when all I really needed to say was, "Ladies, just read your manual!" Sheesh. And I just read the latest weekly newsletter from the company and in it, it addressed one of the problems I had - hahahahahahaha! I am seeing that the company really DOES want us to do it the way that I've been doing it! Woo hoo! A sense of support and vindication! Yippee!

Anyway, that trip couldn't be over fast enough. Fortunately, the passengers were a lot less high maintenance than on Christmas Day - most of these people were either a) returning from Christmas vacation at Walt DisneyWorld or b) FL residents flying to the ski areas for a winter skiing vacation, so they were all pretty much in a very good mood. That was good. The CPT and FO were really nice and I enjoyed talking to them, but it sure was great to have the trip end.

As I was walking to the bus that would take me to the employee lot, I heard those magic words, "You are released to your days off..." Halleluiah! Let our Moore family Christmas celebration FINALLY begin!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I got the "dreaded call" on Tuesday evening, assigning me to a 3-day trip starting on Wednesday. That meant that I would not be home for Christmas Eve (again) and most of Christmas Day. I felt sorry for myself for awhile, and then decided to make the best of it.

I found out that I knew one of my fellow flight attendants, and she's really nice, so I was excited that I'd be around a friendly face during the holidays! Yay! Then I met the other flight attendant, and she's a hoot! It was going to be okay.

Yesterday afternoon our first flight was delayed due to weather (snow) and de-icing. So, of course, people weren't happy. This time we were heading from Denver to Las Vegas...I'm not sure what was going on in Vegas, but half the plane was filled with Hispanic people - none of whom spoke English. That, added to the fact that there were a zillion kids, made for an interesting flight. This was unlike any other Vegas flight I have ever worked...usually everyone is excited and happy. This time they were annoyed and grumpy. But I plugged along, wearing my Christmas lights light-up necklace and Santa hat, trying to spread Christmas cheer!

Next, we flew from Vegas to Milwaukee. We boarded the plane as fast as we could so that we could get to Milwaukee as fast as we could. The people were such that I had to make an impromptu announcement as I stood in the middle of the plane, "If you aren't going to be in a good mood, you need to get off the plane right now." I don't think I was taken seriously.

One man had an oversized bag that he was putting in the overhead - I told him that it was too large. He about threw a fit. He said that this would be the last time that he flew Midwest Express (to which I wanted to reply "HALLELUIAH!"), and that he would only fly Southwest in the future. But later in the flight, as we served warm chocolate chip cookies, this guy was singing a different tune. I reminded him that Southwest doesn't serve warm chocolate chip cookies...

We finally got to the hotel at around 2AM, after having to take a taxi to the hotel - there was a huge delay in van services. On the way to the hotel, we passed one rollover accident and one Jeep which was off the road. I'd say that the roads were a bit icy...

Today, we deadhead (we sit as passengers) back to Denver, sit in the crewroom for a couple hours, then we work the flight to Portland, OR, where we'll be spending Christmas Eve. The thing I'm not crazy about is that the Portland hotel is probably one of the worst ones that we stay at...there's a swimming pool in the lobby. Can you say "tacky?"

Anyway, it's time to shower and dress - and get ready to take a nap on the flight back to Denver. Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Ahhhhh...What a Great Trip!

Even though this most recent trip included a redeye flight from LAX to MKE, I actually had a great time! The redeye was at the start of the trip, and there were lots of long layovers with late show times that helped all of us to catch up on our sleep!

Fortunately, the three of us (flight attendants) got along famously, and there was no drama. The First Officer was a lot of fun to kid around with, and he added to our fun. And, as I mentioned in my last post, the only strangeness was our Captain. I asked him if he was from Aspen, but he was from Idaho. Hmmmm. When asked what he was giving his kids for Christmas, he said "family time" and "love." Well okay, then. Definitely a guy marching to the beat of his own drummer.

It turns out that everyone else had a DFW turn after we got to DEN, but that wasn't on the trip that I was assigned! So I was free to go...I got a hug from Sammy, a hug and kiss from Suzanne, a friendly smile from the First Officer, and a handshake from the Captain. I told him that he was going to miss working with me...

I am now on my one day off. I have to wrap presents, do laundry, do a mystery shop and then I have to "play the game" to see what I get assigned for tomorrow...I am hoping for the B couch so that I can be in Denver when Jen's flight arrives from NYC, and then hopefully be able to drive her home to Colorado Springs! I am scheduled to work through 12/26...I am looking forward to the day when I no longer have to pull holiday duty.

But, I do have 12/27-12/30 off from work, and then 1/2-1/5. So I will make the most of Jen's visit...it'll be good to hang out with her again, and I look forward to when her boyfriend, James, arrives on 12/30. Until then...I have to keep my fingers crossed that I either get to stay home on Christmas or, if I am sent out, that it's a nice hotel with a nice crew. My fingers are crossed!

What Day is it?

I am not really sure where I am, and I'm too lazy to get up and read the address on the stationery in the desk drawer...

Let's see...I started this trip on Friday night, I think. We flew from Denver to Los Angeles in the evening, and then we flew a redeye from Los Angeles to Milwaukee! We arrived in Milwaukee at 5AM. I haven't done one of those in a long, long time. (Mainly because we didn't have any!) Fortunately, our hotel is very comfortable and quiet, and I was able to sleep in until 3:30PM! Nice.

It was an easy flight, too - as soon as we did the two beverage services and served the warm chocolate chip cookies, most everyone fell asleep. My hardest job at the point was staying awake! But I did it.

On Saturday night, we had a van time of 8:30PM or so - this time we were flying from Milwaukee back to Los Angeles, arriving at around 1AM. This flight also went very well. We did all our services, served our warm cookies and milk, and everyone slept! We arrived at our Los Angeles hotel and settled in for a nice sleep - but I made the mistake of turning on the TV. I get sucked into that thing, and last night was no exception. HBO was showing Sex and the City - The Movie, and I watched it all. By the time it was done, it was 4:30AM. That's the second night in a row that I stayed up all night!

This morning I woke up at 10AM, and I actually feel pretty good! We had a busier day today - we had to fly to Denver, change planes and then fly to Dallas for the night. Today we were Frontier Airlines the entire day. Yay! That means no warm cookies...but that's ok. We get to fly back home tomorrow in the early afternoon.

This 4-day trip has been pretty good, even though it had a redeye and another late night arrival. I actually feel good and rested. The other flight attendants have been a lot of fun to work with, and we've all gotten along beautifully. I haven't heard any criticism from my co-workers. Yay!

In fact, the only problem that we seem to be having is with the captain. He's weird. Nice guy, but very different. Doesn't seem to be a team player with the rest of us kids. For example, he left us at the hotel this afternoon - he got on the shuttle bus before the "van time," and the next van wasn't coming for another 20 minutes or so. The rest of us ended up walking down to the street in front of the hotel, and we flagged down a shuttle van that happened to be driving by. That's kind of sad. But those drivers know we tip, and it's a quick way for them to make a few bucks. we must have looked pathetic.

Anyway, we got to the airport on time and an uneventful flight to Denver and then on to Dallas. But it sure felt like a long day. It's now midnight here in Dallas, and I'm not really tired at all. I have turned into a night owl!

I hope I'll be sent home tomorrow after we get back to Denver...I have one day off to finish up all my Christmas preparations. I just need to wrap some presents, purchase a few small gifts, and I think I'm done. I'd like to bake some Christmas cookies, too...stay tuned.

Josh's First Flight!

Yesterday, I got a call from Crew Scheduling which assigned me to a two-day trip. I spent last night in Chicago - we got in really late and left this morning...so I didn't get together with anyone while I was there - I used the time to SLEEP. After flying back to Denver, we had a Kansas City "victory lap." But this was not just an ordinary victory lap...

The CPT's 3 year old son, Josh (and his Mom) were going to fly with us! It was Josh's first airplane trip ever! He was so adorable! On the flight to MCI, they sat near the back and it was a really short flight, so I didn't get to go back and check on him (I was the A). On the return flight, I gave them seats in Row 1 - it was so much fun to watch the little guy. Some of the fun things that went on were:

- watching the CPT put his CPT's hat on his son's head and taking his picture sitting in the CPT's chair.
- watching Josh strut around with his flight jacket on.
- seeing Josh's face when I gave him a smiley face pin (instead of a set of wings, which I didn't have.
- watching Josh's reaction when Dwayne announced that Josh was onboard, and was the son of the CPT, and asked everyone to give Josh a round of applause for being on today's flight.
- being able to pamper Josh with tv, a special sippy cup, a snack, a coloring book & crayons, and a "Junior Flight Attendant" official certificate signed by the entire crew (including CPT Daddy).
- watching Josh tell the passengers "goodbye!" as they left the aircraft.

I am so glad that I got to witness Josh's trip today. It gave me goosebumps for the entire day and almost brought me to tears several times! Awesome. THIS is why I love my job.

Do You Mean What You Say?

We had an early van time of 5:30AM leaving Milwaukee, but at least we were eventually heading back to Denver. It was lightly snowing in Milwaukee and it was cold! Our flight to Phoenix was a little over half full - so it'd be a relatively easy morning for us. What we didn't expect, though, were the 130 mph headwinds! Yowza! It took us over FOUR HOURS to fly there. Fortunately, all our passengers were cool, calm and collected.

After a quick cleaning of the plane, we were on our way back to Denver. We were full to the gills, including an extra flight attendant, pilot, and FAA inspector. Fun fun! But the flight was a little over an hour...so it went by quickly. Thank goodness. I was ready to go home.

This trip really took it out of me. First off, it was the early show times - I had to get up at 3:30AM on Friday morning to sit the couch at 6AM at DIA, then 3:15AM on Saturday morning to get to DIA in time for my 5:40AM show time, 3:15AM (Denver time) on Sunday morning to catch the 5:00AM van (local time) to the Houston airport, and then 3:45AM (Denver time) on Monday morning to catch the 5:30AM van (local time) to the Milwaukee airport. Needless to say, I fell asleep last night on the sofa at 8PM and didn't wake up until 6AM. Woo hoo! It felt good to sleep in!

Another factor that made this trip a bit harder were the other flight attendants. Very nice ladies and very good at their job. But brutally honest. One kept telling everyone that I was trying to be "Super Stew" (which is not a bad thing), but she put me to shame with all her highlighters, addressing passengers by their surnames (at least those that were identified on our paperwork), cleaning the coffeepots with a scrub brush, and always keeping busy. It was almost as if she could not sit still! She told me that I was very "opinionated" - very strong in my convictions and feelings. She also said that I had a very dry sense of humor. When I got yelled at by the passengers the previous day, all she said was "there, there...you've got to keep a positive attitude." That's true, but it was hurtful being the target of so many people on one flight.

The other flight attendant was nice enough, but bristled when I tried to "do things by the book." Things such as making the announcements according to the newest release, especially the safety demo one. I felt that they considered me stiff and unbending. Oh well. Near the end of the flight when they served a 2nd drink to a couple who I had just said no to, and then the woman got up at a time when the seatbelt light was on to go pee because of all the alcohol she had consumed, I made a reminder announcement about the seatbelt sign being lit. The comment I got from my co-worker was "you're not making sure that she's having a positive travel experience." Hmmm.

She later told me she was "just kidding," but serving two drinks to one person during an hourlong flight and then having the same person disregard FAA regulations because their bladder was now full, it seems to me that we contributed to her a) inebriatedness and b) breaking FAA rules. But I was overridden, yet again, because I am too stiff and unbending.

The entire trip was filled with little comments here and there from one or the other. Maybe I was just too touchy and wearing my feelings on my sleeve. I don't know. Maybe I was too touchy because I was so tired from the long flights and short nights' sleep. Who knows?

The moral of this story, I guess, is that having a crew with the same beliefs and practices as you can really help make it a positive experience. If we do our jobs the way we were trained, these kind of "conflicts" wouldn't arise as often, and we'd all be on the same page. Fortunately, this situation does not happen very often...

But now I've got THREE WHOLE DAYS off during which I need to put up all the indoor Christmas stuff. I'm not making very good headway...I keep getting drawn to the computer to check my email, Facebook, or do some online ordering for gifts. Focus...I need to focus.

A Love Note

I had one day off, which pretty much turned to two days off when crew scheduling did not call me on my first day of duty. Sweet! Then...of course, the good is followed by the not-so-good, and I got assigned to the "A" couch (6AM until Noon) on Friday morning.

For some reason, I had a real hard time sleeping on Thursday night - the weather wasn't the greatest, and I guess I was freaking myself out about how the roads would be bad...so, when I woke up at 2:30AM I decided to just go ahead and drive to the airport and sleep in the crewroom until it was time to report at 6AM. I got there at 4:30AM, cleaned up the crewroom a bit (flight attendants and pilots are PIGS), set my cell phone alarm, and laid down on one of the sofas and passed out. After awhile, the noise level got a little high so I opened my eyes, looked at my watch and FREAKED OUT. It was 6AM and I had not called yet! Crew scheduling knew I was there because of seeing where I had badged in at the parking lot, the bus depot, and at the terminal. But I still needed to call them...when I did, I must have been just under the wire, cause they did not give me a "late show." Whew! That was close!

Anyway, I served my six hours on the couch. Didn't do much of anything flying-wise, but did get to visit with another reserve, Judy. She was very sweet and a lot of fun to talk to. Well, it turns out that later that evening, Judy and I got assigned to the same 3-day trip which had an 0540 showtime on Saturday...she's at the front of the plane and I'm working the middle. We started yesterday with a turn to Vegas and then a Houston overnight. The Vegas flights were pretty full (there's a rodeo going on), but the Houston flights were less than half full. I was able to have dinner last night in Houston with my former classmate, Janel, who's now an air traffic controller trainee in Houston. It was so good to see her again and visit.

This morning, we left our Houston hotel at 5AM and flew back to Denver, and then we had a flight to Vegas that was delayed by an hour because of de-icing. We had already pulled away from the gate and were in line for de-icing, so it made for a long trip. And then there was a terrible headwind, as well as lots of air traffic in Vegas, and it made us that much later. Fortunately, the passengers were understanding, and no one had connecting flights...except for us!

But, when we left Vegas, we had a plane full of people that we were taking to Milwaukee, and let's just say that some of them were not in the greatest of moods. Unfortunately, I was the person they seemed to "take it out on" since I was working the middle of the plane. So...to help me "let go" of these bad memories, I am going to write a few messages to these people and say what I really wanted to say to them, but held my tongue, instead, since I am a professional.

To the family in Row 1, Seats A, B and C - if you check in closer to 24 hours in advance, you can get a seat assignment somewhere else in the plane that doesn't require all your carry-ons be stowed in an overhead. Plus, if you have something that is very breakable, it's best not to sit in the bulkhead, where that item will be squashed in with all the other bags. Also,to the young adult in seat 1B - your baggy, droopy sweatpants were on inside out.

To the woman in Row 3, Seat C - you were asked to move out of the aisle because your behind was blocking 100 other people trying to get onto the plane. It is just as easy to "move your damn seatbelt" out of the way once you sit down, as it is before you sit down. And giving lip to your flight attendant is not a nice thing to do when your fat butt is causing the flight to take off even later.

To the grumpy old man in Row 18, Seat D - when I tell you that I cannot give you a can of Sierra Mist because we are running low, it means that I don't have any full cans to give you. Saying "Quit arguing with me and just bring me what I want" is not going to get you anywhere. In fact, had I found a full can of Sierra Mist at this point, I would not have given it to you just because you were so rude to me. And stopping me moments after I gave you a cup of Sierra Mist to demand the can didn't help things...I poured the rest of the can into the toilet.

To the couple in Row 19, Seats A and B - yes...I know that you paid for your tickets and paid for your overhead space for your folded up jacket and that you checked your large bags and that you are entitled to that space above your seat. Wah, wah, wah. When I tell you to hold onto your jacket until the larger bags are in the overheads, I'm saying this for your own good, as well as to expedite the already-delayed boarding process. I didn't want your jacket damaged by the dirty wheels of the roller bags. I promised to put your jacket back in the overhead and I did - but you saying "that's all we asked for in the first place" in a snide and demeaning voice was not necessary. Looking back, I should have moved your jacket to another overhead bin so that you could play "Jacket, Jacket, Which Bin's Got the Jacket?" when we arrived in Milwaukee. (Note to Self: remember to do this next time someone is nasty.)

And finally, to all those passengers who applauded when we announced that they were getting free DirectTV, all those who smiled and said hello when we welcomed them aboard, and all those who were polite and kind when we served beverages, picked up their trash, served snacks, served another round of beverages, picked up their trash, served warm chocolate chip cookies, served water and picked up more trash...Thank you! Your smiles and kind words are priceless!

A Day Off...

Since I got back from Vegas, life has been pretty quiet. I had to sit the couch at DIA from Noon until 6PM on Friday, the same day that Jen left to go back to NYC. So I just went to work early! I saw her off, and then hung around the concourse until it was time to report to work. On Saturday, I was awarded an RNF - a term for a day off without pay. That was nice. And on Sunday, I got assigned to the 6AM until Noon shift on the couch...and at 11AM I was pulled off the couch to help board a flight to Indianapolis. The flight attendant assigned to the trip had not shown up! Crew scheduling then called me and told me that I was going on the trip.

It was a good trip - I was the B flight attendant in the back of the plane, and that was good since I had no notice to get my act together! When we got to IND, I had planned on doing a bit of shopping, but it was 5PM and most of the stores closed at 6PM on Sundays. So I stopped at a local restaurant, got a bit of take-out, and headed back to my room in the rain. Of course, I had left my umbrella in my bag in the room!

When we returned to Denver on Monday morning, I was released for 10 hours. THAT was nice. I don't remember a whole lot, since I took a nice nap...but during the evening, I got a call from Crew Scheduling assigning me to a LaGuardia turn on Tuesday.

I'm really good about being happy and accepting my fate with a smile on my face...but getting an LGA turn is a tough one. Only 45 minutes on the ground, and my daughter is only 45 minutes away. It just KILLS me. Especially since the CPT and FO get to get off and spend the night there, and we get a new CPT and FO. Not fair, huh?

I start five days on duty tomorrow, and am patiently awaiting my fate. Some of my co-workers got only 40 hours for last month - I ended up working 62 hours, but I got paid for 75. I think it's better than working only 40 hours, spending the rest of those hours wondering and waiting by the phone.

Out of the 13 furloughed flight attendants who were invited to return in late December, six have accepted the invitation. I haven't heard which ones. The next wave will return early next year, so that they can be ready to fly the new aircraft that we are getting in February, March and April! I also heard that we're planning on growing 10%. Yippee!!!

Vegas, Baby! Part two...

As I mentioned earlier, we stayed at the Bellagio Hotel. In their lobby, they have this amazing Chihuly glass "sculpture" on the ceiling. I could sit there and stare at it all day...

Jen and Valerie posing like the Bally's Jubilee dancer.

Hugh Hefner was there, and invited me to share a bit of bubbly.

We also ran into Wolfgang Puck, and he wanted me to taste his favorite wine.

George stopped by and asked for my hand in marriage. I gave it to him.

Then he changed his mind, dumped me, and asked Jen to marry him.
She accepted. Sorry, James!

He decided to break Jen's heart as well, and invited Dan to spend
the rest of his life with him. He accepted.

While in Vegas, Jen got in a bit of golf with Tiger and Arnold.

We were also lucky enough to take in a quick tennis match.
Jen, Valerie and Dan were really excited to be there!

Jen enjoyed hanging out with Marilyn Monroe, ...

...and Jackie Kennedy.

After hanging out with the various celebrities in Vegas, we headed back to our hotel room to relax and freshen up before our dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant at Caesar's Palace. It was absolutely delicious! Jen had filet mignon, which melted in her mouth, and we all ordered some kind of dessert - I had Pumpkin Pie Creme Brulee. Just awesome.

At 11:58PM on the eve of Jen's 21st birthday, she, Valerie and Dan were ready with their butterscotch schnapps shots to toast the arrival of Jen's 21st birthday.

We also celebrated Dan's 22nd birthday belatedly (11/20).

Jen was all decked out with her birthday girl crown, her shot glass necklace, her "I'm finally legal" button, her feather boa and her Belle magic wand.

Unfortunately, Dan had to leave on Wednesday to fly back to NYC so that he could be with his family on Thanksgiving Day. So I took him to the Las Vegas airport, and he flew stand-by to Denver and then on to LaGuardia! He made it home!

In the meantime, Jen, Valerie and John, Greg and I celebrated Jen's actual birthday with lunch at Serendipity 3 with a frozen hot chocolate, which was delectibly delicious!

And, of course, Jen had to play the slots legally for the first time ever!
It turns out that she's a BlackJack babe, too!

Vegas, Baby! Part One...

It has been an interesting couple of weeks...I have not flown since the last time I posted. I had a couple days on duty this past weekend, but never received a phone call! Our staffing level has swung from not having enough coverage to having too much coverage, so I've gone from working my buns off, to barely working. As soon as our new aircraft arrive in the next few months, things should be back to normal.

In preparation for Jen's 21st birthday celebration in Las Vegas, I decided that it'd be fun for Jen if we could fly in one of her best friends from NYC. So Dan flew from NYC to DEN on Sunday night and he stayed the night at our humble abode in Colorado Springs. On Monday, he and I ran a bunch of errands together - it was so fun hearing his comments about the scenery, the fresh air, and of being so lucky to be in Colorado - things that I take for granted.

We stopped and took some pictures a couple miles away from our house.

Just to prove he really was there, I got into the picture!

Dan was amazed by the beauty of this state.

After a day filled with errands, playing with the dogs, exchanging stories, and not taking him to places that I know Jen would want to take him, we flew with Greg to Las Vegas! Our flight arrived 5 minutes before Jen's flight - and hers was around the corner from us. So Greg and I went to her gate to meet her, as Dan hid around a corner down the concourse hallway. Right as we passed by, he yelled out, "Hey baby!!!" and walked over to her. She was in shock.

Jen seeing Dan and wondering if she really sees what she thinks she sees!

Still in shock (look at her left hand saying "Huh?")

Giving Dan a gigantic hug!

For years and years, I had talked to Jen about spending her 21st birthday in Vegas at the Bellagio hotel. I had always planned on a waterfront room so that we could watch the water shows in comfort, but I compromised so that we could keep the trip affordable! We had a very nice room overlooking the pool area - two queen beds, a rollaway, and a very large bathroom! But...no coffeemaker! What gives?!?

After we got settled, we checked out the last water show of the night...and then we went to bed! The next morning, we slept in pretty late and wandered around the shopping area of the Bellagio until Jen's BFF, Valerie and her hubby John arrived from New Mexico to spend a couple days with us. We roamed around, putting money into machines here and there, made dinner reservations, and then headed back to the room for a little "down time" to relax and get ready for our big night out.

Jen is teaching Dan how to iron his new shirt.

Dan doing an awesome job!

In the next episode, I'll have more pictures from our adventure.

True Exhaustion

Not only did I not go to the movies at the mall yesterday (it turns out that there is no movie theater there), or go shopping at the mall, I didn't even go to "Happy Hour" at the bar with the 3 crews that were all staying at the hotel in Milwaukee! Rumor has it that the drinks and appetizers are too cheap to pass up...but I was so exhausted after flying for over 8 hours in one day that I went to the room, slammed the door, and clicked the lock shut. Hence, I became an official "slam clicker." I just couldn't bring myself to be social any longer.

Instead, I played on my computer, did some research, and watched episodes of "Glee." Nice and relaxing. I also ate chicken out of a can (pretty disgusting) and mandarin oranges out of a cup. I didn't even feel like going out to eat.

The 0530 van came again this morning and took us back to the airport in Milwaukee. But this time we were heading to Phoenix. Still a three hour trip, but not as long as to Los Angeles. Our flight this morning had only 72 passengers - it's hard to stay awake when you're just sitting around after you've done all your service! And then our flight from Phoenix back to Denver was a bit more than an hour. Halleluiah! I was ready to come home.

I warmed up to the crew, and we had the obligatory discussions about unions, flight attendants, and air-brained employees. I think it's all a matter of agreeing to disagree. Our December schedule came out, and I got less than half the days off that I had requested. Kind of frustrating. But hopefully, I'll start climbing up the seniority ladder in January when our first group of furloughed flight attendants returns to our ranks!

Of course, I am working Christmas for the third year in a row. Two years ago I spent Christmas Eve in Chicago with my cousin Randy and his family, and then Christmas night in Salt Lake City where the hotel gave us a free Christmas dinner. Last year, I spent Christmas Eve in Dallas, where I got sick and ended up calling in sick on Christmas morning and went home instead of on a turn to wherever it was we were going. And who knows where I'll end up this year. I'm on from 12/23 until 12/26. Bummer. And, of course, not one person will trade with me.

I am having a hard time staying awake, so I should probably go to bed. But I want to stay awake and watch "Six Feet Under" - I just got Season 4 Disc 2 and Disc 3 will arrive tomorrow. I also wanted to watch "Glee." I've watched the first two episodes and have to catch up on the next seven episodes. The trouble is, I have a problem with sitting still and staying awake at the same time!

I think I've talked myself into retiring for the evening...

Milwaukee Double-Nighter

I went back on duty on Friday, and got to sit the couch at DIA from 0600 until 1200 - and I actually had a very fun time! It was because my friend, Kelly K, was also sitting the couch. We got to talk, laugh, play Phase 10, and eat breakfast together.

Then on Saturday, I had a surprising day at home! No phone calls from crew scheduling. SHOCKING. Since it's really hard to start a project and then worry that you'll have to abandon it at a moment's notice, I spent the day running nearby errands. I also had a spontaneous lunch with my buddy, Coleen - it turned into a FIVE HOUR lunch. We had a really nice time catching up, and I hope to do a bit of consignment shopping with her next week when I have a few days off.

This morning, my schedule was clear for today at 0715. Then when I looked again at 0810, it had a 3-day trip to MKE and MKE. I wanted to see how long it would take for crew scheduling to call me, and they called at around 1030. Technically, they're supposed to call right after they make the assignment, or so I thought. No biggie. At least it wasn't a two-hour call out.

I left the house at around 1100 - my show time was 1405. It's a really good thing that I left early, because the roads were horrendous. I don't know why Colorado is incapable of handling snow on their roads. Makes no sense to me. I did pretty well all the way up from Colorado Springs until I went over the last hill into Denver - at that point, my car started sliding to the left, and then I corrected it with the steering, and then I started sliding to the right, and again I corrected it, and then I started sliding to the left again...and finally I was able to aim that baby straight again. Funny thing is, the exact same thing happened to Greg in the same spot almost five years ago! Twas not fun.

Anyway, I got to DIA safely. At the appointed time, I met my crew - the CPT and FO seem very nice, but I did not get a good vibe from the two flight attendants. They're rather senior to me, and it just feels weird. I'm the B, so I'm at the back of the plane and pretty much stay to myself. That's a good thing. But when I set up the cart the "new way," the C was not very complimentary about the new system. This isn't rocket science. And it's not the end of the world if we change something. But you wouldn't have been able to know that today. Sheesh. It's at a time like this when I'd like to say, "Get a real job, and see what it's like to REALLY have to work." Enough said.

We flew to Milwaukee tonight, and we're doing a turn to Los Angeles tomorrow. It's gonna be a long day...but I'm gonna keep a positive attitude and a smile on my face. All day! And, if I need to, when I get back to Milwaukee tomorrow night, I may take myself to the movies at the Mall next door, just to reward myself for a great job of acting! Or better yet, maybe I'll just go shopping!!! Yay!

Back in the US of A

I got back to town on Monday afternoon, had a crazy nutso drive home (I just LOVE people who drive below the speed limit in the left lane), and managed to get home in time to stop by the Grace Church 80906 Potluck Dinner! I swung by the house first, picked up Greg, and we actually got to walk into our friends' home together. Wonders never cease. We had a really nice time catching up with everyone.

Yesterday was the first of three days off for me. The first thing that I did was schedule an appointment at my doctor's office. I have had a horrendous cough ever since I had the "swine flu" seven weeks ago. And lately, the cough has been literally scaring the passengers! They cringe and try to back away from me! I'm coughing into my elbow as instructed by the Health Department, but they're still freaking out. The doctor said that I have a sinus infection, so he put me on some antibiotics and I should be as good as new before I know it!

I've spent most of today working on Greg's JPO membership roster - I need to bring everything up-to-date, because the group has found another unsuspecting wife to take over my job. I am very excited!!! That's the second volunteer job that I have gotten out of in the past couple months. SCORE!

My dream is to be able to come home between trips and RELAX. I don't mind doing laundry or puttering around in the yard/garden, and even doing a little bit of bookkeeping work for Greg's office is okay. But I was growing increasingly frustrated with all the demands on my time! So, I put in a very full day today wrapping things up, writing up checklists, and getting ready to turn all this stuff over to the next victim. I've done it for two and a half years now - it was time for a change!

Do I Have to Leave?!?!?

The hurricane passed with just high winds and rain, and once it was gone, people started coming out of the woodwork (or wherever it was that they were hiding). I had stayed in my room updating this blog and working on Facebook, and then I went out and took a walk to grab some lunch. I ended up at McDonald's! The hotel prices were just too ridiculously high...

As you can tell, a lot of people got "cabin fever" while the hurricane was passing by, so we all headed to the hot tub when it was all over. But one big problem...it wasn't hot. It wasn't even warm this time. It turns out that the resort had turned off the heater, and the tub won't be hot again until tomorrow. Bummer.

Here's a nice picture of the hotel after the storm - no damage at all. The staff was even putting the deck chairs back out onto the patio.

When I came back from my walk, this is the first thing you see as you walk up the driveway to the main entrance. Nice, huh?

The beach swim-up bar survived, but the actual bar area got a bit flooded. Also, sand washed in onto everything. They've got a bit of a task ahead of them!

If the baby pool had been a tad warmer, we might have had more room in the hot tub. But because of all the cool rain that had fallen, all the pools were colder than normal.

After we made dinner plans, I headed back to my room to shower. When I looked out my balcony windows, I saw the most beautiful sunset. Incredible.

We chose the Laguna Grill for dinner tonight, based on the recommendation of a young woman who we met in the hot tub. She said it's her favorite place. And boy, was it good! The food was delicious, it was presented in a very sophisticated and artistic way (I should have taken pictures of it), and again, we sat on the back deck next to the laguna. However, this time we did not see the alligator swim by.

I enjoyed the parmesan scallops, Aaron got the tuna, and the other three got the special - grouper. To top off the meal, we ordered one creme brulee made with Bailey's. My oh my. It was so delicious!!!

When we got back to the hotel, we sat and enjoyed one more cocktail, as we talked about how great this trip was. I was very very lucky to get assigned to it, and I hope I get to fly with these ladies and gentlemen again.

A Change in Plans

We had a quiet night in Kansas City, and the anticipation of going to Cancun excited all five of us! But...the CPT told us that our plans could change. He informed us that there was a tropical depression heading to Cancun, and it would probably hit sometime on Sunday.

Well, you all know me...I'm not one to let a tropical depression get in the way of my fun! We checked into our hotel at around 10AM on Saturday after a relatively quiet flight to Cancun. We stay at the Omni Resort, right on hotel row in Cancun. For some delightful pictures (when the sun is out), go to http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/CancunHotelAndVillas.aspx.

This time, I was given a room that faced north, looking out over Laguna Nichupte. The last time I had a layover here, my room faced south, looking out on the Caribbean Sea.

You can see that things looked a bit gloomy yesterday - it was overcast, and it would rain on and off during the day. Also, the winds would kick up but they were relatively warm, so it was no big deal.
Originally, we had planned to plant ourselves at the swim-up beach bar, but the Caribbean Sea had other plans - it was breaking waves at the edge of the concrete patio, and the hotel workers closed the bar for safety reasons.

We knew that when the hotel workers started putting away all the outdoor chairs, trashcans, and portable plants that they were taking this storm seriously (as they should!). Then we notice that the storm shutters have been closed on several of the windows of the restaurants and some of the cottages.

Also, the workers dismantled all the umbrellas, decks, stands, etc. that were in the sand, and pulled them onto the grassy area one level above the sea.

The surf out there is the worst I had seen in quite awhile. The waves are crashing onto the sidewalk area, probably sweeping all the sand out to sea (again).

Here's another view of the sidewalks leading down to the beach. Notice the red flag, indicating that it was not safe to go swimming. Duuuuuhhhhhhh!

Even though it's not bright and sunny here, it's still so relaxing and beautiful. The temp was very comfortable to sit outside, to walk around in, and to sit in the hot tub!

So, being a resourceful crew, we did what we had to do. We found a covered outdoor patio outside the restaurant, and proceeded to fill up with libations and appetizers for several hours.

When the rain started pouring down hard, we retreated back to the outdoor table. Helena and FO Aaron enjoyed a Tecate or two.

And Cheryl and CPT Kosta shared a few laughs and several limes! We told "war stories" from our flying experiences, we toasted those flight attendants who have departed this earth, and we toasted to good crews and good layovers!

Here we have a group photo of Helena, Aaron, Cheryl and Kosta right before we headed to our rooms to prepare for our evening's festivities.

Here's a view from where we spent most of the day - kinda tough to take, huh? It was warm, a bit breezy, and not too terribly humid.

After regrouping, showering, changing, etc., we met in the hotel lobby and walked across the street to an outstanding restaurant called the "Captain's Cove." Wow. The food there was so delicious! CPT Kosta treated us to dinner - that was such a nice surprise! I enjoyed the crab cakes - delicious! Mostly crab, and not so much filler. Others had the grouper and crab cake combo, red sea bass, and I can't remember the strange thing that Aaron ordered. We had a lovely evening sitting on the outside covered deck, facing the laguna...right as we were ending our meal, we looked over the railing and there was an 8 foot alligator swimming right below us! Mind you, this was not a captive alligator. This is one that lives in the laguna. I don't think that I will EVER attempt to swim in the laguna...

After a very enjoyable meal, we asked around to find a good disco where we could dance. After hiring a cab, we headed out only to find out that none of the places were open - it was only 9PM. So we ended up at Senor Frog's...I know, I know...touristy as all get out, but it was our only option. Outside, there was an old VW Van painted in psychedelic colors that you could get in and pose, and then there was an adult swingset by the font door! But Aaron wouldn't move from in front of me, and I didn't want to slam my foot into his gut (or worse), so I did not give it my all. Inside, there were lots of tourists of all ages, lots of tequila shot conga lines, lots of contests for free shots, and lots of younguns. Fortunately, every once in awhile they'd play a song that you could dance to...and I mean actually dance. But I was a minority there - everyone seemed to really get into dirty dancing and that's just not something that I'm into.

They did start playing Wild Cherry's "Play that funky music, white boy..." and I ran out and was dancing up a storm. But they only used that song as a lead-in to the "White Boy Dance Contest." They selected four middle-aged white guys and brought them up onto the stage. One at a time, they gave each a shot of tequila and then had them dance. Our Kosta was one of those guys, and he did an admirable job. But...there was one white guy who outshone everyone. His prize? A Senor Frog's hat.

There were assorted wooden signs on standalone poles that the waiters would position next to unsuspecting guests - at one point, I had the "Likes White Trash Boys" sign pointing at me. I purposely did not bring my camera to dinner/dancing because I didn't want to have any incriminating evidence against anyone, but I would've liked to have had a picture of me next to that sign. I could have posted it on Greg's Facebook wall.

After a couple hours of fun, we headed back to our hotel for the evening, since we had a 0945 van time in the morning. At midnight, the CPT calls me and tells me that the flight that was supposed to come get us from Kansas City was cancelled due to the hurricane. Awwww. Too bad. So no more 0945 van. Instead, we'd take a van at 1600 on Monday for a flight back to Denver (which we will deadhead and not work)! What a tough layover this has turned out to be!

I have internet access (obviously), I have a DVD I need to watch, I brought lots of books, and food in my bag (but no microwave - I guess cold soup never hurt anyone!). I just took a quick walk around the property - I think the major part of the hurricane has already passed. The Caribbean Sea is very angry with large, crashing waves, flooding the beach bar. But otherwise, it's rather nice outside. I may go hang out in the hot tub again this afternoon...I'm livin' the dream!

Four-Day Trip

Yesterday, I sat the couch at DIA from Noon until 6PM. I had expected to sit and chat, and maybe play cards, with my classmate Kelly K. But when I checked in and was updating my Flight Attendant Manual, I realized that I had a bigger job to do...update the Announcement Book! You see, we have a small book that is posted on the Inflight website that contains all the announcements that we make while you are trying to sleep and/or watch TV. I kind of took it upon myself to update that book whenever a new revision comes out. Well...we just had a big one that pretty much redid all the announcements. So instead of chit-chatting with my buddy, I spent the six hours on the couch updating the announcement book. I hope it is posted to the website soon...

Last night before I went to bed, I checked my schedule and saw that crew scheduling assigned me to a four-day trip. Today, I flew to/from Kansas City from Denver, and we liked it so much that we flew back to Kansas City and are staying the night. In the morning, we are flying to CANCUN. Woo hoo!!! We'll get to stay 23 hours there and then deadhead (fly as passengers) on the way back to Kansas City on Sunday. However...there is a tropical depression heading to Cancun which looks like it'll hit on Sunday. So, we may end up having to stay in Cancun an extra day. Time and weather will tell.

What an awesome trip this is. The crew is very, very nice - and that really does make or break a trip. I think we'll all be hanging out together in Cancun...I just hope it isn't raining too hard. From what I understand, a very senior mama called in and is now on FMLA. That's not usually a good sign. But her loss is my gain, and for that I am very grateful.

If we leave Cancun as planned, we'll head back to Kansas City, then fly back to Denver, and then spend the night in San Francisco. Unfortunately, it's the short layover, so I won't have any time to look up my cousin, Jackie.

Keep your fingers crossed that I don't end up in a hurricane, but also keep them crossed so that not all of our layover in Cancun is in cloud cover and rain!!! (It'll still be gorgeous, even if it is...)

25th Wedding Anniversary

How do you top the fabulous trip that Kelly, Fadia and I had in Tucson?!? Well...Kelly got assigned to an Orlando turn and then was released to her days off. Fadia got assigned to a Cancun turn, but still has a few duty days on. And I got assigned to a Milwaukee overnight. Fortuantely, I had another great crew - Ellen and Jen - that kept me highly amused during our flights to/from Milwaukee! I spent a couple hours at the Brookfield Mall next door to the hotel, and then I went to bed EARLY since our van to the airport was picking us up at 4:30AM.

I heard those magical words when I returned to Denver, "You are released to your days off!" Glorious, magical, sweet words. I drove home and was walking in my door by 9:30AM. Nice.

The only trouble I have is that on my first day off, I'm kind of in a "dead zone." I walk around the house in a stupor, trying to reacquaint myself with my to-do files, my computer, the shower and the laundryroom. And then, of course, there's the required nap. But I didn't get one yesterday! My loving hubby put me to work!!! Can you believe it?!?! Our garage freezer went on the fritz, and we had to "uncover" it so that a repairman could see if it was salvageable. That leads me to a story...

There were about 6 file boxes of "stuff" that I've had in the garage for approximately 10-15 years, and Greg has been trying to get me to do something with those boxes. Throw them away, sort through them, whatever - just get them out of the garage. So how did I spend my day? Sorting. I took those boxes and sorted them down to one file box and threw the rest of the stuff away. The dates on documents were from 1995 through 2000. Oops.

So Greg finally got those boxes out of the garage, the freezer was fixed (sort of - it's making a really weird noise and is probably on its last leg), and I did not get my nap. Instead, I finished payroll. I got a few things at the grocery store. Made California Pizza Kitchen pizza for dinner (I know...I'm Martha Stewart, aren't I?), watched a couple episodes of "Six Feet Under" (I'm now on Season 3) and went to BED.

I woke up this morning to a gloriously sunny day...it's our 25th Wedding Anniversary! I remember that day from 25 years ago vividly. What a fun day. Lots has happened since then. Lots of time has gone by. We're still together. We've each grown up (well...at least one of us has...the other one is still playing with toys). But we're still in love.

We're going to dinner at the Edelweiss Restaurant tonight - the little German restaurant that Greg and I went to to celebrate our 1st Anniversary so many years ago. And we'll have another celebration later this month when we travel to Vegas to celebrate Jen's 21st birthday with her and a couple of her friends.

So I'm going to enjoy my day by doing laundry, running errands - the usual things I do on my days off, and I'll look forward to a nice evening of veal weiner schnitzel!!!

Tucson with Fadia, Kelly and a Mustang Convertible

Since I last wrote, I had a couple days off and then a Detroit turn on Friday. When I got back and called crew scheduling to sign out, they told me that I would be going to Tucson the next day...they said I'd be "deadheading" (in uniform, but riding as a passenger) to Tucson on Saturday morning and then working the morning flight home on Sunday morning. When I checked my schedule, I saw that I was FINALLY flying with one of my classmates, Kelly, and another of the reserve flight attendants, my friend Fadia! SCORE! Now THIS is why I became a flight attendant...to have fun with friends on layovers in nice places!

This morning we all met at DIA, had a leisurely flight to TUS and then went to the rental car desk to wheel and deal ourselves into a good deal for a car. We ended up with a white Mustang Convertible with a GPS system. FUN FUN FUN!!!

Me and Kelly with our Mustang convertible!

Kelly and Fadia eating cactus in Tombstone, AZ

We decided to take the car, set the GPS for Tombstone, AZ and go!

Of course, we had to attend one of the gunfighting shows. Kelly and Fadia are patiently awaiting the start of the Six Gun show - complete with $2 margaritas!

Here's 'Bat Masterson,' our MC, telling us about some of the scenarios we were going to see.

and 'Bat Masterson' looking sexy...

and a picture of me with part of the cast (I'm blowing the smoke off my gun and not trying to shoot myself in the head, just in case you were wondering...).

After the show, we headed down the street to the Bird Cage Theater where this gentleman was pointing out all the gunshot holes in the walls, ceiling and pictures in the lobby of the theater.

It was called the "Bird Cage" theater because the "ladies of the evening" entertained their guests in small rooms overlooking the theater, sort of like small bird cages.

Downstairs, there was the gambling parlour.

Here's a picture of me and Kelly hanging out in the gambling parlour.

In one of the girl's rooms next to the gambling parlour, you could photograph a mirror and see one of the girls in the mirror...

A lot of people were dressed up in period costumes...

...and some other costumes that we didn't quite understand.

Kelly found a nice looking guy to hang out with.

Before this picture was taken, I had gone over to this guy and leaned in as Fadia and Kelly took my picture giving him a kiss on the cheek. What I didn't know, was that a cowboy one door down was watching, and he "activated" this guy as I was kissing him - his arms and legs started moving, scaring the "poop" out of me!

Next up, we headed to the Boothill Grave Yard where we wandered around the grave markers as we read the circumstances of some of the deaths. I found these markers particularily interesting...

On the way back to Tucson, we decided to take the "scenic route" - and we enjoyed the scenery changes. It was interesting to see how the vegetation changed every so often, from cactus to trees to a combo of both. It was fun driving with the top down, but as that sun went down, we got a bit chilly and had to put the top up.

We used the GPS to find a Mexican restaurant on the way back to town, but the directions for the first restaurant we picked led us to a residential neighborhood! Then the next two or three restaurants that we tried were all fast-food Mexican Restaurants with drive-through windows. That wasn't quite what we were looking for. Finally, we found a nice place that had awesome enchiladas that I enjoyed very much!

Finally, it was time to head back to the hotel...but first, we had to figure out how to turn on the headlights of the car!!! We looked and looked and looked. We figured that if we could figure out how to put the top down, we should be able to figure out how to turn on the headlights...after we figured that out, we had to figure out how to open the gas tank, and then how to turn the map lights off! It all sounds so simple, but it was a challenge for us poor flight attendants just out for a good time in a fun car! We finally dropped the car off at the airport and walked to our nearby hotel - on the way there, I just had to take one more picture...