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.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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!
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!
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!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
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!
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!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
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!!!
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!!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Wait is Over!
I was released from medical leave on June 11th. My June schedule was blank, except for my vacation that was scheduled for June 23-30. The head of the Crew Planning Department told me that I needed to pick up an additional 19 hours and 18 minutes of flying from open time to complete my June schedule. Wow - that's just like being a lineholder!
Then I was told that I missed the deadline to be included in the July bid, and all my classmates ACTUALLY GOT LINES! Woo hoo! I asked the head of Crew Planning what my situation is, and he said that I could choose to be on reserve, or I could BUILD MY OWN SCHEDULE with at least 60 hours from open time. OMG. I'm officially a lineholder! It only took 3 years and 10 months. I am in shock.
Then I was told that I missed the deadline to be included in the July bid, and all my classmates ACTUALLY GOT LINES! Woo hoo! I asked the head of Crew Planning what my situation is, and he said that I could choose to be on reserve, or I could BUILD MY OWN SCHEDULE with at least 60 hours from open time. OMG. I'm officially a lineholder! It only took 3 years and 10 months. I am in shock.
So I picked up 60 hours of trips off of open time, then I picked up a trip or two off the trade board. Then I swapped a trip or two for other trips in open time, and right now I'm waiting for someone to give me a 48 hour layover in Fairbanks, Alaska for a 3-day. But she hasn't approved the trade yet...I'm not sure what she's waiting for. A friend wants to go with me, but I will need an answer soon in order to for my friend to get time off from work.
After I did my 4-day, I focused full-time on Jen's wedding. All the events - bachelorette party, bridal shower, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception, and brunch went off without a hitch! My little girl was absolutely beautiful!
Jen modeling her gown for the photographer in the bridal suite before the ceremony.
Casey (the best man) escorting me to my seat before the ceremony.
Brittany (the bridesmaid and cousin of the bride) coming down the aisle.
Valerie, the maid of honor (and bride's best friend).
Greg escorting his daughter down the aisle.
The outdoor ceremony with Pike's Peak in the background.
After the guests left and Jen and James left on their honeymoon, it was time to go back to "normal life." I had a three-day trip scheduled starting on 7/1 and had an absolute blast on the trip! Why? I had a great crew. The A flight attendant (Nichole) was one of our new hires that helped push me up the seniority ladder, the B (Bridgette) was a wonderful lady I last flew with back when I started and the CPT and FO were very nice - Chris and Jason. We all just hit it off and had lots of laughs!
As usual, the passengers picked up on the fact that we were enjoying our jobs! We got lots of compliments...but wouldn't it be nice if just one of those people put it in writing?!?!? We also had our share of screaming babies/toddlers. I managed to quiet a couple by telling the kids, "Shhhhhh! You are waking up the babies!" One mom, however, told me that her kid was ONLY 1 and doesn't know any better. She said that she just lets him scream! Are you kidding me? I told her that none of the passengers sitting around her want to hear her child screaming for all or even a part of the trip! I was shocked. Fortunately, the kid was awesome and did not make another peep!
Our first night was spent in Nashville, TN - we got there really late in the evening and got to sleep in the next morning. I knew that there was an Irish Dancing competition at the Gaylord Hotel downtown, but I chose to stay in my nice COLD hotel room, looking out the window at the crowded swimming pool. I really don't remember how I passed the time...but it flew fairly quickly.
Our next night was in Seattle, WA. Again, we arrived late, but this time we had a morning show time. Not my favorite! I used to be a real morning person, but after having been on this job for 46 months, I really prefer going to bed and waking up without an alarm clock. BUT, that was not to be. We flew back to Denver, and then had over a two-hour sit until we did our "victory lap" to Indianapolis. Let's just say that NONE of us wanted to do that trip, but we had no choice. So the CPT and FO asked us to rate their landings to break up the monotony of the victory lap. I gave the landing in IND a 9.8 - it was pretty awesome! Then I gave a 9.8 for the landing back in DEN, too. We actually arrived 30 minutes early, and while we were waiting for a gate, the CPT called us and asked us to give him the scores. So I wrote a note saying, "It was a tie! You both were awarded 9.8". But then I had a change of heart...I sent another note deducting .5 points from the second landing due to the fact that we were still sitting on the taxiway waiting for a gate! You could hear the CPT and FO laughing at the first note, and then REALLY laughing at the second note! It turns out that they had a wager going...they're flying together all this month, and the loser had to bring the beef jerky and sunflower seeds for their next trip! I think the FO won.
I don't fly again until Saturday, and then I'll do two layovers in Portland, OR. It is SO NICE knowing when I'm flying and where I'm going! I've even gotten in touch with a former employee from my Yellowstone National Park days - we're going to have an early dinner on Saturday night!
Soon, we'll get to bid for our August line. I have been playing around with bidding for individual trips that I'd like as well as days off that I'd like. It will be interesting to see what I end up with since I'll be at the bottom of the lineholder list! Stay tuned!
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