Coast to Coast

At 5:18am today, on my drive from my home to Denver International Airport, I saw either a shooting star/a meteorite/space junk! It zoomed by me, lit on fire, and went out as it plummeted to the ground. And it wasn't very far from the ground to begin with! It was so awesome.

My first flight was from Denver to Bellingham, WA - my first time there! We didn't stay very long, though. But I would like to go back and stay for awhile. Then we headed back to Denver, and then on to LaGuardia in NYC. I am very excited that I will be able to visit with my daughter, her hubby and my granddogger tomorrow!

I have to pass on a random act of kindness that I witnessed today...there was a man who came on board who claimed he had a "medical problem" and couldn't sit all the way in the back of the plane. So the gate attempted to give him a seat at the front of the plane for a cost of $25, but he refused to pay it. So back to the plane he went! BUT, when he boarded the plane, he plopped his butt down in seat 2E, a premium seat. When the REAL owner of 2E came aboard, the guy told me about his medical issue, and said how he would not move to the back. I ended up moving him to 1E, and told him that he had to pay the additional fee because everyone else in that section had already paid it. So he pulled out a bunch of credit cards...two were expired, and the others couldn't be read because the strip on the back was so scratched. It just wasn't looking good. So I told him that after the captain turned off the seat belt sign I'd have to move him to a seat further back. He wasn't happy, but I had already heard from the gate agent about her dealing with him.

So what's the random act of kindness? The passenger in 1C gave me HIS credit card to charge the $25 - he said he didn't want the poor guy to suffer any more embarrassment. After the transaction was complete, I told 1E what had taken place and told him that he could pay cash to 1C. The guy in 1E rolled his eyes and scrunched up his face and said, "but I don't WANT to pay the money!" Then 1C told him that was fine, there was no need to reimburse him. I don't know if 1E ever thanked the guy. But it was nice to see that there are generous people around...

It's Been Too Long...

I have no explanation as to why I haven't been posting. Sorry. All I can offer is that maybe Facebook has been taking all my time. After all, I need to know where my friends are and what they are doing!

* A captain on a recent flight boarded the plane at the same time as the preboarded passengers. He comes running out of the flight deck, looked around the galley, and then ran back into the flight deck. All the while he was yelling, "Where are my sunglasses? Where are my sunglasses?" I asked, "Are you looking for the ones that are on your neck backwards? Yup. He sure was. The passengers in the front of the It is aircraft heard and saw it all. There was a LOT of laughing, but then there were a lot of concerned passengers that maybe our pilot was, "out to lunch." I had to assure them that the captain was doing fine.

* It is not fun working a trip when the flight attendants don't work on the same team. This is the easiest job in the world, but I'm currently working with someone who is relatively new, but doesn't quite "get" what the job entails. We had to work together at the front of the plane today (a 320), and when she was swiping TVs, I approached her and asked her to take the bags of goldfish and animal crackers and hand them out to the passengers on her way back to the front of the plane. Normally, I would do it, but I did not have a list of all those passengers. Well, this flight attendant "freaked out" and responded that she just couldn't handle it all. So the aft flight attendant handed out the food to the aft of the airplane, while I took over the responsibility for the front. When I got back to the galley, she was tearing up and wiping her eyes. I could not believe it. Next, we started our beverage service, and decided to serve two rows at a time. I had rows 1 and 2, and she had rows 3 & 4. And guess what she did...she skipped row 3. Really? And when we were doing the 2nd beverage service, she stopped for a couple minutes...and I asked her where she'd stopped - she had no idea! When we were cleaning the plane before it went back to DCA, this flight attendant cleaned one-half the plane and then went up front and put her bags together. Since when did getting your bags ready to go supercede helping to clean the aircraft? I didn't realize that we each had our own "areas" and when we're done, we stop.  P.S. We don't. 

* Seeing as how I keep falling asleep while I'm typing, I think I'll go to bed. 4:45AM is going to come really early!

Happy New Year (kinda late...)

A great, big, HAPPY NEW YEAR to my loyal followers (all three of you - you know who you are!). My loyalties have been focused on "Words with Friends" on Facebook, and I have spent most free moments catching up on the 15 or so games I have going at any one time. Speaking of which, even though I win a good 75% of these games, I get SO FRUSTRATED because that program locks up my computer while I'm playing! I don't know what kind of hidden thing it adds to my computer (especially at home), but one move during the game can take up to 15 minutes. I've decided that I don't have that kind of time any longer, and I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders! Awesome!

So what have I been up to since December 12, 2011? I have no idea. I do remember having a wonderful Christmas with my family (including Jen & James & Liza, and James' mom, Deniece) - even though it was a short visit. Christmas with the family should be a minimum of a week, and maybe a maximum of two weeks. By then, we'd probably be sick of each other. But the anticipation of the holiday, and the time spent looking for that "perfect" present is a lot of fun! I was lucky enough to receive a plastic hot dog doggie toy and a mini-traveler's kit (complete with mini-plastic pretend camera and passport holder) from my new son-in-law, James. What a joker. In return, I gave him a "Kosherland" board game, a Hanukah Star for the top of his Christmas tree, and I made him hunt for his gifts. It was supposed to be payback for his hot-dog-related gifts, but it backfired. He actually enjoyed hunting for his gifts! It was a fun holiday.

At the beginning of the New Year we celebrated Greg's parents' 60th Wedding Anniversary at a family dinner at the Army/Navy Country Club. It was a wonderful family celebration, which included a few special friends who are just like family. It was the first time that the Moore side of the family were all together in forever! We got everyone to pose for a family picture! It was great!

And now back to the reason that I started this blog - being a flight attendant! During December, I "dropped down" to Reserve status so that I could have a week off at Christmas, and I realized that I am allergic to reserve. My allergy doctor's office was able to get "Intermittent FMLA" status for my continuous sinus infection, while we try to figure out WHY I keep getting sick. I'm thinking that at some point during my past 4 1/2 year career as a flight attendant, I got a deep-seated infection in my sinuses, and soon I might have to get a Roto-Rooter procedure to clean it all out and then figure out WHY it keeps happening. So...I may find out that my mid-life crisis career is not helping my health, and at that time I am going to have to make some difficult decisions.

In the meantime, I am traveling all over the place! Trying hard to get those warmer-weather layovers when a senior mama or senior papa drops a nice trip onto the Trade Board, which, if the timing is right, I'll pick up and enjoy. During January, I had a fun trip to Chicago-Midway, where a fellow flight attendant Lori and I got on the L and went downtown where we met my good buddy and longtime friend, Joannie, and walked around Millenium Park, Michigan Avenue and Water Tower Place. And...before I forget, we had lunch at GINO'S EAST PIZZARIA. Yummy, yum, yum. It was so much fun to hang out with Joannie and to introduce Lori to one of my favorite cities in the world!

Then a few weeks later, I got to spend a Sunday afternoon/evening with another very good, long-time friend, Cheryl, in her neck-of-the-woods, Orange County, CA. We compared wedding pictures - her son got married in Michigan the day before my daughter got married in Colorado! Lots and lots things to share, including dreams of the future.

Two good friends in two weeks - what could be better? Well...a great crew helps! I have really lucked out lately. I've been able to communicate with and work well with my co-workers. We're all on the same page on the way of doing things (i.e. we all do it the way that the company wants us to do it), and we can find fun things to discuss.

And that brings me to the passengers. I've really come into my own dealing with the passengers. I'm able to be friendly, funny, and attend to their needs. I pick up on their moods better now, and am better able to solve their issues. And the best thing of all, I'm still having fun! I can't imagine doing anything else with my life right now.

When I went to Chicago a couple weeks ago, I went downtown and took some pictures of my adventures.

An Important Sign

The Bean in Millenium Park - Joannie and Me

Marilyn Monroe

Me and Joannie at Gino's East Pizzaria

Originally, on the way back from my downtown adventure, I was SUPPOSED to take a plane full of passengers to Denver and then on to Las Vegas. But it had started snowing...crew scheduling called while Lori and I were on the L back to the hotel - they told me that our afternoon flight was cancelled, and that we'd be going to Huatulco, Mexico for a turn the next day. Say what? What had been a nice, relaxing trip, followed by a nice steak dinner for $7.77 became a plane full of rowdy vacationers on an Apple Vacation Charter! Oh boy!

We started out at Midway Airport the next morning, flew the empty plane to O'Hare, loaded them up and headed to Huatulco (pronouced waaa-tulle-co). I didn't get to see much, but the passengers were sure excited to get there. The passengers we picked up weren't as excited, but they were very willing to share with me how much they loved Huatulco. One couple had just finished their 10th visit. Wow. I think I'm missing something.

Currently, I just finished two Apple Vacation charter trips - one to Liberia, Costa Rica from St. Louis, and one to Punta Cana, Domincan Republic from Chicago O'Hare. They're fun charters and relatively easy to do. The bad thing about this weekend's charters is that there were two in a row. And the first one was delayed due to a delayed incoming flight. That just set the ball rolling. Then we had a weight/balance issues in Costa Rica, and it increased the delay. By the time we got to St. Louis, and then on to Chicago - our 9 hour layover got reduced to 8 hours. OUCH. So our flight to Punta Cana was delayed in the morning due to rest issues - but the gate agents didn't say a word to the passengers! So we get to the gate after a lousy short 8 hours, and they're making snide comments about how it was nice we FINALLY showed up. Not nice.

Once on the plane, I explained the FAA rules that were being followed by allowing us the guaranteed 8 hours of time-off we were due, and then their attitudes changed! Communication. Works every time. Even though we left Chicago about 1 1/2 hours late, we arrived in Punta Cana only 1/2 hour late - strong tailwinds! But once down there, we waited and waited for the passengers, and we're not sure why they didn't bring them on. In the meantime, we see a very interesting plane arrive - I would love to find out whose jet it is. Any ideas?

Mystery Plane

When the passengers arrived, they were a bit perturbed that we were late, and again I explained. This time they weren't as understanding....because, of course, we were standing in the way of them getting home. And to add insult to injury, those lovely tailwinds on the way down, were horrible headwinds on the way home. We were supposed to arrive at 4:45PM and we didn't get in until 6:15PM or so. Whew. The day before was a 14 1/2 hour duty day, and this one was 12 1/2 hours. I was exhausted. I had arranged for a rental car and was all set to head down to my cousin's home for a birthday dinner for him - but I was SO EXHAUSTED that I really didn't feel that I could drive SAFELY to their home that evening. I was so disappointed. After updating my Facebook, I sorta kinda fell asleep and didn't see daylight until 7:30AM. Got up for a few minutes, and then did not see daylight again until 11:00AM or so. I think I was tired.

Today will be easy. We ferry an empty plane from O'Hare to Midway, and then work the flight from Midway to Denver, and we'll be DONE. I'll be off for 6 entire days - I wish I could say that I'll be relaxing and enjoying my days off, but I have tons of accounting and taxes to take care of for Greg's business and our personal stuff. So...no more procrastinating!

I'm Back!

My last post was on 11/28/11 - where the heck has the time gone?

I had a quick three day trip at the end of November running into the beginning of December - but I was a bump on a log and was a slam-clicker. Believe it or not, I skipped going to the casinos in Vegas, and the next night in Chicago I chose to stay in the hotel instead of partying with my crew downstairs - if I didn't have such early show times, I would have come out and played...especially in Chicago, where I have a TON of family.

Technically, when I left Vegas and headed to Chicago, I was on reserve status again. Yuck. And I had the next two days on reserve - the first day I was supposed to do an overnight to Kansas City, but let's just say, that for the first time in four years I slept through my alarm and actually missed my show time! Never before had that happened. I called Crew Scheduling to let them know that I "blew it," and asked if they still wanted me at DIA. They took a couch-sitter and put that person on my trip, and then I got to sit the couch from 6AM until Noon.

And then, of course, they sent me on a turn on Sunday - one that had a very early morning show time. That made four days in a row of early show times - one as early as 2:15AM Denver time! And guess what happened?!?!? Yes, I got sick with another sinus infection! That's the way it's always been in my life...if I stay up all night or don't get enough sleep, my body is unhappy, and a sinus infection takes over. Bummer.

Fortunately, I got an appointment the next day with my allergy doctor's nurse practitioner, and she gave me some antibiotics and I was told I'd be ok to go back on duty two days later. WRONG. I had so much gunk running down my throat, lots of pressure in my head, and there was no way that I could go back onto an airplane and be cordial and welcoming! I'll go back to work on Thursday, 12/15, and in the meantime, I've come to realize that I AM ALLERGIC TO RESERVE duty! I've got a five day stretch to go before Christmas and then five days afterwards, and then reserve will be over for another year! Halleluiah!

So, what do you think about Alec Baldwin? What an ass. We don't have first class, so I doubt he'd ever lower himself and fly on one of our airplanes. No great loss, huh? Yes...it's true that only one cell phone won't make a difference with the communication service. But what if all 162 or 138 people had a phone, laptop or Kindle turned on and searching for internet signals? I believe that would interfere with the plane's communication systems. Pilots have reported interference with their equipment - these electornic devices may be the cause. But obviously, Alec is too important to listen to and follow the FAA requirements.  And calling the flight attendant a former 1950's gym teacher?!?!? I wish she could have retorted back to him that he's a fat bum who doesn't deserve a beautiful daughter (he called her a pig several months ago).

It's time to enjoy the last couple days off...before having to jump back into the reserve pool!

I'm Tired

I had to wake up at 2:20AM (Denver time) in Dayton, OH to get ready for my 5:20AM shuttle to the airport. I made a BIG MISTAKE and fell asleep while watching TV when I got into my hotel room yesterday. When it was time for bed, it was VERY HARD to go to sleep - I'm paying for it now.

This morning's flight was easy as pie. Everyone was in a great mood, we left DAY early, and we arrived in DEN even earlier! But I wanted to pass on some comments I heard from other crewmembers on the crew bus to the parking lot this morning.

- A passenger asked the flight attendant for a diaper for her baby. When the flight attendant said she didn't have any, the passenger asked if she could ask all the other passengers if they had one. How/why does one travel without being properly prepared for their baby, their own personal hygiene needs, etc. Really?

- On a flight from Branson, MO to Salt Lake City, UT approximately 99% of the plane were passengers who were at least 100 years old. The flight attendant removed the big fluffy coat from the overhead bin, and asked whose it was. A little old man said it was his, and said, "I'm entitled to my overhead space." The flight attendant tried to explain the the passenger about putting the larger roller bags in first, and then followed by putting the coats in the overhead. The passenger looked at the flight attendant, pointed his bony, crooked finger at her, and said, "SCREW you!" His wife hit him and told him to shut up, while the other old ladies expressed dismay from having heard such insulting language! Whatever happened to treating women with respect? The same flight attendant said that when she later asked him what he'd like to drink, he pointed that long bony, crooked finger at her, and said, "I don't want ANYTHING from you!" Really?

The Difference a Day Makes

On the second busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday, my flights were on time (if not early), and everyone seems to have been in a great mood! Halleluiah!

On the way from Seattle to Denver, we had the Akron University Girls' Basketball team, who had just won their game. And then from Denver to Dayton, we had Miami University's Hockey team, who had just won a tournament. Lots of happy, but tired athletes today.

The nastiness of the infamous three passengers last night is all but forgotten. Today, passengers approached me off the airplane while I was walking from one gate to another, or waiting for the hotel van, and told me that I was so funny or that they loved the chocolate chip cookies that I served! It makes me happy.

I flew with another brand new flight attendant this morning from Seattle to Denver - she, too, agrees that this is the easiest job in the world. She has such a good attitude, she's easy-going and happy - I told her that she is an awesome addition to our company. We need to get rid of the tired and worn out flight attendants and bring in more like the lady I flew with this morning. It's so refreshing!

And here I am in Dayton, OH for the night. I had hoped to go out walking once I got here, but it's rainy! I forgot that it rains for hours and hours here (well, anywhere in the east). I'm so used to storms that blow in, rain hard, and then blows right back out! So instead of taking a long walk, I decided to turn on the boob tube and I promptly fell asleep! Now it's past 9PM and I have to be up at 4:25AM. Argggh! But I have one leg home tomorrow...and I'll probably promptly fall asleep on the couch when I get home!

A Long Day

I am on the 4th day of 6 days of flying, and until today, it had been wonderful! I actually got to go out to dinner with my baby girl and her hubby on her 23rd birthday! We went to one of the most wonderful steak houses that I'd ever been to...The Old Homestead. I had an 18 oz. filet mignon, and OMG. It was incredible! But, as always, it's so tough to leave my daughter in NYC. You'd think that I would be used to it by this time.

Our flight from LaGuardia to Denver was fairly uneventful. Most everyone slept, which made my job even easier! While we were inflight, the boys needed to come out of the flight deck for a potty break. And guess what? They couldn't get out of the flight deck! The door was "stuck." They tried and tried, and we finally called them to ask what the heck they were doing! That's when they told me to push against the door. I did so, and almost lost my footing as the door swung open. Well, once we were on the ground, that broken door caused our flight to be delayed!

The bad news is that the part we needed was in Arizona. Then there was talk of downsizing us to an A319, but then we'd have to kick 19 people off the flight and how would we choose? So they decided to wait for another plane to come in and we would take that new plane - we left 3 hours late. People started boarding the flight with an "attitude," and I told them not to be mad at us! It was a mechanical, clean and simple. Things happen.

I thought the flight went really well - there were some very nice people on board who took the time to tell me how great we all were, that I had a great sense of humor and that my sound effects during my safety demo are great! As his reward, I gave the gentleman a dozen chocolate chip cookies! But towards the end of the flight, I came across a row of people who were VERY UNHAPPY. There was a couple with a baby and a guy sitting next to them. The baby cried most of the flight, so the parents were frustrated and the guy was irritated beyond belief. They all told me that they hated my airline and would NEVER come back. I expressed my sorrow to them. The guy felt that it was horrible that we did not have the part in Denver that was needed to fix the plane. Well...that's what happens when your company gets bought out by another. Things change. The couple was pissed because their kid had been inconvenienced for 6 HOURS. There weren't enough ticket agents, so it took forever to get their bags checked, and get through security. And their poor child was exhausted. And he screamed. And screamed. And then he screamed again. But it was all OUR FAULT. Haven't these people ever heard of Benedryl?

Anyway - as I left those angry passengers and walked back to the forward galley, lots and lots of passengers told me how great of a job we did, especially considering the circumstances. That was JUST what I needed to hear! We continued to hear more of the same during the deplaning. EXCEPT for the mom of the screaming baby. All she wanted was my name. Lovely. Just lovely. I seriously doubt that she'll be writing me a complimentary letter.

So, to blow off steam, I walked to our hotel - I walked at my own pace and just enjoyed the cool, crisp evening. I plan on writing my report about the "incident" just in case she follows through and complains about me. I can hardly wait.

When I got to my room, the last thing I wanted was to be around more people - so I ordered ROOM SERVICE! I don't normally use it, but I really did not want to be around people anymore. So I've now finished my clam chowder, creme brulee and Coors Lite! Yummy yummy yummy! But soon it will be time to go off to bed - we have a van scheduled at 5AM. Tomorrow, we'll fly back to Denver and then continue on to Dayton, OH - the place where I was scheduled to spend 49 hours over Thanksgiving! Thank God I got out of that and was able to spend an amazing day with family.

So now I'm taking my last sips of beer and it'll soon be time to go to sleep!

Pay it Forward...

I was pleasantly surprised to find this handmade card in my mailbox today - it's from the girl whose plastic box went missing. I sent the box and its contents to her - and she was sweet enough to send me this card!


Front of Card



Inside of Card

So...to those co-workers who told me that I'd never find her missing plastic box, I say, "You won't be successful if you don't try."
 

Random Thoughts...

I was lucky enough to have a bunch of days off in a row - I had originally planned to go with Greg to a jet rally in Mesa, AZ but he decided not to go because of a "plane crash" issue - and I decided to go visit a good friend in California. This good friend is suffering from cancer. The big C. It's nasty. I came in on Friday morning, and she had had a chemo session on Thursday. She had gotten a "new cocktail" and it was hitting her hard. My job was to get her to sit down and do nothing. Fat chance.

This woman has a very busy life, and she's not going to let cancer (her third battle with it) get the best of her. She has multiple businesses that she owns and she essentially has two full-time jobs in addition to her own businesses. On Friday, she was bouncing here and there, doing work in her home office, answering calls, running to the toilet, then answering more calls. She finally settled on the couch.

Cancer is nasty. The treatment is nastier. Her whole body was aching. Her newly shaven head was throbbing. I made a pasta dinner and a salad - she enjoyed them, but then lost both a little while later. On Saturday, she was still aching. I kept her on the sofa most of the day and forced her to relax. We watched movies - "The Little Black Book," "Sister Act," "Eat, Pray, Love" - and tons and tons of detective/crime shows. So many murders...so little time. I am convinced that she's studying up to be a serial killer, and I'm sure she will NEVER get caught.

Today she was feeling a bit better, so we ventured out to a flea market where she sells stuff, and stayed for a little while - it was chilly and starting to rain, and she does not want to get sick. Her immune system is nonexistent right now. Then we spent the rest of the day at the house. She's feeling a lot better today, but dreads her next chemo session tomorrow.

She is very fortunate to have a "surrogate daughter" who practically lives with her - the daughter's mom died a couple years ago from breast cancer, so she knows exactly what to do and loves keeping my friend company. My friend also has a son nearby, but he's tied up so often keeping the businesses running, attending to his own wife/child, and like me, he probably doesn't know what the heck to do. Her other son lives on the east coast, just started a new job, is newly married and is unable to come out on a regular basis. I'm sure it is very tough on him.

What do you do for someone who is so sick? My whole purpose of going was just to keep her company and hang out. I brought magazines, my laptop, and just kind of hung out. I've become a demon on "Words with Friends" on FaceBook. I did tell my friend that I have no clue what to do for her. And she never really did tell me any specifics. I was just THERE.

I'll be leaving in the morning - time to get back to my bills, etc. and get ready for my next trip that leaves on Wednesday. I will be flying Southwest again - last time I checked there were lots of seats available so I should be able to get home just fine.

I've been doing a lot of praying, and requesting other friends to pray for my friend's recovery, too. Why is there cancer in the world? I tried to keep my friend positive and happy, which was a lot easier to do today than it was the first two days of my visit when she was feeling so sick. And these treatments - chemo. Makes one sick to their stomach. And then radiation, what will most likely burn and blister her skin. Really? I guess those treatments are still more beneficial than the alternative...

On to a better topic - I got the reserve schedule for December that I expected. Woo hoo! There were seven of us who dropped down from being lineholders, and for the month of December will be at the mercy of crew scheduling. Oh boy. I did not get all the days off that I requested - I'm in the process of trying to trade days. I get only 11 days off a month while on reserve (this month I have 15 days off), so I need to use them wisely. I did get 12/20 through 12/26 off. That's when Jen and her dog Liza come home, followed by her husband James and his mom Deniece who arrive on 12/23. I'm excited that Jen has chosen to have a tradition of a "Colorado Christmas." And I will be able to fully participate and prepare for it! That makes me very happy.

THE LAST PARAGRAPH WAS CENSORED AND
REMOVED FROM THIS BLOG.

Back Home Again...

I made it through the 4-day trip unscathed (almost). Sometimes it's difficult to bond with a crew - there are so many personalities. Especially when the crew likes to stay up until 3 or 4am while hanging out at the bar! On this trip, I was SO EXHAUSTED the first night - I'm not sure why - so I didn't join the crew downstairs. On the second night, I wanted to get a good night's sleep so that I could be "fresh" to meet up with my good friend, Sheila. But I heard that the B flight attendant went out to a bar, and it was a very uncomfortable situation. What USED to be a crew hangout was now a gangsta' rap bar - he was the only white, and no one would talk to him, call a cab for him, or call the hotel van. I am very glad that I did not venture out with him! Our last night was too short of a layover to do anything - thank goodness.

But it's interesting to watch the dynamics of the team. Let's just say that I did not feel accepted by the Captain - was it because I didn't come down and party until 3am? If it was, then that's just too bad! I don't like hangovers and I could barely stay awake on the plane! I got along fine with the First Officer and the A flight attendant, too. But the B flight attendant was puzzling to me. He was a "glass is bone dry" kind of guy. Someone would make a comment about our company's recent 3Q webcast, and he would just turn the hope and promise upside down and make it into something negative. Those kind of people just drain me. But this time I actually confronted him! It turns out that he has "short-timer's syndrome" - he'll be quitting in June.

On another of my flights, I got high praises from three passengers! Two ladies sitting by a window saw what they thought to be their bags sitting on a belt loader on the ramp. They called me over, I relayed the information on to the gate agent, and supposedly the Captain went downstairs to check things out - but he didn't actually go over to the bags. That would have rested these ladies' fears. But no, he just spoke with a ramper - at no time did they see anyone take a second look at the bags. Really? How much time would that have taken? Instead, I had to calm their fears and tell them that we needed to "trust the system" and "I'm sure everything will be alright." During the flight, I gave them each a customer service card with my name and employee number. I told them that if the bags were not at the baggage carousel to be sure and give customer service my information - I'd explain what I tried to do in Denver. As they, and the woman sitting behind them, got off the plane I was thanked profusely for my attempt to calm their fears. I haven't heard anything, so I am hoping that the system worked and they were reunited with their bags!

I sometimes wonder why other flight attendants don't get these kinds of requests - or is it that they get them and they ignore them. I guess I'm pegged as someone who cares. That could be a good thing, but I realize that it could be a very disruptive thing, too. It makes me feel good to be able to figure things out, to let them know that the airline has the best intentions.

I did get to experience one of the great benefits of this job - I got to visit with a very dear friend of mine on my Atlanta layover. We have been friends since we were 9 years old in the 4th grade - that's about 46 years ago! And the last time I spent any time visiting with her was 16 years ago! Every once in awhile we'd chat via email or talk on the phone, but when we got together we just picked up where we left off! She is a true forever friend.

For December's bid, I actually voluntarily dropped back down to Reserve. Yes...I did it voluntarily. There is no way that I would be able to get Christmas off while holding a line, so I made the hard decision to be abused by Crew Scheduling for a month. Jen, James, Liza and James' Mom, Deniece, will all be coming out to Colorado for Christmas, and I wanted to be here. The line assignments came out yesterday, and sure enough, I got reserve. There were eight of us lineholders who dropped down, and I am #6 from the top. That means that I should have Christmas off, as well as the days surrounding it. I'll look at it this way - I'll have lots of time to read while sitting on that sexy black leather couch! Hopefully, I'll miss all the craziness of the month by being off on the days it'll occur. I feel strongly that this was the right move for me - I want to be with my family.

Ups and Downs (No Pun Intended...)

I'm on the third day of a four-day trip, and I'm ready to be home. I don't think the captain is fond of me - but you know what? I don't really care.

Yesterday, we were boarding our flight from Denver to Atlanta, and I had a bit of a problem with a nasty passenger. This guy had placed a couple straw hats in the overhead bin and then went to the back galley to schmooze with the B flight attendant. I removed the hats and asked the passenger to hold onto them until the roller bags had been loaded into the bins. the guy started getting upset, and told me that there wouldn't be any space left if he waited. He also said he has just taken four flights, and this was the FIRST time someone moved his hats. I apologized and explained that I needed the space, but would be glad to put them up later. That wasn't good enough for him.

During this time, a couple passengers placed smaller bags in the overhead bin, and I told the man that there was some space for his hats. He called me a control freak, and told me that he didn't want me telling him where to put his bags. I asked him to quit being difficult, and he talked back and asked me not to be difficult. I didn't think he was being serious, but then when I told him again to put the hats in the overhead, he started yelling at me and he dropped the f-bomb. That was it. I was done.

I called up front and asked for help. The captain came back, got my story, and took the passenger off the plane. He asked if I'd be okay with the guy back on the plane. I said as long as he behaves himself and apologizes to me.Well....he was interviewed by a bunch of Denver police, the gate agent later told me that he expected trouble from this guy, and then the police let him come back on the plane! Really?

Once he was back on, he didn't say a word to me. No loss. When he went back to the bathroom, he slammed the door going in and slammed it when he came out. He was just obnoxious. But no one would kick him off. It really frustrated me.

Then today, I got to visit with a very close friend of mine who I've known since I've been in the 4th grade - we hadn't seen each other since 1977 - it was definitely a high!

The Search for the Plastic Box

When I returned from Vegas yesterday morning, I turned on my cell phone - no messages. So I headed over to the General Office (GO) to see if I could smooze my way into getting the "plastic box" from Lost & Found. The front desk woman, Deborah, put me in touch with the guru of the Lost & Found, Dennis. Yes, he had the box! Within 5 minutes I had it in my hands - I was so excited that I almost cried!

Before I left the GO, I decided to look inside the box to see the seashell necklace...it wasn't there! Oh no! All kinds of scenarios starting flying through my head - someone stole it, it was never in there in the first place. I was heartbroken. Just as the girl said, there were lots of MAC cosmetics. There was also a bracelet made of plastic beads and a leather strap bracelet.

I called the girl on her cell phone with the good news/bad news and asked her to call me back.

That was yesterday. I haven't heard a word. Does that mean that she found the necklace elsewhere in her luggage/purse and she's too embarrassed to tell me? Or is she too upset that the necklace wasn't in the box?

I may never know. I'll send her stuff to her today...knowing that I tried my hardest.

Good Things Happen to Good People

 Back in September I had an amazing thing happen...I was on my way to see Jen and James to celebrate James' 30th birthday. I had a very large Bed Bath & Beyond bag filled with stuff - a wrapped gift for James, my work sweater, a doggy coat for Liza that I got at a craft fair, a loaf of Jen's favorite bread, several dozen chocolate chip cookies to give to the firemen by Jen's apartment, and an airline blanket sealed in a plastic bag. And guess what I did?

I lost it. I carried it to/from St. Louis, and then all the way to New York City. BUT, I left it in front of the LaGuardia Airport terminal when I loaded my bags onto the hotel van. I realized it on the way to the hotel, and the van driver drove me back to the airport as soon as we got everyone off at the hotel. We literally got back to the hotel within 10-15 minutes of when I left the bag, but it was gone when I got back. I was so sad.

I showed up at Jen & James' apartment the next morning empty-handed...well, I did stop at McDonald's and bought Egg McMuffins for all! But I was so down that I had lost everything. It was all replaceable - but I couldn't believe I'd been that stupid. I kept beating myself up. That was on Saturday.

On Monday evening when I called Greg to say hello, he told me there was a message on our answering machine. It was a woman calling from Connecticut...she told me that she had picked up my bag at LaGuardia, tried to turn it over to security, but they would not accept it. So she took it home with her. Her goal, she said, was to reunite the bag with its owner. I must have left a paper in the bag with my contact information - thank God that I did!

I called her back the next morning and we had a nice chat. She wanted to drive the bag back down to Manhattan, but I didn't want her to go out of her way. Instead, she offered to mail it to Jen & James' apartment - the place it was intended for. And guess what? She did! I later sent her a card with some cash for reimbursement for postage, and I included a few Colorado goodies. It was amazing to know there are still good people.

So now it's my turn to pay back that kindness. Last night, a girl in her late teens/early 20s got on my flight to San Diego. Her eyes were puffy and red, and tears were still streaming down her face. Unfortunately, I was tied up with another passenger who had left her cell phone in the waiting area...but during the flight, I learned that the girl was distraught because she lost a small plastic box. In it was MAC makeup and a necklace made of shells.

The makeup was no big deal to her - but the necklace was very special. Her Dad had passed away only days before, and the necklace was one that her mother had made for her father, and he wore it all through college. Her Mom had just given her the necklace as a remembrance of her Dad.

For some reason, this girl tugged at my heartstrings. I think it was because the loss of her Dad was so fresh, and I still miss my Dad so much. I told her that I would do whatever I could to try and find that box for her.

So this morning, when I had a short layover in Denver, I found one of the gate agents that had worked my flight to San Diego. I told her the story, and she did a little research for me before I left on today's flight to Las Vegas. She found someone who found a small plastic box in the gate area, and that this person turned it over to the Frontier Lost & Found this morning. She included the phone number for that office!

So when I arrived in Vegas, I called the number. But unfortunately, when you call, you're told to send an email or leave a voice message. So I did both - it was after 4pm in Denver when I did, but I'm hoping that tomorrow morning they read/listen to my messages and call my cell phone to tell me that they have the box. Then I'll run home, box it up, and send it to the girl. And, of course, I'll call her to tell her it's on the way.

Please keep your fingers crossed - I'm hoping that it'll all work out. I know how much the momentos I have of my Dad mean to me - I'm hoping to give that shell necklace back to her Daddy's little girl.

Is it Really November?!?

Obviously I'm not doing such a good job of blogging these days...I guess I've been too busy on Facebook playing Words with Friends! I guess I do have a bit of a competitive streak in me after all.

I can't remember when I posted my last entry (and I too lazy to go and look), so bear with me if I repeat myself. I've pretty much had "a line" at work since July - it's truly "a whole new world." I know when and where I'm going ahead of time, I can plan my life around my schedule, I can swap, drop and trade trips - it's awesome! HOWEVER...I'll be voluntarily going back on reserve for December so that I can be home for Christmas. Jen, Liza, James and his Mom will all be coming for the holidays, and it'd be horrible if I wasn't home to share it with them!!! So...in less than a month I'll get to know that sexy black leather couch again, I'll be called in the middle of the night to take an early morning flight to Kalamazoo, MI (no...we don't fly there), and I'll be worked to death because all the senior mamas decided to take the day off. Heaven forbid they work what's on their schedule! I dread it...but I will make the best of it!

I've tried to get at least one long overnight in DCA (Washington DC) and LGA (New York City) each month - it's been fun to have lunch with my high school girlfriends, to visit with my in-laws, and of course, to visit with Jen and her hubby, James, and my granddogger, Liza! I see them most often - at least once or twice a month! It's worked out well!

Twenty-seven years ago TODAY Greg and I walked down the aisle together at St. James Church in Falls Church, VA. I can't believe it's been that long. We've had lots and lots of fun times, some really sad times, we've each grown and changed, but we're still hanging in there!

Something really cool happened on one of  my recent trips (but I can't remember which one...) - I was sitting in the Captain's chair in the flight deck (he was taking a potty break), and a little ways in front of the plane there was a flaming star (meteorite, space junk, whatever) falling and then it burned out. Wow! The First Officer saw it, too! It was SO INCREDIBLE to see. And, of course, when I came out of the flight deck and told the other flight attendants, one of them asked if I'd gotten a picture! Well...

I've been in Vegas a lot recently - first time for fun, and then the last two times on layovers. The second time I was there, I was with a very generous captain. He had been treating us to snacks all during our 4-day trip - McDonald's snack wraps, ice cream, Arby's Cheddar Beef sandwich, breakfast burritos - you name it. When we got to the Hard Rock Casino, we all went our separate ways to play our favorite games. I lost pretty quickly (I had won over $300 the previous week by putting $20 in a penny slot machine), and as the other ladies lost their money we gravitated back to our sugar daddy...oops, I meant captain. We all took turns on his video poker game, and then headed over to a blackjack table where we took over the entire table! The captain gave us each four $5 chips, the dealer gave us tons of helpful hints, and we each won some money! It's fun playing with someone else's money! Soon it was curfew time, and the captain said we could keep our winnings, but we gave him all the chips we had - I think we made him a little bit of money. It was so much fun! What a great crew!

There is such a difference between a good trip and a bad trip, and the crew has a lot to do with that. We don't need to spend 100% of our free time together for it to be good. But we do need to be able to get along and work together. Not too long ago, I flew one leg with a male flight attendant, and he kept calling me a "control freak" - I finally got mad and told him that HE was the control freak and that he needed to quit calling me names! When I mentioned this to another FA, she told me that he is one of the biggest control freaks that she's ever worked with! If I never work with that guy again, it'll be too soon!

I'll try to post more as I go along - I've had some really wonderful experiences with crews that I want to remember, and this is the best way to do that.

Earthquakes and Hurricanes, oh my!

Gosh, it seems like Fairbanks was so long ago! I had my week's vacation after that...I don't remember what I did! During those days, though, I celebrated my birthday! Oh wait, I DO REMEMBER part of what I did! I went to VEGAS! Over 1 1/2 years ago, I purchased tickets to see Celine Dion in Vegas before she ended her summer run. Jen and James met me there and we had a wonderful weekend! It was VERY HOT. And while we were there, it RAINED! And boy, when it rains, IT RAINS. Very heavy, for about 10 minutes or so, and then it was gone. Unfortunately, it causes flash floods in some areas, but nonetheless, the locals all ran outside and were so happy!

While we were in Vegas, some major family drama erupted. Very damaging family drama. I'm feeling destroyed by this. Very nasty things were put into writing that were directed at me and Jen, and it is so very hurtful. But, as usual, we're being told to "turn the other cheek" and just move on. I have no cheeks left (face or butt...well, I WISH I didn't have as large of butt cheeks as I do... but that's a whole 'nother story). Anyway, I am not a believer of "cutting all ties" or "never talking to someone" ever again, but I'm feeling that's what's happening to me. The sad thing is, is that NO ONE will stand up for me. NO ONE. Status quo, unfortunately.

The following weekend, I had a layover in NYC and was able to meet Jen and James for brunch in their city! We went to an "upscale" Mexican restaurant, and it was delicious! After a short visit, it was time for me to go back and hit the skies again. My next night was in SLC, and I did a whole lotta nothing while I was there.

When I got back home on 8/22, I couldn't go to sleep right away. So I stayed downstairs playing on the computer. At approximately 11:45PM I heard a very weird noise and a weird shaking or "rolling." It turns out that there was a 5.3 earthquake centered near Trinidad, CO. Wow! The next morning I did a "walkabout" around the house to see if there was any damage to the house, and I found that our garage floor is now cracked. Lovely. I will have to call the insurance company (yes...we've had earthquake insurance ever since we bought this house).

With the earthquake behind me, we prepared for the hurricane - I was scheduled to fly in/out of DCA and LGA during the hurricane. Hmmmm. I wasn't too thrilled about that. First, however, I had an overnight in DCA. Fortunately, we were a day or two ahead of the storm, so I was able to enjoy a nice visit with Greg's parents and one of my longtime girlfriends, Kathy. It was so good to catch up! We visited for awhile, went out to lunch at the Olive Garden, and then it was time to go back to the hotel to get ready to fly back to Milwaukee and then on to LGA.

We (the crew) were not happy about the pending LGA trip. Mainly because, the city of New York was shutting down the entire MTA (subway and bus) system at noon on Saturday. I was really bummed - I had planned on another brunch with Jen and James, and we were going to meet up with my sister, Nancy and a longtime family friend, Sister Barbara. They were going to be in town to have lunch and see "Jersey Boys" - but everyone's plans got changed. Broadway canceled all its shows for Sat/Sun, Nancy and Sister Barbara canceled their day trip to NYC, and since the MTA was shut down, I had no way to get to see Jen and James. Our return flight was scheduled to leave at 5:49PM on Saturday night, and then the flight got canceled because the City was closing the airport at noon. Fortunately, our company put us on a flight out of NYC at 11:59AM - thank goodness! We had over 20 crew members that were being "evacuated." We were originally scheduled to go to Denver, but we eventually got there via Milwaukee! I had already decided to stay at a friend's condo north of Denver - because I was starting another 3-day trip the next day. So I got to settle in for a quiet evening with a much shorter drive.

I was so glad that this 3-day ended. It started out just fine, and then little-by-little, things started going wrong. The other two flight attendants were "picking" on me. I'm not sure what I did to tick them off, but they thought that having me do all the work was funny. One of the flight attendants fit the stereotype of a flight attendant - she was inseparable from another crew member, and she let passengers know when she thought they were attractive. A little bit of flirting is fine, but practically throwing yourself at someone is a bit harder to take. I even asked her if she wanted me to leave (she was flirting pretty heavily with the passenger in seat 1D, and yes...he was cute, but she was over-the-top), as we were getting ready to take off! Sheesh. Talk about feeling like a third wheel.

Today's trip will be with two of my classmates, so hopefully it will be much better because we'll all work well together. I just wonder who our Captain and First Officer will be. My fingers are crossed.

I am very happy that no one that I know was injured or lost any property due to either the earthquake or the flood. Let's hope that the natural disasters stop for awhile!

The Fun Continues!

On day 2 of our adventure, we called the Discovery III Riverboat to see if they  had any space for us to take the 3 hour riverboat cruise, and they said that they had a few seats, but that it didn't look promising. Not satisfied with that answer, the three of us showed up at the dock and ended up getting complimentary tickets for the tour (a $54 value). Go back to the link in the last post and look at the pictures that I added to my album.

It was a very interesting cruise. We had several times where we stopped in the river and talked with someone on the shore. The first guy was Dave Monson who owns the Trail Breaker Kennel - his wife was Susan Butcher who won the Iditarod 4 times! She passed away 5 years ago this month from cancer. It was fun watching his demo of having a dog sled team pull him in an ATV (with the engine pulled out). They are fast! I also enjoyed watching the dogs hang out on the tops of their doghouses. Our Kodi, a miniature husky, likes to do the same thing!

There was also a float plane that took off and landed, and then took off again alongside the riverboat. We passed many beautiful homes - and these are not summer homes! People up here stay here ALL YEAR. And it can get down to -60 degrees! Yowza!

We also saw a beaver doing his thing, a couple of owls just sitting on a log alongside the river, and then we spent a couple hours at the Chena River Village. At the village they showed us the typical clothing that the Athabascan wear, the different types of animal skins, and they had beautiful gardens to look at, buildings we could go into, and a pen with a bunch of sled dogs - all huskies - where we could lean over the fence and pet the cuties.

It was a fun morning! I spent the rest of the day relaxing, blogging, and taking a nap! We leave here tonight at 9:30PM and will be back in Denver at 5:30AM. Once I'm back, I'll be off work for a week for vacation!

Next adventure? I'm meeting Jen and James in Vegas on Friday, and we're going to see Celine Dion on Saturday night - her second-to-last night in Caesar's Palace!

Fun in Fairbanks!

This is my third time trying to get to Fairbanks, Alaska for a 48 hour layover...and I made it!!! One of the wonderful perks of this job.

We arrived last night at around 9:30PM, but you wouldn't have known it - it was still light out...kind of an early dusk feeling. One of the other flight attendants called ahead to make sure that we were assigned to the cabins at the hotel - they're right near the Chena River. The cabins are so cute!!

Here's a link to my photo album on Facebook - I tried downloading the pictures to this blog, but let's just say that it was a pain in the neck...! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2342076914086.137627.1314851818&l=119af651e0&type=1.

The captain and first officer brought fishing poles and they've disappeared off the face of the earth. So the flight attendants decided to go out and have fun sightseeing. So this morning we met up after breakfast and started looking for a rental car. What we didn't know is that the Army is holding some sort of exercise this week, and all the small, medium and large cars are all gone...for every rental company. There were some SUVs available as well as some pick-up trucks. We decided on an SUV - we felt it was overkill, but it was either that or sit at the hotel all day.

We started out heading to the North Pole, Alaska. It was really cute. All the stores, restaurants, etc. had candy cane striped poles holding their signs. The street lights were candy canes. The nearby Church was St. Nicholas Catholic Church. We stopped at the Santa Claus House to see what we could spend our hard earned money on, and I'm proud to say that I spent nothing. Yay! I saw a couple ornaments that I liked, but they weren't exactly what I wanted. So we took a few pictures, visited with Santa's reindeer behind the store, and headed on down the road. We were disappointed that Santa wasn't there yet - we had an hour to wait. So we moved on.

Our next stop was at a couple overlooks along the Tanana River on the way to Delta Junction. The scenery was just gorgeous. It was overcast and a bit drizzly, but we still managed to get a few great photos. We were looking for animals along the way, but all we saw was a German Shepherd!

We finally arrived at the Visitor's Center at Delta Junction. There were lots of cool displays, as well as lots of cute gifts. But again I resisted. I found the state bird of Alaska outside of the Visitor's Center - in fact, there were two of them.

It was time for lunch, so we headed back towards Fairbanks and stopped at Rika's Roadhouse in the Big Delta State Historical Park. Rika was a strong woman back in the early days and had a roadhouse that served the men who worked on the Alaska State Highway and worked on the communication systems for the military during WWII. Most of the original buildings are still there, and are now filled with antiques for our enjoyment. There is an operating restaurant that we stopped at, and I had the most incredible crab/corn chowder bisque and strawberry rhubarb pie! Delicious!

Afterwards, we drove down the road a little ways and watched as some men were working on the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline. They were tethered to the pipeline (over the river), and were adding pieces to the pipeline. It was interesting to watch as their co-workers brought a piece of metal from the yard, loaded it onto their speedboat, drove to a spot beneath the pipeline, and the guy tethered to the line lowered a line with a hook on the end. The guys on the boat attached the metal, the worker above pulled up the metal and then attached it to the pipeline. It was also fun to read the threatening signs posted near the pipeline!

As we headed back to Fairbanks, we were disappointed that we hadn't seen any wildlife! Then right outside the fence along Ellison AFB, we saw a moose! Yay!

Once back in Fairbanks, we went to "downtown" to see what it looked like. It wasn't horrible, but I think Anchorage had much nicer shops. We also walked over to Golden Heart Park and looked at the First Unknown Family statue that was erected in 1983. It was very beautiful and honored the first Inuit family. On our way back to the hotel, we dropped off the SUV and now we're without transportation, sort of. The hotel shuttle is supposed to take us wherever we want to go within Fairbanks - so we'll see what happens.

We had thought about going to the infamous Salmon Bake at the Pioneer Park - they have an unlimited buffet of Salmon, Cod and Prime Rib. Had they also had crab legs, I would have gone. But one of my co-workers doesn't eat fish, and I wasn't totally convinced that it was worth the cost...so we decided to eat at the hotel. Instead of having an Alaskan specialty, I ended up with a delicious grilled cheese sandwich!!! It was so good. After dinner, I took a walk around the local area while taking pictures (the sun had FINALLY come out), and then retired to my room.

We should have another full day of fun tomorrow before we have to take the van back to the airport at 9:30PM. It's been a fun visit, and I look forward to coming back again (and reserving a car beforehand!) - it will be a fun time!

This is the Life!

It's Thursday afternoon, and I've spent approximately the last 30 hours relaxing at my cabin in Breckenridge, CO. Nice. Very nice! Normally, I come up alone during the summer (Greg likes to come up in the winter to ski, and I used to come up with Jen until she left for college), but this time I brought two of my Frontier co-workers and one of their husbands.

We've been spending our time eating, drinking, talking, swinging in my hanging chairs, Erik went fishing, and Jenn went hiking. It's been so relaxing!

I fly again on Sunday when I do a turn to Louisville, KY and then spend the night in Chicago. Unfortunately, it's a relatively short layover and it's mostly in the morning on Monday, so I doubt I will get together with anyone. Then later that evening after I'm back in Denver, we'll head Fairbanks, Alaska for 48 hours. Unfortunately, the friend who was supposed to go with me a few weeks ago cannot come this time. So I invited my lovely daughter, Jen. But the day after the trip ends, she and I and her husband are meeting in Las Vegas for a concert. Jen wasn't thrilled about flying cross country twice in two days, so I think she'll pass on this adventure. I've invited a neighbor to join me, but she's already got plans, too. Alas, I will be going alone. One of the other flight attendants is bringing her husband, and maybe I'll be able to tag along with them.

No matter, I will have an absolutely WONDERFUL TIME during my first visit to Fairbanks, Alaska.

My last two trips were really good - I got along well with the crew, everything went well on the flights, the hotels were nice, and the layovers were just right. I'll be putting in about 97 hours this month, which includes a week's vacation during my birthday. The goal for this month is to relax and take it easy!

Finally!

I canceled my Saturday follow-up doctor's appointment because it was pointless. Why pay $25 to be told what I already know? Better yet, why go to a doctor who will tell me to make my own decision as to whether or not I go to work and how many days I am off? I want someone to tell me WHY all this keeps happening!!!

My regular doctor had done blood tests on me, and I got a call telling me that all the tests came back normal. That was so frustrating to me!

I was scheduled to go to Fairbanks, Alaska for 48 hours on a few days later, but had to cancel that trip. Arrrggghhh. I so wanted to go. But I really was still feeling lousy. So I called in sick, and decided to take the bull by the horns! I researched local allergy doctors, asked my doctor who she thinks is the best in town for allergies, and then made an appointment. Fortunately, I was able to get in fairly quickly!

I had 67 scrapes on my back and 21 shots in my arms...the final decision was that I am allergic to NOTHING! That was good news, but SO FRUSTRATING. If I have no allergies, why am I still getting sick? So the doctor ordered a CT scan of my sinuses, ordered me to do a nasal rinse twice a day, and gave me two kinds of nose sprays. The CT results came back the next day and revealed that I had an infection! Yay! Finally, a possible answer as to why I've had a post nasal drip since 4/15/11. Yippee! He then gave me an RX for an antibiotic for 21 days, and a recommendation to eat Activia each morning! So far, so good - I actually feel human again! Yay!

On a side note, when I told the doctor my issue with septic shock back in May, he said he's heard of that kind of reaction to Bactrim before...so now I'm back to thinking that all that ICU stuff was due to a bad drug reaction. That helps with all the uncertainty I've had as to what's happening to me!

Since I've been feeling better, I went back to work. I did a three-day trip to Minneapolis (went to Long Tall Sally - a tall girl store - at the Mall of America) and actually found pants that fit as well as a pair of shoes! The next night was spent in Seattle, and the highlight of that trip was having the hotel's delicious clam chowder for lunch before I had to report for duty. The final night of the trip was in Grand Rapids, Michigan at a very nice hotel. It was a short night, so I didn't do anything other than sleep! The crew on this trip was GREAT! On a couple of the flights, we were on a 320 and needed an extra flight attendant. The first one was MEAN and yelled at us over stupid things. Then we warned the second one that we didn't want to be yelled at! If she couldn't be nice to us, we wanted her to just be quiet. It worked!

I'm now on the last night of a 3-day trip that I picked up. I started out on Friday morning very early (4AM) and worked the first flight to LaGuardia in the morning. After that one leg, I was done for the day! I had made plans with Jen and James to go to dinner and a Broadway show - and that's exactly what I did! We had dinner at Southern Hospitality - a restaurant owned by Justin Timberlake. The BBQ pulled chicken is to die for, along with the BBQ baked beans and corn bread. I wish I had placed a double order and taken some home with me! It was a late night, and I had an early show this morning. Darn. I didn't want to get up. But I had to fly back to DEN and then on to San Francisco. Unfortunately, I was too tired to go out and do anything...so I sat down, intending to do some work on the internet, and I promptly FELL ASLEEP! After about an hour, I woke up - my hands were still poised above the computer keyboard! So I got up, had some dinner and now I'm getting ready to call it a very early night! The captain and one of the other flight attendants have family here, and I have a cousin who lives in Half Moon Bay, CA - but I have no idea how far away that is. Maybe next time I will give my cousin a call and see if she's available for lunch.

Next up, I am off until 8/7 when I fly to FAIRBANKS, Alaska for 48 hours! Yippee! I was able to trade my trip for a FAI trip, and I am so excited! This being a lineholder thing is pretty awesome! I can trade trips, drop trips, and even pick up trips off the tradeboard. A bit of control in my everyday life and I'm LOVING IT.

I am actually starting to fall asleep as I write this, so I am going to call it a night and go to bed!

Not Again!

I am sick again. At least I didn't end up in the ICU this time. I now have bronchitis - I was able to do my double Portland overnight trip. It was a great trip, aside from the fact that I felt horrible.

I enjoyed spending time with my former employee, Laura, on my first afternoon in Portland. She took me downtown where we had dinner at Jake's - delicious fish and chips! I love how they've taken old buildings and found new uses for them. Laura is a published author of walking tour books, so on a future visit I hope to have the time to have her take me on a guided walk!

The second layover was a bit longer, and I stayed put. The furthest I ventured out was to the "Hot Pot Sushi Spot" - a sushi restaurant that has a conveyor belt with the selections passing by you! The color of the plate determines the price of the sushi - you just take the plate off the conveyor belt, eat it, then grab another. At the end, they'll add up your plates and that's what you pay! I have to see if we have a restaurant like that here in Colorado Springs! Of course, I had to finish off the meal with a visit to Yo! Yogurt next door. Then I went to bed at 6:30PM. Yes...you read that correctly. I drugged myself up so that I could sleep. The previous night, all I could hear was the rattling and rasping of my chest - and that was with earplugs. This night I wanted to sleep. And I did!

I left the trip earlier than the rest of the crew - they had a 2 1/2 hour sit in Denver and then a Las Vegas turn, and I got to go home. And not a moment too soon! I was feeling horrid. I called my doctor's office using our "secret code" - and I got an appointment for the next day. The girl who answered the phone offered me an appointment for August 15. I told her I'd be dead by then.

My next trip was a 3-day starting tomorrow - I was looking forward to going to Minneapolis, where I was going to spend Friday morning at the Mall of America trying on anything and everything in my size! It's probably a good thing that my doctor grounded me! Then Friday night I had a short layover in Los Angeles - not even enough time to run over to Trader Joe's for my Multiseed Soy Crackers. Yummy!

I have a follow-up at the doctor's office on Saturday - that visit will determine if I get to go to Fairbanks, Alaska on Monday for a 48 hour layover. I have mixed feelings - I want to be 100% healthy before I go, and I'm not sure that I'll be able to pull that off by Monday. I was bringing a friend with me on the trip, but now there are only 2 empty seats. There are too many variables right now...I just want to feel better!

Back to Portland - the second night, my hotel room faced Mt. St. Helen's. Awesome! Laura told me all about how you can go up to the top of the crater, but have to watch your footing - someone stepped into some ash that was deeper than expected and he fell into the crater. Yikes! What a way to go! I also took an incredible picture of Mt. Hood as we were flying into town, and maybe one of these days I'll post it to this blog and to Facebook.

My last flight back to Denver with the crew was on an Airbus 320, which means that we have an extra flight attendant. Our fourth was a girl named, Kelly - but I call her "Sunshine." She calls me "Number 1." After we did the safety demo, the passenger in 12C told Sunshine and Kari that they needed to do their safety demos more like me - fluid hands, animation, etc. I don't think Sunshine appreciated the comment, but Kari told me all about it! Hahahahaha! I just wish the guy would write a nice letter saying how wonderful I am. Ha! It's a good thing I don't do this job for the written accolades! I do it because I am good at it, and I have fun! Even when I feel like ca-ca.

Well, I guess that's all there is to say for now. I need to find out my flying fate. My last paycheck was for a whopping $12.50 and that won't go very far. I need to catch up! But I can't do it if I can't breathe!!!