bored

So, here is the crappy thing about this job...the wondering. I wonder if they will use me today and if so where will I go. Will it be a turn or do I need to pack my bag? I am unable to pick up trips becasue I am over the 65 hour mark but shy of my guarantee which dropped to 75 due to my extra day in PDX and one in OMA. This means my life is in the schedulers hands. There are no trips in open time, and I am many pages down on the list of people they will call, which almost predicts they will not use me today. It is depressing because I am bored. I have a few activities sketched out that leave me within two hours of getting home and to the airport. If it was up to me, I would be lollie-gaging around in the city. I want to go to work!!!!!

When I arrived home from AA at 0130 the other night, the city was covered in a blanket of snow which I happily watched from the crew room window. The street was dead silent and everything was beautiful, yes even here in Jersey, snow makes things beautiful. My on-call day was comprised of sleeping in until noon, playing on the computer, hanging out with the roomies, and then venturing out for dinner and a movie. My date was C, and dinner was TGIFridays and the movie, The Departed. Great flick!

Alright going to get some socks on and begin my day...this house is cold but I am bound and determined to keep myself warm and busy today. Here's hoping for the phone to ring.

ropes and ziplines

The phone just sang it's song, "Leaving on a jet plane" as I was sitting on the living room floor trying to plan my upcoming vacation to Costa Rica. It is no less than a pain in my ass at this point but I am tredging forward to get it done. I set the alarm for 0555 this morning in order to get up and trade my days off around. I am working on this new theory handed down from a lineholder that if I change my days off that I will not have as many people in competition for picking up trips. We will test it out come Febuary, I think scheduling gives all the new people the break with good trips and so forth thinking that by now, we should have learned the ropes. Hopefully I have found the answer to holding my trip destiny and my life will be more in my hands. Here's hoping! Anyway I am going to airport alert tonight at 2100. there are not many flights departing that late but I will go and serve my time, I will get released as soon as the last flight taked off. I actually like AA because you get paid for 4 hours (if you don't get used) and four hours flight time is a lot of work versus sleeping a chair or reading a book and getting to go home afterwards.

a meeting in the midwest

I sit in Omaha at the crew hotel, however I am not here on business, I am here for family. My Aunt Millie has passed but brought our family together in the middle of the country. I am suffering from the four bottles of wine that I consumed on the way here. The two other pass riders and I sat in the back of the plane, played cards, and drank the whole way. "KLB" We had such a great time but the fact that I was laying on my suitcase on the ground waiting for my parents to arrive from another flight clearly indicates that I drank too much. The steak here is excellent, I would recommend it to anyone and I refused to leave this home town of my fathers without one. We have been blessed to spend time with family which I don't know that well but have had the chance to get close to over the past day and a half. Being an adult has its benifits when it comes to relationships, you tend to cherish them more. I am so grateful to be here with my dad as I have always wanted to see where he grew up. I definately see myself returning to this midwest town with tons of hospitality.

...and one dead roach

This four day trip has drug on forever, I am writing on day three which feels like a month. It was dropped in my line and just by chance I logged on and saw that I would be away for the next four days. The first day took me to SFO for a brief, yet wonderful layover because we stay at the Westin and any evening at a Westin is always nice, the heavenly shower, the heavenly bed, uhm, love it! The next day we went to IAH then onto PBI. Our first leg had a bunch of crazies but one stood out in particular with her cat. First she asked me for a cup of water to put in her salad tray for her cat, whatever, then she has her cat out. I told her she needed to put it back in the carrier, she responsed that she was trying to get it to go to the bathroom and showed me her ziplock bag of litter and pan. What?! That can't go down on the plane ma'am unless you place the pan inside the carrier. Good luck with that. The second flight of the day brought along an unticketed passanger which was crawling up the fuseloge, a cockroach, yes folks we are in IAH. A brave passanger killed it and we were all saved. Before a flight can push from the gate, a customer count needs to be given to the pilots. It is a break down of weight and balance and upon this sheet of paper we write our "specials" for examples wheelchairs needed at the destination, lap children, unaccompanied minors...so forth. I, of course, like to be silly and write things like "no specials beside fabulous FAs" or "crazy bitch in 14D", so this night I wrote...1 whlchr, 1 lap, and one dead roach. The IAH based pilots didn't think we were funny and immediately scratched it out. Today we deadheaded to EWR and then sat around for three hours before we did the God aweful flight back down to PBI, which I have dubbed the worst place on earth. So here I sit in the same exact room as the night before only five floors lower wondering why I packed so much since all I have done on my layovers is workout and sleep. I am working with a somewhat annoying guy that doesn't know when to stop or when to get out of my personal space bubble and with a girl from the past...remember the night in DFW when I missed out on the party and the FO and her...Yep I am working with her again. No hanky panky this time since we keep switching pilots and none of us have been drinking. Tomorrow it is back to EWR and then a BOS turn which menas two things, clam chowder and delays.

ode to my rollerboard

You are my seat while I wait.
You are my footrest while I wait,
You are my cupholder while I wait,
You contain the necessities for a life on the road,
You contain an outfit for most anything along with the tolietries to make me clean,
You remain ready at all times,
You have travelled almost as my as I, although you tend to take turns as your day off,
You fit perfectly in your second home of the overhead bin,
You trail happily beind me in the airports making me feel complete as a flight attendant,
Ol' Rollerboard of mine, I look forward to our upcoming adventures together.

upstate

My roommates are sleeping now, it is 19:30 and they must be tired from keeping me up all night with their giggling and loud music. I was determined to get out of the house and out of the state for that matter today. I was dying to go shopping and found exactly where I wanted to go...New York outlets. An hour drive across the GW bridge, and through upstate NY and I found the meca of outlets. Dior, Kate Spade, Barney's, Burberry, Gucci, Versace, D and G, and on, and on, a girls dream. I considered this my cardio as I walked around for hours going into to every shop. I was so excited to go into Neiman Marcus but I felt as though I walked into a Ross, a place where good clothes went to die, it was all a little much. I found such good deals: a Burberry scarf for fifity dollars, BR shorts, a Ralph Lauren sweater for ten bucks, Kate Spade stationary for $4, a jumper dress, and my two fav items, a blouse from Marc Jacobs and a dress from Diane. The day was topped off so well that a Starbucks (not a Dukin Donuts) was in the complex and...it was snowing!!
On my way back, I saw signs for Sufferin, the town were Aidan had his cabin in SITC. My drive actually reminded me of Oregon with the rocks, trees, and countyside, it made me a little less home sick. Hell, who could think of home with such great new clothes?!

chicken?

A dream of a dog barking sharpley inches away from my ear awoke me suddenly this morning moments before 0900. I grabbed my phone to inspect the time and discovered that I went on call in just a few minutes. 0902, the phone sang 'Leaving on a Jet Plane", I picked it up and asked the scheduler if she had been waiting for the clock to change to call me. She informed me of an MCO turn to check in later that morning. Not a bad flight down but good grief the people were looney on the way back. First of all, we are the only airline that still serves food for free, a two hour flight doesn't warrent a four course meal, we have 142 people and two FAs in the back. Here is the random responses I get to "join us for a little dinner of a turkey sandwich?" WHAT ARE MY CHOICES? yes or no IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? no CHICKEN? turkey IS IT KOSHER? I don't even know what that means. VEAGATARIAN? no turkey. CHICKEN? no turkey PRETZELS? no turkey MY CONNECTING FLIGHT... do you want a sandwich? I'LL HAVE A COKE does this look a drink cart? People just freakin' kill me!

damn it

I am so tired, I didn't sleep well last night again. Not sure why, I guess I could not get my mind to shut off. I left for work this morning around 0730 and didn't return until 1015. My assignment was two BOS turns (these usually take an hour) my day, however, was 14 hours long. I think it was a tease since this is the city I have been dying to go since I was a kid and I have only had turns there. The first delay resulted in lunch with the crew at Legal Seafood and some damn good clam chowder. The second delay in BOS provided time for dinner at Johnny Rockets diner. The flight back was the fewest number of passangers I have ever seen...three whole people. I took a miniture nap in the back and then went up and hung out with the pilots and looked at the cities below...they have such a cool job.

The tempature has dropped ten degrees an hour and is now freezing cold, it took forever to dial Janene's number because of my gloves only to confirm that there was snow in Portland, snow!! I am so mad that I am missing it. I move to the damn NE in expectance of a great winter with lots of snow and it was the first December in 150 years there was no snow, what bullshit. I want snow, send me somewhere with snow!

So the roommates are home again, I don't know why the hell they are not working at all and always here. Currently they are starting a movie and rapping some song...mind you it is almost 2300. What the hell people, go fly somewhere and give me some damn peace and quite. Jorge and I are hanging out looking at mail and catching up. Get what Carol sent..."Scorpion stings man on the plane".

Alright, I am hittin' the hay as I have discovered my excess cursing and can resolve my inner anger by going to bed. P. out!

jax

So my trip yesterday consisted of deadheading down to IAH to work a flight to JAX. There was an hour mechanical delay on the way down while I sat in a middle seat wondering why I liked my job and then a hour ground delay in IAH while I sat in the back wondering when I was going to make it to bed. I am waiting in the hotel lobby because my room gave me the hibbies and ready to go back home. Some days make me greatful to have a comfortable, clean bed and girl named George waiting for my arrival.

a day in...

A day in the life of me at the place where my mail arrives. I do not profess to call this home...home is the plane and of course the NW.

I slept in until 1200 today because a. I was comfortable and b. I didn't arrive home until 2330 last night.

I awake to the roommates troughting upstairs giggling. The next twenty minutes are spent listening to their weeks spent at home not working, the other roommate acting like an ass, and a Met player that M met on the way home from KC. A little teasing (jealousy) about my hook up in LA, and stories about George.

I get up and brush my teeth and go the bathroom, then return to my room to sort out the laundry. I exhange texts with friends.

Some breakfast for George and then a breakfast of instant oatmeal and green tea for me while I sit staring at the white board which holds the days off of the household, I have Thursdays and Fridays off this month...the pink L tells me so.

Preparation for the bank visit and filling up my ziplock bag with more detergent.

I go and check the computer for trips that avaliable to pick up at 1600 and decided on a four day to the west coast.

A six block walk to the laundrymat, change for a twenty, five machines, and a Vanity Fair. I walk the three extra blocks to the bank (one of the most popular places in town) to deposit some money and get some money if the need arises. Stop at the Eckards for water and some jerky and head back to the laundry.

While awaiting for my clothes to dry, I read the mag, nibble on the jerky while the sounds of children running around and Spanish soaps fill my ears.

I fold my clothes and actually recognize that I like the sound of my nails against the folding counter, pack up the bag and head back home.

I have two pieces of mail, both from mom. I am waiting for it to be 1600 so I fill my time reading Bazzar (a rare find on a plane....but I was in LA so that makes more sense). I think I found a dress for my birthday so I will research were to try it on and how much it is.

I check myspace to find out if anyone has put up some of the one hundred pictures I posed for during my stay. I check my email to see how many forwards Carol has sent. Eharmony to see what losers they think I would be a good match for. Portland news to see what is shaking back home.

Four o'clock comes and I hit the button and wait, it is taking too long...I didn't get the trip. Instead I make my bed and the phone rings...it is 19C who is all of a sudden obessed with talking with me. We chat for a bit and make plans to go out next week. Finally I get to see him.

George is close to the end of her cat food, so I journey out to Target stopping along the way at a Michaels to get supplies for my birthday invites. It is nice to wander around a crafty place and imagine what I can create. Target is not too exciting but it is some time away from home. KFC provided dinner and dessert. B has gotten me hooked on Greys Anatomy, I have spent the last three and half hours watching it.

Just checked my schedule and nothing is assigned to me as of now. That means that I go on call tomorrow from 0900-1700. I will finish watching the last episode of season one, wash my face, and then head to bed.

That ladies and gentleman is a day off in the life of one girl living in Kearny, living her dream of being a flight attendant.

take the zoom off

My 100th post; what better way to bring it in than with a silly story. I am back in Jersey after what seems likes a month. I was fortunate to go home and spend six wonderful days in Oregon, seeing my family and my friends, celebrating, sharing friendship, and enjoying myself. It is refreshing to go home and remember where the roots of ones personality lie, where the heart longs to be is still there, and my friendships are still in tack. I was emersed in love and I soaked up every moment of it.

My day off was spent sleeping in after arriving from the red eye. My room is finally perfectly organized, and at 1600, I attempted to pick up a three day trip, the only one in the computer. I hit the button and crossed my fingers and wa-lah! I picked up the trip that would take me to two new places, Toronto and LA. My crew was fantastic and we had a good time joking around. Toronto is beautiful to fly into but damn cold!! We just missed a snow storm, they seem to be one day behind me every where. Our flight to IAH consisted of 15 passangers, they slept the whole time and I found myself nodding off while reading...not a good thing. So from IAH we headed to LAX. I was working away and then when I was heading to the back galley, I looked at a guy and thought it was Jared Leto. I asked for another opinion but no one knew who I was taking about. I walked off the plane and had the agent look up the name to 27F...it was him!! We walked outside and waited for our van and Fernando pointed him out to me as he waited for his ride. I am such a dork, I took a picture from a far and then got up the courage to go and take to him. I ran up and asked if I could take a picture with him. He said sure so we did the arm reach picture, I told him that I wasn't just some crazy but was his flight attendant to which he smiled and told me that he knew who I was. I ran back to the crew and they were all laughing at me. I finally looked at the picture to realize I didn't take the zoom off. So my first pic with a celeb is only of his eyes and a portion of my head. It is always nice to be on the west coast, there is a feel of home to it. I was able to see a familiar face while I was there, the guy from Halloween. Our trip home was pretty good, a day off to do laundry, and then ready for my next adventure.

30

It doesn't take long to feel comfortable at home. It is day four of my journey to Oregon and I managed to see most of my friends at least once. Unfortunatly my sinus' took the comfort of home a little too far and decided this would be a great place to try and confine me to bed. I have fought it as much as possible but they seem to win at night, when things slow down. Not tonight, though I have already declared victory as this is the night of my girl's fabulous 30th birthday party.

nye

I received my wish, I found a boy to kiss on New Year’s Eve. My flight to MCO was actually a good one, my favorite agent works down there. On the way home we had a couple board early and as I helped them to their seats, I was informed that it was their 70th anniversary. They were so adorable. There was a family that needed to sit together so the agent came on the pa and asked people to move, no one volunteered so he volunteered me to be the in-flight entertainment. I got on the pa and told everyone that there was no way in hell that I was spending my new year’s eve in Orlando so they needed to pull it together. We got back in time to go home, eat a budget gourmet, and change my clothes. B and M were getting ready and invited me to go and sit at the house of the guy she can’t manage to get over…humm No. I had them drop me off at the Euro Lounge. Never being there prior I went on the advice of C that the men there were not too bad and the place was sort of non-Jersey. A cosmo in hand, I stood in the corner and began my search. There were only a couple of tall guys so I choose the best looking one, had another drink, and walked up to him. “Are you claimed for midnight?, What? “Are you claimed for midnight?” What does that mean? “Are you here with someone?” Yah, my friends. “Are you going to kiss your friends? No, oh..that is what you mean! We chit chatted for a bit and then the ball dropped. It was strange to be in the same time zone as the notorious ball. We dance for a little more and drinks kept finding there way into my hand. Around 0200, common sense took hold and I told the guy that I needed to go to the bathroom. I ran outside and miraculously there was a cab waiting for me. I blabbed to the driver about my escape then found myself in bed by two.

absent too long

It proves that I have been away too long; the fact that I recognize how friendly the people here are. They say excuse me, thank you, and have a nice day. It is refreshing to say the least. Obviously I am somewhere other than the NE as I write about the people with manners...I have managed to make it home.
My last flight was okay however the crazy lady that refused to sit in her seat with her baby and starting crying when I told her to sit down or leave the plane, yah, that family was drama central. They believed that they were the only people on the plane. I stopped making eye contact and sent the newbies to go and help them. Yes, I was a senior mama on this flight. The eight turns in a row all seemed worth it when at 0200 after my turn to PBI, those sweet words, "you are released to your days off" were spoken. I spent the night in the crew room, dozing in and out, waiting for the 0645 flight home. I ran upstairs an hour prior and sweet talked the agent. I landed a window seat not too far from the door and was out for the next six hours. An hour or so of decompressing and then back on the road, this time via car to see my parents. Three more hours later, I surprised, let me rephrase that, almost gave my mom a heart attack as she was not expecting me until the next day. No matter how old you are it is nice to come "home" and be taken care of by your mom.

.

The last day of the year, a time for reflection and looking ahead. Where has this year gone? I was getting ready to become a loan officer this time last year. Getting ready for a party and going out with good friends, it seems like a million years ago. It seems like I am living in the twilight zone or a stuck in a holding pattern and if I am patient things will return back to normal, my life will make sense again. I am allowing myself to be sad and upset but just for the day as tomorrow is a new year. It will be the first time I have worked on New Years since my days in retail over a decade ago. I need to return to Portland simply because I need to remember what it is like to be surrounded by people who care about me, beautiful streets, and friendly people. I need a shift in perception, I need to go home.

december days

The scheduling gods are still upset with my previous request for an international flight. My sixth, yes count them sixth turn of the past eight days with one day off. The turn to FLL was alive with crazies, one with a peanut allergy, people who hated their seats, people who wanted us to serve dinner at nine o'clock at night, angry New Yorkers. Thankfully the flight back was nicer and I soon forgot how aweful my job can be. Today...today ranked in my top three worst flights. Excitement was my inital reacation when seeing my new destiny for the day, Belize, only to have it deflate when I saw it was a turn. A twelve hour day with nine and half of which was spent in the air. The first part of my day was good, good crew, good crowd, not a lot of carry ons. We hopped off the plane and hit the duty free for some good deals on liquor. They came on the plane in full force from the front and back doors, bringing their anger, trashiness, and bratty children. Four and half hours of glaring, non mannered, assholes and I was done. I come home to be greeting with the message of yet another turn tomorrow, this time to absolute, favorite place, Orlando. Can taste the senisism?

~~~~~~~~~~

I have done it, the thought that every woman has at one point in time in their lives; what would be like to be with a rich man who would do anything in the world for me? A man who has a penthouse in the city, a driver, a sucessful business, a guy who drops everything when I wanted to go the theatre and walked the streets of the theatre district looking for box seats, a man that takes me to exclusive lounges, cigar clubs, and night clubs, then gets me a town car all the way back home. Yes, this is what I found. But is there the butterflies, the za-za-zu that I long for? Not at all!! Don't get me wrong, he is absolute wonderful guy, generous heart, successful but not, well just not. The play however was fantastic!! My second Broadway show and I was sitting thirty feet away from Nathan Lane in his new play, Butley. He is an amazing actor and it was exciting to be that close to him. I need to go to more shows!

~~~~~~~~

Manhattan two days in a row. The roommates where nice enough to deliver the grease to my bed. I knew that I needed to get up and get ready as our tour was awaiting our arrival. It took a few tries until I made it into the shower, the final attempt was made on my hands and knees; too many cosmos the night before. A shower and my new pink dress was my motivation of pulling it together for the day and looking fabulous, very Carrie-like. We awaited the bus in front of the Plaza and toured around NYC for three and half hours, stopping at the Pleasure Chest (the place of the rabbit purchase), Carrie's stoop, and finally O'Neills (Scout) for a cosmo. We passed by three restaurants that appeared on the show that I had actually been too, Sushi Sambi "dirty martini, dirty bastard", Tao (with the jazz player), and Asia de Cuba (compliments from the Russian). Many more to experience though. Our group was not that enthusiastic but C and I sure had a great time and knew almost all the trivia asked. Dinner, all dressed up was in SoHo at Boom. The food and company was fantastic and greatfully I was in bed by midnight.

~~~~

Tomorrow is the last day of the year. I am supposed to return from my trip by 2130 and I am NOT going to hang out at the house. I am going to get a midnight kiss...somehow...I am still working on the game plan.

theatre part dioux

The movie theater and the nachos called my name once more this holiday weekend. This time I was not alone in my journey as my roommate returned from her trip shortly before my return this afternoon. My turn to PBI this morning was horrible, the people were so rude and nasty that I declared it the worst Christmas ever and it was only 0900. I took a short nap after my return and then we headed off to the movies to watch The Good Shepard. Excellent movie and the addition of whoppers added to the intrigue of the evening. I have received my assignment for tomorrow, a double turn, which equals no prediem, small paycheck, and an early check-in. I need to start picking up trips and trying to control my schedule because this crap sucks! The good news is that if the temp drops even the slightest bit, there will be snow.

movie for one

How did I spend my first Christmas Eve away from home? I arrived in from my charter flight around 0200, slept until awakened with an offer to go to the Giants game which I had to decline because I was on call. I sat around the apartment all day long waiting, knowing that they were going to call me. I watched movies I had seen many times on TV, ate a Lean Cusine, and then finally had enough of waiting around and decided to go to a movie. I pick a romantic comedy and sat very aware of my singleness amongst the couples. I return to an empty house, something I usually enjoy, but not tonight, to find out that I have a 0545 check in for a West Palm turn. Clearly I did not get what I asked for, for Christmas. I was in such a mind set to be away and didn't expect to be here.

football boys

I think it would be easier to stick this out if I didn't have a wonderful, clean loft at home; if I didn't have wonderful friends that I miss so much at home; if I didn't have my family at home. I am sure that it is the winter blahs and still not knowing where my life will be for Christmas that is making me so home sick. That and all the wonderful holiday cards that keep coming in the mail. But here is something that I would not be able to do from my fabulous home...charter a NCAA footbsll team on their way to a bowl game. I have be elected by scheduling to be the lead on a 777 flight taking the Rutgers football team to the Texas Bowl. This is what I get for asking for something international, oh well, it is a change from the norm and it's a plane full of college men for christsakes! I will admit that I pretty unfamilar with this huge plane so I will be whipping out the ol' manual over lunch today. So off to Houston I go, I think I might lie and stay that I haven't been in the cockpit for landing since it is so damn cool to see.

presents

I am awaiting to find out where I will be spending my Christmas holiday. I called scheduling today to ask for an international trip if they had any extra. It didn't sound very promising but it doesn't hurt to ask. The rest of the roommates are on trips and I am home with George cleaning my half of the room and surfing the net. This exciting life I lead! We exchanged presents last night where I received silk pajamas, boxers, a "sex kitten" book, a Duck's key chain, a dating guide, and a ticket to go on the Sex in the City bus tour. You can guess which one I am most excited about. Looks like it is going to snow night judging by the sky. I am hoping to spend my Christmas somewhere cold and white.