Sorry, I don't have peanuts

A True Texas Wedding...

2008-03-12T14:17:00.002-06:00

Down to the breakfast served!!! ;)

Congrats L & B!!!

More to come soon.

One word will suffice....

2008-02-17T17:14:00.001-07:00

WOW.

WOOOOHOOOO!

2008-02-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Super Tuesday is over and the MAC is BACK!!!! John McCain for 2008!!!!

A New Year and back at work...

2008-01-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I'm finally back running around after 4 months of recovery! The ankle is doing much better...I still have some pain from being up on my feet during a long day, but nothing I can't handle. The doctor said it could take up to a year to fully recover or it just might not ever be the same again. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to come back to work...I truly missed flying a lot!!!

So let's see, I need to back track a bit first...Right before I injured myself I went to Mayo Clinic with my Dad and Marilyn. For those of you who don't know, my Dad has Parkinson's disease and Mayo has some of the top neurological doctors in the nation who specialize in movement disorders. I was really excited to get to go and hear what the doctors were saying first hand and to also be a support to my Dad. We shared tears and laughs but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Go speedracer...go!!!

So, since being back I'm flying like crazy...can't wait to get that 1st paycheck!!! I've been around the west coast a lot...a Monterey overnight and lots of turns in and out of San Francisco. I actually snapped some great shots out of SFO on a beautiful morning (NO FOG AND NO FLOW!) Enjoy!

These are of the beautiful Monterey and their infamous sea lions...

And here are some shots leaving SFO...

Last but not least...During my 4 months off of work where I spent most of my time with Mom in TX (hey, your never too old for momma's good cookin' and lovin'!) I chopped my hair off! I got rid of about 10 inches and I love it!!! It's super easy to fix and was much cooler during the 80 degree days in the middle of winter in TX!

Guess that's all for now...I hope to be a bit more consistent in my posts this year (I'm gonna try really hard anyways!) I hope everyone had an excellent holiday season and a wonderful start to the new year! Until next time...keep the blue skies up!

Sorry

2007-11-20T19:16:00.001-07:00

Sorry ya'll, I know I've been slacking but this is what's going on with me at the moment (I've been out since the beginning of September)...

I can't work, can't drive, can't do much of anything. I'm staying with my mom in TX...hey, your never to old for momma's lovin' and cookin'. Hope everyone else is well (or at least better than me!) I'll update more when I get back home. Keep me in your prayers!

Is this real???

2007-08-22T16:38:00.001-06:00

Yeah, it's real...my post...a long time coming I know. So how is everyone? Things have been really great here, just staying busy as usual.

Some exciting things I've got coming up...

*4 nights in Vegas!!! (With lots of friends!)

*Going with my Dad to Mayo Clinic to find out more about his Parkinson's disease

*Montana overnights in September

Some fun things I've been doing...

*Waiting for each new episode of Big Love (I'm soooo hooked!)

*Lots of west coast flying (Yeah, no Chicago!)

*Spending summer days relaxing with friends

B and I at M's wedding...after a few drinks of course!

A super fun time at the zoo, with none other than my C!

This little one was just too precious for words!

The wildest animal at the zoo was by far the bobcat!

Sunrise off the West Coast...beautiful.

Looks like that's all I got for now. Expect another post once I get back from Vegas...around the first of the month. Until then, keep the blue skies up!

Testing...

2007-08-15T13:24:00.000-06:00

I haven't forgotten about my promised post...It will be coming in a couple more days. :)

In the mean time...enjoy this beautiful picture that some little boy drew for me on my flight. They are so cute when they're not throwing food at their siblings, spilling drinks all over the seats and floor and screaming till everyone in the rows surrounding them can't wait to get off my plane! :)

It's summer and I'm moving slow

2007-07-29T13:36:00.001-06:00

Sorry you guys...I've been pretty busy with work and vacation. I'm working on a post...hope to have it up soon. :)

Finally I return...

2007-05-15T10:40:00.000-06:00

Sorry ya'll...I know I said I would post last week but once again other plans came up! After I worked 6 days in a row, I decided to take a last min. trip back to TX to visit a friend of mine's family. His niece was in the Maifest parade in Brenham so we went to watch her...it was hotter than heck but we had a great time. Other than that, we just relaxed with his friends and family.

As for my previous trips to TX in April...they were a blast! Both my sisters got married and the weddings were absolutely beautiful! I had plenty of time to catch up with my family...it was great to have everyone together. I also had a chance to meet up with some old friends of mine, over a few margaritas of course!

Besides for all my 'play time' I've had recently...work has been going well too! I had a great overnight the other day in Memphis...I highly recommend eating at Charles Vergo's Rendezvous as they have the best ribs you've probably ever eaten! I also got to walk around down on Beale Street and visit the famous Peabody hotel to watch the ducks! The only bad thing that happened is I decided to leave my coat at home while on one of my trips, thinking..."Oh, it's spring...we'll have nice weather," only to show up in one city where it's snowing like crazy! Lesson learned!

Well, that's about all the time I've got for now as I've gotta go get ready for my next trip! I hope everyone is well...and thanks for your patience! :)

Update Coming Soon!

2007-05-04T16:28:00.000-06:00

Hello All!

I know, I know...it's been awhile! April was a bit crazy for me...I only worked 8 days the entire month, the rest of the time I was in TX attending weddings (both my sisters got married!) Needless to say, I'm playing catch up now at work so I can pay the bills! I hope to post within the next week with lots of pictures. Thanks for ya'lls patience...I hope everyone is well! Talk to you soon!

Willie Nelson

2007-03-18T13:53:00.000-06:00

Another concert...Willie Nelson, Ray Price & Merle Haggard...Good ole' country boys = lots of fun!

And you thought I was gone forever...

2007-03-13T11:40:00.000-06:00

Wow...has it really been that long since I posted? Crazy how life can get! Let's see...lots to catch y'all up on...

Work has been fabulous. I've been holding lots of hours but the flying has been great. Thankfully I stayed away from the Northeast during all the crazy ice storms...so sorry for any of you who got caught up in that mess! I had a few Houston overnights and was able to catch up with family and friends...lots of fun that was.

Besides work, I've had a few mini vacations in the last 2 months to none other than the City of Sin...Las Vegas! :) 1st trip was just a few friends and I, for a fun night of losing money and drinkin' too much. We had a room at the Flamingo that looked like something from the set of Austin Powers...vinyl headboards and all.

2nd trip was this last weekend...I won a VIP ticket on the radio (Imagine that...I never win anything!!!) to see Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts at Mandalay Bay. Texas girl loves her country music! Mad fun is all I can say. I was in the pit for the entire concert...it was amazing!!! Uncle Kracker even made a guest appearance.

And yes ladies...Joe Don really is that good lookin' in person! :)

Besides all the fun I've had on the road...I've still managed to enjoy my time off here at home. Not too long ago I went to the Jack Ingram concert here in town. It was great as well, although I will say that it would have been much better to see him back in Texas as the crowd here was hard to rally. Still a good time!

Other than that, just (much needed) lazy days at the house with the animals.

Once again...my apologies for taking so long to post. I'm hoping to do better in the near future although I will warn you that the month of April is going to be a bit crazy for me. What's new, right?!?! Both of my sisters...K (my half sister) and J (my twin sister) are getting married...one on the 7th in San Antonio and the other on the 28th in Dallas! Holy cow! Needless to say, most of April I'll be in TX...not that I'm complaining about that by any means! I'll try and keep you up to date as best I can! In the mean time, stay well!!!

WAIT!!!!

2007-03-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

WAIT!!!! Don't give up on me yet!!! My apologies to those of you who follow my blog...as I'm sure you all know, life can sometimes pass you by at lightspeed and before you know it, it's 2 months since you've posted a blog!!! So sorry!!! I promise I will post again when I get home from this trip (Sunday or Monday) and I'll catch you up on all the crazy/fun things that have been going on (for instance, like how 2 days ago I won 1 ticket on the radio...VIP, front row, to the Rascal Flatts concert in Vegas this weekend!!!! Party on!!!!). I've also got tons of pictures to post...some real good ones from work. I hope everyone is doing well and thanks for your patience with me!!!

Back in the saddle....

2007-01-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time, I know! I sure hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!!! Mine was fantastic...very busy of course though. I'm feeling like I might need a vacation from my vacation!!!

So from the beginning....

It's super nice being senior in the airline industry. I was able to have the 24th - 31st off. I had to work early on the 1st but I had already been away from work so long I was ready to get back (if just for one day) then I had the 2nd through today off. Nice!!! I really actually do miss work and am anxious to get back in the swing of a regular schedule (as regular as it gets for a flight attendant!)

On Christmas Eve I traveled to Washington DC to go see my Mom and Stepdad. It was a pain in my rear end trying to get there (the storms in Denver screwed up everything) but I made it around 9:30pm on the 24th. We had a wonderful time...just relaxed mainly. We of course made it to Dave & Busters (now a tradition whenever I visit) and had a blast. Gotta love those mudslides!!!

Our Christmas tree was somewhat pathetic...it was actually the ficus that sits in the corner of the room with 1 strand of lights and plastic silver ball ornaments from the dollar store hung up with paperclips! We also stuck some fake poinsettias around the base for extra pizazz! It made us laugh every time we looked at it. I told my parents, "Hey, it's better than being stuck in some random city in a hotel room!" In all actuality we were just glad we got to spend the holiday together as a family.

The highlight of my DC trip though had to be the private tour of the Whitehouse! It was amazing! My mom, through a family member of a friend, got the hookup and on the night of the 29th we got a 2 hour tour of the Whitehouse and the Eisenhower building. It's something I won't soon forget.

I made it back home on the 31st with just enough time to unpack, do laundry and repack before leaving for my trip early on the 1st. After working my trip I flew out to see a good friend of mine in Omaha. We had a blast together...we went to see 2 great movies...A Night at the Museum and Happy Feet. We also went bowling (and I was quickly reminded how much I suck at that!) and we drove out to the SAC Museum which was by far the best thing we got to do. I know, I'm a dork! Right in the entryway hangs an SR-71 Blackbird, the aircraft that my grandfather flew. Among the tons of displays, they also have the B-58 Hustler which he was a test pilot for as well. I highly recommend going if your ever out in the area...I believe it's about 1/2 way between Omaha and Lincoln, NE.

Well, that concludes my extremely busy holiday season. Starting tomorrow, it's back to work. Happy New Year to you all!!!

Tahdah....

2006-12-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, here it is...the annual Christmas card of 2006! Thanks goodness they are done...now I just have to get them to the post office!

Merry, Merry!!!

Where are your manners?

2006-12-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Just a little word of advice to my fellow travelers...

If your sitting in the exit row of my aircraft, you must be willing and able to assist me in the event of an emergency. One of the ways that you would do this is by listening to my instructions. That being said...If you can't keep your mouth shut for 3 min. while I give my important safety briefing to the plane, how can I be assured your going to pay attention and listen to me in an evacuation? I don't give a damn if your a bajillion mile flier and you've heard the announcement a bajillion times...maybe others around you haven't!!! And if not for that reason...it's common courtesy!!! Where are your manners???

Ok...rant done.

Thank goodness...

2006-12-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

I thought November would never end!!! I've been working like crazy...I maxed out my hours last month but this month should be much easier as I'm working 2 day trips (sweet) that get home by noon on day 2, I have at least 5 more days off than I did last month, I'm flying on my favorite airplane, and all my overnights are in MT (yeah me). I am a happy camper!

So let's see...thanks to those of you who thought about me on Turkey day. It pretty much sucked as I predicted but I did get to escape back to TX to go see Daddy a few days later. That was mad fun. There were 21 people in the house (we have a large family) but it was a blast. Beautiful chaos. We played golf, drank wine, played pool and ate lots of food.

Sissie, her fiance D, and my nephew J got to come down too. I miss them lots...it was really good to see them. I can't believe how big J is getting. This is my favorite pic from the visit...J fell asleep on Sissie's lap with my Dad's new puppy, Mimi. So precious.

After TX I came back for another 5 days at work. That ended up being fun though as I had double SAT (San Antonio) overnights which is where my half sister K (and all her family) lives. They picked me up both nights and took me out...we had a lot of fun. Next time I go I want to ride the horses though (she has 6)!

And even though I feel like I've been doing nothing but running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I've still managed to take a night or two to spend with good friends (shocking, I know).

Well that's about it for now...I guess I'll leave you once again with few pics from the office. This first one is a photo of those infamous HOLLYWOOD letters I took when leaving LAX last week. Hope ya'll have a wonderful week. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2006-11-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm working today...feel very, very sorry for me (And think about me sitting in my hotel room all alone when your eating lot's of turkey, etc. with friends and family!)

Ok, thanks...I feel better!

Hope everyone has a happy holiday!

Bringin' Sexy Back...

2006-11-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Even with the busy schedule, there's always time for good friends at good places. Oh yeah...we definitely brought sexy back that night...

Oh the glamour...

2006-11-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Saw this in Chicago the other day...totally made me laugh.

The crew was sitting on the floor in O'hare eating McDonalds. Livin' the dream! And the passengers think our job is so glamorous!

6th Street, Austin, Sat. night...need I say more?

2006-11-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

I wish every weekend could be like this! Good times, good friends, great city...it doesn't get much better than that! Now only if my overnights could be 10 hours longer! I still managed to have some fun...

Can't wait...

2006-11-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Guess where I get to overnight tonight???? Hint: Somewhere close to back home! I've got some friends driving out to meet me so I'm really looking forward to the trip. I'll be sure to update you as soon as I return home! Until then, have a great weekend!

And so it goes...

2006-11-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well it's getting that time of year...winter weather moving around, which means FLOW DELAY in my world...especially when flying in and out of Chicago O'Hare. But hey, at least they've put up Christmas decorations for you to enjoy while your stuck in the airport for hours on end!

Not only did I spend some extra time in ORD this past week but I also got to enjoy the great airport of Fort Wayne, Indiana for a little longer than expected. Actually, if you ever get to fly through there they have an amazing little aviation museum upstairs by the gates. They even had a model of the SR-71!

And so went another work week. Now I'm just trying to enjoy my 2 days off before I start all over again. Hope yall's week is going well!

I almost forgot...

2006-11-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post this...
Remember my little nephew J was superman last halloween? This year he was a fireman. So cute.

It's November already?!?!?!

2006-11-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it...Halloween is gone and it's November! Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner! Where does the time go? Hope ya'll had a good Halloween. I didn't do too much as I was on a trip over the weekend and didn't get home till late Halloween night. I still managed to make it over to the bar with a few friends after I got in but a cowboy hat was about as good as my costume got (and that was only because I borrowed it from some drunk guy for a few minutes)...

One of the hotels I stayed at over the weekend had a pumpkin carving contest amongst the employees. This one was my favorite...I hope they won...

And now...it's November!!! Crazy! I kinda got screwed this month as far as my schedule goes at work. We bid for our schedules based on seniority and this month there were quite a few trips with TX overnights (something I wanted for obvious reasons) and so when I bid, I bid for those trips and nothing else. The something else I should have bid for was to only work a maximum amount of hours and/or days per week. Um, yeah, well I forgot that and so...my schedule is nuts! I work 5 on 2 off, 5 on 3 off (This is where I'm at now), 5 on 2 off, 6 on 2 off, 6 on 2 off (or something along those lines). Holy crap! I don't have more than 2 days off until after Thanksgiving!!! I feel like I have a normal person's job...YUCK! Besides for the busy schedule...I've gotten some great trips to some beautiful places. This is a picture of Vail, CO I took the other day as we were flying over...it makes me wish I knew how to ski!

Hope everyone is well...I must now go enjoy my day off as I don't have very many!

BLIZZARD!!!

2006-10-28T17:57:00.000-06:00

Well, you won't believe this but we just had a 'small' blizzard come through here a couple days ago! The 'won't believe' part is the fact that not 12 hours before the storm hit the temperature outside was around 63 degrees F!!! Needless to say, the storm brought more snow than this TX girl has ever seen fall at one time! I was glad I was at home before it hit...inside warm and cozy with a few beers. The winds were pretty strong...we ended up with drifts that were over 4 ft. The storm didn't stop until evening time and unfortunately I had to be at the airport the next morning at 5 am...so...lucky me...I got to spend 2 hours shoveling snow enough to be able to attempt to get my little car out of the neighborhood in the morning. Every muscle in my back and arms are still aching! Besides that though, it was wonderful. I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to snow!

First time this year!!!

2006-10-18T09:36:00.000-06:00

So last night we are leaving Chicago and my captain is giving his briefing and uh oh...visibility is down to 1/4 mile at home...let's hope it clears by the time we get there as we can't do a CAT II approach into that airport. Luckily all went well (no diversions) and we came home to...SNOW!!! Our first real snow fall this year! We got about 3-4 inches here at the house and some parts of town recorded as much as 7 inches. Everything is white but it's melting fast...here's a few shots I managed to take in the meantime...

Approach into home...

2006-10-16T11:52:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd throw this pic up here...I took this the other day coming home. I love looking out and seeing the mountains emerging from what appears to be a 'sea' of clouds.

And a couple more from recent days...

Texas Trip!!!

2006-10-16T11:09:00.000-06:00

Another wonderful visit as always! My main reason for going was that one of my best friends, E, was getting married but I had some other plans for the 3 day trip as well. It was so much fun and I can't believe the weekend is over already. It's back to reality this evening...I'm starting a 2 day trip at 4 pm.

E & J looked gorgeous and so in love! I wish them both the best!

I was able to spend some time with my sissie, her fiance and my nephew for a while when I was down which is always fun. We didn't do anything too exciting, just hung out, drank screwdrivers and caught up on things. I hate being so far away from them!

The rest of the time I was there I spent with someone very special to my heart...someone who I haven't seen in quite a while...and we had a great time together! I miss Downtown Ft. Worth!!!

"And good times were had by all!"

Off we go...into the wild blue yonder...

2006-10-07T20:45:00.000-06:00

So even though I stayed out until 4 am this morning and I was super tired and just wanted to sleep, my wonderful friends R & C decided it would be a much better idea to wake me up and drag me out for a fun filled day of college football (Air Force vs. Navy). I love my friends. Really, it ended up being a wonderful day...great weather, good friends, a turkey leg that was bigger than my head, and football!

I miss you SISSIE!!!

2006-09-27T15:05:00.000-06:00

Sissie, I miss you sooooo much! I just found this video of you and I laughed so hard...we always have so much fun together. You are my best friend and I love you always and forever!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work I go...

2006-09-16T17:37:00.000-06:00

Well, I just got home from a 2 day trip today and I'm headin' back out at 5:15 am tomorrow morning for another trip. I'm not complaining though b/c guess who I get to fly with tomorrow??? CC!!!! We just did a trip together last week and well, shit, I haven't laughed that hard in I don't know how long. Here's a few good memories...

Airplane Safety Instructional Video

2006-09-13T20:11:00.000-06:00

So this is what you people are doing during my safety announcement!

Good times on off days

2006-09-09T15:12:00.000-06:00

Just what I needed...

WTF?

2006-09-09T15:06:00.000-06:00

Owning a Harley is cool.
Wearing a Harley t-shirt tucked into Harley pj pants in the middle of Chicago's O'Hare airport...not so cool.

Pictures from Washington DC

2006-09-09T14:55:00.000-06:00

Back to normal?

2006-09-02T07:05:00.000-06:00

Hello all...Things are starting to settle down and get back to *normal (*NORMAL AS IN I'M WORKING TWO 3-DAY TRIPS BACK TO BACK.) I got back from Washington DC on Wednesday where I was for 3 days with my family as my grandmother was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The service was beautiful...I'm so glad I was able to make it out there. I'm actually in Chicago for the time being but as soon as I get home I'll post some pictures from the trip.

Work is going well...just really busy as usual. I've picked up some extra trips this month to make a buck since this last month I took so much time off to be with my family and my grandmother before she passed away. I'm actually looking forward to several of them though because I get to fly once again with my best friend CC. I haven't flown with her in forever...since before last Christmas I'm guessing, so it should be a blast. Like I've said...it's not even like work when we fly together. One of our friends found out we're flying together and said..."Oh shit...someone better warn your pilots ahead of time!" :) It will be good times for sure!

Well, it's a bit early here and I'm in urgent need of some caffeine (Starbucks preferably) to jump start my morning. I hope everyone is well.

In memory of...

2006-08-23T08:04:00.000-06:00

First and foremost...Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers this last month. My grandmother is being layed to rest beside my grandfather in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC this coming Tuesday. Because I work for an amazing company, they have allowed me to take vacation time in order to attend the service for which I am extremely grateful.

While I was back in Texas a couple weeks ago with the family, we were going through some old pictures my grandmother had stashed away in a box...some of them were simply wonderful...

We also took a few moments to make new memories...

Family is truly a blessing and in reflection over the last month, I couldn't have asked God for a more loving and caring group of people around me.

I love you Grandma

2006-08-09T22:18:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know...my Grandmother, Lucille Zwayer, passed away this evening. I am deeply saddened to know that she is not here on this earth with us anymore but I am comforted in knowing that she is heaven with both her maker and my Grandpa. I love you Grandma.

I'm still laughing...

2006-08-03T20:44:00.000-06:00

Ya'll have to check this site out...

www.airtoons.com

A wonderful trip to DC

2006-07-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

Well, I just made it back from my trip to Washington DC yesterday and I had the best time! I went to go see my folks (mom and stepdad) whom are actually from TX but my stepdad is working up there for a year. Since mom is a teacher she's been able to spend the whole summer up there with him and they've been begging me to come out on my off days. It finally worked out where I had enough time to travel (It's a 2 leg trip through O'Hare...yuck!) so I spent the last 3 days up there.

Since my first and last day were pretty much all traveling, we only had 1 day to really go do anything. I've wanted to go to the Holocaust museum forever so that was number 1 on the list and then I really wanted to go see Tai Shan the baby panda at the National Zoo too. We were able to do both and I'm so glad we did!

The Holocaust Memorial Museum was breathtaking especially the permanent exhibit. They also had an exhibit called Remember the Children - Daniel's Story which is geared more towards kids but was just as amazing.

After the museum we took the Metro to the National Zoo where we got to meet Tai Shan (aka Butterstick)! I've never in my life seen a cuter animal than a baby panda! We must have stayed in the viewing room for at least 30 min. oooing and awing over them! Fortunately we were in the last viewing group that day so they weren't in a hurry to kick us out...I just didn't want to leave!

Are you jealous yet????? As you can see, we had a great time. All in all, my trip made for a short but relaxing vacation...I didn't want to come home! Well, it's mid afternoon so I reckon I better start getting things ready for my trip in the morning. I'll be working the next 5 days in a row...wish me luck! ;)

A lot to say with little time...

2006-07-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

Hey ya'll! My goodness I've been busy but I'm having lot's of fun! I'm running short on time this afternoon as I have tons to get done before I leave again tomorrow on my trip but I wanted to get in a quick update for ya'll...

My trip to Texas was great! It was so good to see Sissie (and my nephew, J) and spend our birthday together. We didn't do much of anything...just lounged around and ate too much cake...can you blame us?!?

I was only in Texas for a day because my sister had to go back to work but I was excited to get home because I planned a special birthday present for myself...

I went on a hot air balloon ride in the Rocky Mountains and it was absolutely amazing! The ride itself was very peaceful...the winds were very calm and the visibility went for miles and miles. It was an amazing experience...it made me miss flying a lot!

All in all, I wound up having an awesome birthday 'weekend'! Like I said, it's back to work tomorrow and then out to Omaha for a couple of days starting Tuesday to see my friend who's leaving for Iraq soon. I'll try and get back here to post as soon as I can. Hope everyone's well! :)

Oh, I almost forgot...

2006-07-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot to post these...just a few pics from the office... ;) Gosh I have it rough!

Back again...

2006-07-07T15:32:00.000-06:00

Well, hope ya'll had a great 4th of July. I was stuck in Lincoln and the 'official' fireworks display put on by the city was a total disappointment! I only watched the first 10 min or so before I decided to take matters into my own hands and snuck on to the roof of the hotel and watched all the amateur firework displays around the city. It was actually pretty amazing because the building was about 14 stories high so I had a great panoramic view of everyone in town shooting off fireworks. I took this little video clip and you can see in the distance all the fireworks going off...

I got home the next day and one of my friends called me up and asked what I was up to. I didn't really have any plans so we decided to go to the city to go shopping for the day and then out to the bars. We had an absolute blast! I ended up spending way too much money (not the first time that's happened)...my bar tab was as bad as my shopping tab! :) But I got a cute new top and shoes to go with it and my friend also got a new pair of shoes!

After shopping we went to this fabulous bar...it's a dueling piano bar, and it was so much fun! We drank and sang our asses off!

This one guy was hysterical...he was super drunk and all his friends made him get up on stage and do the YMCA by himself. I'm really surprised he didn't fall off the stage he was so tipsy. I got a clip of it...sorry it doesn't have sound but it's still just as funny...

Anyways, it's back to work for me tomorrow...I start a 3 day trip and then guess what????!!!! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! (Thank heaven for 7-11!) I'm really looking forward to going down to TX to be with Sissie...it should be a blast...I promise to take lot's of pics!

Happy 4th of July from Lincoln, Nebraska!

2006-07-04T18:38:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone and Happy 4th! I'm working today...shocking I know. It's a 2 day trip...easy money...I only worked 2 legs today and then I just have 2 legs tomorrow and I'll be home by 11am. Can't beat that! Although, I am a little jealous that I won't be at home for this holiday because all my friends are getting together tonight and it's sure to be a good time. (I got promised lots of drunk dials.) Oh well...someone has to work for a living. ;)

Things have been good here...this month is the 2nd month that we have bid for our schedules using the new system called PBS (preferential Bidding System) and I did pretty well...I got my first choice of trips the whole month except for the 3 day trip I just finished yesterday. Starting the 8th I've got 3 day trips the rest of the month with 4 days off in between. Now I know what your thinking...'You lucky duck...you've got 4 days off every week...now you'll finally have some free time!' But..........guess again! I never really slow down!

My birthday is coming up (thank heaven for 7-11) and I'm planning on going back to Texas to be with my twin sister for a couple of days. That should be super fun (double the trouble)...this is our first birthday we've gotten to spend together since our 21st! The next chunk of days off I'm going to try to get out to Omaha to visit an old friend of mine who's in the military and who will be leaving for Iraq in August. And then...the last of my days off at the end of the month, I'm trying to get up to Washington DC to see my Stepdad and Mom for a few days. They actually both live in TX but my Stepdad is in the Army reserves and got placed in DC for the next year and since my Mom is a teacher and has the whole summer off she's been up there for the last couple of months. They said if I could make it out there then we could go to NYC which I'm dying to do because I want to visit ground zero. I hope all the plans come together!

Gosh, I'm a little stressed just thinking about everything I have planned this month!

Lets see...what else...oh yes, I've got several book recommendations for ya'll. Remember...one of my goals this year was to read more!?! So, if you haven't read A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, it's a must. Forget all the hoopla that surrounded the book when people found out that it wasn't all exactly true...it's just a book for cryin' out loud and a very good book at that! I actually read it a while ago but just recently I picked up his second book, My Friend Leonard and I think that it is in my top 3 books of all time! Seriously...I happened to go to Starbucks the day that I was reading the last 50 pages or so and I was laughing and crying out loud so much that I think I disturbed the customers around me! I also just finished a great summer read by Jennifer Weiner called Goodnight Nobody. It's pretty much a 'chick lit' novel which I don't read too often but I really enjoyed this one.

Okay I've got to run now...I'm here at the business center at the hotel and there is this lady staring at me with the 'evil eye' wondering when I'm gonna get off this computer so that she can use it because heaven forbid she have to wait a few more minutes. Stupid lady. I hope she can read this! (hehehe)

One Month Later....

2006-06-23T18:50:00.000-06:00

And still crazy busy! Such is life though...I'd rather have too much on my plate than not enough, that's for sure! So how have ya'll been? Good I hope.

As always I've been working like crazy...I flew the maximum amount of hours this last month! I also had a few training students on my trips which has been a lot of fun! Yes, I've had a few days off to 'play' as well...I've got a good tan going, I made it back to TX to see Sissie, and I've discovered a fabulous martini/cigar bar here in town that I've spent way too much money at! :)

I'm sad to say but I haven't been getting any good pics from the plane this month...I tried to snap a few of some geysers we flew over but it didn't turn out very well considering we were at 35,000 feet. I'll try and do better this next month!

Well, I'm off again for now...I leave in the morning for the last 4 day trip of the month. Next month I got 3 days trips (YEAH!!!!!!!) Ya'll be good and stay out of trouble!

Bored Pilots

2006-05-26T18:41:00.000-06:00

Props to Rant Air for finding this...it's hilarious!

Tricked ya' didn't I?

2006-05-26T17:26:00.000-06:00

Ha! You thought I was gonna go a whole month without posting didn't you?!?!

Things have been great...still working like crazy but loving every min. of it. I've had Kalispell overnights this month (which I absolutely love) as well as Chicago.

I'm working 2 day trips back to back but it might as well just be a 4 day trip b/c on the 2nd day I get home around 10:30pm and then I have to leave my house again at 6:30am the next morning. I've discovered a great new place to hang out in Kalispell called Red's (Red's, Wines and Blues). It's a great atmosphere, they have excellent food and an endless wine list...what more could you ask for?

Besides for work, life has been good. Let's see...I spent a night up in the mountains with a friend of mine...it actually started snowing even though we had been in shorts and a t-shirt earlier that day in town!

Me and my roomies (J & H) just went out the other night to celebrate H's 30th birthday! That's right...she's officially J's 'old lady' or so we like to tease her! We went to Rock Bottom Brewery here in town and it was excellent as always.

That's about all on the fun list...the rest of my 'off' time has been spent doing spring cleaning, mowing the lawn, doing way too much laundry and all those other fun chores that us adults are responsible for.

Some thoughts I've had during the last month that ya'll might enjoy...

1. Don't hire a security guard at the airport if he acts like this...

LOL!!!!!!!! Can you believe it? Me and my crew were laughing so hard I could hardly hold still to get the damn picture!

2. Don't be mad at the airlines (or the flight attendant) if you are out of shape!

If you fly into the nation's busiest airport (Chicago O'hare) to connect to a town that has less than 350,000 people living there, don't be surprised if you have to change terminals to go from a 'mainline' flight to a 'regional' flight. They don't fly the 777 into places like Appleton, WI and they also don't park the 777 and the Regional Jet right next to one another on the ramp. If you are making a connecting flight...Rule of thumb...you should give yourself at least 1 hour to get from one aircraft to another. This is helpful when things such as delays or terminal changes occur (not uncommon occurrences at O'Hare) still alloying you enough time to make your connection. All this being said, you can't run onto an airplane and gripe to the flight attendant about how your never flying this airline again because you had to go from Terminal C to F in less than 30 min and expect the flight attendant to feel sorry for you because your out of breath and sweating. What did you expect? Common sense folks...your the one that booked your flight, not me!

3. Don't yell at the flight attendant when the air conditioning on the airplane isn't working right. I promise I don't have some secret cooling vest designed by NASA to keep me from experiencing uncomfortable temperatures that may be experienced in the cabin by anyone else. Seriously ya'll! Can't you see I'm miserable too?!?! You think I'm having a blast sweating my butt off and having to serve you soda after I've been on the hot airplane for the last 3 legs?

4. Number four is very simple. If you haven't showered in the last 3 days or more, don't be surprised if you are denied boarding because of passenger complaints regarding your offensive body odor!

Ok...I'm done venting. :) It's time for a glass of wine and grilled salmon for dinner! YUMMY! Hope ya'll are well!

Will the madness ever end?

2006-04-29T11:24:00.000-06:00

LOL Dixie...I know! My life has been crazy busy! I'm flyin' 4 day trips, which have been great except that when I get home after being gone for so long I have million things to do! Such is life, right?!

Work has been wonderful. I've gotten to fly over Mount Rushmore quite a few times and the other day I was able to get a decent picture from the plane considering that I was at 10,000 + ... If you've never been there in person it's an amazing sight to see. I visited there about a year ago and did all the tourist'y' stuff with some friends so it was really neat to get a different perspective on it this time!

I've also gotten to fly to Long Beach, CA where the weather has been beautiful! I was wishing we could just stay there for our overnight but unfortunately it's just a turn.

My crew has been super fun too this month, which always makes work worth while...

Last weekend I went back to TX on my days off to visit my sissie, D (her boyfriend...soon to be fiance!) and my nephew for a couple days. I miss them so much! You would never know that we were twins would you?

It was so good to see them. I can't believe how big J (my nephew) is! It had been almost 8 months since I had seen him last...he's growing up way too fast!

I also got to see my dad and stepmom in TX...they drove up from Montgomery to visit with us. We went and ate at Joe's Crab Shack for D's birthday and had a blast. They made him cluck around the entire restaurant like a bird (with a cone cup in his mouth as a beak and to-go boxes to flap around as wings) as they sang happy birthday to him which embarrassed him to death! It was so funny to watch though! All in all, he was a good sport!

And this I'm still laughing about...we had all finished eating at Joe's and were just sitting around talking and my dad asks me to go get him a toothpick. I was smoking at the time so I told him to hold on a moment and I would as soon as I finished my cigarette. Not one min. later I look over and my dad is picking his teeth with the shrimp skewer from our dinner plate! You know your a redneck if....SERIOUSLY! I was laughing so hard I couldn't even scold him! We took a picture of me mocking him before I finally got up to get him a real toothpick...he cracks me up!

Well, I'm leaving again tomorrow to work my last 4 day trip of the month. Next month I was awarded 2 day trips, back to back, which will start the following week. There pretty good trips with Chicago and Kalispell overnights...both of which I like. Hope ya'll are doing well and keeping busy, but not too busy (like me!)

As you can tell...

2006-04-15T20:39:00.000-06:00

Well, as you can probably tell...it's been a great month and I've been crazy busy! What's new right? I'm loving my 4 day trips...it's so nice to be back on the road! I've been spending a lot of the time in and out of Salt Lake City but I've also been to Calgary, Rapid City, Omaha and Lewiston...all of which are beautiful towns. For the most part, the weather has also been wonderful everywhere I've been. You can tell Spring is finally here and I'm happy for that! No more lugging around my heavy wool coat with me everywhere!

Besides for working like crazy, I've also been quite the social butterfly this month It's either feast or famine...either I sit around on my days off, bored to tears with nothing to do or I have so many different invites to 'hang out' that I have to plan ahead and make decisions about my free time! This month has been the latter but I'm not complaining really because I've had tons of fun!

I leave again tomorrow morning for another 4 day trip and then as soon as I get back on Wednesday, I'm hopping a flight back to good ole' Texas to see my sister, my nephew and my dad and stepmom. I'm really excited, especially to see my sister and nephew, because it's been about 8 months or so since I've gotten to see them. I was supposed to go last month but as usual...my schedule and her schedule got too busy and it didn't quite work out. I'll be sure to bring back lots of pictures...sissie says that I won't believe how big J (my nephew) is getting. She says he's talking up a storm...he's even learned to count to 3 in Spanish! :)

I hope ya'll have a blessed Easter tomorrow...I'll post again when I get back from Texas. Oh yeah, and wish me luck...I'll be training my first new hire on the airplane tomorrow and Monday!

A good start to what is hopefully a great month...

2006-04-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today was fabulous...I did a whole lot of nothing (well, maybe a tad bit of laundry and packing and I did get a shower) and it was wonderful. I leave in the morning to start my 4 day trip and I'm actually kinda excited! I know it's 4 days of work but I think the change will be refreshing...and I've got almost all day in Calgary tomorrow (I've heard it's a nice overnight)...sweet! I'll try and get some good pics. In the mean time, ya'll don't have too much fun without me. Since I've never done these layovers before I'm not sure if I'll have access to a computer while I'm on the road so be patient if you don't see a post for a few days. I promise I'll be back! Till then...enjoy Jack Johnson - Better Together...

*I did get to finally talk with Dixie on the phone today and that was wonderful too...lots of good laughs...right girl?!?!

NO MORE GROUNDHOG DAY!!!!!

2006-03-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah...today was my last groundhog day! I can't tell you how glad I am...no really, there aren't words to describe my joy. I thought this month would never end! And so now, I need a cold beer or two as I must enjoy the rest of tonight and tomorrow before I start my new 4 day trip on Sunday. See, I told you I'm crazy busy!

I hope tomorrow ends up being as beautiful as it was today! It was a wonderful way to end this not so wonderful month!

What happened to my weekend?

2006-03-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Seriously...where did my 2 days off go? I think time sped up over the last two days because it was back to yet another groundhog day again this morning. Only two more days of this trip...ever...thank goodness! So I do this St. Louis local again tomorrow and Fri., then I have Sat. off and then I start my 4 day trip. That's a lot of work but like I've said, I'm just so anxious to do a different trip that I don't really care.

Our trip today went smoothly up until the last leg (go figure...Murphy's law) when we took an approx. 25 min. delay to wait on 4 passengers who were misconnects (they missed their earlier connecting flights due to delays or what not). I was so frustrated!!! First of all, I don't agree with the idea that we should wait for late/misconnecting passengers be them global, elite, 100 K, the president or whomever else. (FYI...it is not the crews decision whether or not to wait for passengers, that call is made by a higher authority). Mainly because in a situation such as today, you have 4 people who are hardly aware, much less appreciative, at the fact that we delayed the flight so that they could make it (they always slowly make their way to the plane taking their precious time, not to mention the fact that the delay itself has cost our airline big bucks) and you have 46 other people who have been sitting on the plane since they started boarding 40 min. ago who are pissed that they are now going to be late!

Another point I argue is that no one (different airlines, different supervisors, etc.) is ever consistent! Sometimes they hold the plane sometimes they don't. Sometimes it matters where your flying to but not always and in some situations it matters if you have 'preferred' status and other times it doesn't! How can we expect the people to take us seriously when we say, 'Boarding starts 30 min. prior to departure time and the doors are closed 10 min. prior to departure time' yet we delay a flight (my flight) for 25 min. to wait for 4 people when the next flight to our destination leaves just 1 hour later! Rules are rules for a reason and the more we bend them, the more people think that the rule doesn't apply to them! Overall, it's not worth it...not to me or the 46 other people who had to wait on the plane too, nor is it worth losing the money we would have gotten had it been an ontime departure and arrival.

Ok...I'm done venting...besides they never ask me for my opinion on these things anyways! Hope ya'll are having a good week!

It's almost my Friday!

2006-03-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

I just got finished with another day of work (we were on time for once) and tomorrow is my Friday! Yeah! Seriously...I can't wait till my new schedule starts on the 2nd. My life is seriously like groundhog day with these St. Louis locals.

I ended up getting the 4 day trips I wanted for next month with Rapid City, Omaha and Lewiston overnights. I'm really looking forward to the change. Also, I'm excited because my half brother lives in Omaha with his family so I'm hoping that we'll be able to do dinner one week at least.

Speaking of dinner...I'm hungry! Guess I need to round up something for supper.

Speaking of funny commercials...

2006-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

I just saw a funny commercial on my friend Dixie's blog and it reminded me of this one I found on the internet...it totally made me laugh out loud! Hot towel?
*No hard feelings meant to my fellow male flight attendants...I love ya'll! ;)

Recent Pictures...

2006-03-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I've had some trouble posting pictures on blogger but it looks like thing are working for now so I wanted to share some pictures I've been saving...

These first few photos are just some random pics from work this past week. Like I said in my last post...I L-O-V-E this job! In the words of my dad...Keep the blue skies up!

Next, these are pics of the gang for our little St. Patricks Day get-together. We played drinking Jenga...so much fun! :)

The last two pictures are actually from today when I was trying to kill time in Chicago. I walked around for a bit and decided to snap a shot of the 72-foot-long, 4 story high brachiosaurus dinosaur skeleton which is displayed in the B concourse. I also ran into a couple of flight attendant friends chowing down on pizza for breakfast...livin the dream baby! ;)

I'm back from OK...

2006-03-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello! I hope ya'll had a good weekend. Mine went pretty well considering all the traveling. Sunday after work I hopped back on a plane to Denver and then sat for 5 1/2 hours before leaving for Tulsa. It was really only supposed to be a 3 hr wait but the a/c was delayed (that's about my luck!). Fortunately, I got one of the two seats open and arrived into TUL around 12:20am. Yesterday I just chilled at the hotel until my friend got off work around 4pm. It was nice to sleep in for once! We went to dinner at the Elephant Bar...a place I've been wanting to go. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. We got the coconut shrimp as an appetizer and I had the fish tacos for dinner. Both were outstanding.

It was a quick trip as I had to catch the 6am flight out of Tulsa this morning to Chicago and then had a 2 hour sit before the flight home. Even so, I had a great time. I got first class all the way home today which was super nice. Free drinks....woohoo! And another little (not so well known) perk to my job is that you never ever will have to buy another magazine in your life b/c you collect so many left behind from seat back pockets.

I never really used to read magazines, especially not the smutty hollywood gossip ones (US, Star, Life & Style) but now I'm addicted :) ...so I was able to catch up on all the latest rumors while reclining in my first class seat and sippin' on my screwdriver. Spoiled I am...really...that I can just hop on over to Tulsa for a wonderful evening with a friend and be back home the next day. I L-O-V-E my job!

While I was gone, the huge storm that was predicted to hit home sure did. They got 6 + inches up here at my house. Everyone said it was crazy yesterday morning...icy roads, wrecks everywhere. Although it's only 19 degrees here today, the sun was out for quite a while this morning which helped to clear up the roads (and my car, thank goodness...no scraping) before I got home. The view sure was beautiful on our final approach into the airport this morning. The clouds were hanging out around 7000 feet or so and I was able to snap this picture just before we went below the cloud layer...

Tag...

2006-03-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Four jobs I have had/have in my life:
1. Flight Attendant
2. Starbucks manager
3. Hallmark manager
4. Personal Assistant to people who have way too much money

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Napolean Dynamite
2. Tommy Boy
3. Top Gun
4. The Notebook

Four places I have lived:
1. Texas
2. Arizona
3. Wyoming
4. Colorado

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. King of the Hill
2. CSI
3. Law and Order
4. American Idol

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. New Zealand
2. US Virgin Islands
3. Hong Kong
4. The Bahamas

Four websites I visit daily:
1. youtube.com
2. flightlookup.com
3. hotmail.com
4. weather.com

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cheesecake
2. Fajitas
3. Salmon
4. Asparagus

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Yellowstone National Park
2. Europe (b/c I've never been but I'm dying to go)
3. In an airplane (actually flying)
4. My bed

I am sleeeeeeeeeeeepy...

2006-03-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hello again...I hope ya'll had a wonderful St. Patty's Day and didn't get into too much trouble last night! I got together with a few of my friends for a bit. Actually, I ended up staying out about 2 hours later than I wanted to, hence the reason I've been dragging all day. I've got to go to bed at a decent hour tonight! All in all though, it was a fun time...good friends, games, and booze. (And for cryin' out loud...I just tried to post some pics and it's not letting me. Stupid computer!)

Yet again, I have lots to do tonight before I go to bed because as soon as I get off work tomorrow at 3pm, I'm trying to hop a flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma to go see a friend. The loads (seats available) look really crappy right now but you never know. Nonreving is a game of chance. I hope I can get out of here though because rumor has it the weather is supposed to get crappy tomorrow night (rain/sleet/snow) and stay that way for 2 or 3 days. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow but I'm getting anxious for some warm weather...Spring Fever!

Well, I would have a little more to post if I could upload pictures but Blogger must be having problems or something...who knows. I've got them saved for next time though. So if I make it on this flight tomorrow night then it will probably be Tuesday before I'm able to post again but if the flight is full then I'll to post the pictures again tomorrow night. Either way, I hope ya'll have a wonderful weekend!

I need a 30 hour day!

2006-03-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

Crap...it's already 6:15 pm, I just finished my grocery shopping and a friend is coming to pick me up to go to a St. Patricks Day Party (I'm not staying out late b/c of work tomorrow morning) in 15 min. and I realized I haven't even gotten to blog yet today! I need at least 6 more hours in the day to accomplish everything I want and need to! So, this will be short but I will say that I've got some cool pictures to post tomorrow! Until then...Happy St. Patricks Day!

Hell yeah...

2006-03-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

What military aircraft are you?

F-15 Eagle

You are an F-15. Your record in combat is spotless; you've never been defeated. You possess good looks, but are not flashy about it. You prefer to let your reputation do the talking. You are fast, agile, and loud, but reaching the end of your stardom.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Thank goodness I can post pictures again!

2006-03-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

I had to drive to the airport today to take a little training class for this new scheduling (bidding) system we are adopting soon. The class was boring but my drive there sure was beautiful! I actually stopped and took this picture on the road that leads to the employee parking lot. Many days there are at least 4 or 5 antelope just grazing in the fields surrounding the airport!

So YEAH...I can post photos again! I took these next photos the other day while sitting in my office. It's a rough life...let me tell ya! The sun was setting and all you could see were miles and miles of what I like to call 'marshmallow' clouds...you know, the ones you just want to run and jump into.

Besides for going up to the airport for a bit, I haven't done anything too exciting today. I finished all my laundry yesterday so my uniform is already clean for tomorrow. I did go grocery shopping and was pleased to find my favorite pasta sauce on sale...

It's Classico's Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce and it's delicious! Safeway had them on sale for $2.00...needless to say, I bought several. Probably not the most healthy thing for me but hey, we all gotta splurge once in a while right?

On to some disappointing news...While I was sleeping the other night, J was flying a trip and H was at work, the 3, four-legged, oh so innocent looking masterminds decided it would be a grand idea to chew up J & H's new $800.00 sofa cushion...I was pissed and it's not even my sofa!

Well, it's back to work tomorrow...the start of another 4 days (groundhog days) of St. Louis locals. I'll try and make the best of it and get a post or two in as well. Hope ya'll have a good end of the week!

Enjoying my day off...

2006-03-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Well it's day 2 of my 3 days off, it's just after noon here and I'm still in my robe and slippers sipping on my coffee...Gotta love it.

I've been doing good this morning catching up on all my favorite blogs...I've missed reading about what's going on with so many of you! I came across a great link on Traytable's blog...It's a post from another flight attendant and it had me seriously laughing out loud! Good find Tray!

I'm frustrated with Blogger right now because for some reason it's not letting me post pictures. I've tried it at least 15 times to no avail. It keeps coming up 'This page cannot be displayed'. THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! I'll try again next time, but for now...no pics...sorry. :(

So, since I can't post pics, here's a video of my favorite song of the week...

Gavin Degraw - We Belong Together

I guess I should probably start thinking about getting my rear in gear as it's now past 1pm and I haven't even showered! :) Hope ya'll are having a great day!

Picking up where I left off...

2006-03-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

First, I must thank Mr. Stu and Kim...ya'll are so sweet! ;)

I'm back again from another day at work. I'm doing locals this month...actually it's the very same St. Louis local I did last month. It's a good trip although my life is starting to seem a bit too much like groundhog's day! I'll definitely be ready for a change next month...I miss the fun overnights! All that said though, I've gotten great crews both last month and this month. That helps to make even the most crummy day seem better. Here's a few pics I've gathered up...

The last two pictures I like the best. I got a call from my pilots in the middle of a flight and all they said was 'hurry and bring your camera!' :) The plane flew right over us not 30 sec. after I was able to get up there. I managed to snap the first one right as he was flying over us and then the second one I took after he had passed. In the second one, as you can see, the sun was blazing right in the window but it sure made the colors turn out pretty.

As for some other news (somewhat crazy and exciting)...our house is now a small petting zoo! We got 2 more dogs in the last month to bring the grand total to 2 cats and 3 dogs. The second dog was actually planned as we wanted to get Bella a playmate so she wouldn't destroy things around the house when all 3 of us are gone...thus, we adopted Carmen. And needless to say, Carmen and Bella have acted like sisters since day one...

Not even 2 days after we brought home Carmen, H's grandmother passed away and to make a long story short, we ended up 'adopting' her dog, Freckles, as well.

And as the dogs are winding down for the evening (thank goodness), once again my bed is calling. :) 2 more days of locals and then I've got 3 off. Yeah! Till next time...it'll be soon...I promise!

I promise I'm still alive!

2006-03-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll! I know I deserve a big slap on the wrist...it's been almost a month since I have posted! Things got crazy busy with work and with my 'off' time and I'm just now slowing down again. So, my apologies to everyone. *Thanks Kim for caring!

Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh yes, my Dad and stepmom came to see me last month and we had a wonderful visit! We did some sightseeing here in town and ate so many good meals! :) They only were able to stay 3 days but it was so good to spend time with them.

Next, it was Valentines Day and I was somewhat sad to be alone for yet another year but I was forced to stop throwing a pity party for myself when I got some great care packages from my friends and family. Although at times I wish I had someone special in my life to share the day to day with, I was reminded that although I'm single and far away from all my family and most of my friends, I have some amazing people in my life who love me very much. What more could you ask for!

Well, I've got quite a bit more to post along with some pictures but I've got to run a few errands tonight before bedtime...I've gotta be up and at'em early tomorrow for work. If I'm not able to make another post tonight before I get too sleepy then hopefully I'll try my hardest to post again tomorrow after work.

Until then, I hope that all of you are well. I know I've got a lot of catching up to do on those of you who keep blogs...be patient with me though...I'm just getting back into the swing of things and I'll be working everyday until Monday. I promise I haven't forgotten about you though! :)

I know, I know...

2006-02-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

I know I need to post but things have been hectic since my father left. I just got home 4 hours late from my trip (weather delays) and I've got to turn back around and be at the airport before the sun comes up to do it all over again. Hopefully tomorrow will go a little smoother and I will get home on time. I have lot's to share. Hope ya'lls week is going well.

Happy Valentines Day

2006-02-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Celine Dion - You and I

A quick post for now...

2006-02-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post for now as I need to go get ready so I can pick up Daddy and Lynn from the hotel...I'm taking them sightseeing around town today.

Last night Dad, Lynn, C and her boyfriend D and myself all went to dinner together and had a blast. Turns out C, who used to work for the same airline as my Dad, knows one of his good friends so there was lots to talk about. The food was fabulous too!

I have so much more to tell ya'll and lot's more pictures to post but it will probably have to wait until my parents leave either tomorrow or Wednesday. I plan on catching up on everyone elses blog then too. Hope ya'll are doing well!

My Grandpa...

2006-02-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

In honor of my Grandfather: James 'Jim' Zwayer

http://www.thexhunters.com/xpeditions/sr-71a_952_accident.html

SR-71 Disintegrates Around Pilot During Flight Test

Aviation Week & Space Technology 08/08/2005, page 60

Bill Weaver

SR-71 BREAKUP

Among professional aviators, there's a well-worn saying: Flying is simply hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror. And yet, I don't recall too many periods of boredom during my 30-year career with Lockheed, most of which was spent as a test pilot.

By far, the most memorable flight occurred on Jan. 25, 1966. Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, and I were evaluating those systems on an SR-71 Blackbird test from Edwards AFB, Calif. We also were investigating procedures designed to reduce trim drag and improve high-Mach cruise performance. The latter involved flying with the center-of-gravity (CG) located further aft than normal, which reduced the Blackbird's longitudinal stability.

We took off from Edwards at 11:20 a.m. and completed the mission's first leg without incident. After refueling from a KC-135 tanker, we turned eastbound, accelerated to a Mach 3.2-cruise speed and climbed to 78,000 ft., our initial cruise-climb altitude.

Several minutes into cruise, the right engine inlet's automatic control system malfunctioned, requiring a switch to manual control. The SR-71's inlet configuration was automatically adjusted during supersonic flight to decelerate air flow in the duct, slowing it to subsonic speed before reaching the engine's face. This was accomplished by the inlet's center-body spike translating aft, and by modulating the inlet's forward bypass doors. Normally, these actions were scheduled automatically as a function of Mach number, positioning the normal shock wave (where air flow becomes subsonic) inside the inlet to ensure optimum engine performance.

Without proper scheduling, disturbances inside the inlet could result in the shock wave being expelled forward--a phenomenon known as an "inlet unstart." That causes an instantaneous loss of engine thrust, explosive banging noises and violent yawing of the aircraft--like being in a train wreck. Unstarts were not uncommon at that time in the SR-71's development, but a properly functioning system would recapture the shock wave and restore normal operation.

On the planned test profile, we entered a programmed 35-deg. bank turn to the right. An immediate unstart occurred on the right engine, forcing the aircraft to roll further right and start to pitch up. I jammed the control stick as far left and forward as it would go. No response. I instantly knew we were in for a wild ride.

I attempted to tell Jim what was happening and to stay with the airplane until we reached a lower speed and altitude. I didn't think the chances of surviving an ejection at Mach 3.18 and 78,800 ft. were very good. However, g-forces built up so rapidly that my words came out garbled and unintelligible, as confirmed later by the cockpit voice recorder.

The cumulative effects of system malfunctions, reduced longitudinal stability, increased angle-of-attack in the turn, supersonic speed, high altitude and other factors imposed forces on the airframe that exceeded flight control authority and the Stability Augmentation System's ability to restore control.

Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. I learned later the time from event onset to catastrophic departure from controlled flight was only 2-3 sec. Still trying to communicate with Jim, I blacked out, succumbing to extremely high g-forces. The SR-71 then literally disintegrated around us. From that point, I was just along for the ride.

My next recollection was a hazy thought that I was having a bad dream. Maybe I'll wake up and get out of this mess, I mused. Gradually regaining consciousness, I realized this was no dream; it had really happened. That also was disturbing, because I could not have survived what had just happened. Therefore, I must be dead. Since I didn't feel bad--just a detached sense of euphoria--I decided being dead wasn't so bad after all.

AS FULL AWARENESS took hold, I realized I was not dead, but had somehow separated from the airplane. I had no idea how this could have happened; I hadn't initiated an ejection. The sound of rushing air and what sounded like straps flapping in the wind confirmed I was falling, but I couldn't see anything. My pressure suit's face plate had frozen over and I was staring at a layer of ice.

The pressure suit was inflated, so I knew an emergency oxygen cylinder in the seat kit attached to my parachute harness was functioning. It not only supplied breathing oxygen, but also pressurized the suit, preventing my blood from boiling at extremely high altitudes. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but the suit's pressurization had also provided physical protection from intense buffeting and g-forces. That inflated suit had become my own escape capsule.

My next concern was about stability and tumbling. Air density at high altitude is insufficient to resist a body's tumbling motions, and centrifugal forces high enough to cause physical injury could develop quickly. For that reason, the SR-71's parachute system was designed to automatically deploy a small-diameter stabilizing chute shortly after ejection and seat separation. Since I had not intentionally activated the ejection system--and assuming all automatic functions depended on a proper ejection sequence--it occurred to me the stabilizing chute may not have deployed.

However, I quickly determined I was falling vertically and not tumbling. The little chute must have deployed and was doing its job. Next concern: the main parachute, which was designed to open automatically at 15,000 ft. Again, I had no assurance the automatic-opening function would work.

I couldn't ascertain my altitude because I still couldn't see through the iced-up face plate. There was no way to know how long I had been blacked-out, or how far I had fallen. I felt for the manual-activation D-ring on my chute harness, but with the suit inflated and my hands numbed by cold, I couldn't locate it. I decided I'd better open the face plate,try to estimate my height above the ground, then locate that "D" ring. Just as I reached for the face plate, I felt the reassuring sudden deceleration of main-chute deployment.

I raised the frozen face plate and discovered its up latch was broken. Using one hand to hold that plate up, I saw I was descending through a clear, winter sky with unlimited visibility. I was greatly relieved to see Jim's parachute coming down about a quarter of a mile away. I didn't think either of us could have survived the aircraft's breakup, so seeing Jim had also escaped lifted my spirits incredibly.

I could also see burning wreckage on the ground a few miles from where we would land. The terrain didn't look at all inviting--a desolate, high plateau dotted with patches of snow and no signs of habitation.

I tried to rotate the parachute and look in other directions. But with one hand devoted to keeping the face plate up and both hands numb from high-altitude, subfreezing temperatures, I couldn't manipulate the risers enough to turn. Before the breakup, we'd started a turn in the New Mexico-Colorado-Oklahoma-Texas border region. The SR-71 had a turning radius of about 100 mi. at that speed and altitude, so I wasn't even sure what state we were going to land in. But, because it was about 3:00 p.m., I was certain we would be spending the night out here.

At about 300 ft. above the ground, I yanked the seat kit's release handle and made sure it was still tied to me by a long lanyard. Releasing the heavy kit ensured I wouldn't land with it attached to my derriere, which could break a leg or cause other injuries. I then tried to recall what survival items were in that kit, as well as techniques I had been taught in survival training.

Looking down, I was startled to see a fairly large animal--perhaps an antelope--directly under me. Evidently, it was just as startled as I was because it literally took off in a cloud of dust. My first-ever parachute landing was pretty smooth. I landed on fairly soft ground, managing to avoid rocks, cacti and antelopes. My chute was still billowing in the wind, though. I struggled to collapse it with one hand, holding the still-frozen face plate up with the other.

"Can I help you?" a voice said.

Was I hearing things? I must be hallucinating. Then I looked up and saw a guy walking toward me, wearing a cowboy hat. A helicopter was idling a short distance behind him. If I had been at Edwards and told the search-and-rescue unit that I was going to bail out over the Rogers Dry Lake at a particular time of day, a crew couldn't have gotten to me as fast as that cowboy-pilot had.

The gentleman was Albert Mitchell, Jr., owner of a huge cattle ranch in north eastern New Mexico. I had landed about 1.5 mi. from his ranch house--and from a hangar for his two-place Hughes helicopter. Amazed to see him, I replied I was having a little trouble with my chute. He walked over and collapsed the canopy, anchoring it with several rocks. He had seen Jim and me floating down and had radioed the New Mexico Highway Patrol, the Air Force and the nearest hospital.

Extracting myself from the parachute harness, I discovered the source of those flapping-strap noises heard on the way down. My seat belt and shoulder harness were still draped around me, attached and latched. The lap belt had been shredded on each side of my hips, where the straps had fed through knurled adjustment rollers. The shoulder harness had shredded in a similar manner across my back. The ejection seat had never left the airplane; I had been ripped out of it by the extreme forces, seat belt and shoulder harness still fastened.

I also noted that one of the two lines that supplied oxygen to my pressure suit had come loose, and the other was barely hanging on. If that second line had become detached at high altitude, the deflated pressure suit wouldn't have provided any protection. I knew an oxygen supply was critical for breathing and suit-pressurization, but didn't appreciate how much physical protection an inflated pressure suit could provide. That the suit could withstand forces sufficient to disintegrate an airplane and shred heavy nylon seat belts, yet leave me with only a few bruises and minor whiplash was impressive. I truly appreciated having my own little escape capsule.

After helping me with the chute, Mitchell said he'd check on Jim. He climbed into his helicopter, flew a short distance away and returned about 10 min. later with devastating news: Jim was dead. Apparently, he had suffered a broken neck during the aircraft's disintegration and was killed instantly. Mitchell said his ranch foreman would soon arrive to watch over Jim's body until the authorities arrived.

I asked to see Jim and, after verifying there was nothing more that could be done, agreed to let Mitchell fly me to the Tucumcari hospital, about 60mi. to the south.

I have vivid memories of that helicopter flight, as well. I didn't know much about rotorcraft, but I knew a lot about "red lines," and Mitchell kept the airspeed at or above red line all the way. The little helicopter vibrated and shook a lot more than I thought it should have. I tried to reassure the cowboy-pilot I was feeling OK; there was no need to rush. But since he'd notified the hospital staff that we were inbound, he insisted we get there as soon as possible. I couldn't help but think how ironic it would be to have survived one disaster only to be done in by the helicopter that had come to my rescue.

However, we made it to the hospital safely--and quickly. Soon, I was able to contact Lockheed's flight test office at Edwards. The test team there had been notified initially about the loss of radio and radar contact, then told the aircraft had been lost. They also knew what our flight conditions had been at the time, and assumed no one could have survived. I briefly explained what had happened, describing in fairly accurate detail the flight conditions prior to breakup.

The next day, our flight profile was duplicated on the SR-71 flight simulator at Beale AFB, Calif. The outcome was identical. Steps were immediately taken to prevent a recurrence of our accident. Testing at a CG aft of normal limits was discontinued, and trim-drag issues were subsequently resolved via aerodynamic means. The inlet control system was continuously improved and, with subsequent development of the Digital Automatic Flight and Inlet Control System, inlet unstarts became rare.

Investigation of our accident revealed that the nose section of the aircraft had broken off aft of the rear cockpit and crashed about 10 mi. from the main wreckage. Parts were scattered over an area approximately 15 mi. long and 10 mi. wide. Extremely high air loads and g-forces, both positive and negative, had literally ripped Jim and me from the airplane. Unbelievably good luck is the only explanation for my escaping relatively unscathed from that disintegrating aircraft.

Two weeks after the accident, I was back in an SR-71, flying the first sortie on a brand-new bird at Lockheed's Palmdale, Calif., assembly and test facility. It was my first flight since the accident, so a flight test engineer in the back seat was probably a little apprehensive about my state of mind and confidence. As we roared down the runway and lifted off, I heard an anxious voice over the intercom.

"Bill! Bill! Are you there?"

"Yeah, George. What's the matter?"

"Thank God! I thought you might have left." The rear cockpit of the SR-71 has no forward visibility--only a small window on each side--and George couldn't see me. A big red light on the master-warning panel in the rear cockpit had illuminated just as we rotated, stating, "Pilot Ejected." Fortunately, the cause was a misadjusted microswitch, not my departure.

Bill Weaver flight tested all models of the Mach-2 F-104 Starfighter and the entire family of Mach 3+ Blackbirds--the A-12, YF-12 and SR-71. He subsequently was assigned to Lockheed's L-1011 project as an engineering test pilot, became the company's chief pilot and retired as Division Manager of Commercial Flying Operations. He still flies Orbital Sciences Corp.'s L-1011, which has been modified to carry a Pegasus satellite-launch vehicle (AW&ST Aug. 25, 2003, p. 56). An FAA Designated Engineering Representative Flight Test Pilot, he's also involved invarious aircraft-modification projects, conducting certification flight tests.

"For those who fly....or long to."

Contrails is an Aviation Week & Space Technology initiative to capture the untold stories that collectively make up the rich lore of aviation and space.

I'm a busy bee...

2006-02-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

2 days down, three more to go. I finish work on Sunday around 3pm and I just found out yesterday that my dad and stepmom will be waiting for me at the airport here when I get in. They are coming for a 3 day visit...I'm really excited! I haven't seen my dad since October so I'm sure we'll have a good time. As anxious as I am to see them though, since they are coming to visit me, I'm going to have to be the entertainer on my days off and then I start another 4 days of work. Then after that, my sissie wants me to come see her in Texas for 3 days. I really want to go because I miss her and my nephew tons and it's also been a while since I've seen them. So after I get back from Texas then I work another 4 days before I actually have a day where I can sit around and do nothing! I am going to be a busy bee for then next couple of weeks! It will be worth it though...family is time well spent. And I'm glad my dad is going to be here for Valentines Day so I'm not moping around the house feeling sorry for myself because I don't have a Valentine! :) Typical girl...I know.

So here's the weather forecast for here:

Feb 9 Tonight
Light snow and gusty winds this evening will give way to a few snow showers late. Turning colder. Low 13F. NNE winds at 25 to 35 mph, diminishing to 10 to 15 mph. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
Feb 10 Tomorrow
Windy. Flurries and snow showers diminishing late in the day. Very cold. High 16F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
Feb 10 Tomorrow night
Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Cold. Wind chills approaching -15F. Low 3F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph.

Holy crap...I'm gonna freeze! I don't want to even think about how cold it's going to be walking from the employee parking lot to the crew room tomorrow morning at 5:30am!

I guess I better make a run for the store before it gets too cold and windy. Have a great night ya'll!

Good News...

2006-02-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

I got great news today...you know the job promotion I interviewed for right before Christmas? Well, I got a phone call today and I got the job! I'm now an instructor! Yeah me!

I still have a couple loads of laundry and a trip to Walmart to make before I go back to work tomorrow so I must get going. Hope ya'll had a great day.

Another day off...

2006-02-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

I finished my 4 day stretch yesterday and now I've got 2 days off. My last 2 days of trips went well. The local I was doing was easy, my loads were light (not too many passengers) and I was done by early afternoon which made up for the fact that I was driving to work well before the sun was to come up.

After looking at these photos, you can't tell me that I don't have the best job in the world!

The Superbowl was last night but I'm not much of a sports fan so I didn't do anything exciting. I was supposed to get together with C to watch the game and hang out but she and her man got stuck in Montana and didn't end up getting home until late last night. I did watch bits and pieces of the game but I found the special about the Dilley sextuplets on the Discovery Health Channel a little more intriguing. :) It made me miss my twin sister though...lots!

Me and Sissie - Back in the day

I've got a bunch of errands to run today plus I'd like to make it to the gym. J & H left yesterday for New York, H's grandmother passed away yesterday morning, so it's too quiet to just sit around the house. Please keep H and her family in your prayers.

Day 2 of 4

2006-02-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

I just finished day 2 of 4 in a row but I'm flying locals so I can't complain too much! I love coming home and sleeping in my own bed every night. It's almost like a 'normal' job without the whole 'sitting behind a desk all day' part. I remembered to bring my camera along this time so I brought back a couple of pictures from the road...

Denver International Airport

Denver is great airport...there is good food, tons of flights, and lots of people (good for the sake of people watching when your bored!) The only down side is you have to walk forever to get from one place to another because all the terminals are set up as straight lines which are parallel to one another. Thank goodness for the moving walkways they have in the middle of the terminals as seen in the first picture.

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I only flew a quick turn to Winnipeg which means I didn't even get off the aircraft but I do have one thing to say about this place....IT'S FREAKIN' COLD! I believe the temperature when we got there (mind you it was afternoon time) was -13 C which works out to be approx. 9 F I think. Needless to say it was a little too cold for my liking. The second I opened the door to the aircraft I thought I was going to get frostbite! What's really wild is that the gate agent who was moving the jetway up to the aircraft had on a short sleeved shirt! I looked at him and said..."Are you crazy? Where's your jacket?" He told me that this was actually beautiful weather for up there...not too bad for the time of year. He probably thought I was the weird one, the way I looked back at him, but it just blew me away that he wasn't cold!

The last picture I have is my favorite, and it was actually taken yesterday morning on my drive to work. The sun was just coming up and I swear, at the moment I stopped to take the photo, there were at least 8 different colors in the sky. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Well, as much as I'd love to stay and write more, I'm starving! Enjoy the rest of your day!

Just another day...

2006-02-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to forget that today is the last of my days off before I start work again tomorrow. Actually, I'm kinda looking forward to going back to work as it keeps me busy...in a good way. I've had a lot on my mind today which totally stinks when your bored and there is nothing to preoccupy your thoughts besides laundry. Laundry doesn't really help.

The weather is beautiful here today...it's actually warmed up quite a bit compared to the last few days. Our high today is 46 F and it's supposed to stay around there until Tuesday when we might get some snow showers. I ran a few errands this afternoon in a t-shirt...it doesn't get much better than that (at least not during this time of year!)

My twin sister sent me a picture today of my nephew...he's so precious! Thanks sissie!

She said he was eating a blue lollipop and that's why his mouth looks dark...what a cutie. Well, I guess I should get back to laundry. I've also gotta go fill up the car with gas so I can make it to work in the morning without having to stop. Adios.

Good Morning Ya'll...

2006-01-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

I've discovered that at the most, my body only requires 7 hours of sleep. As some of my friends know, I can function better than most people on just 4 or 5 hours but I find it nearly impossible to sleep longer than 7. Now that I know this, I don't plan on going to bed at 9pm anymore on my days off because I then wake up at 4am as I did this morning. Joy.

So, I got up at 4am and had 45 min. to kill before I left my house for Starbucks which opens at 5am. After I got my quad tall, 2 1/2 pumps sugar free vanilla, 2 1/2 pumps reg. vanilla, nonfat, 170 degree latte (Yes, I'm a coffee snob...remember...I worked for Starbucks for 2 years!) I went grocery shopping. I tried to kill as much time as possible at the grocery store because I didn't want to get home too soon and wake J & H up as I was putting away my groceries. I managed to stay at the store until about 6:15am which was bad in a way because the longer I'm in there, the more money I spend! However, J & H were up by the time I got home...thank goodness they are morning people! Well H isn't really but she has to leave for work around 7:15am. After I put away all the groceries I made coffee and pancakes for all 3 of us. It was delicious.

As part of my 'I'm getting way more food than I need b/c I've been in the grocery store for too damn long' extravaganza this morning I thought that tomato and mozzarella salad sounded really good...so after breakfast I kept myself busy making that. I figured we could eat it with dinner tonight. Yum!

So now it's 8:45ish am and I'm bored! :) Go figure.

Before I go, for now, I wanted to share this picture I took last night out on the back porch. The colors were actually more beautiful than what turned out in the picture but I still think it's worth sharing. As I saw the contrails I thought, "Some poor person is working...and it ain't me!" But really, how bad can the job be when you get to fly through such a beautiful sunset!?! Hope ya'll have a great day!

The END...

2006-01-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from my last trip of the month with C... and of course, we had a wonderful time. I'm so sad to see this month end although I'm looking forward to catching up on some sleep...that girl wears me out! We made it back to the Ram this weekend for a great dinner (I had the gorgonzola burger...to die for!) and some good beer (Buttface Amber...what else?!?). We had to walk about 1/2 a mile in the rain to get there but it was worth it. I've now got 3 days off to rest up before I start on February's schedule.

I talked to my Dad yesterday on the phone and he's thinking about coming to visit me sometime this month. I'm super excited! I got to spend a week down there in TX with him in October but he's never been out here to visit me so it should be fun if it works out.

As for my next few days off, I have no plans...I guess I'll just play it by ear. RELAX...that's all I can come up with for now, but that alone ain't bad! :)

Make new friends but keep the old...one is silver and the other gold

2006-01-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a nice surprise! One of my old friends from Embry Riddle called me up and said that he would be in town for an overnight and would love to get together and catch up...

We haven't seen eachother in 6 years, since I left Prescott. We lost touch after I transferred schools but about a year ago we caught up with one another on instant messenger. I told him I was now a flight attendant and he told me that he had just gotten hired as a first officer with a regional carrier. His company flies into here and so I gave him my number and told him that if he ever got an overnight here to give me a call and we'd go hang out. This was the last we had talked...and then...I got his call yesterday! Needless to say, we had a wonderful time reminiscing about old times and catching up with one another. Here's to old friends!

Rise and Shine

2006-01-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hello and good morning! I did a little better today as I was able to sleep in until 7:30am...it's not fantastic but it's better than 6am! I have to work this evening but it's an easy trip...just a quick local so I'm only gone for 3 1/2 hours or so. Yesterday I had off and C and I went to lunch at Bennigan's. She had a buy one get one free coupon for hamburgers so we made out like bandits on that deal. With drinks and lunch for both of us it was only 23$. Not too shabby.

So schedules came out yesterday for this next month and it's a bittersweet thing. I got an awesome line that is all locals so I never have to pack a bag for an overnight the entire month of February. However, I'm dearly going to miss flying with C as my trips next month are all on the smaller aircraft which means there is only 1 flight attendant, me. C and I get together all the time on our days off so I know we'll still see one another but this last month I have been so spoiled to get to work with her too...like I've said, she makes work seem like a vacation. So in honor of our fabulous month coming to an end I've made a list of a few 'inside jokes' that will surely make her smile. I'm gonna miss you next month C! *Sorry to leave everyone else out with the inside jokes although if I tried to explain some of them I might not have a job anymore! ;)

* The snowcone
* "I'm glad you called, otherwise I would have been doing a Marriott turn"
* The briefing card on the forhead
* "So how's that commercial your in coming along?"
* Our 'turn around' signal
* "I told you not to call me at this number!"
* The pantyhose
* "250.................thousand dollars!"
* "What's the magic word?"
* "If that's what the kids are calling these days"
* The Billy-Bob teeth
* Our strong coffee
* "Captain, Captain!"
* "Everything's bigger and better in Texas!"
* J. Jacobson
* The lavatory police
* "That's jacked!"
* "Right?!?"
* "We saw 2 girls running across the ramp..."
* Gino's with Mrs. LaBelle
* "You could land a damn 747 in this room"
* "I'm 41 years old and I've finally figured it out..."
* Captain Kirk
* "Chicks are hot!"
* The escalator
* McDonalds in ORD
* SLC pilots...need I say more
* "I'm about to go through your briefcase in 4 min."
* The german pilot
* The 50$ upgrade offer
* CSC - Chief Safety Coordinator
* CHC - Chief Hooker in Charge
* 1 empty seat on a full flight
* Our workout clothes
* The cup
* Medical gloves with the Mask
* The beloved boa...RIP
* "Where's your glasses C?"
* The leg warmers
* The growl
* "Save the salami!"
* 'Beverly Hills...that's where I want to be'
* Pictures in the bathroom stall
* "Where's you lighter?"
* TSA and the corkscrew
* "Clothes on, clothes on!"
* Bennigan's and Old Chicago
* Snow crabs all over the shirt
* Trip trade day!
* "Choke the chicken?"
* Retail therapy in the snow
* C's barometer
* "She has 4 kids..."
* The former Ms. Teen Texas
* C's glamour shot
* Flight attendant of the month
* Unibrow lady
* The dreaded Diet Pepsi explosion in 1st class
* The beautiful hole
* "Shanana..."
* Stalker rampers
* "Where's my 200$ jacket?"
* Vandange
* Calgary man at Mickey D's
* The connecting rooms
* C. Cooker
* "I'm all about comfort and ease"
* Crew meals
* The F/A smile
* "Did you see her just whip it out in 1st class?"
* "The hotel called, somebody left their toothbrush in thier room"
* The Captain who kicked the cookies
* "Cracker...what did you call me?"
* The new dress
* Joe's Bar
* "C...do you have your ID?"
* "If there's anything else I can do to make your flight more enjoyable..."
* "Is this good for you?"
* "So how did your Grandma's rendition of that Willy Nelson song at your dog's funeral turn out?"
* Captain America
* The blind leading the blind
* "We are taking a taxi home"
* "Next week will you dress like a girl?"
* "You've been practicing that in the mirror haven't you?"
* Happy Hour
* The Brass Bed song
* Twins seperated at birth
* "This dress could fly itself to SLC"
* Front porch hooker stories
* Old school girls
* "I'd rather pump gas the rest of my life..."
* Sweet J
* Men and their apple juice
* "Did you bring the citris spray?"
* "Chocolate makes friends!"
* Monica's Taco Shop
* Falling down all the time
* House wine
* "No, your annoying"
* WJS crosswords
* "Damn, you have a long tounge!"
* Walnuts....hehehe....nice!
* R & R's butts
* The Captain's lap dance
* Lickin' the button
* "I'm in the funk"
* The loafers
* Our happy place
* The lanyards
* The sunroom
* Crew members falling asleep
* Pens on the airplane
* "Thank you - no, Thank you!"
* Sweet notes on the pin pad
* 2 Texas girls = Nothin' but trouble
* "She's candy coated!"
* The 'hot' pants to work
* "How's your retirement?"
* FGP's
* Princess Parking
* The lipstick
* Cavender's parking lot
* Bubble mint gum
* "Sure as sh_t stinks"
* "Jesus, Joseph and Mary!"
* The safety pin and the eyelashes
* Brave in numbers
* "Yeah us!"
* "Oh goodie, I like bad boys!"
* 3rd grade PA voice
* "I'm broke as a joke"
* 2 peas in a pod
* No wake up calls for C

LOL...that's a long list! I guess you can get an idea of how much fun we have together! Well, I better get some laundry started so I have a clean uniform to wear this evening. Hope ya'll are having a wonderful day!

Stay With Me

2006-01-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

To an amazing person who will always hold a special place in my heart - you know who you are and I miss you bunches! This one's for you...

Josh Gracin - Stay With Me

Back on the ground...

2006-01-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Once again, just got in from my 3 day trip last night and I'm worn out. What's crappy though is that this morning...my day off, I woke up at 6am! I'm a morning person so I'm usually always up by 8am anyways, but 6am on my first day off after a 3 day?!? Come on now! So, since I was up and at'em this morning I did my good deed for the day. I made delicious blueberry muffins and took them up to the crew lounge at the airport for my co-workers. It's always nice to find yummy homemade food waiting for you in the crew lounge whether you've just rushed to the airport to check in for your trip on time or your draggin' butt coming in from a few days on the road...I hope they enjoy them.

I don't have too many plans for the rest of today...I would like to do a bit of cleaning around the house and I've gotta run to the post office and the bank. Other than that, my only plan is to RELAX!

As always when I fly with C, this last trip went well. I realized as soon as I checked in on Friday that I forgot my camera. I was really bummed about it, especially Saturday night in Chicago. They had a snow storm come through which dumped several inches. Everything was covered in white...the trees looked like someone had draped a blanket over them. I did manage to snap a quick picture with my camera phone but it hardly did it justice. As for our flights, they all went well with minimal delays and we actually had a nice surprise of only 20 something passengers on one leg which was booked to full capacity. That always puts a smile on our face!

Well, I'm gonna get started on some of these chores...the sooner they get done, the sooner I can just chill! Hope ya'll have a wonderful Monday!

It's snowing!

2006-01-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

It started snowing today around noon and it hasn't quit yet. We are under a snow advisory until 8am tomorrow. I would be a little more excited but I have to leave tomorrow at 5:45am for a 3 day trip so I won't even be here to enjoy it! The only thing I don't like about it snowing (besides the fact that I will have to scrape my car in the morning) is that everyone drives 5 mph...and no, I don't mean 5 mph under the speed limit...literally, they drive 5 mph. Seriously...I'm all about being cautious but I'm from Texas where it never snows and I can drive just as safe and faster than all these 'mountain' folks. It took me 45 min. to drive about 6 miles from the grocery store back to my house tonight. Patience is a virtue...that's what I keep telling myself.

I had a pretty good day off today...C came over this morning and we went shopping for a little while and then came back to the house and made hot chocolate and watched the snow fall. I also went and got my oil changed in my car...a task that's been on my to-do list for a few weeks now. I shouldn't stay up too much later tonight as I have to get up extra early tomorrow to give myself ample time to get to work...I'm sure the roads will be pretty bad at that hour. I hope ya'll have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend. I'll talk to you when I get back.

Back with more...

2006-01-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Cheers to a day off! Don't get me wrong...I love my job and all but I've been working extra lately and so today, my day off, I've been a complete bumb and I love it! Actually, I have gotten a few chores done around the house (cleaning, laundry, etc...) but other than that it's been very relaxing. I go back to work tomorrow but I'm only doing a local, then I have one more day off before I start my 3 day trip again.

So this last week was a blast. As I have stated, I'm flying with my best friend C and she's an absolute riot! Seriously, we are laughing non-stop the entire trip. We had so much fun this last week. Our trips run us through ORD (Chigago) all month but it hasn't been too bad. It did start snowing one afternoon and we got stuck at the gate waiting to be de-iced for about 45 min. but other than that it's been nice.

The colorful walkway from Terminal B to C at Chicago O'Hare

Saturday night we made it over to Ram Brewery to watch the game (Broncos & Patriots) and had a wonderful time. GO BRONCOS!!!

Well, the dryer just buzzed so I guess it's back to doing laundry. Oh, the joy!

No...I did not fall off the face of the earth

2006-01-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll...sorry it's been a few days. I just finished my 6th day of work and I'm whooped! It's time for a glass of wine and warm clothes as it has just started snowing again here. I promise I will post tomorrow with pics from 'the windy city' (Chicago) which I have visited in the last few days. Hope you had a wonderful weekend and that this Monday wasn't too painful for you. Now where's that corkscrew....?

Hey...I know what will cheer you up

2006-01-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

I'm bored...and in a blah mood...but this made me laugh. Gotta love the family guy.

Back at home today...

2006-01-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, In all honesty, I've been working on this portion of the post for the last week but I wanted to make sure that what I wrote down was practical and meaningful as I know that this post will remain here forever (as long as my blog exists) to remind me of what I have promised myself for 2006. And so...after much thought, here are my resolutions for the new year (some of them are new challenges and some are improving on promises already made but each are valuable)...

1. Go to the gym more regularly - Ok so I know this one is probably on everyone's list but I really want to work on this one. I recently got a membership to a gym here and I do enjoy the feeling I get after I go, it's just motivating myself to go more often. I need to stop making excuses and get in a routine.

2. Cut back on the smoking - This one's tough...I love to smoke! I've been smoking for years now and it's a major stress relief for me. I eventually would love to quit completely but mentally I'm not ready for that right now (It's something you have to want 100% for yourself) however, this year I do hope to cut back in an effort to be healthier and to not be so dependent on a cigarette to make me feel better.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff - I'm a perfectionist and I tend to worry about things that I don't even have control over (i.e. TJL and my job promotion). I need to learn to relax more...change the things I can and let God handle the rest.

4. Read more books - This might sound a little strange but I don't watch TV. Seriously, I've maybe turned one on 5 times in the last year...crazy, I know. I used to be really good about using this 'extra tv-free time' to pick up a book but I've gotten lazy about it in the last few months. I'm in the middle of Steinbeck's, East of Eden and I would like to have it finished by February so that I can read the second book by James Frey, My Friend Leonard a sort-of sequel to his book, A Million Little Pieces which I highly recommend.

5. Be adventuresome while at home - So I've been here in this beautiful state for over a year now and there are so many things I haven't seen or done. When you travel as much as I do it's so tempting to just want to stay home once you finally get home. This year I want to take a road trip around the state, find some great hiking trails and visit some of the parks and 'attractions' around town that I've only read about. I was so excited to move here from Texas so I'd like to be able to appreciate what's 'here' a little more.

So I came up with a few more things for the list but I figured if I wanted to be realistic as far as actually working on these goals, I needed to keep it somewhat simple so there it is...my top 5. Wish me luck and feel free to help keep me accountable throughout the year!

On with other things now...I just got home from my trip yesterday evening (I've been working for the last 3 days) and oh my goodness...I've had so much fun! I think I mentioned before that I buddy bid this month with one of my best friends, C. She is seriously one of the funniest people I have ever met in my life. When I fly with her it's like I'm not even going to work...it's vacation...we have so much fun together! She had me in laughing so hard I was crying every leg of our trip. I lost it several times on the pa in the middle of my announcements! Here's a picture of me and C...good times!

She is the best thing since sliced bread! I'm really looking forward to working with her the rest of the month. Even the crappiest of days with the rudest of passengers seem like sunshine when your working with her...so C, if your reading this, thank you for being so wonderful! I love you bunches!

Also, before I go make breakfast and coffee I wanted to share this one website (blog) with ya'll as I am very intrigued by it. It's called ISHTY or 'I should have told you'. Here's what it's about..."I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU (or, ISHTY) is an online community emotional art project of sorts. Through others attempts to share their regrets we can learn more about ourselves and our neighbors. Anyone should feel free to contribute with a sincere regret of what they could have, or more likely should have, told someone who has touched their lives." I've been reading it for a few weeks now and it's so interesting the things that people submit to the site. Some of it's sad and some of it's sweet but everything in a way makes you reflect on your own life. I really encourage ya'll to check it out.

Well, I must get going on the coffee as I'm fading already and it's only 9am! I hope ya'll have a wonderful day!

SPA UPDATE

2006-01-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mr. Stu you were right...I feel like a million bucks! It was so wonderful. The spa I visited is set up in a victorian style house which was built in 1891. The place itself had so much charm...it was truly lovely.

I started off with a hour long full body massage which was absolute heaven! If you've never gone to get a proffesional massage before, I highly recommend it...it's worth every penny! After that I had a cold stone facial with a seaweed and cucumber mask. The aroma itself just made all my stress melt away! Next came a spa manicure and pedicure...also very relaxing and my fingers and toes look beautiful if I do say so myself! All in all it was a fabulous experience and now I'm so relaxed I don't feel like doing much of anything! Do I really have to go to the gym today????

SPA DAY

2006-01-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm getting a little excited about the fact that I'm spending the day at the spa starting at 11am courtesy of TJL. (What a wonderful gift...I heart that boy!) I promise to be back with a full update.
After today it's back to reality starting 3 day trips for the month (as well as a few locals I picked up on random days) through the not so popular ORD. All in all, it should be fun though...I actually buddy bid this month with one of my really good friends who is a flight attendant so although I probably could have held a better line (i.e. schedule) it'll be worth it because we always have a blast together. She's from TX too...double the trouble, right!?! I'll just say this...our passengers are never bored on our flights...even the 3 1/2 hour ride to Canada on an RJ! Good times, good times!
So I must leave ya'll for now as I'm hoping to get a few loads of laundry done before I leave the house. Then it's off to the spa...I promise I'll be thinking about you slaving away at work as I'm getting my massage! ;)

Ice Man...the later years

2006-01-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Just another little SNL clip to put a smile on your face...

My song of the day...I wonder why?!

2006-01-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Brandy - Aphrodisiac

Leavin' on a jet plane...

2006-01-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Leaving home for DFW - Jan. 1st

Leaving DFW for home - Jan. 2nd

Well, I just got back home from Dallas and although the trip was very short (TJL had to go back to work again today) I had a wonderful time. Once I got to DFW, TJL and I went to breakfast (I had eggs benedict...yummy!) with his best friend M and M's girlfriend, J. Although TJL has talked about M & J a lot, I'd never met them...they were both really nice people. After that, we went back to the house to change and then took TJL's new motorcycle (Yamaha FJR) out for a ride.

TJL - my 'best friend'

We were only going to go for a short ride but ended up being gone all day...it was so much fun! We didn't get home until 8:30pm and we were both exhausted. I had to catch the first flight out this morning (since he had to go back to work) which sucked but I'm thankful that at least I have the ability to just hop on a plane to go see him whenever...even if it is only for 24 hours.

So now I'm home again and bored to pieces and I'm sad because I already miss my 'best friend'! I've still got 3 days off after today and I'm wondering what the heck I'm gonna do to keep myself occupied! TJL got me a gift certificate for a day at the spa for Christmas so I'll probably use one of these days to go get pampered. It should be nice...manicure, pedicure, facial and a full body massage...I reckon I'll feel like a princess after all that!

Well I guess I should at least make an attempt to work off that delicious eggs benedict I splurged on yesterday by getting my butt to the gym...at least it will keep me busy for a little while. Hope ya'll are having a wonderful day!

A Wonderful Start to the New Year...

2006-01-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope ya'll had a good time last night partying it up while I was working. I'm actually back at the airport right now (running on about 3 hours of sleep) because...(this is my good news)...my 'best friend' invited me out to Dallas yesterday when we were talking on the phone. Of course I jumped on the opportunity to see him so, even though I was 2 hours delayed getting in last night (I didn't pull up to my house until 11:55pm) I'm back here (at the airport) at 6am to try and catch the first flight out. The things us girls do for boys! :) Anyways, I don't know if I'm coming back Monday or Tuesday but I'll for sure let ya know how it went when I get home.

Just another day...

2005-12-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll...just another day here. I've gotta work a local tonight...just to LAX and back so nothing to complain about. I do it again tomorrow night but hopefully will make it back in time to still get in a few New Years Eve drinks! :) After that I've got 5 days off so I'll be back to post. Hope ya'll are all well...Happy New Years to you!

To my 'best friend'...I miss you...Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2005-12-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope ya'll are having a wonderful holiday season! I was off work yesterday and I don't go back until Tuesday morning which is so very nice! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days but this last week was very hectic! I worked Tuesday through Friday and it was crazy to say the least...it never fails...traveling during Christmas week is stressful. We had cancellations, delays, and flyers who were way too grumpy and tired and had too many carry on bags! I obviously made it through the 4 days in one piece but I thought I was going to just kill over once I was done on Friday night. Amongst all the chaos that normally comes along with this job during the holidays, Friday morning I had an interview for a promotion. To be honest, I have no clue how I did (I didn't get home Thurs. night until 12:30am because we were delayed which means I got about 5 hours of sleep before I had to get up to go to the interview) but I'm saying a little prayer because I really want this job. I don't think I'll find out anything until mid-January so keep your fingers crossed!

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, was wonderful. Jon had to work today so he, Holly and I all decided to celebrate Christmas yesterday. I woke up and went to Starbucks (a little tradition of mine) and then came home and we all opened presents. I got lots of goodies from my parents but my favorite gift had to be the digital camera I got from Jon and Holly. It's an Olympus FE-110 ...it's my first digital camera (I've been borrowing theirs) so I'm pretty excited! Jon got a PlayStation 2 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas so we played with that for a while after we were done. Bella would perk up everytime she heard the shots fired from a drive by...so funny!

After loungin' around for a while, we all got cleaned up and drove to Jon's Aunt and Uncle's house about 1 hour or so away. We spent all afternoon and evening there and had a blast. I ate way too much food yesterday (Aunt Kathy made chili and homeade toffee)...it was all worth it though! We got home yesterday evening around 10pm and I was whooped...needless to say I slept like a baby last night! Here's a shot I took at Uncle Bob and Aunt Kathy's house in front of their giant tree with tons of presents (that's Jon and Holly, the couple I live with, in the picture too)...

All in all, yesterday was a wonderful day. For those of you back in Texas, just thought I'd let you know that our high today is 66 degrees! Yesterday it was 63 degrees. It is absolutely beautiful here...I wouldn't trade it for anything! I don't really have plans for today...Jon's flying and I think Holly is going to spend some time with some elderly people she works with who don't have family around. I've thought about maybe making some cookies and taking them up to the airport for all the customer service agents, rampers and flight crew that have to work today...I don't know...we'll see. Right now just the thought of lounging around in my pj's and drinking hot chocolate and peppermint shnapps sounds wonderful...we'll see how motivated I am to do anything after that! Once again, Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you have a blessed day!

Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious!

2005-12-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen all week...

Finally!

2005-12-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Just an update...I finally got all the Christmas cards put together, stamped and in the mail today after work. I can't tell you how glad I am that that project is done! (I had to wait in line for 1 hour today at the post office to get the darn things mailed.) Here's a picture of the final result...

Also, just thought you might want to know it's snowing again here tonight! It started around 11am and is still going. Guess that means I better wake up at 3am instead of 3:15am so I can scrape the snow off the car and get the heater going before I drive to work. Hope ya'll are having a wonderful weekend!

*One more exciting piece of info to note: I just found out that one of my bestest of friends back in Texas, Emily, just got engaged! Congrats Miss Emmy and Mr. Jerry...I'm so happy for you both!

I need your opinion...

2005-12-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I finally took some pictures tonight to put in my Christmas cards however, I need ya'lls opinion on which one you like best...I can fix the red eye in those that need it. Please leave a comment on which one you like best...Thanks! :)

Only 10 days till Christmas!

2005-12-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I managed to get all my Christmas cards written and addressed the other day but I still have to get my picture taken to put in them (this is why I tell myself every year, although picture cards are a great idea...don't buy them...you never have the time to actually get your picture taken, get copies made for all the cards and send them out all before Christmas)! So that's on my to-do list today...we'll see if it actually gets done! I do have the day off today...yeah...but my to-do list is long and getting longer the more this coffee actually hits my brain! Wish me luck! :)

*To those of you who read my blog in the last 8 hours or so, you will notice I deleted my most recent post (To the fat man...) I got to thinking about it and I just don't want to get in trouble with anyone for venting on this blog about 'work' stuff in an inappropriate manner. That's a real bummer considering the fact that the post was funny as all get out and that I should be able to rant about some of the dumb crap that I have to deal with day to day. Oh well. I saved the post on my computer so if you really want to read it you can email me or pm me on js and I'll email it to you.

Can you imagine?

2005-12-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

What a thrill this must be...

Sorry I've been away so long...

2005-12-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Howdy all! Sorry I've been away so long, but my schedule has been a little hectic the last week and a half. So, what's been going on with me...I've been flying my local trips this month and I like them a lot. *A local is a trip that starts and ends the same day so you get to be home every night. I do miss overnighting sometimes as well as the per diem we get for being gone from home but it has been wonderful to sleep in my own bed every night. Plus, I save a bit of money by not eating out so much since I'm home by dinner time.

I've had the last 4 days off which have been absolutely wonderful! My 'best friend' (TJL) from Texas came out to see me and we had a really good time. *Yes, the term best friend is in quotes for a reason however I'm not brave enough at this moment to go into all the details explaining the situation. TJL wasn't feeling good (sinus junk) while he was here but we made the best of the time we had together. We hit up several really good restaurants including Ted's Montana Grill, California Pizza Kitchen and Buffalo Wild Wings. Also, he recently purchased a new motorcycle (which I'm very jealous about) so we went shopping for some new gear for him. It was good times for sure. Other than that, we just relaxed and took it easy. I was really sad to see him go today but I held back the tears until after he got on the airplane. Sappy, I know, but at least I didn't cry in front of him.

I can't believe there is only 12 days left till Christmas...Are ya'll ready for the holidays? I haven't even taken my picture to put in my Christmas cards yet! I've got a couple of days off between now and then so hopefully I'll be able to get them done but who knows if they'll actually get to everyone before the 25th...addressing them and getting them in the mail is a whole different story! :) Speaking of which, I better get on the ball with my 'to-do' list today since I start work again tomorrow. Hope everyone is well.