The Ups and Downs of My Job

I finished my early morning couch shift on Friday - it went by so quickly because I got to visit with Angie and Mark! It was so good to chat with them and catch up! Before I knew it, I had only an hour left.

After I was released at noon, I decided to not bid on anything for the following two days - all I saw on the board were three "stand-ups" - two to Seattle and one to Sacramento. I just couldn't get myself to volunteer to work one of those.

But at 6:30PM, crew scheduling called and assigned me to an early morning turn to DCA. Lucky me! But unlike that morning's show time of 6AM, I didn't have to be at DIA until 6:30AM - WOO HOO! It was a really good trip on the A320, and I got along well with the A flight attendant (I was C). And man, did we make time coming back! We arrived about 50 minutes ahead of schedule! When I returned, I was released to my 10 hours of rest.

So Sunday morning comes, I shower, dress, and wait "for the call." When it hadn't come by 10AM, I started thinking daring thoughts - "should I go to the grocery store or maybe venture out to Sam's Club?" It's a good thing that I didn't.

At 10:27AM, crew scheduling called me and told me that a flight attendant had just called in sick, and that I had to be at DIA by 12:25PM - a two-hour call out!!! Yuck yuck yuck yuck. And on a Sunday afternoon, where it's absolutely gorgeous and 50 degrees outside. I recruited a million camel fleas to infest the sick-caller's armpits, and then I rushed to get to DIA.

On my way there, I was feeling VERY sorry for myself. I was furious. Doesn't one know that they're sick more than 2 hours before their show time? Is it really that hard to call in even 15 minutes earlier, so that the poor reserve doesn't have to risk her life going to work? I called crew scheduling to check on the time that the flight attendant called in sick - 10:26AM. I hope she got a late sick call, because she should have called a minute earlier. I hope they throw the book at her...shame on me.

Anyway, I was so upset that I had gotten short-called. I had the best pity party that I've had in a long time. By the time I arrived at DIA, I was wallowing in self-pity. I met the crew, and they all seemed nice enough. Sara, #8 on the seniority list, asked if I'd be C and she'd be B, but I told her no because I needed to stay in the back and brood.

She was a great sport and very nice! She made an awesome C - and kept cracking me up. I didn't get to talk to Jill as much (our A flight attendant at the front of the plane), but when she came back for a few minutes, I loved listening to her stories! They had me in stitches, and my frown turned upside down!

I'm still not crazy about the fact that someone called in sick with less than 2 hours to show time. If she's legitimately ill or had a family emergency, then that's one thing. But to call in sick because it's a beautiful day and she decided to play hookey???? Watch your armpits, baby. The fleas are looking for ya!