Start a trip

I've been packing for my trip, which starts tomorrow. I "commute" from here (Washington, DC) to my base in Chicago. I have to be there by 4 pm, and the first flight of my trip leaves at 5:15 pm. Three quick legs and we end up in Richmond, VA for the overnight (layover.)

I usually like flying early morning trips, rather than ones that start late. Late flights get delayed by weather and traffic build up. Working the "kick-off" flights at oh-dark-thirty gets my day done very early. Those kick-off flights cause me to have to set my alarm clock for 3:45 in the morning sometimes!

Addicted to Food Network

I am a Food Network-aholic. I tivo the show "The Next Food Network Star." I love Paula Deen and the Barefoot Contessa and Iron Chef and Alton Brown's "Good Eats." .

I cannot stand Sandra whats-her-name with the Semi-Homemade show. She is so condescending and full of herself. The very moment that show comes on, I change to something else. Cannot stand her. Ick!

Giada DeLaurentiis is on now, with her "Everyday Italian" show. Love her and her show. Whenever I have made any of her recipes, they have been scrumptious. Here is my favorite:

Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced,
2 tablespoons of oil reserved 1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine 16 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 18 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 6 servings
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Admittedly, not very friendly for your waist, but, if you like Italian sausage, it is sooo good.

This will also explain me joining Weight Watchers this past May. Officially, I have lost 11.4 pounds, but I haven't been to weigh-in since June 4th . It is more like 19 pounds now. Yaaaay, me! I would like to point out that I would kill for the 14 ounce ribeye steak at Lonestar right now.

Okay, not really--the more I lose, the more motivated I am.

I also started working out with a trainer, too--about once a week. He kicks my butt! Cardio?? Are you kidding? I have smoked for the last 30 years. Mostly have quit now. Every now and then, I gotta smoke. I love smoking. I hate smoking. Wish it were easier.

From Sales to Flying?

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a "stewardess." As I grew up, and life got in the way (pregnant and married at 19,) I abandoned this dream. I eventually worked in a travel agency, and learned how to sell. From there I started selling television advertising.

I was very good at advertising sales. In fact, at the point where I left the ad sales biz, I was the #2 sales person in the country for my company. I just didn't like it. I started working for an airline as a Sales Manager--and left there for the opportunity to have a home office, company car, and work for a cruise line doing business development. September 11th put the cruise industry into a nose dive, and 5 out of 7 of us in Business Development lost our jobs. Getting a sales job in the travel industry was very difficult over the next couple of years. One day I saw a Flight Attendant with a"trainee" name tag on--and she was older than me, and not the skinny stick figure I thought they had to be to get hired. I remember thinking "if she can do it, I can do it." and I was hired very shortly thereafter.

Occasionally, I look at sales jobs within the company, and have even had appointments to interview twice. I backed out of them, knowing that I could never give up the kind of scheduling I have now.

I'm a Flight Attendant

Yep, I'm a Flight Attendant. I fly for a regional carrier--which isn't so regional. You can fly from New York to California on my little 70 seat airplane with only one stop--in NW Arkansas. Yep, LaGuardia to Los Angeles in a "little" plane. Hardly makes us regional, huh?

I love my job. Well, I love the lifestyle. The actual job isn't so great. After I do my safety related functions, I'm a sky waitress. Schleppin' drinks. So many people have forgotten the basics of please or thank you--it's astounds me! I prefer to work during the week, with the business flyers--who are stuck in the aluminum tube more than they want to be. My business peeps always say please or thank you.

I like the lifestyle and schedule of a flight attendant. I am not on Reserve, which means I hold a schedule and know where I'll be, on what days, and when I am going home. We bid on our schedules based on seniority. I prefer to work during the week, and mostly just want Sundays at home. For July, I was able to hold a Monday-Thursday schedule. Each week is the same "trip" starting on Mondays and ending on Thursdays.

We also have the ability to "Trip Trade." Trip Trading means we can take the trip we have and trade it for another trip we want, which can be on the same or different days. We have legalities to work around--must have 24 hours off after 6 days of working--things like that. I was able to Trip Trade my schedule so that I worked the last 10 calendar days, but had two 24 hour periods off in there. I had yesterday and today off, and start another 4 day trip tomorrow. (Sounds complicated, I know!) After that, I work another 2 day trip, and then am off for the rest of the month! I will have 13 days off in a row, having worked a full schedule the first 18 days of the month. Same paycheck, no vacation used, and almost 2 weeks off in a row.

THAT'S why I like this job!

The first few days I have off, I am going to Anchorage, Alaska.  Then come home for a couple of days...then head to San Antonio to see my Dad for a few days.

Not a bad gig, eh?

Delaney Jane

We have three cats in our house--the baby is Delaney Jane. Delaney likes to rule the roost from atop our printer in our office. When the printer starts to print, she jumps up there, walking all over the buttons, paying no attention to the little beeps of each one she steps on. She has now learned how to remove the paper that just printed. Talented cat? Or pain in the ass? Depends on how badly I need what I just printed!

I'm Blondie

My nickname is "Blondie." Jeff B. gave me this name when I started working in his office 12 years ago. It was sarcastic and meant to put me in my place. We sold television advertising there--and he thought I was just another chick who couldn't pull her weight around the office. He started calling me Blondie as an obvious reference to a dumb blonde. All three of the men in our office were outstanding sales people. The two women--not so good. All the men went to lunch together a few times a week--they never went with the women. I usually ate at my desk or was with a client. My sales were strong from the beginning, and after 90 days or so, I was number one in sales for the office.

One day, Jeff B. came to me and said--"Hey Blondie, wanna go to lunch?" My abilities and contributions were acknowledged with that invitation, and I have been a proud Blondie ever since.