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.