I just got assigned to a high hour 4-day trip starting tomorrow afternoon...so it'll be awhile before I'm back home sitting at my desk. So I decided to jot down a few thoughts before I hit the road...
Opposites. Or should I call it "full circle?" What I'm referring to is life. Back when we were young'uns, our parents took care of us. And now that we're aging, we are the ones taking care of our parents. Mom used to encourage us to get out of the house and go play outside, and now we're encouraging Mom to get out of the house and play outside! When my Dad was ill, my sister took care of all his needs - just as my Mom had taken care of her when she was a baby. All this is truly a part of growing up that I don't like. I want Mom's quality of life to stay good - I want her to have friends, have lunch dates, go to club activities. But she has to want to - we can't force her to do anything since she's an adult.
Opposites. In the early days of our marriage, we had issues with my husband's side of the family. Miscommunication, misunderstanding, and hurt feelings. Somehow we worked through all that and didn't hold grudges. But now the miscommunication and misunderstanding is occurring on my side of the family! I'm afraid to say anything, make suggestions, or say what I really feel. It's so sad. We're preparing for our only daughter's wedding, and instead of everyone being happy for us, we keep running into roadblocks and hurt feelings. Why can't we all get along?
So...I'm having to distance myself and not take these comments and actions personally. And I'm trying to help my daughter understand why things are being said and done, and why people aren't excited and happy for her. But I'm afraid that it's going to harm her future relationship with everyone. It's so sad. But I've got way too many other things to worry about...why can't we all get along?
Lots of great things will be happening soon at my company! One of my training classmates is working hand-in-hand with upper management to change the environment of our company. We are striving to be a company of integrity, where everyone does the right thing even when no one is watching. There are new procedures being instituted, trainings being held and unfortunately, there's lots of griping. Some of that griping is on the internet where anyone/everyone can see. Why would someone do that? Does he not care that management might see what he's said? I was tempted to bring his ranting to the attention of management, but I figured he doesn't need any help hanging himself. So sad. But it's so hard to work with him.
So I will keep doing what I do best - having a good time welcoming our passengers, working with the crew, and just enjoying the heck out of my job. There's lots weighing me down, but the trick is to not let anyone else see that. I keep silently praying and hoping that all goes well - a happy smile is what the passengers want to see...not a worried half-smile.
I am looking forward to this trip - it has late show times, so I can "Sleep in" and wake up on my own. Ahhhhhh. I can hardly wait. First we'll do a turn to St. Louis, then we'll overnight in Seattle. I'm looking forward to a nice bowl of clam chowder in the bar - so good! Then the next day we'll head back to Denver and then on to Detroit for the night. I looked up a friend from high school who now lives in Detroit, but she's already made plans for the day I'll be there. That's okay - I'll hang out at Bob's Big Boy for breakfast! The next day, we'll fly back to Denver and then go back to Seattle for the night...and maybe another bowl of clam chowder? Then on Monday, our last day, we'll go back to Denver and then we have a round-trip to New Orleans! Too bad it's not an overnight! I have one day off on Tuesday, and then I'll be back on for five more days!
It's late, I'm tired, so I guess I'd better sign off for the night...Goodnight!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
March Madness
Where in the world is Susan? I have been all over in the past month and a half - too many places to mention individually. So...I'm just going to write down some thoughts.
I am still on reserve. Fortunately, a hiring event was held last month for two days, and people have actually been hired and start a training class on March 28th! The big question is this...where will they be assigned? DEN or MKE? And I don't think we'll know the answer until the class starts. But there's hope. And hope is a good thing.
We have a new thing called the "Culture Club" - a team of three men who are trying to guide the top management into realizing that the current management style is NOT working, and that a mutual respect, high moral standard type of style. On Friday, our CEO wrote a letter talking about the new program and how he hopes things go. And, believe it or not, a fellow flight attendant made a not so nice comment on Facebook. I replied and said that I liked what Bryan said. But...I was pretty much attacked, and then deleted, and then UNfriended. I did make the comment that if people aren't going to "buy into" the style of management, maybe they should quit and find a company that more closely matches their beliefs. And I'm not talking about any weird, cult-like beliefs - the main focus is on integrity. Doing the right thing, especially when no one else is watching. I know I'm in the right place. The question is, how do I deal with those that aren't.
I have been working on every duty day for the past couple of months. We are understaffed, even though we're being told otherwise. I worked over 100 hours last month - my paycheck was great, but I'd really like to spend more time at home. My "to-do" list is getting longer and longer. The interesting thing is, is that not everyone is working so many days...
Currently, I am in NYC dogsitting my favorite (and only) granddogger, Liza! Jen and James are in Vegas for the weekend attending the wedding of his cousin. Liza and I have spent lots of time at a doggie park next to the USS Intrepid along the Hudson River. It was so fun watching Liza play with all the other doggies. She'd tease them and get them to chase her! When the larger dogs would come in, she'd try and get them to chase her, too! At one point today, she had a dog toy with a treat inside, she was sitting under my bench, and a large dog came over to see what she was up to - but Liza gave out a couple loud barks, and the big dog ran away! It was so funny!
I spent a little bit of time today visiting the Brain Exhibit and the Butterfly Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History - when I got there I realized that I forgot to load the battery into my camera! Bummer! I could have taken some AWESOME pictures of the butterflies. So I guess I'll just have to go visit the exhibit again! Sounds good to me!
I rode the bus to/from the museum and I got to do a lot of observation of NYers. The little old ladies - they got on the bus, sat in the handicapped area, dropped a bag that was on their lap, and yelled out in a loud NYer voice, "SHIT!" The young black girl with the earbuds in, the iPod on full blast - so loud that you can hear the song she's listening to without sitting next to her. The young Asian guy who jumped on the bus, sat down, and finished dressing - putting on cufflinks, tying his necktie - wherever he's off to, it's obvious he's late. The old gentleman who is pushing his wife in a wheelchair - she's all bundled up for the cold weather, bent over, and seems to be "out of it." But her hubby is taking care of her - getting her on and off the bus. Lots of different types of people, all busy doing their own thing. Kind of lonely, though. Don't you think?
In order to have this nice stay in NYC, I've pretty much screwed myself for the rest of the month. I have 5 and 6 day blocks of duty, separated by only one day off. Ouch. I'll have to do as best as I can. So here goes...!
I am still on reserve. Fortunately, a hiring event was held last month for two days, and people have actually been hired and start a training class on March 28th! The big question is this...where will they be assigned? DEN or MKE? And I don't think we'll know the answer until the class starts. But there's hope. And hope is a good thing.
We have a new thing called the "Culture Club" - a team of three men who are trying to guide the top management into realizing that the current management style is NOT working, and that a mutual respect, high moral standard type of style. On Friday, our CEO wrote a letter talking about the new program and how he hopes things go. And, believe it or not, a fellow flight attendant made a not so nice comment on Facebook. I replied and said that I liked what Bryan said. But...I was pretty much attacked, and then deleted, and then UNfriended. I did make the comment that if people aren't going to "buy into" the style of management, maybe they should quit and find a company that more closely matches their beliefs. And I'm not talking about any weird, cult-like beliefs - the main focus is on integrity. Doing the right thing, especially when no one else is watching. I know I'm in the right place. The question is, how do I deal with those that aren't.
I have been working on every duty day for the past couple of months. We are understaffed, even though we're being told otherwise. I worked over 100 hours last month - my paycheck was great, but I'd really like to spend more time at home. My "to-do" list is getting longer and longer. The interesting thing is, is that not everyone is working so many days...
Currently, I am in NYC dogsitting my favorite (and only) granddogger, Liza! Jen and James are in Vegas for the weekend attending the wedding of his cousin. Liza and I have spent lots of time at a doggie park next to the USS Intrepid along the Hudson River. It was so fun watching Liza play with all the other doggies. She'd tease them and get them to chase her! When the larger dogs would come in, she'd try and get them to chase her, too! At one point today, she had a dog toy with a treat inside, she was sitting under my bench, and a large dog came over to see what she was up to - but Liza gave out a couple loud barks, and the big dog ran away! It was so funny!
I spent a little bit of time today visiting the Brain Exhibit and the Butterfly Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History - when I got there I realized that I forgot to load the battery into my camera! Bummer! I could have taken some AWESOME pictures of the butterflies. So I guess I'll just have to go visit the exhibit again! Sounds good to me!
I rode the bus to/from the museum and I got to do a lot of observation of NYers. The little old ladies - they got on the bus, sat in the handicapped area, dropped a bag that was on their lap, and yelled out in a loud NYer voice, "SHIT!" The young black girl with the earbuds in, the iPod on full blast - so loud that you can hear the song she's listening to without sitting next to her. The young Asian guy who jumped on the bus, sat down, and finished dressing - putting on cufflinks, tying his necktie - wherever he's off to, it's obvious he's late. The old gentleman who is pushing his wife in a wheelchair - she's all bundled up for the cold weather, bent over, and seems to be "out of it." But her hubby is taking care of her - getting her on and off the bus. Lots of different types of people, all busy doing their own thing. Kind of lonely, though. Don't you think?
In order to have this nice stay in NYC, I've pretty much screwed myself for the rest of the month. I have 5 and 6 day blocks of duty, separated by only one day off. Ouch. I'll have to do as best as I can. So here goes...!
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