The Drive to Hilo...

September 25, 2007 0 Comments A+ a-



Beautiful beach on the way to Hilo yesterday.

Captain as Flight Attendant--not pretty!

September 17, 2007 1 Comments A+ a-

I just received this e-mail from one of my Captains--who is a large man. This happened yesterday--it's funny!

"And if you need me to cover any trips for you while you're gone let me know. I got to play flight attendant yesterday while non-revving from BOS-RDU.

Mid-flight, while in a deep, drool-producing fantasy sleep, I was rudely awakened by another passenger telling me that our flight attendant was trapped in the lavatory. I'm like huh, who, where? Remember, just minutes ago I was dreaming of cashing in the winning Powerball lottery ticket with a bevy of scantily clad pilot groupies on each arm. Now I'm being asked to instantly become fully awake and remedy this impending calamity.

Try as I might, in concert with the flying Captain's refusal to trust me with the crash axe to pry the door open, this door is stuck like I've never seen one stuck before. So after unsuccessfully trying to use the only other tool available, a seat belt extender, I told the flight attendant to relax, drop the lid and enjoy some down time...so to speak.

I then made an announcement informing the passengers that I was their new "Super Stew"... and that their total cooperation was required if we had any hope of this not becoming something Steven Spielberg would call "Airport '07."

Finding a plastic bag I sashayed my fat ass down the aisle collecting trash. Some woman tried to give me a used diaper. "Lady... I said trash, not toxic waste!" I then did the compliance check on the way back up the aisle, "Listen Mister, put that seat belt on or I'll put it on for you and you'll have a whole new definition of what 'low and tight across the hips' means!"

Now up to the galley to stow everything that is out... hmmmmmm. This is like being at someone's home and emptying their dishwasher. I don't know where any of this crap goes, but I'm putting it somewhere!Let's see... ah yes.... electronic devices announcement since the Blue Light is on. "Turn it off and tuck it away or we all die! .... and trust me, as we're standing at the Pearly Gates the rest of us will figure out which one of you decided to check your email one last time!!!!"

Now into the jumpseat.... no...can't sit that way unless I move the bulkhead so I can bend my knees... on the other hand since I've got about as much chance of getting the jumpseat seatbelt on as a geeky high school Audio/Video kid does of getting into the prom queen's panties. Maybe wedging myself into the space between the jumpseat seat back and the bulkhead will restrain me from falling out of the jumpseat in the advent of a high G landing event.

Whaddya know we've landed... first time in probably 10,000 landings I've done one reverse cowboy. Wow, you're right... it does feel different!!!

Now we're taxiing to the gate... I tell them to stay seated while the Captain taxies what's left of the aircraft to the gate and that if they dropped their bags at the aircraft door that sometime before their next birthday the can pick them up again at the aircraft door. For those that checked their bags at the counter, hmmmmmmm, not sure where to find your bags since I'm not stupid enough to ever check my bags. I work for this here airline, ya know.

Cool... First Officer Sparky comes on the PA and tells the passengers to stay seated until Captain "Hesitant-to-part-with-his-crash-axe" turns off the seatbelt sign. I the meantime I'm having a panic attack since I I wish I had paid closer attention to how to open the cabin door during recurrent. Big red lever - check. Hmmm... "Lefty Loosie" does not apply here - check, oh that's right, aircraft built south of the border so it's all friggin' backwards.Voila'... door opens, passengers flee in panic.

Maintenance comes on and frees damsel in distress. I, meanwhile, slip away to start my weekend."

Late to Lexington

September 16, 2007 0 Comments A+ a-

Going to work this week, the flights were packed! I rode the jumpseat to Chicago--not so bad for an hour and a half flight.

Once at work, our plane was late getting to us, coming from Champaign, IL. I waited at the gate for about 30 minutes, just from being bored in the crew lounge. Once we got onboard, my Captain found a mechanical issue that had to be dealt with. After another hour's delay with the mechanics onboard, we changed planes and boarded our passengers. We settled in and were ready to go--only to watch as all the rampers "clocked out" and headed for the employee bus. So, there was just a skeleton staff left to get us and all the other flights out for the night. It was another hour before we left Chicago! Instead of getting in at 10:30 pm as scheduled, we arrived at 12:45 a.m!

Nothing special about our stay in Lexington: except my bed has SIX pillows! Ni-iiice!




As we departed LEX the next afternoon, we did a "U turn" over the field once airborne, and I was able to see the whole layout of the airport. It was a sad reminder of my colleagues on Comair 5191, who died August 27, 2006, when they attempted to take-off from the wrong runway--one that was too short for their plane. Of the 50 passengers and 3 crew members onboard that morning, only the First Officer survived.


Bad weather in Texas

September 11, 2007 0 Comments A+ a-

Tough weather in DFW the last couple of days--one of our turns to Little Rock and back cancelled on Sunday. Yesterday, my trip finished in DFW (I didn't take the deadhead to Chicago, my base, just decided to go home from Dallas.) My 7:30 pm flight to Washington cancelled--and all the other flights--to Baltimore, Washington Dulles and Washington Reagan, were delayed by 3-4 hours. Long, long night in the airport.

I was tired of being in my uniform--so I slipped into the bathroom and changed into my street clothes. Headed to TGI Fridays and had a nice glass of wine and waited. (No wine in uniform, of course!)

The equipment (airplane) arrived at 11 pm, I was good with the standby list (meaning, I would get on, at least in the jumpseat.) I ended up getting a seat in First--so that was great! We arrived in Washington at 3:20 in the morning--I was home by 4 and to bed shortly thereafter.

Tomorrow, I head back to Dallas. I chair the Hotel Committee for the Flight Attendants in my base, and all of the base chairs are getting together and meeting the Company. My Company works well with us on the hotels. They are responsive to our issues and I don't have much to complain about--we have a very good working relationship with them. I'll be there overnight, then back the next night. Then, a quick overnight in Lexington, KY on Friday--and done until the end of the month.

Hawaii, here we come! Let's see, I need to get a pedicure, maybe a new bathing suit, I did find these cute little shoes....

Next trip

September 06, 2007 0 Comments A+ a-

I start my next trip on Saturday. Since I am based in Chicago, I fly there to start my trip (sorta like driving to work, only I do it once a week, and then fly back home when my trip is over.)

Easy three day trip...I overnight in beautiful NW Arkansas. This area is the home of Wal-mart, and there is a ton of cash there. As we ride in the hotel van on the two lane roads to the airport or hotel, we pass old country shacks with hub caps in the front yard, and almost next door, a McMansion. The shacks and McMansions--the absolute gamut in housing! Because of Wal-mart, every air carrier has a ton of service into that airport. When we are on approach to land, I can see rows and rows of chicken houses for miles around, courtesy of Tyson Foods. The station folks (people who work at the airport) tell me that there is so much chicken dust in the air, that many families move there and don't know someone in the family has an allergy to chickens until they get there. All I know is that the freakin' flies are huge, because they have lots of chicken poop to feed off of. Lovely!

Second night of the trip is in Cleveland--we get in around 11:30 pm and leave the hotel the next day around 2 pm. We have several crews overnighting in CLE, and some of the party people will typically go out to the Warehouse District. Not me. I will carry my happy butt to my room, check e-mail, and head to bed.

Last day of the trip, we do one leg to Dallas. From there the Company "deadheads" me back to my base (Chicago) and then my trip is done. Instead of taking the deadhead, I will commute home to Washington, DC. We aren't require to take the deadhead if it is the last leg of the trip. But, we are on our own to get to where we want to go if we don't.

Commuting = flying to get to work, or back home from it. Space available, on your own to get there.

Deadheading = flying as a part of work, getting paid for it, but sitting in a passenger seat. They will bump a revenue passenger off to move crew members around the system, if need be.

Non-revving = space available flying, on your own time, for your own stuff. ( This is the reason I do this job!)

So, this next trip, I am flying position #2. Slack dog position-you're main job is to pick up trash. Beautiful! The bad thing about#2 is that your backside faces the passengers when doing the beverage service. That isn't pretty!!!

I go back and forth as to which position I like to fly--#1 kinda rules the roost and #2 needs to chill. If I fly with a great flight attendant, I am cool with either position. The #1 sets the tone for the flight and is the one at the door when boarding. If I fly #2, I cross my fingers for a good flight attendant. The worst is a lazy one, or even worse than that, one that can't stand her passengers! (Please, honey, do us all a favor and get another job!)

Labor Day Weekend in Duck, NC

September 04, 2007 0 Comments A+ a-



Delaney either wanted to go with me to the Outer Banks, or she just found a comfy spot!




My flowers--as I was backing up to leave--I thought they looked so pretty!














Hangin' out in Duck this week...drove down from Washington and picked up my sister, Donna in Virginia Beach. Then we got to Duck around 7pm and settled in. She went back to Virginia Beach the next afternoon, because she ran in the Rock N Roll Half Marathon on Sunday morning. She was pleased--she finished at 2:06:45 and finished 5819 out of 17009 finishers. My niece, Monica, spent the weekend with us as well...she volunteered at the marathon.















Me and Monica on the dock






Shelby, Dad, Jack











My friend Shelby and her husband, Jack drove up from Columbia, SC to spend some time here at Duck. Shel and I were in Flight Attendant training together and have been buds ever since. Shel and Jack have a home in Fort Worth, Texas...and she is in the Army Reserves, too. The Army called her up to active duty, and she is now stationed and living in Columbia. Jack is retired Army, and he, too, has been recalled back to active duty.

My Dad flew in on Friday night--flights were full because of the Labor Day holiday, so he drove to Austin from where he lives in San Antonio--and took a non-stop flight to Raleigh, NC--then drove 4 hours to get here!! I don't get to see him enough, so it was not only a treat to have the Duck house for this time, but it was very special that he came in to see us!






Me










I also had my 4 year old grandson, Brendyn down with us for a short while--and we stopped at Target and bought toys and DVDs--because we could!! He spent the night and slept with me--his little legs all over me all night long! It was great! (He loves his "Mimi"!)

My daughter, Jennifer came down for a few hours yesterday, and we went to dinner with Dad and Brendyn. Along with the dinner, they served whole pieces of fresh, sweet corn on the cob--it was sooooo good. Sweet, crunchy, buttery....









Jennifer and Dad at Sunset Grille







Walking back from the Sunset Grille with Brendyn being a monkey.














Duck is the kind of place where you can do much of nothing, or a whole lot! One of the best things is the dock overlooking the Currituck Sound, and the beautiful sunsets. The sunsets are made better when I am surrounded with people I love!