Five day trip

January 31, 2011 0 Comments A+ a-

The Voice has given me a new trip...I'm going to Sao Paulo (GRU) tonight--we get there at 11 tomorrow morning.  We layover for 25 hours, then do  Rio de Janeiro (GIG) "turn"--go there then come back six hours later--then layover another 25 hours.  Gone for five days.

I'm charging up the camera battery right now!


Blondie

Reserve days

January 30, 2011 2 Comments A+ a-

We're back from our cruise, rested and relaxed.  Tomorrow I start 6 days of Reserve--of course, I am first up for an Airport Standby at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning.  Hopefully, The Voice will call before 1 a.m. (the latest allowed, and the most usual time The Call comes.)

I'll keep you posted!

Update:

I was super-surprised to wake up this morning without getting The Call.  It's just about noon and I'm still here.  Well, alrighty then!

Blondie

The Honeymooners-finally!

January 18, 2011 0 Comments A+ a-

As some of you may know, Norm and I were married a little over a year ago, before he deployed to Germany.  We ran down to the courthouse on a moment's notice, with only God and the celebrant as our witnesses, and we were married.

Then, he was sent away to a faraway land.  Oh, I was able to see him, and he was able to come home a couple of times, but it always involved non-rev (standby) travel. That meant it wasn't a sure thing, and a couple of times, a no-go situation for me.

So, we decided we would go on a cruise when he came back, and that would be our official honeymoon.

We leave for Fort Lauderdale (FLL) on Friday.  We sail on the Oasis of the Seas on Saturday for seven nights.  We don't even care where it goes...we just like being on the ships.  (Okay, okay, two stops in Mexico-Costa Maya and Cozumel and one private "island"- Labadee.)

Two rock-climbing walls, a zip line, ice-skating rink, two Flo-riders (onboard surfing), basketball court, 26 different dining venues, fitness center, spa, 37 bars, a Coach store, and the largest casino at sea...the ship is mind-boggling!

Here are some pictures that obviously I stole from the Internet....
Leaving Finland, where she was made, Oasis of the Seas
passing under the Great Belt Bridge, which she cleared
by only two feet, after having lowered her smokestacks.














Docked next to the Radiance of the Seas

See the Coach store on the right?
Norm booked us a balcony stateroom, then upgraded it a few months later, when the price was right.  Our Travel Agent e-mailed us last week--Royal Caribbean very generously upgraded us again!  So, we're both excited about that!

We cashed in some Delta miles for our airline tickets and are heading down to Fort Lauderdale with real seat assignments!  No standby travel for the honeymooners!

Blondie

Salt Lake City from 30,000 feet

January 12, 2011 1 Comments A+ a-

I love flying into Salt Lake City (SLC).   Lying between the Oquirrh and Wasatch Mountains, the contrast in geography of the salt flats and mountains is so different than what we have on the East Coast.
Mackerel clouds from above

The Rocky Mountains
On our way to Salt Lake City (SLC)





A river runs through it...

 
Salt Lake City



Blondie

Mother's Little Helper!

January 09, 2011 2 Comments A+ a-

Hi!  What's up, y'all?  It's just me, Emmie.
I thought I'd help Mom pack for her next trip.


I put these jeans in...they're the comfiest for me to sit on.


I should be promoted to Supervisor of Packing!




Blondie

Shopping, errrr....I mean working, today!

January 08, 2011 0 Comments A+ a-

I'm on Reserve today. And yesterday. And tomorrow.  Sitting around the house waiting for my airline to beckon me to work, I'm getting paid to be at home. Also, I can't really go anywhere or do anything because I may have to be at work within 3 hours of a phone call. We cover three airports here in Washington, DC, and it can take a minimum of an hour to get to Baltimore (BWI) or Washington Dulles (IAD) from my house, plus the time (usually 30-45 minutes) from the parking lot through security to the domicile. Washington Reagan (DCA) is a mere 5 miles from our house...I can leave within an hour of sign-in and be on time there.

Norm is all abuzz with activity today...running a few errands this morning, coming back and draggin' the Christmas boxes upstairs from the garage so I can put away the holiday decorations. Yeah, yeah...I'll get to it. I've been doing more important things today: I've been shopping over on Etsy. I love this marketplace of handmade items on the web! Just type in the words "passport cover" and you'll find 32 pages of designs!  Such talented people and creative folks! Here are a few of my favorites:



Take a look at this beautiful passport cover by jenn maruska design.  Hand-embroidered, wool felt with a vintage button...oh, so cute!

Jenn says she is inspired by Japanese crafts and functional designs.  Be sure to check out her shop for business card wallets, iPhone covers, and very cute linen clutches!







How about this design called "Ocean"? I love the airplane that jackandbeedesign have printed on the cover. And, how you slide your passport in and out of this protective cover. The pattern on this one reminds me of Hawaii!

Check out all the fabric accessories in the shop, including the very cute luggage tags, digital camera case covers and iPhone covers

I so love the vintage travel posters of this passport cover by two polka dots! Since I use Global Entry when I come back into the country, this is a perfectly slim design so that the passport does not have to come out of the cover.

two polka dots has a shop that gives a home to great paper goods. Stop in there and take a look at the oh-so-fun wallet, checkbook and more passport covers!




Gardenour Leather makes these cool leather covers...they use real leaves of oak, ginkgo, orchid tree and ferns to emboss them.  How pretty!

Make sure you check out Gardenour Leather's shop--it is chock full of iPad and Kindle sleeves, more passport covers, wallets and (my fave) purses!




Finally, Dollbirdies makes this fun fabric cover for your passport.  And, this print just makes me happy! Dollbirdies also has a great suggestion-give these passport covers as gifts for your bridal party for your destination wedding!

Take a stroll through Dollbirdies shop-she makes beautiful covers and bags for almost anything: Kindles, iPads, wallet covers, and diaper bags!









So, it's back to shopping, I mean working for me!  It's a tough gig--waiting around for a phone call that may or may not come--and I'm just the girl to do it!

Blondie

Flying with Jabba da Hut

January 02, 2011 4 Comments A+ a-

I flew with Jabba da Hut yesterday. Jim (not his real name) was waiting at the departure gate when my two flying partners and I arrived. He headed over to meet us, and I stuck my hand out and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Blondie. Are you riding to San Jose or working with us" I asked. "Working, and you're number four today," he barked.

Well, alrighty, then.

Jim was so pleased with himself. He was very close to me in seniority. Well, more like juniority, since I was in the very last class hired, and am #9 from the bottom of the Flight Attendant seniority list. Jim finally had someone junior to him, and he was able to choose what position he was going to work. It was like he was making an announcement: YOU'RE number four today!

Whatever, dude, I don't care. Wherever I work, whatever position I end up with, it does not matter to me. I have preferences, but, really, it doesn't matter.

As the #3 on the 757 from Denver (DEN) to San Jose (SJC) he would be setting up the galley, and I would be at Door 2L, greeting our passengers and making announcements. Easy-peasy.

After take-off, he set up the beverage cart. While doing our service, we ran out of plastic cups, water and orange juice. Let me just say that, for the way he proclaimed that I was number 4, you would think he could have done a better job setting up the cart. (Jus' sayin'...)

We didn't really speak much during the flight. I spent most of the flight out in the aisle picking up trash and talking to a couple of passengers.

Toward the end of the flight, Jabba Jim had just about everything put away in the galley, except a couple of bottles of water and a stack of cups. Just prior to turning the seatbelt sign on for landing, our pilots make an announcement that they are getting ready to turn it on, and that now would be a good time to get up and stretch your legs, if needed. A gentleman that I had been talking with earlier came back to the galley where Jim and I were--I had my hands full tying up a bag of trash and Jim was just standing there. Our passenger asked Jim, "Can I have a glass of water, please?" Jim's response was brusque and rude. "The beverage service is concluded, Sir," he barked.  Omigawd! Did he really just say that?  The passenger said, "But you've got cups and water sitting right there." Jim made one of those snotty, pissed-off noises that I certainly can't convey here with words. He turned around, with his back to both of us, to pour a glass of water for the gentleman. As he did this, the passenger looked at me with a "What did I do" kind of look. I shrugged my shoulders at him, and mouthed the words "I'm sorry." I was so embarrassed!

I really hope I don't fly with Jim again. Because he was not so nice to me and ugly to our passenger, I have replaced the image of his face with that of the ugly Jabba da Hut.  I'm sure if we flew together again, I would slip and call him "Jabba."

Wait!  Accidently call him Jabba? Maybe I do want to fly with him again...

Blondie