Archive for January 2008

High winds in Cleveland

January 30, 2008 by Blondie 4 Comments A⁺ a^-

I am sitting at an empty gate in Cleveland (CLE) ....we got to our hotel early yesterday, had an early dinner, and I was in bed by 8p.m. This was a good thing since I had to be on the hotel shuttle at 5:20 a.m. The wind was howling outside the hotel all night long--a big cold front moved in last night. The flight that was supposed to come in late last night canceled because of the winds either in Chicago or Cleveland. That meant our oh-dark-thirty departure this morning canceled because there was no aircraft for us to take. When I woke up this morning, I checked the computer and found out we were canceled. So, I called my Captain and told him, and he called the rest of the crew and we were all able to go back to sleep for a little.

The Company has us "deadheading" back to Chicago (ORD) now -- that is, flying in a passenger seat, being repositioned. We are at the airport waiting for the airplane to get here, and just found out it is on a 9:50 a.m. "Decision." This could be for maintenance, or weather. They will decide when they will or won't leave at 9:50--which is a little less than 30 minutes from now.

It is gusty here in Cleveland--and if that's why it's on a Decision, we may be canceling again and heading back to the hotel.

So, we sit and wait and sit and wait--which is something flight crews do a lot of...

UPDATE:

We left CLE around 12:30 and then worked our flight to that hotbed of glamour and excitement, Northwest Arkansas/Bentonville. Meeting my crew for dinner in about 10 minutes, watching Oprah in the meantime.

January 29, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

Our new kitty, Emmie, and her sister, Delaney are getting along so well! Here they are in the top of our closet....

Captain Yak-a-lot

January 27, 2008 by Blondie 2 Comments A⁺ a^-

Yesterday morning, I boarded 41 people to fly from Fort Walton Beach (VPS) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). (By the way, my airline requires that we refer to BOTH cities--lest we make Fort Worthians feel bad--so it is always Dallas-Fort Worth. Sometimes I mix it up, and call it Fort Worth-Dallas--I'm kinda crazy like that!)

But, I digress...

The flight to DFW is scheduled to be about 2 hours in the air. About 90 minutes into it, my Captain called me and said that DFW was socked in with fog, that we were going to have to circle for a bit to see if it burns off as the sun warms the air. He made an announcement to all of our passengers letting them know the dealio.

We played Spirograph in the sky making lots of big ol' circles--then had to divert to Houston's Hobby Airport (HOU). The pilots have to land with a minimum amount of fuel and we were getting to that mark. So, we landed, got gas, everyone had the chance to get off the plane for about 10 minutes, and then headed to DFW--by now, the fog was burned off. Sounds like that would be a quick thing, but the reality is, everything having to do with airplanes and airports always takes a long, long time. We ended being in HOU about and hour and a half. These poor people were on this plane for about 6 hours. I watered and juiced 'em to death, broke out our snacks and divvied some up to help tide them over. Everyone was really nice and fortunately, I think everyone made their connections.

It was funny, because the First Officer and I commented to each other at the beginning of the trip how our Captain just yaks and yaks and yaks. He is a non-stop talker and nearly every conversation ended up talking about Bill Clinton this and Hillary Clinton that--not once did he ever ask either of us a question--he just talked and talked and talked, always turning everything back to the Clintons. It was not pretty. (Not that I disagreed with what he was saying--he just liked to hear himself talk--a lot!) I cannot convey how much he talked--we were on the hotel shuttle to the airport at 0530 in the morning and he was blabbing on incessantly about nothing. Usually, our early morning van rides are quiet because--it's early morning! Arrrghhh! However, I was very happy that he was our Captain yesterday, because Captain Yak-a-lot kept our passengers very informed, and I really appreciated that. Nothing is worse than a Flight Deck that doesn't keep updating us during delays--even if it is to say that they have no news to tell us.

I am home today, after my four day trip--have to fly to Chicago (ORD) tomorrow afternoon to start another four day trip on Tuesday. I have a 0545 sign-in and have to come in the night before. I need to get my laundry done, but I am too tired to move. On my next trip, I layover in Cleveland (CLE) Northwest Arkansas (XNA) and Little Rock (LIT). I know, what you're thinking, too....glamorous, right??

Of Cell Phones and Beaches

January 22, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

Chase and I had a fun time skiing this weekend---I took a couple of pictures, and will post when I get my camera out of my suitcase. It's upstairs. (And, at this moment, upstairs is very, very far away...) The story of the weekend was--I lost my cell phone. This was paticularly stressful for my teenaged son, who was then unable to call his girlfriend whenever he wanted and "What do you mean 'there's no way to text from the hotel phone', Mom?" He was devastated for two days! [rollin' my eyes...]

I start a trip tomorrow--picked one up out of base, so I start and end in Dallas (DFW). I picked it up because on Friday afternoon I end up overlooking the gorgeous Emerald Coast that is Fort Walton Beach. (Check out the picture with that link--that's exactly what the beach looks like and my hotel sits right on it!) I have to endure Jackson, MS (JAN)and Columbus, OH (CMH) first, though. Don't get me wrong, I like the cities--just the hotels/length of layover/lack of things to do/food choices (or lack thereof) play into my feelings about them.

And, I DID get a Miami (MIA) layover for next month--but, only one and not at the hotel on the beach. [pout] All the "warm thinking" I'll be doing there wil involve the sound of airplanes taking off and landing at my airport hotel. Glamourous, isn't it??

Holiday Weekend

January 17, 2008 by Blondie 1 Comments A⁺ a^-

Chase and I are going skiing this weekend. We'll be among the 50 gazillion other people on this small mountain near Hershey, Pensylvannia that decided to ski his holiday weekend. Now, I realize we could jet off to some fabulous Colorado or Jackson Hole resort, or even to the Swiss Alps...but I just like skiing--I don't love it. I do, however, love the time with Chase. Anyway, it is just a couple hours drive away. (And, I know East Coast skiing is terrible compared to anywhere else--but, once again, I just like it....and don't want to invest the time, money or effort into anything more.)

So, we'll drive up tomorrow night, and ski Saturday and Sunday, then sleep in on Monday and drive back later that morning. There is also a Dave and Buster's type of place nearby called The Coliseum with an arcade and bowling and stuff like that.

Here are a couple of pictures of us in the past years. Chase will be 18 in May, and looking at these pictures --sigh-- he has grown up so much! He is 6' 3" and so much a of a man, instead of a
boy.

This was him snowboarding in West Virginia about 5 years ago.

This was two years ago, in Pennsylvannia--he was diggin' the hat!

His Mom, the snow bunny.
(rrr-iigghhht!)

I'll post his "all growed up" pictures when we get back.

Snow Update

January 17, 2008 by Blondie 2 Comments A⁺ a^-

Delaney under "shelter," yet refusing to come in!

It has snowed more than an inch in the last hour!

The snow has started!

January 17, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

The view out of my front door....

Emmie's first snow--she was freaked out!

She, like me, is thinking warm. My warm is Miami, her warm is the fireplace!

Still thinking warm thoughts!

January 17, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

We are waiting for the snow and sleet to come to Washington, DC today--should be here in a couple of hours. The news is reporting this stuff almost second by second---schools are closed and the salt trucks are out in force.

So, I am working on my "bid" for February. Flight Attendants and Pilots bid for the schedule we want to fly, and it is "awarded" based on our seniority. In Chicago (ORD), I am about halfway up the seniority list. I can generally hold a line (monthly schedule) that has weekends off, if I want. There are so many things one has to consider when bidding for one's schedule, and it's important to prioritize!

Usually, I bid to have weekends off. Next month, it isn't so important--I don't have that much going on. Other considerations are where my layovers are, which hotel we are in, how many legs we have to work, how many days off there are, and if the trip commutable. (Commutable means that it doesn't start too early on the first day, because I have to fly from Washington, DC (DCA) to ORD just to get to work, then have enough time to get back home on the last day of the trip.)

For February, I am thinking Miami. Brilliant!

Problem with that is all the "senior mamas" are also thinking the same thing.

We stay at a hotel in MIA that is on the beach, and is an all-crew hotel. This particular hotel caters to crew people only....they know our specific needs and wants and do a great job taking care of us. They have a free breakfast (mention the word "free" and crews swarm to whatever it is...) a grill with charcoal provided--so crews can walk a couple of blocks to the grocery store and buy a steak and grill it if they want; a beer vending machine that only costs $1, lotsa of computers so those that don't carry a laptop can keep in touch, a great gym/work-out facility, pool table, foosball, comfy beds (even if the rooms themselves need to be updated) a pool with a fountain overlooking the beach, and naked Flight Attendants.

Yes, I said naked Flight Attendants. This hotel has crews from all over the world--Europe, Asia, South America, Australia. While relaxing poolside, the ladies have been known to follow customs we don't usually see here in the US, and that is lying poolside topless. It is no big deal there, and there are many pilots that just sit poolside all day long enjoying the view. (They'd never admit to it, but don their reflective sunglasses and just grin.) Occasionally, there is a Flight Attendant to enjoy just a wee bit of the drink, and decide to take it all off....one particular lady was treated to a big pilot ovation as she exited the pool into the waiting towel her co-worker handed her.

It isn't a common thing to see there, but it isn't a shocking thing to see, either. No one pays it much mind. Well, except for the ogling pilots!

Anyway, there a bunch of MIA layovers for next month, so I will toss my bid in and see what happens. Probably will end up with something like a snowy, frozen Rochester, NY (ROC) instead.

Which isn't so bad, because the hotel has free breakfast!

Summer in my mind....

January 16, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

It is cold here in our nation's capital. Tomorrow we are supposed to have a "wintry mix" of snow and sleet turning to freezing rain--yuck! Sunday, I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna, divvied it up and stuck it in the freezer. So, that's what we had for dinner tonight--great comfort food when it's cold outside! And, it was delicious!

I decided to "think warm" with a couple of pictures from our cruise last month:

This is Goofy hanging on the back of the Disney Magic with a paintbrush.

A cute restaurant in Sint Maarten.

Cruise ships in the background...ours--Mariner of the Seas--and a Carnival ship, too.

This is what we did the most--hang out on the balcony and watch the world go by...

...I feel warmer already!

January 11, 2008 by Blondie 2 Comments A⁺ a^-

I just read an article on the dangers of heavy drinking....
Scared the shit out of me.
So that's it.
After today, no more reading...

See--I'm not all about the kitty cats!

January 11, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

This video just makes me smile!!

Important Flight Attendant Announcement!

January 10, 2008 by Blondie 3 Comments A⁺ a^-

People, listen up! It is inappropriate to view porn on your iPod on the airplane if the Flight Attendant can see the screen when she's walking back up the aisle. Get a grip, get a life, and make sure I don't see Long Dong John on your screen!

That means you, Mr. 14B DFW-CHA (Dallas-Chattanooga) yesterday!!

Sad Day....

January 08, 2008 by Blondie 2 Comments A⁺ a^-

My heart is just broken....the little girl, Bibata, that I was going to escort on her way here to the US for medical treatment, died today. She was three months old, and had hydracephalus.

Happy Birthday to My Dad

January 06, 2008 by Blondie 1 Comments A⁺ a^-

Happy Birthday to my Dad! From the one who put you on the fatherhood map!

Here's a picture of Dad when he was
a punk-ass sailor in 1958, in the Phillipines.

Here is Dad with his beloved wife, Dee-Dee, when they came to visit me on one of my layovers in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Here he is at the Hanging Tree Saloon in Brackens, TX.
(He is a biker in his other life! NOT!)

And here he is doing what he does every day when he is home. In fact, I'll bet this is exactly where he is right now, reading the Sunday paper.

I love you, Dad! Happy birthday!

January 05, 2008 by Blondie 1 Comments A⁺ a^-

I was putting away some of the china I bought yesterday--when Delaney apparently decided she wasn't getting enough camera time....and had to go do something cute, by jumping up into my china cabinet. Arrrgghhhh!!

Airline Ambassadors

January 04, 2008 by Blondie 2 Comments A⁺ a^-

I am really very excited about this! Next Sunday, I will be escorting a child--a baby born this past October--to receive medical care. The baby girl has issues that will be tended to here in the States--she is from Burkina Faso, and I will be meeting her as she arrives from her European flight. This is through an organization called Airline Ambassadors. This is a group that started out as airline employees using our flight benefits to escort children in need, and hand deliver humanitarian supplies to underprivileged kids around the world. Please check out their website and consider making a donation!

Kittens, kittens, everywhere!

January 04, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

Happy two months' birthday to Buffy and Willow! They are Miss Emmie's virtual kitten friends, living aboard the s/v And So It Goes and currently hanging out in St. Maarten. It looks as if they may have a wee problem with one of 'em:

"Willow likes cider. Last night she had her nose in Bob's glass and was trying to lap it up! We'll have to watch out for this one :) "

Keep up with Sheila and Bob and their menagerie at their blog: All About Boats.

In other cat news, Emmie has a new play toy: the dishwasher!

And Now....The Rest of the Story!

January 02, 2008 by Blondie 0 Comments A⁺ a^-

So, the broken airplane was apparently repaired late last night...and Crew Scheduling called our Captain to let him know that we would be ferrying the aircraft at 0800, arriving in Chicago (ORD) at 1000. The guys go out on the ramp to bring in the airplane so we can leave--and it has a flat tire. (I swear I did not bring the bad karma with me on this trip--I think it was my Captain...)

So, they have to fly up a tire from Texas. Crew Scheduling decides to deadhead me to Texas then to Chicago so I can make my very last turn. (A turn is when you fly from the base city to an "outstation" and then come back to the base.) They give me a 0930 departure, to arrive in Texas an hour later, which means I have to almost run from Terminal B to Terminal A to make the connection to Chicago. Well, our gate was occupied and by the time I got off the plane, the connecting flight was G-O-N-E. Crew Scheduling put me on the next flight, which means I would not make the turn I was scheduled to do, which meant I was done for this trip. My three day trip (which was a high time 22 hour trip) consisted of one flight to OKC and two deadheads.

Since I start a trip tomorrow at 8:00 in the morning, I can't fly home today and be back in time to start work in the morning. So, I am at a hotel in Chicago that offers an airline rate. I have to do this because I don't live in my base city. Fortunately, the rate is reasonable, and I don't usually have to do this very often.

UPDATE:

I am now home from my trip. Yesterday, we ended up in Nashville (BNA) and my First Officer and I went to the mall for a couple of hours. The Mikasa store (cups and plates and other china) was going out of business. Next time, please remind me what a pain in the *ss carrying china home on an airplane is! No matter if it IS 75% off plus an additional 10%!

By the way, my First Officer was a 23 year old woman--younger than my oldest daughter! She was cool to hang with, too!

Finished my trip this morning--don't fly again until Monday morning. After getting up at 3:45 this morning, it is time for my nap!

Broken Plane

January 01, 2008 by Blondie 2 Comments A⁺ a^-

I am sitting in my hotel room in Oklahoma City (OKC). What a weird couple of days I've had at work. And it is continuing...

Commuted in to Chicago (ORD) yesterday morning--we departed for OKC on time and fully loaded with customers....had a headwind that slowed us down about a half an hour. After landing, as the pilots turned off the runway onto the taxiway, the plane lurched/jerked as if one of them had slammed on the brakes. They continued toward the gate, and it did the same thing again: lurched and jerked as if someone slammed on the brakes. It did it a third time, but not as hard.

After we arrived at the gate and the cockpit door was opened, I stuck my head up there and asked who was the new guy driving the plane today....they laughed and then explained that the plane was broken.....that they had not tried to apply the brakes when it happened. This is bad. Planes that put the brakes on when you don't want are bad--and broken. (Imagine if it happened when you were about to take-off at 120 knots--and the brakes slammed on....I'd be doing evacuations of the planes shortly after that...)

So, they drive up the mechanics from Texas. They send us to the hotel and release us into rest--so we are available to take the plane back when it is fixed. Our new time to leave is the next day (today) at 12:30, and we will be taking an empty airplane back to Chicago. This is called a "ferry" flight. The reason they had the pilots ferrying the plane is that Crew Scheduling had no idea where I was. They thought I was in Chicago. The dispatchers were told that there was no flight attendant--and a flight with passengers must have a qualified flight attendant. So, the left hand wasn't speaking with the right hand--and the whole time, I was right where I had been told to be...with my crew, in the hotel, in OKC. How I got lost I'll never know....

So, we arrive at the airport today to take the plane back...there were customers trying to get out of OKC since the day before, and we were going out empty because they still didn't know that I was exactly where I was supposed to be! So, my Captain called the dispatcher and said "How would you like a late Christmas present? I have a Flight Attendant here...." So, they change the ferry flight to be a revenue flight and try and get some of the people on their way.

In the meantime, the pilots go out onto the ramp to bring the plane to the gate, and discover that the Captain has NO BRAKES on his side of the aircraft and the First Officer has about half as much as he should. Again--bad!!

So, all those people that were going to join us on our flight to ORD were now back to where they started from--stuck in OKC.

We spent the next three hours in the airport waiting for Crew Scheduling, Dispatch, Ops and Maintenance trying to figure out what to do with a broken plane/scheduling and legality issues and a crew they needed to fly the plane, but they just can't leave us at the airport forever. (Actually, our contract says that if we are going to be "stuck" in a situation like that, and they know it will be five hours or more, they have to get us a hotel room until they decide what they want to do with us.)

We were sent to the hotel, where we have been all day and evening on duty. We have finally been "released into rest," and will leave tomorrow for ORD, taking the hopefully not broken plane, without passengers.

In the meantime, ORD is having an "OSO" day. That means "Off Scheduled Operations." What it really means is that our entire operation is going to hell today and falling apart--they were, at one point today, having to de-ice the airplanes three times because of freezing fog! There are a ton of delays and cancellations, which is always a nice way to end your holidays! (NOT!) It has been a mess up there, so I am very glad to not be in it!

Last night, we went to Bennigan's near our hotel. The only other choice was Cracker Barrel. So, we had a few early drinks and called it a night well before midnight. I started 2008 in bed, almost asleep....

Happy New Year!