playing catch up

My lack of blogging isn't due to the lack of stories, adventures, or want; it is due to the lack of time that has suddenly taken over my life. Finally at 0200 in Zurich, I am able to catch up without the phone ringing, without roommates asking me questions, without having to work, and without having to deal with anything other than my own thoughts. A Perrier, cup of soup, and peppermint tea beside me, allow me to fill you in on my adventures this month.

LGW

Eight hours strolling around London allowed me to see the tourist places of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, and several other buildings that seemed to be of historic relevance. I asked for directions to the Farris wheel I could see from St. James Park. I was quickly corrected after a giggle from a guard to its name of the London Eye. Even though I had no sleep, I continued on, map in hand to check out this great city. The sure fire way of getting to know a culture is to take a stroll through a supermarket or the post office. My journey to get stamps for the mandatory postcard to my mum provided the entertainment of the afternoon as a man defined the word postal as he screamed at the counter about something. The second entertainment came in the form of a guy at the DOT. I stopped in for directions to a non-touristy place to get some fish and chips. He in turn takes his lunch and not only walks me there, orders for me, places me at a table with another guy, takes off to get cash, returns, and buys my lunch. It was a bizarre situation, but hell, I will take free lunch any day!
This was my first trip to work our first class aisle, and I will promptly claim this as my favorite position to work. Second trip and I am already spoiled.

CDG

I was on call, but only for one day. Dragging my feet a bit on going to look at some places in the city by myself, I got a late start and something told me to stay close to home. Thirty minutes later the phone rang and they told me they were rolling my days off and sending me to Paris. I actually let out a little scream to the scheduler on how happy I was. Her response was she was sorry to use me but not many domestic reserves hold their French visas, to which I told her, I was one of those dorky domestic reserves that did. My crew was fantastic and we had so much fun together on the flights and the layover. I found out my friend, Justin was on the early Paris flight and I was instructed to find his room when I landed. The bus drive to the city was long but gorgeous as we drove by the classic sights of the city of lights. We got out of the bus and I heard my name..."did I hear that right?...I am in Paris with a French name...where is that coming from?" I look up and my friend is frantically waving out the window of the ninth floor. We spent the day walking around, climbing the Eiffel Tower, eating ice cream, and taking it all in. Drinks in the lobby with the pilots proceeded dinner with the crew followed by smoking the hookah pipe at a local bar. Hands down my favorite layover yet.

Pounding the Manhattan pavement once more looking for the perfect place. We found one and started the process of applying. That called for a drink after some dolling up at Bergdorf’s. We made calls to find out which one of our guys we could meet up with. Tom (Christina's sugar daddy) was the first to respond. We met him at the St. Regis for cocktails and then proceeded to Sparks for dinner. This was the day of the steam explosion in the city which sent thoughts of terroism to every ones mind. It was a little scary to see helicopters, streets closed, and people running around without an answer as to what happened. Dinner was amazing and the ratio of guys to girls was around 30:1. This place knew our date very well and we were seated immediately. A view of the Yankee game, tons of men, a nice glass of Pinot, and a fabulous steak...this is what I call living!! We were getting up to leave when our waiter told us that a Yankee pitcher (on the DL) was asking who we were but because of who we were with, the waiter didn’t want to say anything. We will return to Sparks for sure!! Our next stop was to pick up some Duke of something to take him to the strip club we decided to check out. It was a pretty classy joint as far as strip clubs go, but man did those girls smell money. Our evening didn't end until 0530; I went on call at 0500.

CDG

On call once more and I was assigned SNN. An hour later the phone rang again..."I promise I am up", it was the scheduler who was in a bind and wanted to know if she could switch my flight. I told her my mom was coming on the third day of the trip and the soonest she could get me back, the better. I had a choice of GVA, BRU, or CDG. I took the earliest arrival, which ended up being Paris. I proceeded to sleep the whole time, thank goodness, I was just there.

DUB

This was not a working trip; this was holiday with my mum. She arrived in NY as I was over the Atlantic. I had Britney go and pick her up from the airport and unfortunately talk Carol's ear off, as she tends to do. I made it home around 1300 and by 1730; I was back at the airport. Two first class tickets, please...luckily we were able to fly upfront so I drank a bottle of wine and crashed out. Our hotel was simply lovely and Dublin was such a great town. Friendly people, lots of good looking guys, and I am all in favor of a country in which you can drink a Guinness at any time of the day without judgment. A literary pub crawl (my favorite thing), a city bus tour, tour of the Guinness factory, the book of Kells, St. Patrick’s' cathedral, hanging out on O'Connell Street (our ancestor), a ghost bus tour in which I was the prop for how to exhume a body, a tour to Cork to kiss the Blarney Stone, and a cabaret show made up our five day journey. Good stuff.

ZRH

I had Saturday off and wandering around the house alone, packing, completely frustrated about not knowing if I have a place to live in three days. I decided to volunteer to go to work. I called up and offered my services clarifying that I didn't want to go to Texas, overseas please. I had the choice of where I wanted to go and quickly picked Zurich. It is so beautiful here; they actually stamped my passport, no waiting on the hotel van, gummy bears at the front desk, and a welcome drink. The hotel is gorgeous as is the city, which was a 20-minute train ride away. I walked around as much as possible but shops were closed due to it being Sunday and I didn't feel well so I am back after a nap enjoying my room and a spot of tea.

I am really digging this international business and know that this is what I was cut out for.... international first class flight attendant...yep that is me!!

trouser press

I am sitting in an internet cafe in the airport in London awaiting the chance to use my free ticket to the city. I had almost an hour to kill and choose to check out shops, grab a water, and while walking by the cafe, I spotted a gorgeous man using the computers so I am currently sitting three computers away sending out a vibe. He has noticed me yet. The flight over was smooth and I worked a wonderful potition with a great galley person. Before I knew it we were landing and jumping on a bus. I was super excited to add a stamp to my passport and was very upset to find out that we in fact bypass customs and go straight to our hotel. Boo-Hiss!!!! I want a stamp damn it! I am too excited to go sightseeing to sleep and no one else on the crew shares my enthusiasm so my free ticket and I are hitting the train, map in hand, and checking out all this British stuff. Our hotel is pretty nice and within walking distance which means we don't have to tip anyone for handling our luggage. The word on the street is that the crew lounge is the happening place to be, so that is where I will be tonight. There is one strange thing in the room, a trouser press. Carol would be proud of me for throwing my shorts in there and getting the wrinkles out. Okay, the hot guy left...my time is up here. Watch out London, here I come!!

london calling

I just picked up my first international trip! I am going to heading to LGW as the first class aisle gal. It is a great position as all you do is serve the food, take orders, etc. I am super excited to go London as I have never been and having this much heads up allows me to change my sleep schedule so I can check everything out. Yes, darling tomorrow I leave for jolly ol' England!!! (you have to image my best British accent!) Cherrio for now...god, I am dork.

life on call

The new life of an international flight attendant has only consisted of one trip thus far. I have been off work for almost three days as we made it home around 0430 in the morning Sunday. After clearing customs, riding the bus, driving home, and washing my face I was in bed by 0600. I expected a trip that evening but received no call. The past two days have been spent on call in the city with luggage in the car just in case. Christina and I have been apartment searching which is a work out to say the least in the classic summer heat of NYC. We were brave enough to go past 97th and into Harlem to look at a place which was great for the price but the fact that we felt a little sketchy walking during a weekday afternoon told our guts we wouldn’t be safe in the middle of the night. We took a break to grab a drink at Tao’ and who do we see but LL Cool J. Christina offered our table if he needed a place to sit and told me that her hand ricocheted off his gun of an arm. Today we went back in the city and found our ideal place in Chelsea. Now we are waiting to hear back from the company after we ran across the street and faxed our application. We are trying to bribe people with airline passes to make our dream of living in the city a reality. We had lunch in the neighborhood at a seafood restaurant filled with friendly people and came into conversation with a two time Grammy winner, Freddie Jackson. Tonight is all about watching the All-Star game and soaking up the air con.

07.07.07

Four years ago I wanted to be getting married on this day. Alas, I am sitting in Tel Aviv on a layover from my very first international flight. I stopped by Starbucks to get an ice latte (my new addiction) and a pilot asked me where I was off to, I replied off to airport alert and actually excited about it. He told me that I would be on his flight to TLV that night, I laughed at him until the phone rang in the crew room and I was off to the gate. I remember shaking when I was first told and even asking the scheduler if she was sure. "Holy F, I am going to TLV" I shouted on my way out the door. A nine and half hour flight with an hour and half nap. My excitement wore off in the seventh hour as we did our breakfast service and I realized this was just an over-extended PBI trip. We headed to the market on our arrival to check it out as it was closing at sundown for Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath). There is a peace about being here today when everyone rest. They have an elevator in the hotel that stops on every floor as they are not allowed to press buttons or open doors on Shabbat. There is no cooked food available in the hotel either. My new friend, Marie and I took a journey this morning to Jaffah to check out the ruins and history, I probably took fifty photos and soaked it all in as I doubt I will ever have the chance to return.
I am off to the pool to enjoy the sun as the waves crash against the shore from the Mediterrian, take a nap, and then get ready for the 11 hour flight back home.

the fourth

Why is it that although there is great things, days, moments in ones life, we still hang up on the bad? I just smile to think about the past five days of my life. I haven't had to work because of the transition to international, instead I have been partying in the hottest clubs in NY, hanging out with my heart-throb, hanging out with friends, attending a Yankees game (nothing more patriotic on the fourth in my book), attending a roof top party in the middle of Manhattan with a first rate view of the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen, and being given airport alert tonight which increases my chances of my first trip internationally being something amazing. Are these the thoughts I wake up to? Nope, I wake up to a phone call that my new renters are not happy because I don't have cable or a tea kettle. Who, under the age of 50, owns a tea kettle? I think of how I am going to solve this situation without asking my friends to do more than they already do for me. I think about the strange feeling of finality of my last phone call with the ex over the loft. I think about how I don't have anywhere to live next month has Christina and I gave our notice. I think about if I will ever see "my future husband" again and kick myself for having one glass too many of champange. I think of Fourth of Julys in the past, my family at the Elks club, hanging out on the boat, the waterfront, being with someone. Alright I am done mopping....time to locate a tea kettle...I just felt myself age.

class act

So this life of being an international flight already has the perks of extra days off with the transition and I have been filling them up quite fabulously. My LA friend is in town but I have yet to be able to meet up with him as he is producing a music video. I got all dolled up to meet up with him if he was able then I was going to meet Christina after her date. To kill the hours, I hung out in Chelsae at some restaurant then Bungalow 8 and then over to Marquee. It's easy to get into these clubs when alone and in a cute dress. When the call came to meet up with the date couple, I hopped in a cab and made my way to Buddha Bat, we stayed there for a bit and Christina took the liberty of cutting me off as I already showed her date my pink panties. Our next stop was the infamous Tenjune. There was no waiting this time, we cut in front of the whole damn line with this guy and spent the rest of the evening dancing. Cafeteria finished out our night as usual then we got in his car and when we stopped next we were at a hotel. This guy owns a couple in the city so he got me my own room. Needless to say I woke up on Park Avenue. Yah, a girl could get used to that!!
Christina in her chumminess managed to talk to the right person at Tenjune because she ended up getting us invited to....Deter Jeter's birthday party!!! Oh, yes, you read right! Yesterday was spent napping after making it home from the city and then getting prom-perfect ready. I wore my birthday dress, thought the occassion afforded it. We were not sure what to expect but it ended up to be amazing, very intimate around fourty or fifty people. He is so sweet and goooorrrrgeous!!! Red velvet cupcakes, a dj, very nice and low key. I drank champange because I was nervous and can't really remember everything we talked about for the hour I sat with him. I did give him a peck on the cheek when the party was over. Cafeteria was once again graced with our presence but this time I spent more time on the sidewalk outside puking. We ended up staying at the W last night because we were too drunk to make it home safely and on the way back to the path in the cab, my leg was in the window and Christina asked me if had on underwear on. I lifted up my dress to show her and while she shook her head in disbelief, I informed her I was a class act! Since we were still dressed up at one in afternoon on a Monday people asked us if we were movie stars, we said yes. But we did see a star on the way, Mr Big was crossing the street and laughed at the squeal that came from Christina. Yes, we are stars, at least in our minds!!