Yummy yummy for the tum-tum-tummy!

I am still sitting on that luxurious bed in my hotel in Orange County, CA - but I did get off it long enough to take a hotel van ride to Trader Joe's and back! I had to look around, but I finally found my Multiseed Soy Crackers - 35 crackers = 110 calories. You can't beat that!

I just got a call from the Captain - we are leaving the hotel at 3PM instead of 2PM. The plane coming in from Denver just left. It was delayed about an hour due to the blowing snow and ice in Denver. But they are now off the ground and on their way!

This is such a nice hotel - we're in the suites section, so we have a bon-bon sofa, a cocktail table, a small eating table with two chairs, a small fridge, sink, microwave, desk, armoire with a tv in it! There's also a nice jetted tub in the bathroom...I have to remember to bring my sea salts with me...

This has been a great morning - and now I've got time for a quick nap!!!

California Dreamin'

As I write this, I am sitting on my luxurious bed in Orange County, CA. I will soon be getting up and heading to Trader Joe's to pick up my favorite soy cracker in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! We're leaving this afternoon and heading back to Denver...and then on to Kansas City tonight! Provided, of course, that the "blizzard" that is on its way doesn't change those plans. We'll see! After the east coast getting slammed, I feel that Denver is overdue for a blizzard.

My v-file at work (my folder in a filing cabinet - we each have one) had several holiday greetings from my fellow flight attendants, a cute little "glow in the dark" hand sanitizer, and a yummy bag of holiday snacks! But...it was missing some trinkets that a fellow FA left there for me that he had picked up in DAY. So sad. A few months ago another friend left a NYC MetroCard in my v-file, and it was gone before I got there. And just a couple weeks ago, a fellow FA found a hole in her plastic bag of food that she had placed in the crewroom refrigerator - some of it had been taken. Really? I'm thinking that we all need to contemplate the following quote - "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one's looking." I wish we could weed out the bad ones and then we'll all be one big happy, HONEST family again!  :)  A girl can dream, can't she?

Last night's flight to Orange County was interesting. Great crew. Weird passengers. One guy came on and I asked him, "How are you doing this evening?" and he replied, "Not well at all. I have the flu and I've already thrown up a couple times." Really? Is he kidding me? I told him that he shouldn't be flying if he's ill - I'm fully expecting to get the flu in a mere 3 days from now.  :(  And, of course, those will be my days off. Butthead. I told the Captain about this guy, and he wanted him off. So we set the wheels in motion. A gate supervisor came on board just a few minutes before departure, and when I told him what was going on, he told me that he can't remove a passenger from the aircraft for being sick. WHAT?!?!?! Excuse me? He spoke with the Captain, who was just as upset as I was, and then spoke with the passenger. Get this...the passenger tells the supervisor that he is a DOCTOR and he'll be alright. A DOCTOR? With no brain, obviously. I gave the supervisor a mask to give to the passenger, and asked him to tell the passenger to wear it during the entire flight. And did he? Nope. I think some passengers check their brains at the security checkpoint.

Towards the end of the flight we had some severe turbulence, and not everyone was in their seats (the seatbelt sign had just been turned on for our initial descent). I saw one older lady in the aisle and passengers around her were holding on to her. When I got back to her, she requested a bandaid...she had bruised her hand somehow during the turbulence, and a small cut was bleeding. She was a sweet thing. So I bandaged her up and sent her on her way. The Captain had not seen/heard that that turbulence was coming, so he called back to us after it happened to make sure that we were all okay. I think my feet did leave the floor at one point, but I was fine, as were my co-workers. And this was over CALIFORNIA, not nearing Denver as it usually is.

One of my co-workers this flight is Tui - the really nice FA from the "Undercover Boss" episode. He is very involved in our new "Culture Club" - trying to get that "family feeling" back for all of our airlines that are now one. It's a long road, because we each have our own planes, our own work rules, and our own pay scales. We also stay in different quality hotels (though I hear that is changing), and we have different uniforms. I was so glad to hear that E.C. (one of my classmates) is involved in the group! I have high hopes that the group will head in the right direction. To announce the group, the marketing department created a video about "Why We Fly" and it perfectly described me. I would post it here, but it is on a company website and can't be shared.

I guess I'd better get moving, make some breakfast, and head over to Trader Joe's!

Random Thoughts

I have learned that a 4-day trip with early show times is hard. The same with an early couch sit one day, a 3-day trip with early show times, followed by a DCA turn with an early show time. That's what I did last week!

This week, I started out with the Noon-6PM couch. And now I'm on a 4-day trip with show times that are pretty early - except for today's. I have to be downstairs for the van to the Detroit airport by 5:15AM, which is 3:15AM Denver time. OUCH. But after flying back to Denver, I will be flying on to Ft. Lauderdale. Nice, huh? I lucked into that trip.

It's been interesting around the crewroom. The company is using a new scheduling program, and January was the first month. Tons of flight attendants are angry because their schedules aren't what they wanted. But if you listen closely, those same flight attendants will admit that they DID NOT do the online video training, nor did they attend one of the training classes. Hmmmm. Sounds to me like they got what they deserved! I have no sympathy. At least they got a line. There are 6 low seniority flight attendants who actually got lines this month - some of them didn't even know it until I told them on Facebook! Lucky ducks!

For the first time in our company's history, we received a Christmas bonus! Yay! But there were still unhappy people - it wasn't enough, why did they have to take taxes out, how come I only got half, etc. etc. Can't people be happy about their good fortune?

Since it's the holidays, I've been wearing my "holiday" apron when I do service. Years ago, someone got me a snowman apron from Old Navy. So I wore it for the first time last week - the passengers love it! It's a fun way to celebrate!

There are lots and lots of unaccompanied minors on our planes. The flight coming in from Ft. Lauderdale had seven and we had three. Tis the season. But it's so sad when it's a little 5 year old...the older ones know how the game is played, and they know what they're entitled to and how to go about getting it.  :) 

Since I am starting to fall asleep as I type this, I guess I'd better take advantage of the situation and call it a night...4:30AM will be here before I know it!

Exhaustion

I got to sit the couch on Sunday from 6AM until 2PM - at least crew scheduling told me that I was staying late early on during my shift. I slept for 2 hours when I got there at 5:30AM, ate a McDonald's sausage McMuffin with egg, walked around the concourse for awhile, visited with friends, slept another 1 1/2 hours, and then it was time to go home!

The fun began when I got called later that day. Crew scheduling assigned me to a nice 3-day trip starting early the next morning. But when I looked at my destinations, I realized that I'd be flying coast-to-coast two days in a row!

I started out in Denver and did a round-trip to Portland, OR with one crew. Going there, the overheads were filled with suitcases, bags and coats, and the seats were filled with passengers. On the way back, the seats were still filled, but they carried much less onboard. I love those kinds of flights! When we returned to Denver, the rest of the crew was done for the day, but I stayed on board waiting for my next crew that was coming in from Minneapolis. One of the flight attendants was my good friend, Jenn! It's always nice to be able to fly with your friends - it doesn't happen often enough!

But the sad thing is that we flew to New York's LaGuardia, and I had to leave on a 7:20AM van to go to the airport with yet another crew! Meantime, my current crew didn't have to leave until early in the afternoon. Bummer! But after flying coast-to-coast, I sure earned a good night's sleep!

On today's flight, I returned to Denver, lost two flight attendants, and then gained another two - and on we went to Seattle for the night! Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for the company, we had only 80 passengers on a 162-seat plane. Sad, but I needed the break! On the flight from LaGuardia to Denver, I spoke with a young woman who seemed very interested in becoming a flight attendant! She was on my next flight to Seattle, too, and I got her email address so that I could correspond with her and let her know when Frontier starts hiring again (if ever).

There was also a guy from NYC who had a fun time teasing me and the other flight attendants about us being from Colorado - and after talking to him and giving him a can of soda and seconds, what does he do? Get up and go to the bathroom before we reach the gate - at a time when the Captain would have to NOT move the plane because someone was out of their seat. Of all people...  :(

I also met a woman on the last flight who told me that she used to be a flight attendant many years ago. And next she told me that, "...way back then they used to weigh us every week. Obviously, they don't do that any longer." Hmmmmm. I think I should be offended!

Then I had a couple try and take advantage of Frontier. Our company policy is to give free TV to any soldier, in uniform or not, as long as they present a military ID. The husband said that his wife had not yet gotten her TV. It wasn't indicated on my paperwork that she was supposed to get it, and I asked them to show me a receipt. They couldn't, but then she mentioned how she was in the military. She showed me an ID card, but kept her fingers covering part of the card. Interesting. It didn't look like the typical ID card, so I asked to take a closer look. Well...she is a contractor for the Army - in other words, she works at the commissary! I told her that she is NOT a member of the military - she insisted that she was! I then told her that my hubby had been in the military for five years, and that she is NOT a soldier. Her husband later apologized me for the "misunderstanding." Shame on them. Here we are doing something nice for our service members, and she decides to take advantage and tries to pass herself off as something she's not. Tsk tsk tsk. Bad karma will follow them.

We got to Seattle and headed to the hotel in 40 degree temps - after sitting in the room for a little while and sipping a caffeine-free Diet Coke (my afternoon drink of choice), I decided it was time to head downstairs to the bar for my bowl of New England Clam Chowder. YUMMY. It was SO DELICIOUS. I could have had another bowl. Nice.

Now it's time to start winding down. I'm exhausted after flying coast-to-coast two days in a row. Tomorrow I fly back to Denver - and wonder what I'll end up doing. I am still on duty on Thursday, so they could give me a two-day trip. But I won't know until after I return to Denver. This is one of the bad sides of being on reserve...not knowing what the future holds.

Speaking of which, a rumor I heard has been confirmed by a reliable source. I was told that Frontier does not plan on hiring any flight attendants in 2011. I am so very bummed. I had been told in October that we'd be hiring early next year, and that there was hope for me to get off reserve. But today's rumor conversation blows that out of the water. What do I do now? Continue the life of a reserve flight attendant? Quit and get my life back? I just don't know. I don't want to leave, but I really wish I had more control over my life. What to do? What to do?

In the Nick of Time...

Just when I was starting to melt down, due to the stress of everyday life and being on reserve for 3+ years, I get handed the golden egg - a 15.5 hour layover in Orange County, CA! This is one of the nicest hotels that we stay at, there are palm trees, and the weather is nice. Not to mention the Trader Joe's and In-N-Out within 3 miles!

Originally, I had hoped to see my daughter's future mother-in-law, but she was tied up with work - imagine that. Tied up on a weekday with work! Then I realized that my BFF from my Chicago days lives within 5 minutes of the hotel...so I gave her a call and left a message. She called back and hopes that her work schedule allows her to get together for brunch! These SoCal ladies sure work alot!!!

So it's now after midnight, I'm sure, and I made the mistake of turning on the TV...and there's Taye Diggs dancing in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Mighty fine! But I'm going to have to turn it off and go to sleep!

I am off duty for three days after I get home...and then the stretches of five and six duty days at a time start. Let the holidays begin!

Back to LaGuardia!

This month has been pretty slow from a reserve flight attendant's point of view. I sat the couch FIVE times - and those were all within 17 days. But...I'm not complaining. It's so nice having a break from the non-stop flying that the poor reserves have been subjected to over the past several months. And...December is coming!

After my Ft. Lauderdale mini-vacay, I had a couple days off and a couple couch sits. Then I lucked out and got a three-day trip for my last three days of duty in the month of November. And it was a good trip, too! We started out flying to Milwaukee, and then flew to New York's LaGuardia for a 17 hour layover! And you know what I did during that layover, don't you? I got to trek to Jen's apartment to spend a little time with her and my grandpuppy, Liza! THESE are the perks of this job that I love.

Now I'm in my Seattle hotel room - it's cold and rainy outside, warm and cozy inside! We'll be leaving in the early afternoon to head back to Denver...and to my FIVE days off!

On this trip, I am the B flight attendant - not my favorite position, I've learned. Part of the reason is that it is so isolated from the passenger and the flight deck crew. I prefer to be in "the thick of things." It keeps me entertained and keeps me going!

Every once in awhile, a passenger or two will come to the back galley to visit. Most flight attendants do not like these "visitors," but I usually welcome it. Last night I visited with a Mom and her almost nine-year-old daughter. The Mom would love to be a flight attendant, but she is only 5'1". Bummer. We kidded around about ways that we could "stretch" her out for the measure portion of an interview! I think she's make a great flight attendant.

And, of course, my fellow flight attendants provide all sorts of entertainment. Trying to guess, "what's coming next" from a flight attendant who doesn't necessarily follow "the rules" when it comes to providing service, to those ladies/men with fun stories to tell! It surely keeps a person entertained! And, of course, I've been known to tell a fun story or two...

At the Beach...

In the living room, looking down the hall.

The view you'd see if you sit on the toilet!

Looking from the hallway into the living room.

The view when you sit on the sofa.

The view as you look down the hall towards the entrance.

Well, what can I say? THIS is why I do this job. Even though I am here for only 14 hours, I got to enjoy the sun, fun, sand, sea and surf for a couple hours before it got dark. And the room I got this time was AWESOME. Two of the four walls are floor to ceiling windows. Nice.

It was an adventurous trip getting here - our original plane had a fuel leak in one of the engines. One of the ramp people saw it, and we were sent back to the gate. Thank God. That could have been disastrous. The mechanics could not find the fuel leak source, so we ended up getting a new plane. But before that, the Captain got on the P.A. and told everyone what was happening - because of that, everyone stayed pretty calm. They also realized that we weren't going to fly on any plane that wasn't safe.

Prior to this trip, I got an overnight in Orange County - I went with another flight attendant to Trader Joe's and In-N-Out burger. Delish! I had a good talk with the other flight attendant - Erika. She was just elected our first AFA (Association of Flight Attendants) Union President. She's got a good head on her shoulders.

I recently learned that one of my classmates from training and another in the class after me have left the company.  :(  And then I found that another of my classmates is leaving the company in early December. How sad! I guess they just can't wait any longer for the company to start hiring new flight attendants so that we can get off reserve.

In the meantime, I will be happy to take the Ft. Lauderdale trips, the 24-hour New York City layovers and the 18-hour Washington, DC layovers!

Physically Healthy, But Maybe Not Mentally...

I ended up going to the doctor's office again, and this time I saw my regular doctor. And she gave me drugs because I had bronchitis. And she told me to stay home for another five days. That meant that I wouldn't be back at work until Monday, November 1st.

I wasn't thrilled, because I had been biting at the bit and wanted to hit the road again. It ended up happening before I expected...I had to make an emergency trip to Virginia to deal with an issue at my brother's home in southern Virginia. I spent three days talking, listening, and ended up having to seek some help from our company-sponsored counseling service. I was just a bit overwhelmed. And I still am.

The one thing I know for a fact, you can't change what you don't acknowledge (thank you, Dr. Phil).

After three days of mixed emotions and confusion, I headed to NYC to check in early for my dogsitting assignment. Jen and James had been invited to a wedding in Baltimore (that they're attending right now as I write this), and they asked if I could dogsit for Liza for the weekend. If I didn't have free flight benefits, that would not have been an option. But this is just what I needed...a nice, relaxing time with my grandpuppy.

Today was the first full day that they've been out of town, and Liza and I decided to sleep in until 6:45AM. Yahoo! We've gone on "potty walks" several times, I went out to the Saturday Flea Market, watched people on Broadway by Macy's, looked at the Christmas windows at Macy's (isn't it TOO EARLY for Christmas windows??!?!?), and got a few groceries (the new Lean Cuisine pasta "steam-in-the-bag" is delicious).

Tomorrow, I am have a late lunch/early dinner with one of Jen's friends whom I also know. Other than that, I'm going to enjoy the last bit of peace and quiet...ahhhhhhh.

Under the Weather...Again!

I haven't flown since 10/11-12 when I went to Minneapolis for a night. Why? Cause I'm grounded. Not by the FAA, but by me. My head has been stuffed since 10/13 and I've got an AWESOME cough! Woo hoo! It's fun to sneak up behind someone who's been a butthead to you, and let out a deep resonating cough! People actually run away from you!

But I do have to say that before I came down with this latest malady, I had a wonderful few days in Florida with family and friends at my niece, Lindsey's, wedding at Walt DisneyWorld.

Opa walking Lindsey down the aisle.

Lindsey and Greg taking their vows.

Walt DisneyWorld has their wedding planning down to an art. Everything was beautiful, went smoothly, and the wedding cake was DELICIOUS. Probably the best wedding cake that I've ever tasted!

Jen was able to join us at the wedding of her cousin, and she and Lindsey's sister, Brittany, got to spend some quality time hanging out in the parks! Greg and his parents spent the day after the wedding at Epcot, and I found myself some nice shade and spent the day relaxing!

When I came back from Florida, I got assigned to an overnight in Minneapolis, MN. I LOVE the hotel there, and was able to hitch a ride on the hotel van to go to the Mall of America. And guess what I did there? I went to the new "Long Tall Sally" store - the new version of the "Tall Girl" store. It was SO NICE to fondle the clothing, try things on that were too long for me, and just see things up close. Ahhhh. It is the ONLY store in the USA where I can try on tall clothing. We had an early morning show for Tuesday, and I got released at 7:30AM - WOW! An extra day "off!"

On Wednesday, I had my annual recurrent training from 8AM until 5:30PM at the General Office in Denver. Only one other reserve flight attendant was in my class - my good friend, EC! We both passed the door drills, the emergency equipment review, the CPR and self-defense testing...we're ready for another year, hopefully NOT on reserve! The Director of Inflight spoke to us during lunch, and told us that there will probably be a new hire flight attendant class in May, 2011. I had grabbed ahold of EC's hand before this "announcement," hoping that she was going to give a date in 2010. So I was kind of disappointed. Oh well...life goes on.

As usual, I had fun during training - it's a nice reminder of WHAT I'm supposed to be doing, and now that I'm really comfortable in my job, I always have some extra space in my brain to pick up and remember something that I had forgotten!

After my training day, I had four whole days off! BUT...I was sick as a dog for all those days. Then on my first duty day, I went to the doctor and got a note excusing me from work for the next six duty days. Today is day five of those six days. I'm doing a lot better than I was...but my head is still stuffy, my cough is amazing and I'll be going back to work on Monday.

I'll be spending my last few days of sick leave repacking my suitcase, doing laundry, maybe even raking leaves if the weather (and my breathing) cooperate. I'll also do a bit of TV watching, while muting ALL the political  campaign ads. I'll be so glad for all this to be over!

Six Days of Travel

On Friday, I had a modified C couch sit, meaning that I had to report at 2PM instead of the usual 4PM. When I arrived, crew scheduling told me that I (and the other two couch-sitters - including my buddy, Dennis, who makes flying so much fun!) had an overnight in New York! Only problem - we wouldn't arrive until 1:30AM. No big deal. AND we were deadheading home on the 5:30PM flight, meaning we didn't have to work it...just sit and sleep! Woo hoo!

Of course, I immediately contacted Jen to see what she was doing on Saturday - she and James had plans to attend the "Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-Long" movie at the AMC theater in Times Square at Noon. So guess what I did? First I went to the apartment to play with Liza - she's such a cutie patootie! Then on to the theater!

The girls sitting next to me were celebrating a 20th birthday, so they were pumped. When the movie FINALLY started, we had so much fun singing along. And guess what I sang all the way back to the hotel? "A Whole New World!" Ahhhhhhh.

And I have made a decision. It is MUCH HARDER to sit on a plane as a passenger than it is to work that flight. I tried to sleep the entire way back to Denver...didn't quite work, but I tried.

A few hours after I got back home in COS, before I went to bed, I happened to notice that I scored an actual FOUR-DAY trip! I wasn't going to have to sit at home and wait for that doggone phone to ring! Yay! So I called crew scheduling to let them know that I had seen the trip, and I went to bed. One of the only problems is that I was starting to feel sick. Bummer. So I made sure that I had my Zicam, Tylenol, Sudafed, and ibuprophen...and off I went!

First up, I had a turn to Nashville - I was happy because I was flying with my buddy, Bruce! Yay! We always have a lot of laughs. Next up, we had an overnight in Salt Lake City. Bruce was planning on having Mexican for lunch the next day, and I was planning on joining him. BUT...I had a horrible night of sleep, and I was sick, sick, sick with a bad cold when I woke up. I stuck with my medication routine, slept most of the day, and Bruce offered to bring back a Mexican meal for me! What a sweetheart!

I rallied enough to do well on our flight back to Denver, which was about an hour and a half late due to San Francisco airport traffic issues. The passengers weren't thrilled, and of course, they were worried about their connections. I think a few might have had to be rescheduled, but most may have made them. There were a couple 20-something guys who complimented me on how nice I was, and that I'm the best flight attendant they've ever flown with. So I kindly asked them to "put it in writing!" Ha ha.

The sad thing is that Bruce left the trip, and wasn't going with us to Dayton for the night. And after he left, things started going downhill quickly. We were already late, so the crowd was restless. The scouts brought on our first passenger and her hubby - she was unable to walk and needed to be assisted by an aisle chair. As soon and they got her and her husband settled in their seats, she starts throwing up. A lot! The scouts were still there and were able to catch most of it, but the C flight attendant brought them more bags, and when she did, she ran forward to where I was, trying really hard not to barf. She ended up running off the aircraft. In the meantime, more passengers were boarding, and I called the gate and told them to stop boarding!

The CPT told us to decide what we wanted to do. We unanimously decided to get her off the plane - supposedly she had just spent time with her grandson, who brought home some germs. Her husband assured me that she had nothing else left in her body. But she looked so white and sickly. AND they did not want to get off. So we called the paramedic - he agreed that she shouldn't go to DAY, but she signed a waiver saying she was still flying. Well...that didn't fly with me, or with the passengers sitting around her that told me that she needed to get off! What's a girl to do? So I told the Gate Supervisor that the other passengers were concerned and complaining.

The woman's daughter and son-in-law were brought down the jetway, and as soon as the paramedic left, we brought the son on board. He got off literally one second later and said, "They're getting off." Halleluiah! I felt bad for them, but relieved for me and the rest of the passengers.

There was one guy sitting in the row behind them, and he was nasty nasty nasty to me. Mostly because, when the sick woman was still on board, the husband handed me a large bag filled with BARF. I am not allowed to handle that without taking precautions (it is infectious waste), so I told him "One moment" as I went up front to get some plastic gloves. When I got back, the nasty guy behind them had grabbed the bag and taken it to the flight attendant at the back of the plane - she wouldn't touch it, either! She told him to place it in the lavatory trash can. But he was mad at me the entire flight, and let me know it. His bad karma will definitely catch up to him in life.

However, it wasn't all bad. We had a soldier on board who was returning home after being away for 10 months. I announced that he was on board and that he was HOME after we landed, and everyone clapped for him. His mom was the ramp supervisor for Frontier, and she was waiting for him to arrive. So when we got to the gate, and the agent opened the plane's door, I just stepped aside as the mom ran in and hugged her son! The other flight attendant and I just burst out crying, and everyone started clapping again. It still gives me goosebumps!

A great ending to a long day...

Outstandingly Breathtaking...

After returning to Denver from St. Louis, we flew a turn to Seattle. As we were getting ready to land, I noticed all the passengers leaning over to look out the aircraft left windows. What the heck were they looking at?

Mt. Rainier as seen from the airplane's window.



Our plane's winglet with Mt. Rainier in the background.



Absolutely gorgeous.

What a wonderful thing to see! And to top that off, when we got back to Denver, I got released to my day off! How can life get any better?

Last Minute Trip

Yesterday, I started out by sitting the couch at DIA at noon. I had my lunch, magazines, a book, and lots of plans to catch up with friends. At 12:30PM, crew scheduling calls me off the couch to start a 3-day trip. The flight attendant on the first turn of the trip (to Minneapolis) showed up to work not feeling well early that morning, and as they got back to Denver she felt even worse. So she called in sick, and I had 35 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart!

That is a prime example as to why the airline has us sit "ready reserve."

It was a fun crew - Fred and Chris up front, Brenda and Kelly in the back. Lots of teasing, lots of joking. You have to keep it light when you are flying to Los Angeles...sometimes there can be strange characters on board. But yesterday was fairly normal, the flight went well, and we got into LAX in the early afternoon. I felt the ocean calling to me, so I changed my clothes and hopped on the trolley that'd take me to Manhattan Beach. What I should have thought of is that it had reached 114 degrees that day in Los Angeles, so the beach wasn't necessarily going to be a "cool" place to hang out.

So when I got to Manhattan Beach, I decided to eat an early dinner at a restaurant called the Kettle. Jen and James went there the last time that they were in Los Angeles, and Jen raved about the Tortilla Soup. Even though it was hotter than hell outside, she said it'd be worth it! So that's where I went.

Chicken Tortilla Soup from The Kettle Restaurant

After I was done with dinner, it had cooled off a bit outside, so I walked down to the beach and pier. It was so absolutely beautiful! I spent time walking in the sand, walking on the pier, and doing A LOT of people watching. It was the perfect afternoon!

The sun was setting, but no one seemed to notice.

A beautiful day on the beach.

Looking south from the pier.

The aquarium at the end of the pier.

After walking around awhile, I headed back to the trolley pick-up point. It's a really nice system - the trolley picks-up at around 5 or 6 different "stops" around a bunch of hotels near the airport, and the first stop is Manhattan Beach. Then after you leave Manhattan Beach, there are two additional stops before returning to the hotels - both are malls. One is an indoor mall and the other is an outdoor mall - with lots and lots of stores and restaurants to choose from!

However, I chose to return to the hotel because that 5AM van was going to be ready for us before we knew it!

After returning to Denver, we kept the same plane and prepared to fly to St. Louis, MO. We got a new first officer, Juan, but kept the other crew members. There were a bunch of siblings sitting in the back of the plane - they had all just flown in from Oregon, Washington, Utah and Minnesota, and were all gathering to spend time together in Missouri. It turns out that one of their sisters recently passed away, so they were going to spend some quality time together before another one passed on. What a great idea!

Fortunately, it wasn't as hot in STL as it was in LAX, but I still didn't feel like sightseeing. The rest of the crew had met the night before to have an early dinner at the happy hour in the hotel bar, but I had chosen to go to the beach. So tonight I decided to be social, and I met the rest of the group in this hotel's bar. They had the most awesome tomato bisque soup...yummy! We had a great time laughing, telling stories, just hanging out. And we were done at 6PM...because our van time is 4:55AM tomorrow! (Which, is really 3:55AM Denver time...)

Tomorrow, we'll fly back to Denver (and everyone but us will be sleeping), and then we head to Seattle and back. When I return at around 2:30PM, I hope to hear those magic words, "you are released to your day off!" Keep your fingers crossed!

Where Has September Gone?

I haven't done a lot of flying this month...but the little that I did was GREAT!

I had to sit the couch twice, but on my way to the airport for the second sit I got a call from Crew Scheduling telling me that I'd be heading to Houston later that evening. Cool! Houston is one of my favorite layovers because I have friends there, AND it's one of my favorite hotel rooms.

Well...a tropical storm was blowing through Houston, my friends weren't available, and I got an inside room which overlooks the lobby. Needless to say, I got a lot of TV watching done! I believe I watched a marathon of "LA Ink."

The big question about this trip was whether or not we were going to make it back to Denver in time for our next flight - to ANCHORAGE! Yahoo! Only one other flight attendant and I were going on to ANC, so we started figuring that the airline would recrew our positions...we made up time in the air heading back to DEN, and lo and behold, the plane was loaded and ready to go when we got there! They waited for us! Mitch and I settled in to our positions and then we took off.

The plane was probably 2/3 full of men in various form of hunting and fishing gear. The hunters told me that they were going after bear, and the fishermen all had their poles safely tucked into the overhead bins.

We arrived in ANC late at night. Last year, in August, it was still light outside. But this time, in September, it was dark. Our return flight would be leaving about 24 hours after our arrival, so we had time to do some fun stuff. I gave my friend, Connie, a call when I got the trip and she had the morning and early afternoon available to show me around town. We went to a little town called Palmer, enjoyed a delicious lunch and did a little bit of shopping/browsing at a couple of the town's shops.

On the way back to ANC, we stopped at a Russian Orthodox Church that had a very unusual graveyard. Each grave was topped by a small house that contained some of the deceased's valuables. It's amazing how the native tribe still maintains those "houses," which were painted in bright and beautiful colors.

Connie and I made one more stop before she took me back to the hotel - there's a beautiful place called Kincaid park that overlooks the Inlet. It's where she usually takes people to see moose, bear, and other assorted wildlife, but that day they were all hiding!



Connie and me in Kincaid Park.

 A sign in Kincaid Park that could not go unphotographed.

When Connie dropped me back at the hotel, I figured it was too early to take a nap in preparation for our all-night flight back to DEN, so I decided to take a walk...around a lake...! If you look at the following map, our hotel is located in the lower right corner - it's called the Millenium Hotel. That's where I started. 

The world's largest floatplane lake.

One of the many floatplanes that I saw during my walk

I don't believe that I have ever seen as many floatplanes as I did that day. Each "dock" had a little house holding the flight equipment, and the floatplane was tied up next to it. Some were surrounded by cute little picket fences (a woman's touch, no doubt), others were plain with no little house, and others looked like they had sleeping accommodations. During my walk, I'd see guys coming to the lake after work, locking up their cars, readying their planes for flight, and then leaving their dock and taking off on the water!

There were also quite a few hangars and "parking lots" for other planes without floats. There was a taxiway around parts of the lake that led to a runway - I lost count of the number of planes that took off that way during my walk. It's definitely a different lifestyle that what I'm used to.

After that trip, I had a few days off and then got assigned a 20 hour layover in Kansas City, MO. Again, it's a very nice hotel...but there is NOTHING to do nearby. This time, we arrived early in the morning and I got ambitious. I had heard that there was a mall nearby - Zona Rosa. I decided to walk there, and then have the hotel shuttle bus pick me up later in the afternoon.

Well...let's just say that it wasn't the nicest walk I've ever been on. The road you walk on paralleled the highway, there was no scenery to speak of - the most exciting thing was looking at the trash that had been thrown on the roadside as I cautiously stepped over it. I wish I had brought a baggie with me, and I would have collected some of it...but since I hadn't, I just looked at it, tried to figure out what some of it was, and then moved on. It was also VERY hot and VERY humid. And...of course, it was around noontime.

Silly me...I didn't follow directions and took a road across the highway and ended up at a Target shopping center (with a JC Penney, a Famous Footwear, and several other stores). I asked for directions to Zona Rosa, and instead of sending me back the way I had just come, they sent me the opposite way and instructed me to cross under the highway. That's when I came upon a WalMart shopping center (with a Lowe's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and a Borders, and several other stores). Not where I wanted to be.

I needed to get to Zona Rosa's Barnes & Noble, because that is where the hotel shuttle would be picking me up at 3PM. So I kept trudging along, and FINALLY found what I was looking for. Zona Rosa had a ton of "high-end" boutiques (read as EXPENSIVE), and by that time all I was interested in doing was sitting inside in AIR CONDITIONING, drinking WATER. I'm guessing that my diversion turned my walk from a 4.5 mile trek to at least 6 miles or so. Thank goodness I had my MBT shoes on, gently shaping and firming my buttocks and calf muscles!

I got released upon my return to DEN the following morning, and then got assigned to a stand-up to Spokane that night. The perfect ending. I hate stand-ups, but if I have to do one, the best time to do it is on your last day of duty. That's because you HAVE to be released to your days off when you return. And that's exactly what happened.

On my first day I accompanied my hubby to his surgery appointment for his right hand. Surgery took a lot longer than last time, and that was because the condition of his hand was a lot worse than his left hand. There was a lot of arthritis in his thumb joint (which has now been replaced), as well as a lot of scar tissue surrounding one of his nerves. He also had the carpal tunnel surgery done at the same time, so in time, his right had should be almost as good as new. Well...maybe not that good...but at least it'll be a lot less painful than it has been.

I was supposed to start six duty days just a couple days after his surgery, but I opted to take sick days instead. Since this was Greg's right hand, it took him a little longer to get used to doing things without it. Plus, I was concerned because this surgery was a lot more in depth than last time...

I'm now at the end of my next set of days off, and am scheduled to go back to work for three days. I've been reading my friends' updates on FaceBook, and have truly missed not being a part of their trips and traveling fun. However, I truly have NOT missed driving to/from Denver. I really look forward to the day (maybe early next year?) when I have control over my own schedule and fly a comfortable amount of hours, with a minimum number of round-trip drives to Denver...or maybe even round-trip flights from COS to DEN. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Sitting on the Sexy Black Leather Couch...

My three-day trip to LGA and SLC was great! I had several hours with Jen and Liza - though we did not make it to Central Park. It was too hot and humid! So we stayed inside at her apartment, and ordered in lunch. Very short, but very sweet.

I slept when I got to SLC - I was so tired for some reason and just needed to sleep. And that's what I did. It was great!

I had a great cabin crew on the SLC overnight, but one of the flight attendants on the LGA overnight was a bit different. She was nowhere to be found at show time, and when she did arrive she had a long story about the hotel van. The other flight attendant in the back used to fly with her all the time, and said, "she always has such creative stories." Hmmmm. The thing is, she was the CPT's pet, so nothing will ever be said to anyone in charge.

Speaking of which, has anyone ever heard of a guy getting a "kitchen pass" from his wife? A co-worker told me that a CPT hit her with that line a couple weeks ago - he wanted to know what she could do for him! OMG. How disgusting is that?!?!? She had gone to the flight deck to give the first officer a potty break, and this is what the CPT said to her. She replied, "So...where are you taking the kids for vacation this year?" Good comeback for an uncomfortable situation!

Speaking of uncomfortable situations, when I was on the NYC subway the other day heading to Jen's apartment, a strange looking man boarded my car and said to me, "Are you rich?" I just looked at him and laughed! Then he started hitting on the young girl sitting across from me. At first she listened to him, and then she went back to her book. Finally, he gave up and got off at the next stop - when a woman walked on, he said to her, "Stay good looking, cause if you don't you'll be ugly!" I wonder how long it took him to come up with that comment.

Today when I arrived at DIA to sit the couch, I walked from one end of the A concourse to the other to get a bit of exercise, and I saw some of the strangest looking outfits! First, there was a family of five - the older couple were dressed like "Dr. Quinn - Medicine Woman," as were the younger couple, pushing a stroller with a young'un. And, of course, I later saw one of the couples in the leather-goods store on the concourse! The other strange-looking person was going to Detroit. He was very tall and very thin, dressed all in patchwork leather. He had lace-up boots, and his leather pants were tight, tight, tight! His outfit was topped off with the kind of hat that Robin Hood would wear - complete with a foot-long feather! If I had had my camera, I would have snapped a pic - but how do you do that without them seeing you and punching you in the face?

I am off duty in 15 minutes. I started out with two others, but they were both sent on trips. So sad. So I cleaned up the crewroom, organized the "Lost and Found," and did all my online training courses (one was due before I go to my annual training, and all the other courses were due by the end of this year)!

I fully expect to be sent somewhere, sometime...I just don't know when or where. As a co-worker said to me today, "I'm finding that meditation, medication and alcohol are helping me tolerate being on reserve." So true, so true.

Days Gone By...Good Things to Come

I was having too good of a time to blog!

Nancy totally spoiled me when I visited. We got fresh quiche and cheese for lunch, had a great time floating in her pool, dinner at the Wharfside Restaurant in Pt. Pleasant, followed by funnelcake on the boardwalk. Awesome.

On Sunday morning, we went to early mass, and then she dropped me off at the train at Bay Head for my trek back to NYC. When I arrived at Penn Station, my original plan was to take a bus to LGA...however, it was raining. The thought of having to change buses three times to get to LGA was overwhelming, so I took a taxi. Big mistake. There was a big accident and we got stuck in traffic, and that meter was creeping up and up and up.

When we finally got to LGA, I found out that the US Airways flight to DCA that I had hoped to catch a ride on was full, AND there were 22 non-revs. Hmmmm. It did not look good for me. The gate agents recommended that I try Delta's commuter flight. Interesting fact - that flight is operated by Shuttle America, a subsidiary of Republic Airways - our parent company. BUT I have no flight benefits on their flights since it's under contract to Delta. But I have Delta flight benefits...go figure. Diane and Mark came to the rescue and gave me a Delta buddy pass, getting it into the computer system within one minute of the flight closing. YAY!

Diane & Mark's new home is absolutely gorgeous! Mom has her own "space" - and it is beautiful! I got to spend a few days hanging out with them and relaxing. Of course, Mom beat me at "65," but I whooped her hide at "Dummy." And then Mark came along and beat us both at "65." Natalie and I also got beat by Mom playing "Scattergories." Oh well...I left with my tail between my legs.

On Wednesday morning, we decided to try out the commuter shuttle bus to get back to DC, and it worked like a charm! I paid $5.75 to go from California, MD to Metro Station (note to self - get off at Le'Fant Plaza next time), and then I took Metro to DCA. I got the last seat on the first Frontier flight back to DEN - a window seat - and I slept for the entire 3 hour 20 minute flight!

I started duty again on Friday, and guess what I did? I got assigned to the C couch - usually from 4PM until 10PM, but it got changed to 2PM until 8PM. When I checked in, though, they told me that I was doing a turn to Orange County, CA and would get back to DEN at 11PM. Lovely. The flight there was almost full, and the flight back had 61 passengers. Fortunately, it went by quickly.

Yesterday, no one called me at home - and that was a good thing. I realized that I had a sinus infection, so all I did was sit on the couch and sleep all day. It was delightful! I watched several of my DVR'ed TV shows and slept through some of them, too.

And as I write this I am once again on the couch at DIA. I got the 4PM until 10PM shift again, and I actually picked-up a three day trip starting tomorrow afternoon! I'll spend Monday night at LGA (with a 19 hour layover!!!) and Tuesday night at SLC (with a 17 hour layover). Nice, huh?

So right now I have a playdate with my new grandpuppy, Liza on Tuesday morning in Central Park! YAY! I am VERY EXCITED to see her (and Jen, too) again!

All Aboard!

How 2010ish of me - I am blogging on a train from NYC to Bay Head, NJ. Woo hoo!

I have been on vacation/days off since Tuesday, 8/10/10. I spent the first week hanging out around the house, doing odd jobs such as weeding the yard, doing bookwork, lunching with friends, etc. Then on Tuesday, 8/17/10 - my birthday - I treated myself to a trip to NYC to see my little girl, her fiance, and my brand new grandpuppy!

I got on the flight with no problem - I was #1 on the non-rev list, and got assigned to a seat in stretch seating. I SLEPT the entire flight. Ahhhhhh. I think I was tired. Then I took a taxi to Jen's apartment, and the adventure began!

We've gone on short puppy walks, long puppy walks, to the dog park, had lots of delicious lunches and dinners, and lots of just hanging out. It has been delightful!I got Jen to go to the doctor to see what they had to say about her cough and her migrane - it turns out that she has bronchitis! Now, how the doctor knew that is a mystery to her and I, because all the doctor did was look in her ears and nose, listen to her chest, and that was pretty much it! Also, the doctor donned a face mask, complete with a clear plastic eye shield, when she heard that Jen had a cough. It was so weird. But at least she wrote an RX for an antibiotic and a heavy-duty cough syrup so that Jen could get a good night's sleep.

We ended the visit with an awesome pedicure at Dashing Divas, compliments of James (it was my birthday present). Thanks, James! It was a very nice visit, as I continue to get to know James and enjoy watching the both of them handling parenthood with their new puppy!

I am now on my way to Bay Head, NJ, where my sister Nancy will pick me up. We'll spend the day together, she's taking me to dinner for my birthday, and then tomorrow after Church I'll head back to NYC and on to LGA to catch a shuttle flight to DCA - then I'll spend a few days visiting with my Mom, my sister and her family.

From what I hear, things have slowed down a bit at work - I am already at 83 hours credit for the month (which includes my vacation, sick days and actual days worked) - and I've actually worked only 9 days. Nice, huh? It was a grueling 9 days, but I survived!

To The Flying Public

This about sums it up. I couldn't have said it any better if I'd written it myself.

To the Flying Public: We're sorry

(Author Unknown)

We're sorry we have no pillows.

We're sorry we're out of blankets.

We're sorry the airplane is too cold.

We're sorry the airplane is too hot.

We're sorry the overhead bins are full.

We're sorry we have no closet space for your oversized bag.

We're sorry that's not the seat you wanted.

We're sorry there's a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling passenger seated next to you.

We're sorry the plane is full and there's no other seats available.

We're sorry you didn't get your upgrade.

We're sorry that guy makes you uncomfortable because he 'looks like a terrorist'.

We're sorry there's a thunderstorm and we can't take off.

We're sorry we don't know when it will stop.

We're sorry you're crammed into a space so small that if you were an animal PETA would protest.

We're sorry a Super 80 has no music or video entertainment for your 3 hour flight.

We're sorry we ran out of your favorite soda.

We're sorry there's no more sandwiches.

We're sorry that Budweiser costs $6.00.

We're sorry we don't have diapers for your baby.

We're sorry we don't have milk for same baby.

We're sorry you can't hang out by the cockpit door waiting to use the bathroom.

We're sorry you can't hang out at the back of the airplane.

We're sorry you have to sit down and fasten your seatbelt.

We're sorry you have to put your seat up for landing.

We're sorry we don't know when we're going to land.

We're sorry we don't know whether your plane to (substitute any city in the world) will be waiting for you when we land.

We're sorry we've been diverted because we ran out of gas waiting to land.

We're sorry for these and so many other things that we have absolutely no control over but which we are held accountable for EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Please understand. Flight attendants are not the enemy. We share your space. More than anyone – we want to have a nice, pleasant travel experience.

There is a reason behind everything we ask you to do. It may be a FAA Directive. It may be security related. It may be a company procedure.

We don't just make stuff up. We don't spend 8 weeks at the flight academy learning how to pour a Coke. There are many things that flight attendants are watching for constantly on every flight FOR YOUR SAFETY.

It's not because we're bored or so controlling that we just enjoy telling people what to do. I, for one, would like to have one flight where I didn't have to repeatedly tell people to put their seats up for landing. Seriously. Can't you just do what we ask sometimes? Without the glares, eye rolling and disdain? For the record – putting your seat up for landing may not seem that important to your personal safety. However, it is very important for the person sitting BEHIND YOU. If you have ever tried to get out of a row where someone has their seat back you know it can be a challenge. Try grabbing your ankles (emergency brace position) or getting out that row quickly with smoke in the cabin.

Understand a little better now?

Many of the things we ask passengers to comply with are FAA directives. Like carry-on bag stowage and exit row requirements. When we can serve drinks (in the air) and when we can't (after the aircraft door is closed or on an active taxi-way). We are only allowed to move about the cabin during taxi out for safety related duties. We can't get you blankets then, or hang coats, or get you drinks. It's not because we don't want to. It's because we are held personally responsible if we fail to comply with FAA directives. Meaning that the FAA can fine us personally up to $10,000 if we fail to comply or enforce an FAA Directive. Like no bags at the bulkhead. No children in the exit row. No one moving around the cabin during taxi. Perhaps now you know why flight attendants get a little testy when people move about the cabin when they're not supposed to. It's not the company that gets in trouble for that. It's us.

Personally, I wish the airlines would show worst case scenario safety videos. Like what happens if you walk through the cabin during turbulence. There could be a guy who has just fallen and smacked his face on the metal armrest and now has a bloody, gushing broken nose. Or an elderly lady who now has a broken arm because someone walking to the bathroom fell on her. Maybe a passenger with a broken neck because somebody opened an overhead bin during turbulence and a suitcase fell out and onto the person sitting beneath it. These things can easily happen in a fast moving, unstable air environment.

Please just trust that we are looking out for your best interest and stop fighting with us about everything we ask you to do. It is exhausting.

Finally, please, please direct your hostility and frustrations in the direction where they will be most effective: The customer service department. They are the ones equipped to handle your complaint and implement procedures for CHANGE. Think about it. Complaining to the flight crew about all your negative travel experiences is about the same as complaining to the office janitor because your computer isn't working. It may make you feel better to vent about it – but it really won't fix anything. More than anybody we are already aware of the lack of amenities, food, service and comfort on the aircraft. Please share your concerns with the people in the cubicles at corporate who need that information to make better decisions for the flying public.

It's frustrating that so many people are in denial about what the travel industry is about now. The glory days of pillows, blankets, magazines and a hot meal for everyone are long gone. Our job is to get you from point A to point B safely and at the cheapest possible cost to you and the company. So be prepared. If you are hungry – get a sandwich before you get on the plane. If it's a 3 hour flight, anticipate that you may get hungry and bring some snacks. If you are cold natured – bring a wrap. Think for yourself and think ahead. Otherwise, don't complain when you have to pay $3.00 for a cookie and are left with a crusty blanket to keep you warm.

We hear often that the service just isn't what is used to be. Well, the SERVICE we provide now isn't what it used to be.

When I was hired, my job was to serve drinks, meals, ensure that safety requirements were met and tend to in-flight medical issues. Since 9/11 my primary job is to ensure that my airplane will not be compromised by a terrorist. 9/11 may be a distant memory now to many, but be assured that EVER DAY a flight attendant reports to work he or she is constantly thinking about 9/11. We feel a personal responsibility to ensure that something like that never happens again. We can never relax. We can never not be suspicious about someone's intentions. It is difficult to be vigilant and gregarious at the same time. Especially when most of us are working 12 hour days after layovers that only allow 5-6 hours of sleep. Not because we were out partying and having a grand time on the layover – but because the delays that you experience as a passenger also affect us as a crew, so that what was a 10 hour layover is now 8 hours which doesn't leave a lot of time to recover from what has become an increasingly stressful occupation.

Despite everything, I still enjoy being a flight attendant.

I am writing this letter because I do still care about my profession and about the public perception of flight attendants. In the increasingly challenging travel world it is becoming more imperative than ever for people to just be decent to each other. I can go through an entire day without one person saying anything remotely civil. I will stand at the aircraft door and say hello to everyone who enters and maybe 50% will even look at me and even less will say hello back. I will try to serve someone a meal who can't be bothered to take their headsets off long enough for me to ask them what they want. Most of the time the only conversation a passenger has with me is when they are complaining. Is it any wonder why flight attendants have shut down a bit? After suffering the disdain of hundreds of passengers a day it's difficult sometimes to even smile, much less interact. We are human.

We appreciate the same respect and courtesy that passengers do. The next time you fly, try treating the flight attendants the way you would like to be treated. You may be surprised how friendly your flight crew is when they are treated like people.

What Really Happened?

Now that the media circus surrounding Steven Slater's dramatic slide to unemployment has died down a bit, more information is coming out. Passengers who were on the flight are being interviewed, the timeline is being changed, and observations are changing. He may not be the hero that I had hoped he was. Darn.

I'm now officially "on vacation" for seven days - I've already had three days off so far. However, nothing has gone as planned. Originally, I was supposed to be leaving MD to come back to CO right now, but I ended up getting sick and staying home, instead. Then next week, I was going to go to Breck with a fellow flight attendant for a few days, but then Jen changed her plans and was coming into town. But now her flights are getting fuller and fuller, so maybe I'll end up in Breck, after all? Or maybe in NYC? Who knows? And during my last four days off, I'm going to try to go to MD. It's a good thing that I am flexible, huh?

I do know that I have to get my husband's bookkeeping done, weeds pulled in the yard, and assorted other stuff around the house. Fun, fun.

But what I SHOULD DO is chuck it all and head to some warm sunny beach with palm trees! Ahhhh. I can feel myself relaxing already. Does anyone have a friend who has a house on a beach with a spare guestroom?  :)

Steven Slater

I have had lots of people ask me my opinion of Steven Slater, the (soon-to-be-former) jetBlue flight attendant who blew a slide, took two beers, and essentially slid right out of his job into unemployment.

He is my hero.

I say this because he did what lots of us would LOVE to do. Granted, he did go too far...and for that, he'll most likely lose his job. I don't think he should go to jail, though.

What about the female passenger who assaulted him? Why isn't anything being said about her? She deliberately injured a flight attendant! We've been told that is a federal offense! She should be held accountable, and she, too should be subject to the media attention being given to Steven.

Fortunately, passengers like that are a definite minority. If it was otherwise, I don't think I would have lasted in this job as long as I have (almost three years now!). Here's a sampling of what I've experienced:

1. Bags set on the ground and the passenger tells me it's too heavy for them to lift and put in the overhead. My response - "You bring it, you sling it. Maybe some nice gentleman would be happy to help you." Usually followed up with, "My company doesn't allow me to pick up passenger bags any longer. We've experienced to many OJI claims because the bags are too heavy and there is a weight limit of 35 pounds for carry-on bags. If you lift it, I'll be happy to assist you by guiding it into the overhead."

2. Seatbacks and tray tables down as we prepare for take-off and/or landing. Eyes roll when I ask for them to comply. My response, "In case of an emergency evacuation, your seatback and/or tray table will prevent those behind you and/or next to you from being able to get off the aircraft." Usually the passengers around the eye-roller will ensure that he keeps his seat forward and/or his tray table stowed.

3. Passengers needing to get up to go potty, but the seatbelt sign is still illuminated. I am not allowed to give permission. All I am allowed to say is "The seatbelt sign is still illuminated, and federal regulation requires that passengers remain in their seats until the captain turns off the fasten seatbelt sign." One guy just wouldn't let it go recently, so I told him, "Maybe you should have gone before you got on the plane." His wife hit him and said, "That's what I told him!" The guy seemed to take the harassment well, so I went on to say, "Maybe you should consider wearing Depends!" Again, the wife hits him and says, "That's what I told him!"
 
4. Passengers who come on board with more than the allowed number of carry-on bags (2). First of all, the gate personnel should not allow them to board the aircraft without checking bags to reach the allowed number. Then, when I tell them that the larger bag may be placed in the overhead, but all the other items must be placed under the seat in front of them, I inevitably hear, "Well, I can place this, this, and this on top of one another and take up the same amount of space as a roller bag!" My response, "That's not the point. You are allowed one bag up and one bag down." Followed, of course, by, "but I paid for this overhead space!" My favorite flights are those that the gate personnel check ALL the large bags - the boarding process is a breeze, no one fights over bin space, and everyone is happy! One of these days, I'm tempted to take the flight attendant duct tape and seal all the overhead bins.
 
5. Passengers who don't want to take care of their kids. There are those that don't bring enough food, drink and/or toys and expect us to have everything on board to entertain their child. We charge for our food, we do not usually have milk, and we have a very limited supply of crayons. When I was recently scolded by an irate mother at the end of the flight that, "back in the day flight attendants used to do whatever was necessary to help mothers of crying babies," I responded, "back in the day when I was a mother, I brought my own food/drink/toys to keep my child entertained." I could've added that I did not allow my child to tear up the in-flight magazines, the Safety Information Card and/or the Cabin Services Guide, and either throw the pieces on the floor or hide them in the seatback pocket. Also, I cleaned up any mess that my child made in my row before I left the aircraft...we've had to scrape stickers off of the seats/walls/traytables, vacuum smashed cookies, and disinfect seats that are used as changing tables. I wonder what these peoples' homes look like.
 
6. Speaking of trash, it's not just kids that are offenders. Gum-chewers love to put their chewed gum on the underside of their armrests, between the pages of the in-flight magazine, and on the back of the seat in front of them and then they press the Safety Information Card against it. It happens an average of once or twice PER FLIGHT that I've been on! I cannot count the number of times that we go up and down the aisles during each flight, either pushing the trashcart or carrying trashbags, and there's always one or two people who give us NOTHING. Then when we have to clean the plane to fly back out, we find their food wrappers, cups (still filled with liquid), AND their newspapers stuffed into the seatback pocket. Really?
 
7. How about showing some respect, and take the time to get dressed before you come on my plane? Guys...pull up your pants so that your whitey tidies (or Spongebob Squarepants boxers) aren't on my seats. Ladies, cover up the cleavage. Do I really need to see everything you've got? Keep your pajamas and slippers at home in your bedroom, and please please please be sure to shower! It's not pleasant when people with BO come onboard, and everyone around them has to hold their breath for a 2-hour flight.
 
These are only seven examples of things that I've personally experienced. I haven't mentioned the passengers that call us names (some are obscene), poke us with their fingers, hit us trying to get our attention, or yell for us. Fortunately, if it's a really bad situation we have the ability to get the passenger taken off the plane, but if we've already taken off, there's not much you can do.
 
And as for the other 98% of the flying public, they're happy to assist in writing witness statements to support our actions, to subdue unruly passengers by sitting on them while taping their hands and feet together, and sometimes they even cheer when a jerk passenger exits the aircraft! There's always someone coming up to us after an "incident," commending us on our handling of the situation and thanking us for removing the offending party or for "putting them in their place."
 
This is an addicting job. The great things that happen far outweigh the negative. But I can see how a little too much of the negative can cause a flight attendant to temporarily "lose it," especially when they've worked the job for 20 years. And, as for those who say that flight attendants shouldn't be "losing it," - then please come onto our aircraft as our guests, treat us with respect, and we will be happy to treat you the same. Keep in mind, we ARE only human.

Counting the Days...

I had a really fun day off - even though I actually drove up to Denver! Three of the flight attendants from the class ahead of me are pregnant and are all due in September, and we held a triple baby shower for them - it was SO NICE to hang out with some of my FA friends outside of work. The girls are all so beautiful!

Also, I heard back from the CEO of my company regarding my concerns about being worked to death. He actually said that NO ONE ELSE had contacted him regarding the reserves being worked nonstop. I had told him that as a result, I was now sick, and was probably going to add to the understaffing problem. So I sent out the word to the other reserve FAs to contact the CEO and let him know that what we're going through is wrong.

At 3:30PM on the day of the shower, I aggressively bid on a three-day trip, and even though I have TONS of hours already, and I didn't bid until 2 1/2 hours after the bidding opened, I got awarded the trip! Go figure.

So off I went on Saturday afternoon to DIA - and as I've come to expect, the drive to DEN was horrendous. I've learned that I have to leave extra time for my commute - but this time the highway was BEAUTIFUL until I got north of Castle Rock. After that, the traffic came to a standstill. Unfortunately, the roads in the area had been built since my map had been published...so I had no idea how to get from point A to point B. But I did it anyway! I followed cars as they left the highway by going up the entrance ramp and then heading west. Then I headed north. I figured that as long as I kept the mountains to my left, I should eventually get to where I needed to go...and it worked! In the process, I saw some beautiful homes in the Castle Pines area. Nice!

Eventually, I made it to DIA, with about a 1/2 hour to spare. It sure is a good thing that I give myself extra time! When I checked in, I saw that the A flight attendant had changed since I was awarded the trip - I was disappointed, because I wanted to chat with her about her habit of calling in sick so close to the show time. But she had called in sick again! Hmmmmm. Maybe this is one of the ladies that should think about retiring... Instead, I got to fly with Jon - a really nice guy in the class ahead of me.

As I prepared for our departure, I saw that I missed a call from the Director of Inflight. She left me her cellphone number and said that I should call her if I wanted to talk...it'd have to wait until we arrived in Tucson for the night!

I had a great crew, the time flew by fast, and before we knew it, we were in our hotel rooms and I made "the call." All is well. Rosie called me to let me vent, and to let me know that she's seen my schedule and it really is horrible. She gave me some insight - it turns out that our new parent company likes to keep the staffing levels fairly low, so junior assigning is a very common thing (where crew scheduling calls you, and if you answer the phone, you HAVE to take the trip - so we've learned to NEVER answer our phones if we don't recognize the number). Knowing this new situation makes me sad...

We had an early show this morning to fly back to DEN, with only 37 passengers. Then we switched planes and flew a full boatload to St. Louis for the night. We got in in the early afternoon, and I got to go up to Bandanas, a nice BBQ restaurant up the street from our hotel. They have an awesome baked potato topped with BBQ...so good!

Then I went back to my room and pretty much passed out!!! But now it's time to put my jammies on and go to bed! We have another early show in the morning when we go back to DEN and then on to Orange County, CA for a 45 minute layover. I'm hoping that when I get back to DEN in the early afternoon, that I will be told those magic words, "You are released to your days off!" Woo hoo! Rest and relaxation, here I come!

Who, What, and Where Am I?

After spending three nice days at home, the poop hit the fan.

I have been flying, driving, sleeping and crying during the last five days. Fortunately, not all at the same time. I am exhausted, as are my fellow reserve flight attendants. Normally, we have 106 reserves and we usually work an average of 75 duty hours each month. Due to flight attendant retirements, maternity leaves, and OJIs, we have 76 reserves. As of yesterday, my fifth day on duty, I have 51 DUTY HOURS. Of those hours, 35 have been FLYING.

Fortunately, the crews have been great. Everyone has worked well as a team, we're keeping the atmosphere light and happy, and things have been going well. My flights/destinations have been too numerous to mention, but there have been some memorable moments.

On our flight from Denver to Tampa yesterday, we were delayed due to a broken airplane. So we were moved to a new gate and a different airplane. During boarding, the CPT got all excited and told me that he just saw a celebrity get on the plane! Woo hoo! I couldn't figure out how I missed seeing Dwayne Johnson or Sandra Bullock boarding the plane! When I asked who it was, passengers coming onboard told me that it was Edgar Hansen! Who? The deckboss of the Northwestern, from the Discovery Channel's show, "The Deadliest Catch." Who? He slept the entire way, and was traveling with his wife and son.

I told the CPT that I would get him a celebrity "meet and greet" at the end of the flight. And I did! First, I asked his son if it'd be okay, and then later I asked his wife. Edgar slept through the ENTIRE flight, so I never could ask him directly. However, as he was walking up the aisle, I asked him if the CPT could have a picture with him. He was very gracious, shook the CPT's hand, and posed for a cellphone picture. The CPT about peed his pants! Unfortunately, the picture is in the CPT's phone, and I didn't ask him to send it to me. But here's a picture of Edgar on his boat...

Edgar Hansen from the Discovery Channel's "The Deadliest Catch"

Our return flight to DEN, we experienced bad weather - a common occurrence in the summer. The CPT had us clean up the cabin early, and then made an announcement for the flight attendants to be seated IMMEDIATELY. Well...Gloria and I were in mid-cabin as the plane dropped. I had been holding onto the overhead bin railing, so my feet stayed on the floor, but I went down onto the floor to prevent getting thrown around. The passenger to my right was freaking out. She grabbed my arm and was rubbing it. I softly talked to her as we rode this "roller coaster." Unlike anything I had ever experienced. People were screaming, but it was strangely fascinating to me. I really wasn't scared. After about 5 minutes, all was clear and we made it up to the forward galley and sat down.

 And...of course, instead of being released from duty, I got sent on another trip - this time to Houston. We got in after midnight and I went straight to bed! We'll leave the hotel in an hour, so I guess I'd better get out of bed and get ready to go back to work. I know that they can't work me tomorrow, because that'd make 7 days in a row, and the FAA allows only 6 days at a time. But, there is a chance that they'll send me on another turn that gets back before midnight.

Keep your fingers crossed that I get to enjoy my day off.

Under the Radar

I guess I am under Crew Scheduling's radar today...YAY! I have been really relaxed, too...I even took my chances and went out shopping for baby shower gifts (next week I'm going to a shower celebrating the babies of THREE reserve flight attendants)! It was a lot of fun, and I didn't even worry about getting a call. I even went out without my uniform! Woo hoo! I'm a crazy gal!

I left off on Sunday when I had a three hour sit at DIA. Fortunately, there were lots of people to sit around and talk to, including my buddy, Jenn. It made those three hours fly by. During that time I found out that one of the flight attendants who was assigned to my trip had called in sick, and my classmate, Renate, would be joining the trip! Yay! She wasn't real happy about it, because she had just flown in from SLC and crew scheduling gave this to her. She said she now had a 13 hour day...I told her that my day was going to be 14 hours...I win!

The third FA was Vicky - a really nice lineholder from DFW. We had given her a "ride home" during my trip last week. Our flightdeck crew was really great, too.

As expected, most of the passengers slept from SFO to MKE, and we were all EXHAUSTED when we headed to the hotel at 6AM. Surprisingly, I slept only until around 11AM and then headed over to the mall to walk around and pick up some lunch. I had planned on meeting the crew at Happy Hour in the bar from 4:30PM to 6:30PM, but I ended up taking a nap, instead!

It's too bad I didn't go, because the First Officer, John and Renate got invited to go to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game by a guy who had 40 tickets! All they had to do was pay for their ride there. At the game, the FO and Renate moved down to row 16 instead of sitting in the nosebleed section (the FO has "a way" about him), and then he invited himself to a tailgate party in after the game! It was Renate's first tailgate - she's from Switzerland and I guess they haven't picked up on that yet. Anyway, I felt bad that I missed out, but when you can't stay awake, I guess I was better off taking a nap!

I did wake up in time, though, to see "The Bachelorette" and "Nightline" afterwards, that was talking all about "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" series. Unfortunately, I found it very hard to go to sleep! Argh!!! I really didn't sleep THAT LONG!

Our flight back to DEN on Tuesday morning was great - the passengers were happy, my co-workers worked well together - it was a really good trip. There was a non-rev FA on board who had been with Midwest Airlines for 20 years. She's now a Frontier flight attendant, BELOW me in seniority. We talked for quite awhile...

Once in Denver, I heard those MAGICAL WORDS, "You are released to 10 hours rest." I would be back on duty at 9PM, and there are no flights they could assign me to, so I knew I had the rest of the night off. And then today, there have been no phone calls!

Back on duty on Saturday for SIX DAYS! Stay tuned...

A Full Moon

Last night, there was a full moon. I probably don't need to say anymore. But I will.

1. Crazy lady who was unprepared for taking three little girls on a flight. She kept the youngest (less than 2 years) awake all day so that she wouldn't scream on the flight...and what did she do? Scream. She did not have toys/food/drink for these poor girls and was highly offended that we didn't serve milk. Though we found some from a previous flight...our normal 1hr45min flight took 3hr and she told me that was all our fault. Nevermind the fact that a 200mile wide thunderstorm was in the way. She let me know her disgust as she left the aircraft - she spewed venom at me while the caterer, cabin cleaning crew, mechanic, and scout all stood there listening with their mouths open. I wish I'd had some marshmallows to toss into their mouths!

2. During deplaning (prior to the BAD MOM), several passengers told me what a wonderful job I did. Who should I believe? (Just a rhetorical question...)

3. A guy came on board and put both bags in the overhead. I told him that one needed to go at his feet. He DEMANDED to see it in writing. He paid extra for stretch seating and that included buying space in the overhead. Huh? He wanted a refund of his money, so I offered to escort him off the plane to the gate agent's desk and get him that refund AND a seat on another flight. He declined and sat down, with his bag at his feet.

4. The B flight attendant has the exact same birthday as me! Same day. Same year. Born about an hour or so after me! She's a grandmother to six and will be a great-grandmother in about 8 months. I think I got a late start in life.

It was on the van ride to the hotel that we saw the full moon. Then, and only then, was I able to understand why all this nonsense happened today. It was time to accept that it happened and MOVE ON. The real fun has yet to begin - I fly back to Denver this afternoon, sit for three hours, and then fly back to San Francisco. But that's not the fun! I then get to fly OVERNIGHT to Milwaukee.

I hope that the looneytoon passengers sleep through the flight! All normal passengers are welcome to stay awake and chitchat with the crew!

Junior Assigning

Today I received three phone calls from Crew Scheduling, all trying to get me to throw on my uniform and drive like a maniac to get to DIA within 2 hours, with the promise of more $ than usual. It's called 'junior assigning.'

What the deal is, if I answer my phone, I HAVE to accept the assignment. So I have learned to let my phone go to voicemail when I am on duty if I don't recognize the caller. However, if I do answer, I can get out of it if I've been drinking. But, that would've been hard to believe when they they called me today at 8AM.

If I wasn't starting five days on duty tomorrow, I would have jumped at the opportunity to make some extra $, but we are short-staffed (contrary to what management believes), and I already know that they are going to use us up and spit us out until the end of the summer. SO...I have to look out for myself.

Accordingly, I bid on a 4-day trip that starts tomorrow. I'll do a turn to St. Louis and then have a 15 hour overnight in San Francisco. We'll return to Denver on Sunday and I'll have a 3-hour sit before I head back to San Francisco - but this time I won't stay. We'll fly a "red-eye" to Milwaukee, arriving at 6AM on Monday morning. Then I'll get to stay at the hotel until Tuesday morning.

Rumor has it, that I'll probably get another trip tacked on to the end, since I'm on duty on Wednesday, too. Stay tuned - I am going to take notes and share the weird things that happen during the trip that starts tomorrow...