I am still sitting on that luxurious bed in my hotel in Orange County, CA - but I did get off it long enough to take a hotel van ride to Trader Joe's and back! I had to look around, but I finally found my Multiseed Soy Crackers - 35 crackers = 110 calories. You can't beat that!
I just got a call from the Captain - we are leaving the hotel at 3PM instead of 2PM. The plane coming in from Denver just left. It was delayed about an hour due to the blowing snow and ice in Denver. But they are now off the ground and on their way!
This is such a nice hotel - we're in the suites section, so we have a bon-bon sofa, a cocktail table, a small eating table with two chairs, a small fridge, sink, microwave, desk, armoire with a tv in it! There's also a nice jetted tub in the bathroom...I have to remember to bring my sea salts with me...
This has been a great morning - and now I've got time for a quick nap!!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
California Dreamin'
As I write this, I am sitting on my luxurious bed in Orange County, CA. I will soon be getting up and heading to Trader Joe's to pick up my favorite soy cracker in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! We're leaving this afternoon and heading back to Denver...and then on to Kansas City tonight! Provided, of course, that the "blizzard" that is on its way doesn't change those plans. We'll see! After the east coast getting slammed, I feel that Denver is overdue for a blizzard.
My v-file at work (my folder in a filing cabinet - we each have one) had several holiday greetings from my fellow flight attendants, a cute little "glow in the dark" hand sanitizer, and a yummy bag of holiday snacks! But...it was missing some trinkets that a fellow FA left there for me that he had picked up in DAY. So sad. A few months ago another friend left a NYC MetroCard in my v-file, and it was gone before I got there. And just a couple weeks ago, a fellow FA found a hole in her plastic bag of food that she had placed in the crewroom refrigerator - some of it had been taken. Really? I'm thinking that we all need to contemplate the following quote - "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one's looking." I wish we could weed out the bad ones and then we'll all be one big happy, HONEST family again! :) A girl can dream, can't she?
Last night's flight to Orange County was interesting. Great crew. Weird passengers. One guy came on and I asked him, "How are you doing this evening?" and he replied, "Not well at all. I have the flu and I've already thrown up a couple times." Really? Is he kidding me? I told him that he shouldn't be flying if he's ill - I'm fully expecting to get the flu in a mere 3 days from now. :( And, of course, those will be my days off. Butthead. I told the Captain about this guy, and he wanted him off. So we set the wheels in motion. A gate supervisor came on board just a few minutes before departure, and when I told him what was going on, he told me that he can't remove a passenger from the aircraft for being sick. WHAT?!?!?! Excuse me? He spoke with the Captain, who was just as upset as I was, and then spoke with the passenger. Get this...the passenger tells the supervisor that he is a DOCTOR and he'll be alright. A DOCTOR? With no brain, obviously. I gave the supervisor a mask to give to the passenger, and asked him to tell the passenger to wear it during the entire flight. And did he? Nope. I think some passengers check their brains at the security checkpoint.
Towards the end of the flight we had some severe turbulence, and not everyone was in their seats (the seatbelt sign had just been turned on for our initial descent). I saw one older lady in the aisle and passengers around her were holding on to her. When I got back to her, she requested a bandaid...she had bruised her hand somehow during the turbulence, and a small cut was bleeding. She was a sweet thing. So I bandaged her up and sent her on her way. The Captain had not seen/heard that that turbulence was coming, so he called back to us after it happened to make sure that we were all okay. I think my feet did leave the floor at one point, but I was fine, as were my co-workers. And this was over CALIFORNIA, not nearing Denver as it usually is.
One of my co-workers this flight is Tui - the really nice FA from the "Undercover Boss" episode. He is very involved in our new "Culture Club" - trying to get that "family feeling" back for all of our airlines that are now one. It's a long road, because we each have our own planes, our own work rules, and our own pay scales. We also stay in different quality hotels (though I hear that is changing), and we have different uniforms. I was so glad to hear that E.C. (one of my classmates) is involved in the group! I have high hopes that the group will head in the right direction. To announce the group, the marketing department created a video about "Why We Fly" and it perfectly described me. I would post it here, but it is on a company website and can't be shared.
I guess I'd better get moving, make some breakfast, and head over to Trader Joe's!
My v-file at work (my folder in a filing cabinet - we each have one) had several holiday greetings from my fellow flight attendants, a cute little "glow in the dark" hand sanitizer, and a yummy bag of holiday snacks! But...it was missing some trinkets that a fellow FA left there for me that he had picked up in DAY. So sad. A few months ago another friend left a NYC MetroCard in my v-file, and it was gone before I got there. And just a couple weeks ago, a fellow FA found a hole in her plastic bag of food that she had placed in the crewroom refrigerator - some of it had been taken. Really? I'm thinking that we all need to contemplate the following quote - "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one's looking." I wish we could weed out the bad ones and then we'll all be one big happy, HONEST family again! :) A girl can dream, can't she?
Last night's flight to Orange County was interesting. Great crew. Weird passengers. One guy came on and I asked him, "How are you doing this evening?" and he replied, "Not well at all. I have the flu and I've already thrown up a couple times." Really? Is he kidding me? I told him that he shouldn't be flying if he's ill - I'm fully expecting to get the flu in a mere 3 days from now. :( And, of course, those will be my days off. Butthead. I told the Captain about this guy, and he wanted him off. So we set the wheels in motion. A gate supervisor came on board just a few minutes before departure, and when I told him what was going on, he told me that he can't remove a passenger from the aircraft for being sick. WHAT?!?!?! Excuse me? He spoke with the Captain, who was just as upset as I was, and then spoke with the passenger. Get this...the passenger tells the supervisor that he is a DOCTOR and he'll be alright. A DOCTOR? With no brain, obviously. I gave the supervisor a mask to give to the passenger, and asked him to tell the passenger to wear it during the entire flight. And did he? Nope. I think some passengers check their brains at the security checkpoint.
Towards the end of the flight we had some severe turbulence, and not everyone was in their seats (the seatbelt sign had just been turned on for our initial descent). I saw one older lady in the aisle and passengers around her were holding on to her. When I got back to her, she requested a bandaid...she had bruised her hand somehow during the turbulence, and a small cut was bleeding. She was a sweet thing. So I bandaged her up and sent her on her way. The Captain had not seen/heard that that turbulence was coming, so he called back to us after it happened to make sure that we were all okay. I think my feet did leave the floor at one point, but I was fine, as were my co-workers. And this was over CALIFORNIA, not nearing Denver as it usually is.
One of my co-workers this flight is Tui - the really nice FA from the "Undercover Boss" episode. He is very involved in our new "Culture Club" - trying to get that "family feeling" back for all of our airlines that are now one. It's a long road, because we each have our own planes, our own work rules, and our own pay scales. We also stay in different quality hotels (though I hear that is changing), and we have different uniforms. I was so glad to hear that E.C. (one of my classmates) is involved in the group! I have high hopes that the group will head in the right direction. To announce the group, the marketing department created a video about "Why We Fly" and it perfectly described me. I would post it here, but it is on a company website and can't be shared.
I guess I'd better get moving, make some breakfast, and head over to Trader Joe's!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Random Thoughts
I have learned that a 4-day trip with early show times is hard. The same with an early couch sit one day, a 3-day trip with early show times, followed by a DCA turn with an early show time. That's what I did last week!
This week, I started out with the Noon-6PM couch. And now I'm on a 4-day trip with show times that are pretty early - except for today's. I have to be downstairs for the van to the Detroit airport by 5:15AM, which is 3:15AM Denver time. OUCH. But after flying back to Denver, I will be flying on to Ft. Lauderdale. Nice, huh? I lucked into that trip.
It's been interesting around the crewroom. The company is using a new scheduling program, and January was the first month. Tons of flight attendants are angry because their schedules aren't what they wanted. But if you listen closely, those same flight attendants will admit that they DID NOT do the online video training, nor did they attend one of the training classes. Hmmmm. Sounds to me like they got what they deserved! I have no sympathy. At least they got a line. There are 6 low seniority flight attendants who actually got lines this month - some of them didn't even know it until I told them on Facebook! Lucky ducks!
For the first time in our company's history, we received a Christmas bonus! Yay! But there were still unhappy people - it wasn't enough, why did they have to take taxes out, how come I only got half, etc. etc. Can't people be happy about their good fortune?
Since it's the holidays, I've been wearing my "holiday" apron when I do service. Years ago, someone got me a snowman apron from Old Navy. So I wore it for the first time last week - the passengers love it! It's a fun way to celebrate!
There are lots and lots of unaccompanied minors on our planes. The flight coming in from Ft. Lauderdale had seven and we had three. Tis the season. But it's so sad when it's a little 5 year old...the older ones know how the game is played, and they know what they're entitled to and how to go about getting it. :)
Since I am starting to fall asleep as I type this, I guess I'd better take advantage of the situation and call it a night...4:30AM will be here before I know it!
This week, I started out with the Noon-6PM couch. And now I'm on a 4-day trip with show times that are pretty early - except for today's. I have to be downstairs for the van to the Detroit airport by 5:15AM, which is 3:15AM Denver time. OUCH. But after flying back to Denver, I will be flying on to Ft. Lauderdale. Nice, huh? I lucked into that trip.
It's been interesting around the crewroom. The company is using a new scheduling program, and January was the first month. Tons of flight attendants are angry because their schedules aren't what they wanted. But if you listen closely, those same flight attendants will admit that they DID NOT do the online video training, nor did they attend one of the training classes. Hmmmm. Sounds to me like they got what they deserved! I have no sympathy. At least they got a line. There are 6 low seniority flight attendants who actually got lines this month - some of them didn't even know it until I told them on Facebook! Lucky ducks!
For the first time in our company's history, we received a Christmas bonus! Yay! But there were still unhappy people - it wasn't enough, why did they have to take taxes out, how come I only got half, etc. etc. Can't people be happy about their good fortune?
Since it's the holidays, I've been wearing my "holiday" apron when I do service. Years ago, someone got me a snowman apron from Old Navy. So I wore it for the first time last week - the passengers love it! It's a fun way to celebrate!
There are lots and lots of unaccompanied minors on our planes. The flight coming in from Ft. Lauderdale had seven and we had three. Tis the season. But it's so sad when it's a little 5 year old...the older ones know how the game is played, and they know what they're entitled to and how to go about getting it. :)
Since I am starting to fall asleep as I type this, I guess I'd better take advantage of the situation and call it a night...4:30AM will be here before I know it!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Exhaustion
I got to sit the couch on Sunday from 6AM until 2PM - at least crew scheduling told me that I was staying late early on during my shift. I slept for 2 hours when I got there at 5:30AM, ate a McDonald's sausage McMuffin with egg, walked around the concourse for awhile, visited with friends, slept another 1 1/2 hours, and then it was time to go home!
The fun began when I got called later that day. Crew scheduling assigned me to a nice 3-day trip starting early the next morning. But when I looked at my destinations, I realized that I'd be flying coast-to-coast two days in a row!
I started out in Denver and did a round-trip to Portland, OR with one crew. Going there, the overheads were filled with suitcases, bags and coats, and the seats were filled with passengers. On the way back, the seats were still filled, but they carried much less onboard. I love those kinds of flights! When we returned to Denver, the rest of the crew was done for the day, but I stayed on board waiting for my next crew that was coming in from Minneapolis. One of the flight attendants was my good friend, Jenn! It's always nice to be able to fly with your friends - it doesn't happen often enough!
But the sad thing is that we flew to New York's LaGuardia, and I had to leave on a 7:20AM van to go to the airport with yet another crew! Meantime, my current crew didn't have to leave until early in the afternoon. Bummer! But after flying coast-to-coast, I sure earned a good night's sleep!
On today's flight, I returned to Denver, lost two flight attendants, and then gained another two - and on we went to Seattle for the night! Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for the company, we had only 80 passengers on a 162-seat plane. Sad, but I needed the break! On the flight from LaGuardia to Denver, I spoke with a young woman who seemed very interested in becoming a flight attendant! She was on my next flight to Seattle, too, and I got her email address so that I could correspond with her and let her know when Frontier starts hiring again (if ever).
There was also a guy from NYC who had a fun time teasing me and the other flight attendants about us being from Colorado - and after talking to him and giving him a can of soda and seconds, what does he do? Get up and go to the bathroom before we reach the gate - at a time when the Captain would have to NOT move the plane because someone was out of their seat. Of all people... :(
I also met a woman on the last flight who told me that she used to be a flight attendant many years ago. And next she told me that, "...way back then they used to weigh us every week. Obviously, they don't do that any longer." Hmmmmm. I think I should be offended!
Then I had a couple try and take advantage of Frontier. Our company policy is to give free TV to any soldier, in uniform or not, as long as they present a military ID. The husband said that his wife had not yet gotten her TV. It wasn't indicated on my paperwork that she was supposed to get it, and I asked them to show me a receipt. They couldn't, but then she mentioned how she was in the military. She showed me an ID card, but kept her fingers covering part of the card. Interesting. It didn't look like the typical ID card, so I asked to take a closer look. Well...she is a contractor for the Army - in other words, she works at the commissary! I told her that she is NOT a member of the military - she insisted that she was! I then told her that my hubby had been in the military for five years, and that she is NOT a soldier. Her husband later apologized me for the "misunderstanding." Shame on them. Here we are doing something nice for our service members, and she decides to take advantage and tries to pass herself off as something she's not. Tsk tsk tsk. Bad karma will follow them.
We got to Seattle and headed to the hotel in 40 degree temps - after sitting in the room for a little while and sipping a caffeine-free Diet Coke (my afternoon drink of choice), I decided it was time to head downstairs to the bar for my bowl of New England Clam Chowder. YUMMY. It was SO DELICIOUS. I could have had another bowl. Nice.
Now it's time to start winding down. I'm exhausted after flying coast-to-coast two days in a row. Tomorrow I fly back to Denver - and wonder what I'll end up doing. I am still on duty on Thursday, so they could give me a two-day trip. But I won't know until after I return to Denver. This is one of the bad sides of being on reserve...not knowing what the future holds.
Speaking of which, a rumor I heard has been confirmed by a reliable source. I was told that Frontier does not plan on hiring any flight attendants in 2011. I am so very bummed. I had been told in October that we'd be hiring early next year, and that there was hope for me to get off reserve. But today's rumor conversation blows that out of the water. What do I do now? Continue the life of a reserve flight attendant? Quit and get my life back? I just don't know. I don't want to leave, but I really wish I had more control over my life. What to do? What to do?
The fun began when I got called later that day. Crew scheduling assigned me to a nice 3-day trip starting early the next morning. But when I looked at my destinations, I realized that I'd be flying coast-to-coast two days in a row!
I started out in Denver and did a round-trip to Portland, OR with one crew. Going there, the overheads were filled with suitcases, bags and coats, and the seats were filled with passengers. On the way back, the seats were still filled, but they carried much less onboard. I love those kinds of flights! When we returned to Denver, the rest of the crew was done for the day, but I stayed on board waiting for my next crew that was coming in from Minneapolis. One of the flight attendants was my good friend, Jenn! It's always nice to be able to fly with your friends - it doesn't happen often enough!
But the sad thing is that we flew to New York's LaGuardia, and I had to leave on a 7:20AM van to go to the airport with yet another crew! Meantime, my current crew didn't have to leave until early in the afternoon. Bummer! But after flying coast-to-coast, I sure earned a good night's sleep!
On today's flight, I returned to Denver, lost two flight attendants, and then gained another two - and on we went to Seattle for the night! Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for the company, we had only 80 passengers on a 162-seat plane. Sad, but I needed the break! On the flight from LaGuardia to Denver, I spoke with a young woman who seemed very interested in becoming a flight attendant! She was on my next flight to Seattle, too, and I got her email address so that I could correspond with her and let her know when Frontier starts hiring again (if ever).
There was also a guy from NYC who had a fun time teasing me and the other flight attendants about us being from Colorado - and after talking to him and giving him a can of soda and seconds, what does he do? Get up and go to the bathroom before we reach the gate - at a time when the Captain would have to NOT move the plane because someone was out of their seat. Of all people... :(
I also met a woman on the last flight who told me that she used to be a flight attendant many years ago. And next she told me that, "...way back then they used to weigh us every week. Obviously, they don't do that any longer." Hmmmmm. I think I should be offended!
Then I had a couple try and take advantage of Frontier. Our company policy is to give free TV to any soldier, in uniform or not, as long as they present a military ID. The husband said that his wife had not yet gotten her TV. It wasn't indicated on my paperwork that she was supposed to get it, and I asked them to show me a receipt. They couldn't, but then she mentioned how she was in the military. She showed me an ID card, but kept her fingers covering part of the card. Interesting. It didn't look like the typical ID card, so I asked to take a closer look. Well...she is a contractor for the Army - in other words, she works at the commissary! I told her that she is NOT a member of the military - she insisted that she was! I then told her that my hubby had been in the military for five years, and that she is NOT a soldier. Her husband later apologized me for the "misunderstanding." Shame on them. Here we are doing something nice for our service members, and she decides to take advantage and tries to pass herself off as something she's not. Tsk tsk tsk. Bad karma will follow them.
We got to Seattle and headed to the hotel in 40 degree temps - after sitting in the room for a little while and sipping a caffeine-free Diet Coke (my afternoon drink of choice), I decided it was time to head downstairs to the bar for my bowl of New England Clam Chowder. YUMMY. It was SO DELICIOUS. I could have had another bowl. Nice.
Now it's time to start winding down. I'm exhausted after flying coast-to-coast two days in a row. Tomorrow I fly back to Denver - and wonder what I'll end up doing. I am still on duty on Thursday, so they could give me a two-day trip. But I won't know until after I return to Denver. This is one of the bad sides of being on reserve...not knowing what the future holds.
Speaking of which, a rumor I heard has been confirmed by a reliable source. I was told that Frontier does not plan on hiring any flight attendants in 2011. I am so very bummed. I had been told in October that we'd be hiring early next year, and that there was hope for me to get off reserve. But today's rumor conversation blows that out of the water. What do I do now? Continue the life of a reserve flight attendant? Quit and get my life back? I just don't know. I don't want to leave, but I really wish I had more control over my life. What to do? What to do?
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
In the Nick of Time...
Just when I was starting to melt down, due to the stress of everyday life and being on reserve for 3+ years, I get handed the golden egg - a 15.5 hour layover in Orange County, CA! This is one of the nicest hotels that we stay at, there are palm trees, and the weather is nice. Not to mention the Trader Joe's and In-N-Out within 3 miles!
Originally, I had hoped to see my daughter's future mother-in-law, but she was tied up with work - imagine that. Tied up on a weekday with work! Then I realized that my BFF from my Chicago days lives within 5 minutes of the hotel...so I gave her a call and left a message. She called back and hopes that her work schedule allows her to get together for brunch! These SoCal ladies sure work alot!!!
So it's now after midnight, I'm sure, and I made the mistake of turning on the TV...and there's Taye Diggs dancing in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Mighty fine! But I'm going to have to turn it off and go to sleep!
I am off duty for three days after I get home...and then the stretches of five and six duty days at a time start. Let the holidays begin!
Originally, I had hoped to see my daughter's future mother-in-law, but she was tied up with work - imagine that. Tied up on a weekday with work! Then I realized that my BFF from my Chicago days lives within 5 minutes of the hotel...so I gave her a call and left a message. She called back and hopes that her work schedule allows her to get together for brunch! These SoCal ladies sure work alot!!!
So it's now after midnight, I'm sure, and I made the mistake of turning on the TV...and there's Taye Diggs dancing in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Mighty fine! But I'm going to have to turn it off and go to sleep!
I am off duty for three days after I get home...and then the stretches of five and six duty days at a time start. Let the holidays begin!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Back to LaGuardia!
This month has been pretty slow from a reserve flight attendant's point of view. I sat the couch FIVE times - and those were all within 17 days. But...I'm not complaining. It's so nice having a break from the non-stop flying that the poor reserves have been subjected to over the past several months. And...December is coming!
After my Ft. Lauderdale mini-vacay, I had a couple days off and a couple couch sits. Then I lucked out and got a three-day trip for my last three days of duty in the month of November. And it was a good trip, too! We started out flying to Milwaukee, and then flew to New York's LaGuardia for a 17 hour layover! And you know what I did during that layover, don't you? I got to trek to Jen's apartment to spend a little time with her and my grandpuppy, Liza! THESE are the perks of this job that I love.
Now I'm in my Seattle hotel room - it's cold and rainy outside, warm and cozy inside! We'll be leaving in the early afternoon to head back to Denver...and to my FIVE days off!
On this trip, I am the B flight attendant - not my favorite position, I've learned. Part of the reason is that it is so isolated from the passenger and the flight deck crew. I prefer to be in "the thick of things." It keeps me entertained and keeps me going!
Every once in awhile, a passenger or two will come to the back galley to visit. Most flight attendants do not like these "visitors," but I usually welcome it. Last night I visited with a Mom and her almost nine-year-old daughter. The Mom would love to be a flight attendant, but she is only 5'1". Bummer. We kidded around about ways that we could "stretch" her out for the measure portion of an interview! I think she's make a great flight attendant.
And, of course, my fellow flight attendants provide all sorts of entertainment. Trying to guess, "what's coming next" from a flight attendant who doesn't necessarily follow "the rules" when it comes to providing service, to those ladies/men with fun stories to tell! It surely keeps a person entertained! And, of course, I've been known to tell a fun story or two...
After my Ft. Lauderdale mini-vacay, I had a couple days off and a couple couch sits. Then I lucked out and got a three-day trip for my last three days of duty in the month of November. And it was a good trip, too! We started out flying to Milwaukee, and then flew to New York's LaGuardia for a 17 hour layover! And you know what I did during that layover, don't you? I got to trek to Jen's apartment to spend a little time with her and my grandpuppy, Liza! THESE are the perks of this job that I love.
Now I'm in my Seattle hotel room - it's cold and rainy outside, warm and cozy inside! We'll be leaving in the early afternoon to head back to Denver...and to my FIVE days off!
On this trip, I am the B flight attendant - not my favorite position, I've learned. Part of the reason is that it is so isolated from the passenger and the flight deck crew. I prefer to be in "the thick of things." It keeps me entertained and keeps me going!
Every once in awhile, a passenger or two will come to the back galley to visit. Most flight attendants do not like these "visitors," but I usually welcome it. Last night I visited with a Mom and her almost nine-year-old daughter. The Mom would love to be a flight attendant, but she is only 5'1". Bummer. We kidded around about ways that we could "stretch" her out for the measure portion of an interview! I think she's make a great flight attendant.
And, of course, my fellow flight attendants provide all sorts of entertainment. Trying to guess, "what's coming next" from a flight attendant who doesn't necessarily follow "the rules" when it comes to providing service, to those ladies/men with fun stories to tell! It surely keeps a person entertained! And, of course, I've been known to tell a fun story or two...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
At the Beach...
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| In the living room, looking down the hall. |
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| The view you'd see if you sit on the toilet! |
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| Looking from the hallway into the living room. |
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| The view when you sit on the sofa. |
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| The view as you look down the hall towards the entrance. |
It was an adventurous trip getting here - our original plane had a fuel leak in one of the engines. One of the ramp people saw it, and we were sent back to the gate. Thank God. That could have been disastrous. The mechanics could not find the fuel leak source, so we ended up getting a new plane. But before that, the Captain got on the P.A. and told everyone what was happening - because of that, everyone stayed pretty calm. They also realized that we weren't going to fly on any plane that wasn't safe.
Prior to this trip, I got an overnight in Orange County - I went with another flight attendant to Trader Joe's and In-N-Out burger. Delish! I had a good talk with the other flight attendant - Erika. She was just elected our first AFA (Association of Flight Attendants) Union President. She's got a good head on her shoulders.
I recently learned that one of my classmates from training and another in the class after me have left the company. :( And then I found that another of my classmates is leaving the company in early December. How sad! I guess they just can't wait any longer for the company to start hiring new flight attendants so that we can get off reserve.
In the meantime, I will be happy to take the Ft. Lauderdale trips, the 24-hour New York City layovers and the 18-hour Washington, DC layovers!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Physically Healthy, But Maybe Not Mentally...
I ended up going to the doctor's office again, and this time I saw my regular doctor. And she gave me drugs because I had bronchitis. And she told me to stay home for another five days. That meant that I wouldn't be back at work until Monday, November 1st.
I wasn't thrilled, because I had been biting at the bit and wanted to hit the road again. It ended up happening before I expected...I had to make an emergency trip to Virginia to deal with an issue at my brother's home in southern Virginia. I spent three days talking, listening, and ended up having to seek some help from our company-sponsored counseling service. I was just a bit overwhelmed. And I still am.
The one thing I know for a fact, you can't change what you don't acknowledge (thank you, Dr. Phil).
After three days of mixed emotions and confusion, I headed to NYC to check in early for my dogsitting assignment. Jen and James had been invited to a wedding in Baltimore (that they're attending right now as I write this), and they asked if I could dogsit for Liza for the weekend. If I didn't have free flight benefits, that would not have been an option. But this is just what I needed...a nice, relaxing time with my grandpuppy.
Today was the first full day that they've been out of town, and Liza and I decided to sleep in until 6:45AM. Yahoo! We've gone on "potty walks" several times, I went out to the Saturday Flea Market, watched people on Broadway by Macy's, looked at the Christmas windows at Macy's (isn't it TOO EARLY for Christmas windows??!?!?), and got a few groceries (the new Lean Cuisine pasta "steam-in-the-bag" is delicious).
Tomorrow, I am have a late lunch/early dinner with one of Jen's friends whom I also know. Other than that, I'm going to enjoy the last bit of peace and quiet...ahhhhhhh.
I wasn't thrilled, because I had been biting at the bit and wanted to hit the road again. It ended up happening before I expected...I had to make an emergency trip to Virginia to deal with an issue at my brother's home in southern Virginia. I spent three days talking, listening, and ended up having to seek some help from our company-sponsored counseling service. I was just a bit overwhelmed. And I still am.
The one thing I know for a fact, you can't change what you don't acknowledge (thank you, Dr. Phil).
After three days of mixed emotions and confusion, I headed to NYC to check in early for my dogsitting assignment. Jen and James had been invited to a wedding in Baltimore (that they're attending right now as I write this), and they asked if I could dogsit for Liza for the weekend. If I didn't have free flight benefits, that would not have been an option. But this is just what I needed...a nice, relaxing time with my grandpuppy.
Today was the first full day that they've been out of town, and Liza and I decided to sleep in until 6:45AM. Yahoo! We've gone on "potty walks" several times, I went out to the Saturday Flea Market, watched people on Broadway by Macy's, looked at the Christmas windows at Macy's (isn't it TOO EARLY for Christmas windows??!?!?), and got a few groceries (the new Lean Cuisine pasta "steam-in-the-bag" is delicious).
Tomorrow, I am have a late lunch/early dinner with one of Jen's friends whom I also know. Other than that, I'm going to enjoy the last bit of peace and quiet...ahhhhhhh.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Under the Weather...Again!
I haven't flown since 10/11-12 when I went to Minneapolis for a night. Why? Cause I'm grounded. Not by the FAA, but by me. My head has been stuffed since 10/13 and I've got an AWESOME cough! Woo hoo! It's fun to sneak up behind someone who's been a butthead to you, and let out a deep resonating cough! People actually run away from you!
Walt DisneyWorld has their wedding planning down to an art. Everything was beautiful, went smoothly, and the wedding cake was DELICIOUS. Probably the best wedding cake that I've ever tasted!
Jen was able to join us at the wedding of her cousin, and she and Lindsey's sister, Brittany, got to spend some quality time hanging out in the parks! Greg and his parents spent the day after the wedding at Epcot, and I found myself some nice shade and spent the day relaxing!
When I came back from Florida, I got assigned to an overnight in Minneapolis, MN. I LOVE the hotel there, and was able to hitch a ride on the hotel van to go to the Mall of America. And guess what I did there? I went to the new "Long Tall Sally" store - the new version of the "Tall Girl" store. It was SO NICE to fondle the clothing, try things on that were too long for me, and just see things up close. Ahhhh. It is the ONLY store in the USA where I can try on tall clothing. We had an early morning show for Tuesday, and I got released at 7:30AM - WOW! An extra day "off!"
On Wednesday, I had my annual recurrent training from 8AM until 5:30PM at the General Office in Denver. Only one other reserve flight attendant was in my class - my good friend, EC! We both passed the door drills, the emergency equipment review, the CPR and self-defense testing...we're ready for another year, hopefully NOT on reserve! The Director of Inflight spoke to us during lunch, and told us that there will probably be a new hire flight attendant class in May, 2011. I had grabbed ahold of EC's hand before this "announcement," hoping that she was going to give a date in 2010. So I was kind of disappointed. Oh well...life goes on.
As usual, I had fun during training - it's a nice reminder of WHAT I'm supposed to be doing, and now that I'm really comfortable in my job, I always have some extra space in my brain to pick up and remember something that I had forgotten!
After my training day, I had four whole days off! BUT...I was sick as a dog for all those days. Then on my first duty day, I went to the doctor and got a note excusing me from work for the next six duty days. Today is day five of those six days. I'm doing a lot better than I was...but my head is still stuffy, my cough is amazing and I'll be going back to work on Monday.
I'll be spending my last few days of sick leave repacking my suitcase, doing laundry, maybe even raking leaves if the weather (and my breathing) cooperate. I'll also do a bit of TV watching, while muting ALL the political campaign ads. I'll be so glad for all this to be over!
But I do have to say that before I came down with this latest malady, I had a wonderful few days in Florida with family and friends at my niece, Lindsey's, wedding at Walt DisneyWorld.
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| Opa walking Lindsey down the aisle. |
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| Lindsey and Greg taking their vows. |
Jen was able to join us at the wedding of her cousin, and she and Lindsey's sister, Brittany, got to spend some quality time hanging out in the parks! Greg and his parents spent the day after the wedding at Epcot, and I found myself some nice shade and spent the day relaxing!
When I came back from Florida, I got assigned to an overnight in Minneapolis, MN. I LOVE the hotel there, and was able to hitch a ride on the hotel van to go to the Mall of America. And guess what I did there? I went to the new "Long Tall Sally" store - the new version of the "Tall Girl" store. It was SO NICE to fondle the clothing, try things on that were too long for me, and just see things up close. Ahhhh. It is the ONLY store in the USA where I can try on tall clothing. We had an early morning show for Tuesday, and I got released at 7:30AM - WOW! An extra day "off!"
On Wednesday, I had my annual recurrent training from 8AM until 5:30PM at the General Office in Denver. Only one other reserve flight attendant was in my class - my good friend, EC! We both passed the door drills, the emergency equipment review, the CPR and self-defense testing...we're ready for another year, hopefully NOT on reserve! The Director of Inflight spoke to us during lunch, and told us that there will probably be a new hire flight attendant class in May, 2011. I had grabbed ahold of EC's hand before this "announcement," hoping that she was going to give a date in 2010. So I was kind of disappointed. Oh well...life goes on.
As usual, I had fun during training - it's a nice reminder of WHAT I'm supposed to be doing, and now that I'm really comfortable in my job, I always have some extra space in my brain to pick up and remember something that I had forgotten!
After my training day, I had four whole days off! BUT...I was sick as a dog for all those days. Then on my first duty day, I went to the doctor and got a note excusing me from work for the next six duty days. Today is day five of those six days. I'm doing a lot better than I was...but my head is still stuffy, my cough is amazing and I'll be going back to work on Monday.
I'll be spending my last few days of sick leave repacking my suitcase, doing laundry, maybe even raking leaves if the weather (and my breathing) cooperate. I'll also do a bit of TV watching, while muting ALL the political campaign ads. I'll be so glad for all this to be over!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Six Days of Travel
On Friday, I had a modified C couch sit, meaning that I had to report at 2PM instead of the usual 4PM. When I arrived, crew scheduling told me that I (and the other two couch-sitters - including my buddy, Dennis, who makes flying so much fun!) had an overnight in New York! Only problem - we wouldn't arrive until 1:30AM. No big deal. AND we were deadheading home on the 5:30PM flight, meaning we didn't have to work it...just sit and sleep! Woo hoo!
Of course, I immediately contacted Jen to see what she was doing on Saturday - she and James had plans to attend the "Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-Long" movie at the AMC theater in Times Square at Noon. So guess what I did? First I went to the apartment to play with Liza - she's such a cutie patootie! Then on to the theater!
The girls sitting next to me were celebrating a 20th birthday, so they were pumped. When the movie FINALLY started, we had so much fun singing along. And guess what I sang all the way back to the hotel? "A Whole New World!" Ahhhhhhh.
And I have made a decision. It is MUCH HARDER to sit on a plane as a passenger than it is to work that flight. I tried to sleep the entire way back to Denver...didn't quite work, but I tried.
A few hours after I got back home in COS, before I went to bed, I happened to notice that I scored an actual FOUR-DAY trip! I wasn't going to have to sit at home and wait for that doggone phone to ring! Yay! So I called crew scheduling to let them know that I had seen the trip, and I went to bed. One of the only problems is that I was starting to feel sick. Bummer. So I made sure that I had my Zicam, Tylenol, Sudafed, and ibuprophen...and off I went!
First up, I had a turn to Nashville - I was happy because I was flying with my buddy, Bruce! Yay! We always have a lot of laughs. Next up, we had an overnight in Salt Lake City. Bruce was planning on having Mexican for lunch the next day, and I was planning on joining him. BUT...I had a horrible night of sleep, and I was sick, sick, sick with a bad cold when I woke up. I stuck with my medication routine, slept most of the day, and Bruce offered to bring back a Mexican meal for me! What a sweetheart!
I rallied enough to do well on our flight back to Denver, which was about an hour and a half late due to San Francisco airport traffic issues. The passengers weren't thrilled, and of course, they were worried about their connections. I think a few might have had to be rescheduled, but most may have made them. There were a couple 20-something guys who complimented me on how nice I was, and that I'm the best flight attendant they've ever flown with. So I kindly asked them to "put it in writing!" Ha ha.
The sad thing is that Bruce left the trip, and wasn't going with us to Dayton for the night. And after he left, things started going downhill quickly. We were already late, so the crowd was restless. The scouts brought on our first passenger and her hubby - she was unable to walk and needed to be assisted by an aisle chair. As soon and they got her and her husband settled in their seats, she starts throwing up. A lot! The scouts were still there and were able to catch most of it, but the C flight attendant brought them more bags, and when she did, she ran forward to where I was, trying really hard not to barf. She ended up running off the aircraft. In the meantime, more passengers were boarding, and I called the gate and told them to stop boarding!
The CPT told us to decide what we wanted to do. We unanimously decided to get her off the plane - supposedly she had just spent time with her grandson, who brought home some germs. Her husband assured me that she had nothing else left in her body. But she looked so white and sickly. AND they did not want to get off. So we called the paramedic - he agreed that she shouldn't go to DAY, but she signed a waiver saying she was still flying. Well...that didn't fly with me, or with the passengers sitting around her that told me that she needed to get off! What's a girl to do? So I told the Gate Supervisor that the other passengers were concerned and complaining.
The woman's daughter and son-in-law were brought down the jetway, and as soon as the paramedic left, we brought the son on board. He got off literally one second later and said, "They're getting off." Halleluiah! I felt bad for them, but relieved for me and the rest of the passengers.
There was one guy sitting in the row behind them, and he was nasty nasty nasty to me. Mostly because, when the sick woman was still on board, the husband handed me a large bag filled with BARF. I am not allowed to handle that without taking precautions (it is infectious waste), so I told him "One moment" as I went up front to get some plastic gloves. When I got back, the nasty guy behind them had grabbed the bag and taken it to the flight attendant at the back of the plane - she wouldn't touch it, either! She told him to place it in the lavatory trash can. But he was mad at me the entire flight, and let me know it. His bad karma will definitely catch up to him in life.
However, it wasn't all bad. We had a soldier on board who was returning home after being away for 10 months. I announced that he was on board and that he was HOME after we landed, and everyone clapped for him. His mom was the ramp supervisor for Frontier, and she was waiting for him to arrive. So when we got to the gate, and the agent opened the plane's door, I just stepped aside as the mom ran in and hugged her son! The other flight attendant and I just burst out crying, and everyone started clapping again. It still gives me goosebumps!
A great ending to a long day...
Of course, I immediately contacted Jen to see what she was doing on Saturday - she and James had plans to attend the "Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-Long" movie at the AMC theater in Times Square at Noon. So guess what I did? First I went to the apartment to play with Liza - she's such a cutie patootie! Then on to the theater!
The girls sitting next to me were celebrating a 20th birthday, so they were pumped. When the movie FINALLY started, we had so much fun singing along. And guess what I sang all the way back to the hotel? "A Whole New World!" Ahhhhhhh.
And I have made a decision. It is MUCH HARDER to sit on a plane as a passenger than it is to work that flight. I tried to sleep the entire way back to Denver...didn't quite work, but I tried.
A few hours after I got back home in COS, before I went to bed, I happened to notice that I scored an actual FOUR-DAY trip! I wasn't going to have to sit at home and wait for that doggone phone to ring! Yay! So I called crew scheduling to let them know that I had seen the trip, and I went to bed. One of the only problems is that I was starting to feel sick. Bummer. So I made sure that I had my Zicam, Tylenol, Sudafed, and ibuprophen...and off I went!
First up, I had a turn to Nashville - I was happy because I was flying with my buddy, Bruce! Yay! We always have a lot of laughs. Next up, we had an overnight in Salt Lake City. Bruce was planning on having Mexican for lunch the next day, and I was planning on joining him. BUT...I had a horrible night of sleep, and I was sick, sick, sick with a bad cold when I woke up. I stuck with my medication routine, slept most of the day, and Bruce offered to bring back a Mexican meal for me! What a sweetheart!
I rallied enough to do well on our flight back to Denver, which was about an hour and a half late due to San Francisco airport traffic issues. The passengers weren't thrilled, and of course, they were worried about their connections. I think a few might have had to be rescheduled, but most may have made them. There were a couple 20-something guys who complimented me on how nice I was, and that I'm the best flight attendant they've ever flown with. So I kindly asked them to "put it in writing!" Ha ha.
The sad thing is that Bruce left the trip, and wasn't going with us to Dayton for the night. And after he left, things started going downhill quickly. We were already late, so the crowd was restless. The scouts brought on our first passenger and her hubby - she was unable to walk and needed to be assisted by an aisle chair. As soon and they got her and her husband settled in their seats, she starts throwing up. A lot! The scouts were still there and were able to catch most of it, but the C flight attendant brought them more bags, and when she did, she ran forward to where I was, trying really hard not to barf. She ended up running off the aircraft. In the meantime, more passengers were boarding, and I called the gate and told them to stop boarding!
The CPT told us to decide what we wanted to do. We unanimously decided to get her off the plane - supposedly she had just spent time with her grandson, who brought home some germs. Her husband assured me that she had nothing else left in her body. But she looked so white and sickly. AND they did not want to get off. So we called the paramedic - he agreed that she shouldn't go to DAY, but she signed a waiver saying she was still flying. Well...that didn't fly with me, or with the passengers sitting around her that told me that she needed to get off! What's a girl to do? So I told the Gate Supervisor that the other passengers were concerned and complaining.
The woman's daughter and son-in-law were brought down the jetway, and as soon as the paramedic left, we brought the son on board. He got off literally one second later and said, "They're getting off." Halleluiah! I felt bad for them, but relieved for me and the rest of the passengers.
There was one guy sitting in the row behind them, and he was nasty nasty nasty to me. Mostly because, when the sick woman was still on board, the husband handed me a large bag filled with BARF. I am not allowed to handle that without taking precautions (it is infectious waste), so I told him "One moment" as I went up front to get some plastic gloves. When I got back, the nasty guy behind them had grabbed the bag and taken it to the flight attendant at the back of the plane - she wouldn't touch it, either! She told him to place it in the lavatory trash can. But he was mad at me the entire flight, and let me know it. His bad karma will definitely catch up to him in life.
However, it wasn't all bad. We had a soldier on board who was returning home after being away for 10 months. I announced that he was on board and that he was HOME after we landed, and everyone clapped for him. His mom was the ramp supervisor for Frontier, and she was waiting for him to arrive. So when we got to the gate, and the agent opened the plane's door, I just stepped aside as the mom ran in and hugged her son! The other flight attendant and I just burst out crying, and everyone started clapping again. It still gives me goosebumps!
A great ending to a long day...
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