Some Pics from Vegas

Here are a few photos from my evening in Las Vegas!

These two pictures were taken at the "The Case of the Missing M" 3-D show at M&M World (such an exciting adventure!).

Wendy - my classmate from 0706.

The outdoor view of New York, New York Hotel/Casino

Indoor scene in New York New York Casino/Hotel

View from my hotel room - looking towards the Mandalay Bay Hotel/Casino

Another Day, Another Dollar!

I started today out in Vegas, flew back to Denver in the afternoon, then did a turn to San Diego. I've been home for about 15 minutes, am exhausted, but am too wired to sleep. So I'll blog for awhile, instead.

As the day wore on, the weirder things got...but in a good way. I am happy to announce that I finally had a passenger that I sorta kinda knew! On my flight to San Diego there was a nice looking kid who was ordering an adult beverage - I carded him (born in '84), and said "Hmmmm. Maybe I should introduce you to my daughter. She's near your age." He replied, "I'll give you my cell number to give to her." Then I showed him her picture, he asked where she lived, and then he wanted to know when she'd move back to CO. One thing led to another, and it turns out he's the son of a couple that I worked with for several years at the high school when I was on the PTO! Wonderful couple - and a very cute son! He went to the same high school as Jen, but he now lives in San Diego. Too bad...nice kid.

On my last flight tonight - San Diego to Denver, I was briefing the exit row and recognized one of the guys - he's 6'8" so he's hard to miss - he's married to a woman who I knew on the PTO at Jen's elementary school many many moons ago. I knew who he was, but he didn't know me. He wasn't paying attention during my briefing because he didn't think he was the exit row (long story), but when I asked if he was comfortable sitting in an exit row seat, he looked up in surprise and said he had been listening. I told him that I knew who he was, and that I didn't think he'd be a troublemaker...later on, I asked him to tease the very short B flight attendant because she had been teasing me about being tall. He could have done more...and promised to do better the next time he flew with us.

The entire trip was summed up by one guy as he was leaving the plane tonight - he told me "You guys are having entirely too much fun!" And you know what? We were. What's the point of working and having a job if you aren't enjoying yourself?!?

Spontaneity...

Yesterday was the ultimate test in spontaneity for me...

I was assigned to the couch at DIA from Noon to 6PM. It was unusually loud in the crewroom, so I decided to sit at one of the gates and read my book. After awhile, I decided to stop at the ATM to replenish my cash (I had $0 - just like my daughter), and my phone rang. It was crew scheduling. They told me to report to Gate 30, that I was starting a 2-day trip, and that the flight was leaving in 20 minutes! Yes...20 MINUTES. Normally, I have a bit more time than that to prepare.

Well...I was across the hall from the crewroom, so I decided to stop there first to print off my schedule for the next two days (I just kind of wanted to know where I was going and for how long and when I'd be back home...). That's when the CPT came in and yelled out "VEGAS! Anyone going to VEGAS?" I raised my hand, introduced myself and he said "Let's get to the gate, NOW!" So much for small talk, huh?

At the gate, all the passengers were sitting there waiting to board a flight which as supposed to leave in 15 minutes...and the gate agent sees me and YELLS out "So THERE you are!" Mortification. It's not as if I did anything wrong...but now all the passengers probably believe it was all my fault. Oh well. Time to move on.

When I got on the plane, the first person I saw was my classmate, Wendy! Yipppee!!! I asked what position I was supposed to be, and she said "B," which is the aft position. Let's just say that I am working on my spontaneity and flexibility, but I hadn't been B in over three months...that was just a bit too much for me to swallow. Fortunately, the C flight attendant, Michelle, saw my dismay and offered to switch with me. Perfect!

All went well on the flight, everyone was happy, I didn't spill tomato juice on anyone and life was good. We got to Vegas around 6PM or so (I really have no idea what time it was), and Wendy and I made plans to go to the strip!

We took the hotel shuttle to the MGM Grand, then walked up the strip. We actually saw a SHOW!!!! Granted, it was "What Happened to the Missing M" free 3-D show at the M&M World store, but it was still a SHOW on the STRIP in Vegas! Later, we dined at Fatburger where I enjoyed a Babyburger. Yummy!

On our way back down the strip, this time to the Mandalay Bay, we took a tram ride, walked all through the Mandalay Bay looking for the shuttle stop (by the way...the MB smells REALLY good...some sort of tropical scent to cover the cigarette smoke) - which we finally did find. We passed a few brides, a few groups of bachelorettes, a few stag parties, and worst of all...I realized that there are no COIN slot machines in Las Vegas anymore. No more clink clink clink or ding ding ding! Everything is cash or cards. So sad.

I will survive. It's now morning, and I have until 1PM to relax...Just watched a movie with Sandra Bullock and Peter Gallagher, but have no idea what it was cause I missed the beginning. But it was very sweet. Time to take a walk and enjoy Vegas on a Sunday morning!

Random Questions...

Why don't the boys/men of America wear jeans that fit their bodies? Case in point - Richard Gere in his new movie. So nice to look at.

Why is it, that women cleavage is so common? Am I jealous (sometimes)? It's gotten to the point that I feel like throwing ice cubes into cleavage as kind of a game when I am serving beverages on the plane! Thing is, I'd run out of ice cubes!

Do they really taste like chicken? The passenger wearing this t-shirt wasn't brave enough to try them...

My Lucky Day!

There I was, minding my own business as I was driving back from Denver after having attended my Ears4Peers training class... I was weaving in and out of traffic, going between 5-9 miles over the speed limit, trying to get the slo-pokes out of the left lane...and guess what? An unmarked trooper saw it all!

Lucky me. After seeing me in the left lane trying to get the SUV to speed it up (he was going 70 in a 75 zone), the cop turned on his pretty lights and signaled for me to move to the shoulder. Lucky me. I pulled out the necessary documents and was all ready for him. But what came next was a surprise.

He gave me a pop quiz and asked "How many car lengths are you supposed to keep between you and the car in front of you?" I answered "one length for every 10 miles of speed." And then he asked how many lengths I had between me and that SUV...well...let's not even go there. Then he mentioned my speed in the construction zone (which was a bit high, but not high enough to stop me), and then my lack of/or shortness of turn signal when I changed lanes. In other words, he was having a gay old time racking up the charges against me!

Mentally, I was tallying the fine and points, figuring that I'd have to start walking to work. Then he asked for my documents and told me that he was letting me off with a WARNING. Can you believe it?!?! This guy could have nailed me with $500+ in fines, and he let's me go with a warning.

God was smiling down on me today and giving me a bit of a reminder to slow down and be careful. Thank you!!!

And Now For Something Completely Different...

I don't mind "giving back" to my company, and my first opportunity to do so is taking place tomorrow, Friday, at the company headquarters. I will be attending a voluntary (i.e. on my own time) training class for "Ears4Peers." This class will teach several flight attendants how to "be there" for fellow flight attendants in the event of a disaster/emergency/etc. It is my understanding that, if a disaster should occur, we will report to headquarters and man the phones to talk to flight attendants who "need to talk." I'll learn a lot more about this program tomorrow morning during my four-hour training session.

I got a bit frustrated today - I don't usually think like an employee. I usually think from the management point of view...I think about "why we do those things the way we do them" instead of just rotely following what I'm told to do. But when I hear fellow flight attendants slamming the company or the management, it really ticks me off. This is a great company. There is no "hidden agenda." Sure, we're all going to get upset from time to time, but we have to remember that how we feel about our company can be seen and heard by the passengers (especially when you moan and groan in one of the galleys!).

So do me a favor fellow flight attendants...stay positive and be happy. If you reach the point of no return, maybe you should consider working for an airline that would more closely match your mood - U N I T E D A I R L I N E S!

Happy Birthday to Mom!

First of all, I'd like to wish my Mom a

VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

My day started fairly early, with a 6AM call from Crew Scheduling...I have a bad habit of not being able to answer my cell phone first thing in the morning - it always ends up on the floor unanswered! After Crew Scheduling leaves a message, they then call my home number.

Today, the entire crew got called to do a turn to Kansas City. The other two flight attendants, Pedro (from San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Tim (fun-loving and crazy), both straight boys - were a lot of fun! They made the trip go so much faster.

After we returned to Denver, all of us heard those magic words..."You are released to your days off!" And I actually have TWO DAYS OFF this time! Woo hoo!

False Alarm

I "took it easy" today - ran errands, caught up with paperwork, etc. I was afraid to start a project in the garden, for fear I'd be called away mid-pruning.

At about 1:45PM my cell phone rang - "Unknown" - that means it is crew scheduling. They had a trip for me, with a show time of 4:55PM. The first part of the trip was a turn to Albuquerque, and then an overnight in Tucson for 10 hours. Next up was a flight back to Denver and then a turn to Nashville - but I wouldn't get back to Denver until around 9PM.

I rushed home to drop off the stuff I had just purchased, made sure everything in the house was "just so" and then got dressed. I had just finished and was getting ready to head out the door when the phone rang again - it was crew scheduling again, and they said "Never mind!"

"What?" I screamed. The poor guy said that his ear hurt. I asked what happened, cause I was all dressed and ready to go. He said he was glad he caught me before I hit the road, but there had been "an emergency" for the flight attendant on the trip because she lost her glasses. But then she found them, so she was continuing on the trip!

I was disappointed, and he told me that they'll call me again later - and I asked him not to! Cause I was going to put my play clothes on again...

I am on duty until midnight tomorrow night (though I can call in at 6PM and ask to be released to my days off), and I actually have two days off this time! Yippee!

Off We Go...Into the Wild Blue Yonder!

I had a good day off yesterday - managed to get all my errands run and a few other things done. It was a good thing, too, cause my phone rang at 0500 today - I had a 0730 showtime for a double turn to Salt Lake City. It wouldn't have been so bad, except for the fact that I had almost a 3 hour sit inbetween the turns. During that 3 hours I got SO SLEEPY!

The CPT was originally from New Zealand, and before passengers came on board he would play his iPod over the intercom - music from Andrea Bocielli to Devo! The FO's name was Frank, and the B flight attendant kept introducing him as Frankie Avalon. The C flight attendant was one of my favorites from a previous trip - Serena. We had a high hour 4 day trip last spring...hard work, but we had lots of fun. It was great to fly with her again!

As I left the airport, Crew Scheduling gave me my 10 hours rest and then told me that I am #4 on the 1 day trip list...so the phone very well may ring again...

Exhausted...

Two mornings of getting up between 2-3AM Denver time is really starting to hit me...

Even though I went to bed at around 8PM Denver time both nights, I guess 6 hours just isn't enough for this tired old lady!

But nonetheless, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for my passengers, welcoming them on my flight from Dayton to Denver at 6:50AM - I tried to keep busy, but there are only so many drinks you can serve, and only so much trash that you can pick up! I started seeing double as I tried to work my Sudoku puzzle, and decided it was time for another Diet Coke!

Fortunately, our "victory lap" was a turn to Albuquerque...less than an hour each way. There wasn't a lot of time to just sit - which was good for me! Now I'm home, snoozing on the sofa, watching a bit of TV, catching up on email, and patiently waiting for my hubby to come home from a long day at the office. I want to see if he's as excited to see me as my two dogs were!!! Ha!

This is Why I Do What I Do...

I am having a great time on this trip, even though I am experiencing a major lack of sleep. The reason I am having such a great time? I think it has a lot to do with the crew...

We are all getting along well, and we work well together as a team. This morning, we were leaving ATL and after the safety briefing, the PA system went out! We were taxiing to the runway, but were not able to communicate with the CPT or each other. So we wrote a note, passed it under the cockpit door, and then knocked on the door. The guys up front knew we were trying to call, but every time they answered, they couldn't hear us. We ended up pulling off the main taxiway, and the PA system had to be reset. What was so neat, is that the CPT complimented us on how we went about letting them know there was a problem.

After a 3 hour sit in DEN, we flew to Dayton, OH - the flight went well until the last few minutes...the passenger in 1A started complaining of intense pain in her head, from her temple down to her neck. I called another flight attendant to help me assess the situation, and we ended up paging for onboard medical assistance. In the meantime, I pulled out our manual and turned to the first aid section - we had the passenger swallowing, yawning, drinking water, holding her nose and blowing, using ice and then warm compresses - all this was happening as the plane was landing! I jumped in my seat for the actual landing, but then went back to the passenger to finish the paperwork. Since we were landing, we had not yet contacted the CPT. After the landing, the passenger felt much, much better - only a headache remained, and she turned down any medical assistance...again, the CPT complimented us on our decision-making skills and how we handled this situation. It's a good feeling to work with someone who appreciates you!

After checking into our hotel in DAY, we all met at the neighboring hotel's restaurant/bar, and the CPT treated us to dinner! It was a fun evening getting to know my crew better. As I said, this is why I do what I do...

The Case of the Missing Passenger

Today was a good day. I temporarily lost a passenger...I thought she was in the lav, but she had just changed seats...she was a very strange woman.

I was the forward flight attendant, and remembered most everything that I needed to do - I am really impressed with myself. Most everything I do is so logical...it's really hard to believe that I get paid to do this.

And then I get rewarded by being taken to a nice hotel room - like the Sheraton I am sitting in right now in Atlanta...soft comfy bed, quiet room. And I have a van to catch at 5:05AM, so I guess I had better quit writing this and GO TO BED!

Back to Work!

I sat the couch this afternoon and got to preboard a flight to San Diego - the scheduled crew arrived after everyone was boarded and the flight was ready to go. But my favorite thing happened during preboarding...a passenger, who we later found out was sitting in row 20, hoisted her roller bag into the overhead bin above row 4 and then proceeded to walk to the back of the plane. The flight attendant assigned to the middle of the plane stopped her and asked her where her seat was. When she found out, she removed the roller bag and followed the woman to her seat, and had her put it at the back of the plane!

I know it doesn't sound like much, but it really makes it hard to stow all the bags for the forward rows...I have done it a couple times. My favorite was when I watched a guy do it, then I went behind him and took the bag out without saying a word and followed him to the back of the plane. When he got to his seat, I tapped him on the shoulder and said "Sir, you forgot something!" He was none too happy with me.

I successfully bid for a trip for tomorrow - after having driven to Denver, and still having 3 days on duty, I felt it'd be a shame if I drove home and then had to come back again. I was lucky enough to get a trip that starts at 6AM tomorrow (that's the only bad part - I wish it'd start a bit later...), so I am staying at my friends' house in Denver tonight. First off, I'll do a roundtrip to San Diego, and then I'll fly to Atlanta for the night! I'll check back tomorrow with all the juicy details...

One Year Anniversary!

Today is my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY with Frontier! Now, granted, I haven't actually worked a full year...due to my various medical maladies. But none-the-less, I got my annual raise in my paycheck (which had a net payment of $0 - I owed medical premiums for my three months off). Soon I will be all "caught up" and on my way to actually bringing home some bacon!

Just now, as I was going through my email, I discovered a former flight attendant classmate's blog - she left us a couple months ago, and I never got to say goodbye. But reading through her blog, started before our training class, brought back a lot of memories and another perspective on why I love my job. I invite you to read it too - she's in my bloglist as "Maura's Blog." Also, another fellow flight attendant is keeping a blog - hers is "Kelly's Blog."

Today is day #2 of my 6 days on duty...I stayed pretty close to home yesterday in case I got "the call," and I plan on doing the same today. I am fighting a cold and am feeling kind of punk, so it's not been hard planting myself in front of the television...yesterday was the "Project Runway" marathon - I am pleased to announce that I am now all caught up!

Never a Dull Moment

Today I thought I had another blood clot...my chest/back hurt in the same place they did back in January. My hemotologist sent me to the ER, where they poked and prodded me for an hour trying to start an IV (my arms are not a pretty sight) for a CT scan.

The good news is that I don't have a blood clot and the clot that I had in January is GONE. The not-so-good news is that I have a nodule on my left lung - but it has not increased in size since the January CT scan. But now I'm being referred to a pulmonary specialist. My medical insurance people probably love me.

It turns out that the chest/back pain is probably just a pulled muscle from hefting all those bags yesterday. Thank God!

You Get What You Wish For...

Well...they called me! At 5AM. For a 7:40AM show time. Ouch. I flew a turn to Phoenix and then a turn to Albuquerque and returned home at 8:00PM. Long day...but now I have two days off.

I was "C" during these trips - the middle cabin attendant, and I had a great time talking to people, smiling, joking, etc. The rest of the crew continued on to Omaha tonight and Seattle tomorrow night...but I got to go home.

Now, I could write a separate post about my return home, but instead I'll just make it part of this post. My heading would be:

Dog for Sale...Cheap!

Adorable, almost 10 month old Klee Kai

named Kodi is for sale to a good home!

Cute, cuddly guy, likes to bury bones.

Thinks the sofa is a giant chew toy.

Mom is not amused.

Patience is a Virtue

I got home from my last trip TWO DAYS ago at around 2PM or so, and my phone has not rung since. I went to a Church potluck dinner last night in the northern part of COS and had all my packed bags and my uniform waiting for me in the car in case I got "the call." But it never came. I did not bid today because there was nothing to bid on...things are a bit slow.

BUT...last time I was on duty, I got a 3 hour call out to do an IND turn, so all hope's not lost yet, since I'm on duty until midnight tomorrow night.

I have lots of yard work I could do, but I don't want to start it and leave cuttings all over the place if I get "the call." I have finished Greg's corporate taxes, and could start working on this year's books - but what's the fun in that?!? The new season of Ellen and Dr. Phil have started, and I am mesmerized from 3-5PM, but aside from that I am making my daily run to Safeway (they always say "see you tomorrow!") or running to the Post Office or whatever.

I think I need them to call me!

Hurricane Season

I sat the couch yesterday and had a blast - the A shift were all classmates, and my shift (the B shift) were also all classmates. Now that we are the lowest of the low, the bottom of the barrel... you get the picture... we are chosen last for all aggressive bidding. But that's okay - we got to take our recurrent training test (I got a 98% - I missed one question because I answered it "backwards" - dumb) and spend a lot of time catching up on each other's lives. Kelly K. and Ashley W. rode the couch with me.

And then the phone in the crewroom rang...and my name was called out. It seems a flight attendant on her way to DIA forgot her ID at home, so they called me to take her place on an overnight trip to Philly. The crew was great, the hotel is one of my favorites, and I got a good night's sleep!

This morning's flight presented a challenge. There was a "problem passenger" in the exit row - we aren't sure what her problem was, but she was not a very nice person. Her hubby acted embarrassed...he could do a lot better with someone else. But, aside from that minor scratch that we couldn't itch, we had a good trip. I am now back at home, and will be back on duty around 9PM or so.

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

I have five days on reserve starting tomorrow - I have been assigned the "B" shift on the couch tomorrow from Noon until 6PM. And who knows what I will do and where I will go the rest of the days?!?

SPONTANEITY RULES!

If This is Wednesday, What Happened to Tuesday?!?

I think I must be a bit tired. The calendar tells me it is Wednesday, but earlier today I thought it was Monday. Ah...another sign that I'm back in the air again! I don't know where I am or what day it is!

I thought I'd have a quiet day yesterday, but ended up getting a 3-hour call out to do a turn to Indianapolis. I was going to try to fly out of Colorado Springs to DIA, and the August schedule that I had worked perfectly...but the flight times were changed in September, and none of the flights would have worked! So into the car I went.

My trip had two seniors - one mamma and one pappa. At first, I dreaded it - I wasn't up for handling "attitude." But I just tried to be my adorable, loving self and by the end of the flight, I realized that I had had a very enjoyable time!

Now I am home for three days...

Flying Celebrities

I decided to start keeping track of the celebrities who fly on the flights that I have worked... provided, of course, that I recognize them!

This is Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado - he was on my very first training flight from DCA to DEN way back in September '07. He was also a passenger this past June when Greg's parents and I flew from DCA to DEN - he was on the airport train with us, and put his arm around Greg's Mom to prevent her from falling when the train started up and then came to a stop. That was a very gentlemanly thing for him to do.

This is Floyd Meriweather Sr. - he is the current trainer for Oscar De La Hoya, a boxer. He has also trained Laila Ali (Mohammed Ali's daughter). Now, I would not have had any clue as to who he was, but his hands were dripping diamonds and gold, and he had a certain "look" about him. He was on my flight from DEN to LAS.

Las Vegas...Baby!

It's too bad that I was SOOOOO TIRED last night when I arrived in Vegas - I could see the south end of the strip from my hotel window, but I just didn't have any energy left after such an unusual work day!

But when I woke up this morning, I took a little stroll and took the following pics:



I have decided that if/when I get sent to Vegas again, if I have the time, I am going to rent one of these babies to drive around!

Back to Denver this afternoon, and then who knows? I'm still on reserve until midnight tomorrow night...