Cougar vs. Puma

We had an awesome time in Costa Rica!

Our flight arrived at around 5AM - most of the passengers slept the entire way...so it was a pretty easy flight, and the other flight attendants helped to make the time go by rather quickly. When we arrive, I took "a nap" until about noon, then ventured outside to visit the grocery store next door. During my first visit to CR in January of 2008, I discovered a "salsa" called Lizano - it's delicious on potatoes, steak, and maybe rice & beans. I bought several bottles on that first trip, and when I ran out, I bought several bottles online at a much higher cost! So I was delighted to be able to "stock up" again.

The grocery store is located next door to the hotel - it's always fun to look around and see familiar products with "different" packaging...after buying my salsa, I headed across the street from the hotel to pick up some lunch at "Subway" - it was fun ordering in Spanish, but not-so-fun knowing that there was a security guard outside the door. In fact, most all the businesses and parking lots around the hotel had security guards. Not an environment that encourages walking around!

I brought my lunch back to the hotel, put on my suit and new cover-up (which I bought in Ft. Lauderdale), and sat poolside for a few hours. Very nice. The hotel was full of kids - some sort of soccer tournament as well as a large group of high school violinists. But by this time, they'd all gone to their games/concerts, so it was nice and quiet at the pool. I saw the FO in the computer room before I headed out to the pool, and one of the other flight attendants, Sandy, came out to the pool after I'd been there for a couple hours.

It clouded over, so I headed back to the room and started to update my Flight Attendant Manual...not the most exciting thing, and I ended up falling asleep and taking another nap! But I woke up in time to go to the "Happy Hour" at the hotel bar - from 5PM until 6PM they give out free beer and a few other type drinks - as usual, I could not keep up with the FO and Sandy...in fact, I didn't even try! A guy named Dave came over to our table and started to hit on me and Sandy - he was with his friend Jack, who was sitting at a nearby table with an aging "hooker" (or at least that's what we thought) - she was about 10 years older than me, had on a really short skirt, high heels and a low cut blouse with big boobs. OMG. But Dave came over to us because he was tired of looking at her boobs, but not being able to understand her!

Afterwards, we headed to a restaurant next door to the grocery store. As we left the hotel, Dave went up to Sandy (who is also tall) and told her "I've always wanted to be with a tall woman..." Puleeze! Couldn't he come up with a more original line?

At the restaurant, I ordered paella - a seafood/rice mixture (it was so delicious!!!) and the FO and Sandy and I continued our conversation. I looked up, and there was Dave and Jack walking into the restaurant to join us. Hmmmm. Dave's story started changing from what he originally had said - but both he and Jack are Vietnam Vets who meet other Vets once or twice a year somewhere in the world. Both of them live in Ft. Lauderdale - Jack is an entertainer and Dave supposedly owns a flight training school.

The conversation was very animated. That's where the title of this blog comes into play - we discussed how old men can pick up young girls, but not be given a name. But an older woman picks up a younger man and she's called a cougar! Then I learned that a married older woman who picks up (or stalks) a younger man is called a puma! Stealthy, sleek and quiet. Hahaha! Sandy was single, but she's engaged, so at first, we called her a puma-in-training. Then we decided that since she has silver hair, she should be called a silver fox!

We had an enjoyable dinner, that is, until I came across a little leg several inches long in my meal...and it had suckers on it - octopus! Yech. So I buried it under the rice and continued to eat the other items! By this time, it was around 7:30PM, and we decided we'd better call it a night since we had an early van the next morning...as we left the restaurant, we ran into the CPT and the other flight attendant, Kelly - they had gone ATVing to a waterfall! What fun!!! I wish that they had told the rest of us about that, cause we would've all gone. Oh well...next time!

The flight home was looooooooong. Over five hours. But that's the way it goes. I don't remember much after I got home - cause I fell asleep on the couch at home on/off for a couple hours. I looked at the computer every once in awhile to take a peek at my schedule - and finally at around 8PM I saw that I was given a turn to DCA for Tuesday. Oh oh. I ended up repacking a little bit and then hitting the hay! No rest for the weary, huh?

SCORE!!!

I got a call at 6:15pm telling me that I was going to San Jose, Costa Rica for a 23 hour layover. Woo hoo!

The only thing wrong with that, is that it is a redeye trip and I won't have enough time to take a nap before I go...but I will survive!

We'll get there at around 5am, I'll sleep for a few hours, then maybe have a massage or hang out by the pool. It'll be awesome...tropical and relaxing.

Adios!

Mindless Wonderings

I've not got much to say today. I'm at home, in a nice warm house. My hubby and dogs are in Breckenridge in our nice warm cabin. Well...actually, the hubby is skiing on the slopes of Keystone right now, so he's probably a bit cold.

Anyway, I don't have much to say - I'm waiting for crew scheduling to assign me to a trip. Today is day 2 of 6, so I know I'm going somewhere sometime. But who knows when. In the meantime, I have some random thoughts I'd like to share...

1. Why were my toenail clippers confiscated by TSA at the Phoenix Airport on Wednesday morning? Granted, they had a couple slide-out attachments - one looked like a bottle opener, and the other was a blade...but I am almost 100% certain that it was a dull blade, meant to clean out the gunk under your toenails. But no...it was a lethal weapon that was taken from me after a young kid searched through my toiletry bag, my make-up bag, and my miscellaneous personal items bag. It was thoroughly embarrassing. I requested a supervisor and she said just because I'd "gotten away" with carrying these for the past 2 1/2 years doesn't make it legal. I guess I'll now use my toenails to overtake an unsuspecting flight deck crew when they least expect it. Oh...and one other question...if my toenail clippers are so dangerous, why are knitting needles allowed on planes? Betcha can't answer that one!

2. Why is it that when I pass a vehicle on the highway, that the vehicle speeds up to my speed, thus forcing me to increase my speed so that I can pass them and return to the right lane? Is it a macho thing that guys have about not wanting women to be faster than them?

3. Why is it, that every single time I go into any of the lavatories on the aircraft, that there are paper towels partway pushed into the trash? Is there some reason that they aren't pushed all the way into the trash bin? Will you get all kinds of germs on your hands if you actually touch the lid of the trash bin so that the paper towel goes all the way into the bin before the lid swings shut?

4. Why is it that people ignore someone greeting them as they enter an aircraft? I am now to the point where if I'm the A flight attendant (in the front), I will tap them on the shoulder if they do not respond to the greeting. I especially enjoy doing this to teenagers (and their parents enjoy it, too).

5. Why are those pants worn so low? Does the person really think that I care whether they're wearing boxers or briefs? Do they think they look sexy as they shuffle along as their pants go lower and lower as they walk? And why do they get upset when I tell them to pull their pants up before they sit on my airplane seat? Honestly...what would their grandma think about them showing their undies in public?

6. When will the Colorado State Patrol start enforcing the "Slower Traffic Must Use the Right Lane" state law? Lately, I've noticed several more signs with this message - does this mean that a "crackdown" is nearing? And why is it that people feel entitled to stay in the left lane ALL the time? I am religious about moving over to the right lane after I've passed - when I lived in Germany and drove 95mph in a Subaru Justy on the autobahns, I was rarely in the left lane. Mainly because you could end up with a Porsche or BMW ramming into your tailpipe at 120mph if you didn't get out of that lane! Maybe we should hire some Germans to come out here and use those same techniques to teach Americans how to abide by the law.

Well...I guess that's it for now. I have tons of things that I SHOULD be doing as I wait for crew scheduling to call me and give me a couch assignment, a trip to someplace exotic, or a turn to/from a location in Florida where we'll need 20 wheelchairs upon arrival. So, until next time...

Home, Sweet, Snow-Covered Home

I got home Wednesday evening after spending an enjoyable morning at iHop (not Denny's as I had originally thought - shows how observant that I am) with the Captain and First Officer. I even took a nap after brunch and was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and ready to head back to Denver.

The flight back to Denver was one of the best ones that I've experienced yet in my 2 1/2 years! Everything just clicked. I got along great with the crew, the passengers were super friendly, complimentary, calm, understanding - it was so much fun! I was laughing, cracking jokes, and having a grand time. THIS is why I do what I do!

Thursday was my lone day off, and I packed all kinds of errands into it - the bank, the grocery store, the eye doctor's glasses clinic, Target, etc. etc. etc. I figured that I'd get the 6AM couch for today, so I needed to get everything done.

And sure enough, I got that 6AM couch! But at 8AM this morning, they pulled me and Pedro off the couch and sent us on a turn to Seattle. It turns out that the original crew was stuck in Kansas City with a broken airplane. The third 6AM couch sitter got sent out at 7:30AM to do a DCA turn. That left them with no ready reserves from 8AM until Noon. Ouch!

The turn to Seattle was very uneventful and laidback. Everyone was so nice and calm - no drama. Pedro is one of my favorite flight attendants (he's from Puerto Rico), and he's the nicest guy. I didn't really get to talk to the CPT or FO very much - they rushed onto the plane and off we went!

And now I've been released from duty until 1AM. Unfortunately, it is snowing AGAIN. I am so sad and over snow! I'm watching it come down as "popcorn" snow now, and it's actually accumulating on the grass. Yech. I sure hope that crew scheduling doesn't call me any time soon! All I want to do right now is SLEEP! I started falling asleep behind the wheel (never good), and now I'm falling asleep at the computer. Maybe I'll take a nap...

God Bless Duct Tape

Yesterday did not go exactly the way that I had planned...

We had a 2-hour layover in Phoenix which turned into 7 hours because of the Denver blizzard. The plane that we were supposed to take back to Denver came in late...we busted butt to get it cleaned and turned around. But then we sat and waited and waited and waited for the "go ahead" to start boarding the plane. It FINALLY came. So we loaded up. Within a few minutes, the CPT made the announcement that F9 has canceled our flight to Denver. So all the passengers left the aircraft and we sat there on the plane trying and trying and trying to contact someone in management to "release" us for the night. It turns out that the next plane from DEN-PHX got canceled, and they were supposed to stay overnight - we wanted an okay from F9 to take their hotel rooms. But it took quite awhile to get that approval. Each of us got on our cellphones, calling anyone who might help us. I called the Inflight Mgmt office, thinking I'd get the "manager on duty," but I guess we don't have one any longer. We finally got into our rooms at midnight.

Of course, we aren't the only crew that got stranded somewhere...one friend is stuck in Dallas, one is in Vegas, one got diverted to Kansas City, and the luckiest one has to stay in Costa Rica for another 24 hours! Awwwwww.

My CPT called this morning and told me that we'll be leaving the hotel at 2:30PM. I pulled up my schedule, and it shows that I had a nice 24-hour layover in PHX! A bit misleading, I'd say. I won't be home until tonight, and hopefully all the roads will be cleaned by then.

The sad thing is, is that today was a day off for me. I've already asked Crew Scheduling if I get a different day off instead, and the answer was no. Today, I had an appointment with my eye doctor to get my glasses replaced/fixed...I called a little while ago to reschedule for tomorrow, but the office was closed today due to weather. So that means that I doubt I'll get in tomorrow. Thank God for duct tape.

We spent our 7 hours in the PHX airport yesterday eating junk food, ready trashy magazines, telling stories, watching the "Flight Status" on the F9 website (it was the only way we knew what was going on...), just hanging out. Passengers would come over and ask us if we had any "insider information." Unfortunately, we were just as clueless as they were.

So...I think I'll treat myself to breakfast at Denny's, take a walk, and then I'll get ready for our 2:30PM van to the airport. I just hope that no one judges me with my duct-taped glasses!!!

A Day in the Life

I left off as I was getting ready for a good night's sleep before reporting to duty on Sunday morning at 0600. Well...I think I should scratch out that "good night's sleep" comment. I slept from about 10PM until 1:30AM and could not get back to sleep, no matter what I tried! Arggghhhh! Finally, I went downstairs at 2:30AM and checked Facebook and email before getting dressed and leaving the house at 3:45AM.

As I had predicted, it was a GLORIOUS drive to DIA. No traffic, wide-open roads, cruise control, a Diet Coke, and...a sausage McMuffin with egg! What a treat to realize that the McDonald's that I pass is open 24 hours a day! I would love to make that a regular stop on my drive to work, but this was a once in a blue moon kind of treat! And it was DELICIOUS.

When I arrived in the crewroom, I did my usual "cleaning up." I picked up all the papers, napkins, empty water bottles, and such and threw them all away. Then I cleaned up the messes on top of the file cabinets, pushed in all the chairs at the tables and computer stations, and checked to see the status of the inside of the microwave oven - I was shocked! It was clean!

I then called Crew Scheduling to "check-in," then I laid down on one of those sexy, black leather couches and took a nap. At 0630, CS calls to tell us about a flight to Billings that one of us was going to take, and the other two were going to pre-board. It made NO SENSE because we DON'T FLY to Billings! Then CS called a little later sending us to preboard a flight to Tucson. After that, one of our couch-sitters had to fly away - but they sent her to Omaha instead of Billings. Then CS called a little later to give me a "heads-up" that I was going to be sent to do a preboard for a Cancun flight, which I thought was a turn, but turned out to be a 24 hour layover! Ouch. It seems one of the flight attendants forgot her passport and had to turn around and get it. I would have GLADLY stepped in and taken her place!

Anyway, the gist of all this rambling is to let you know that there was no way we could all continue to SLEEP on those sexy black leather couches!!! I even told this to Barb in CS! How are we supposed to get our rest if they keep calling us! Fortunately, Barb has an awesome sense of humor (for someone who will soon be losing her job because all CSers are being moved to Indianapolis or are being laid off).

Another thing I tried to do while on the couch was help the other reservists understand why CS does what it does. That no one is holding a grudge against us, and that they're just doing their job (which I wouldn't want to do for all the chocolate in Switzerland!). I don't know if I convinced anyone, but I sure tried!

Our six-hour couch sit got extended until 2PM, giving us an 8-hour sit. At one point, we had at least 8 reserve flight attendants sitting on the couch! Go figure! And by that time, the phone wasn't ringing anymore, so we were just hanging out, talking, laughing, moaning, groaning, and having a bit of fun!

When I finally got home, I was EXHAUSTED. And then things went from being exhausting to horrid and I had a horrible night. All I'll say, is that everyone should be kind to those that they love. Think about what you're saying BEFORE you say it. Present your words in a kind and loving manner - presentation is a gigantic issue! Just remember, life is way too short to be unhappy, and when you hold grudges, the only person you're hurting is yourself. So move on and continue to love and learn.

On Monday morning, I woke up at 8:45AM to my phone ringtone playing "They're coming to take me away, ha ha, they're coming to take me away, ho ho!" Oh, oh. that means that crew scheduling is calling. Fortunately, it was for a trip that had a 12:25 show time, so I had a couple hours before I had to leave the house. So, of course, I caught up with the latest on Facebook and email (I am SO FAR BEHIND in my email...), and before I knew it, it was time to get ready to go!

Yesterday, our crew flew from Denver to Phoenix - those passengers were happy because they were all heading out for Spring Break and some fun in the sun! We had a 2-hour layover in PHX and we sat around listening to CNN talk about Obama(doesn't)care (don't even get me started), and then we were boarding our next flight to Milwaukee! This time, we had a plane full of people going back home...most were not happy, but almost all were suntanned/burned!

It was a good, but quiet group. We did have one guy who started pouring his own drink during service, using his own alcohol...very clever, but very illegal! Fortunately, the C flight attendant was handling that situation...I got to serve all the fresh food and snacks for purchase, and then later on, I got to serve the warm chocolate chip cookies (free). I know everyone else thinks they're a pain in the buttsky, but I actually like doing it! The number of "please" and "thank yous" from people who refused to look at me as they entered the aircraft was amazing!

We got to the hotel at around 10PM, and I should have changed and gone downstairs to join all the other crewmembers hanging out in the bar, but I was just too exhausted. Today, we're flying back to PHX (we'll have happy people), we'll have a 2-hour layover there, and then we'll fly back to DEN (and everyone will be sad that they're heading back to snow).

And then I'll be off for Wednesday and Thursday! Woo Hoo! My first order of business is to go to my Eye Doctor. My glasses snapped in half at 3:30AM on Sunday morning...not good. Word to the wise - duct tape does awesome things!

Springtime in the Rockies

As I expected, I got released from duty when I returned from DFW. However, it was snowing in Denver...in Castle Rock...and pretty much all the way to Colorado Springs. I have decided, though, that not many people know how to drive in snow/ice.

To those who were going 25 mph in the left lane and were too afraid to pass the car in the right lane - GET OFF THE ROAD! If you're that scared, please move to the right lane, pull off on the first exit, and find a nice warm place to hang out until the roads have been cleared!

To those who are driving below the speed limit, are in good control of your vehicle, but then slow down considerably when they reach a hill - DON'T DO THAT! You need that momentum to keep your speed to get up that hill. Don't you feel the back end of your car skidding a bit as you try to get to the top of that pass?

To the speedster who likes to ride my bumper - GET OFF MY ASS! I won't be slamming on my brakes, cause that's when you lose it and spin out. But, I will slow myself down in any way possible if I need to, and if you run into the back of me, then I'm going to sue the pants off you, and I'll become a very rich woman.

Please, please, please follow the rules of the road. And right now, the law states that you should be in the left lane ONLY when you're actually passing another vehicle. Otherwise, you're just clogging up the roads. This is especially important when the roads are snowy/icy.

Fortunately, I was able to squirrel my way in and around the traffic, got away from the clumps of cars and into the open spaces, and I got home safely. :)

After sleeping in until 7:30AM, I've been procrastinating at home - I actually did go out to fill up my car with gas (I like to be prepared) and buy bananas and bread for my hubby. I am such a good wife.

There were only a few trips on the Aggressive Reserve board for tomorrow - one 4 day trip, a couple 3 day trips, a couple 2 day trips, a day off, and the usual ready reserve couch sits. I have 3 days on duty starting tomorrow, but I didn't bid on anything. And guess what I got assigned? The 6AM ready reserve couch sit on that sexy black leather couch! I really don't mind, cause it means that my drive to DEN will be a breeze! No traffic, the roads are all clear now, and once I get to DEN, I'll be able to continue my night's sleep!

So it'll be early to bed, early to rise for this flygirl!

The Good News and the Bad News

The good news is that I am finishing up five days of duty! The bad news is that I'm typing this entry on a new laptop computer. It turns out that my old one officially "drowned" in that NYC rainstorm. So sad.

The good news is that I started this five days of duty on Monday with a 6AM-Noon couch sit (I really don't mind it because there's no traffic at 4AM and I usually can nap on the couch), and the bad news is that at 11AM I got sent on a turn to Orlando because a flight attendant injured herself during the boarding process and the CPT took her off the flight (a bag fell and injured her shoulder). So instead of going home at Noon to visit my computer guru, I did not get home until 9PM after a close-to-14-hour duty day.

The good news is that I sat at home for the next two days! But the bad news is, is that I was waiting for the phone to ring! I would venture out on an errand every once in awhile without bringing my uniform and bags...I guess I like living on the edge!!!

The good news, again, is that I was at home, but the bad news was that I was coming down with a cold. Bummer.

The good news is that I got assigned to a trip for my last two days on duty! I got sent on an SLC turn and a DFW overnight, but the bad news is that my cold hasn't gone away, and I think the B flight attendant thinks I'm deaf when we're in flight. Really, I'm not...huh? What did you just say?

My final good news is that I had a very good night's sleep, stayed in bed a lot longer than I usually do, so I had lots of weird dreams, but I also got a lot of rest. I've been watching a bit of TV (Bubbiah , La-a's baby IS YOUR BABY *followed by lots of screaming*), talked on the phone a bit with Greg, and ate a meal or two while preparing for our 4:05PM van back to the airport, and my return for my day off (the rest of the crew has 3 more days on this trip).

My final bad news is that anywhere from 5-10" of snow is expected in Denver today, so I have my doubts as to whether or not I'll be able to make it home tonight, seeing as how the highway departments have eliminated snowplowing from their budgets (or so it seems). I'm hoping that all those snow reports were false alarms and that Denver will get only a dusting. I'll soon find out!

Back to Work!

It has been a glorious seven days off! Woo hoo!

On Monday, Jen and I met at Washington Reagan Airport (DCA) where my sister, Diane, picked us up and drove us to her home in Leonardtown, MD. We spent the next couple of days eating, visiting, playing cards, eating, relaxing, and did I mention eating? It was a nice visit with Mom, Diane, Mark, Matthew and Natalie (and all the animals EXCEPT Caicos the crazy conure who tried to murder me in warm blood).

On Wednesday, Diane drove us back to Arlington, VA and dropped us off at Greg's parents' home. While there, we went to the mall, spent a bit of money, went out to eat, relaxed and talked. On Thursday morning, Greg's Dad drove us back to (DCA) where we hopped on a US Airways flight to NYC. Jen was happy to be back with her fiance.

We spent the next few days hanging out at Jen's apartment - the weather in NYC was cold and rainy...so I was happy to stay indoors.

I had planned on leaving sometime on Saturday, but both Frontier flights were not looking good - just a few seats and LOTS of non-revs. Instead, I decided to take the JetBlue 9PM flight out of JFK which would get me to DEN at around midnight. After spending the first half of Saturday relaxing, watching tv and doing laundry, this is how the rest of my day progressed:

1. Said goodbye to Jen and James at 6PM and headed to the E Train Subway at Port Authority.
2. Stood on the subway platform until 6:45PM waiting for a train to show up when I heard an announcement that the E train is delayed in both directions.
3. Decided not to risk it, and went back aboveground and caught a taxi to JFK for the set fee of $45 plus $5 for tolls. After the Midtown Tunnel, traffic slowed considerably. The cabbie asked if I had checked the status of my flight, so I texted Jen.
4. Jen called and told me that my JetBlue flight was CANCELLED. So I told the cabbie to turn around and take me back to Manhattan's Penn Station, and I had Jen purchase a train ticket for me to get to Washington DC's Union Station - the first Frontier flight out of DCA on Sunday morning had 22 open seats.
5. When we arrived at Penn Station, the cabbie used my extra bag strap to lift my bag out of the trunk, and broke the latch.
6. The cabbie and I negotiated a fee for the failed round-trip to JFK - $60 plus $10 tolls. OUCH.
7. I go to the self-serve machine and print out my train ticket. Then I notice there are tons of people standing around. I hear an announcement that all New Jersey Transit trains are indefinitely delayed due to a weather-related power-outage. The 7:55PM train to DC arrives and departs on time, as far as I can tell - but my ticket was for the 9PM train.
8. As the 9PM train approaches the station, an announcement is made that ALL TRAINS heading west out of NYC have been "indefinitely delayed" due to the power outage.
9. I head back to Jen's apartment by foot - it's pouring rain and I walk the 6 blocks or so and am soaking wet when I arrive (even though I had an umbrella). I change into my jammies, pull out my laptop from my bag, and see water dripping from it. It is then that I realize that both my suitcase and carry-on are drenched, and that they are not waterproof. With fingers crossed, I turn on my computer...the power turns on, but the screen doesn't. Oh, oh.
10. After feeling intensely sorry for myself, I go to bed. I had a difficult time sleeping and got up very early to take a taxi to LGA to try and get on the Frontier flight that was showing it was oversold by 1 and had 5 standbys (I was #3). I was betting that some of these travelers might have forgotten to set their clocks ahead.
11. I GOT ON! I even had three seats to myself (until a woman decided to invade my space)! Uneventful flight home, drove home in fog/snow flurries the entire way, but arrived home safe and sound.

Whew! I get a feeling that someone or something did not want me coming home on Saturday. I'm not sure why. But no matter what I tried, I failed. But I finally made it. Now I look forward to visiting my computer guru tomorrow to see if he can revive my poor little laptop.

Great Trip!

The return flight from FLL to DEN was a tough one...to give you a hint, there were 10 people who were heading to Aspen. Yup. A bit of entitlement was in the cabin. It was a lot of "me, me, me" during the flight.

Then next up, we flew to Seattle for the night. The passengers were a lot more relaxed and happy, and not so demanding as the previous flights. The overnight was not too long...but I got a good night's sleep. When I woke up, though, I couldn't quite figure out where I was. And it was only Day 3!

Our return to Denver this morning went well, but the highlight of my day was today's flight to ATL. Our flight was delayed almost an hour because the plane we were using was coming from Costa Rica and had been diverted to Houston. No one seems to know why that happened. But we were glad to finally get on the plane and welcome our passengers.

That's when the fun began. There was a nice old couple who were a riot from when they stepped on the plane! They'd been married 13 years, he was 85, and it was his third marriage (and first real wife). He was a real flirt! He even gave me a kiss on my cheek as he left the plane!

There was another guy on the plane who commented to me as he left the plane, "Boy, you really love your job, don't you?" I smiled and replied, "I sure do!" And he told me, "I can tell! Keep on smiling! You're a real people person!" I told him that this was a big career change for me - that I used to be a CPA. He was shocked and told me, "What a change! This is such a better place for you to be!"

Now we've got a short layover here in Atlanta...and I should be going to sleep. But I'm watching "What Not to Wear" and I wanted to get the comments down that the passengers shared with me today - it makes me feel awesome when people see and appreciate the effort that I put into my job!

We go back to Denver in the early morning...and I'm wondering if I'll hear those magic words, "You are released to your SEVEN days off!"

SCORE!

I got sent to Ft. Lauderdale last night...the bad news is that we switched hotels last week, and that we're no longer at the incredibly beautiful Il Lugano. The good news is, is that we're at the Courtyard Marriott, right on the beach. So...I think I can handle that!

The first two pictures are of my hotel room (obviously). There are sliding french doors that would turn this room into a two-room suite. It's small, but it's very nice. I feel like I'm in a southern plantation.

This is my view out my window - I must be facing north. Nice to see so many beautiful palm trees!

And here's another view. We're here for a few more hours, and then back to Denver and on to Seattle for the night.

I did learn why we're in such a nice hotel here...it's because the passengers were a whole new breed! Needy, needy and more needy! Oh my gosh. Practically every time I would walk up/down the aisle doing beverages, food, collecting trash, just strolling, SOMEONE would want SOMETHING. And they'd want it at the most inconvenient time - a cart full of trash, and they'd want a soda RIGHT NOW!

A Summit (frequent flier top level) Member in the front row, who should know better, wanted to keep her purse with her and not put it in the overhead bin for take-off and landing. So she put it behind her back...I told her that, "no...it must go into the bin" she pouted and pursed her collagen-filled lips. As we were deplaning, she tried to "cross the line" into the forward galley before the doors were opened, and when we told her to "step back," she told us we were bossy! OMG. Bossy? Really? Who uses that word in this day and age? I told her that we're just trying to follow FAA rules and that we needed her cooperation. Sheesh. She pursed her puffy lips, showed no emotion on her Botox-filled face, and strutted her size 0, black-jean clad liposuctioned buttocks off our plane. Don't mind me. She was my age and I guess I'm just jealous...NOT!

Well, since I have only a few more hours here (I slept a bit later than I had expected to), I'm gonna head outside and take a nice stroll on the beach...we're off to Denver and then Seattle tonight!