31 October 2007
28 October 2007
the devil's holiday
today, the boyfriend and mother-in-law made our way out to complete some christmas shopping. we chose not to hit up michigan avenue due to 1) the transit disruptions this weekend and 2) the fact that holiday tourists have already made their way to the windy city. instead, we decided we would travel to wisconsin (at least might as well have been) to do our one-stop shopping.
it was expected that the mall would be busy. it's a sunday in late october. but, what we didn't consider was it being the sunday before halloween. not only were there people stopping and standing in every corridor, but there were spidermen, fairy princesses, ghosts, devils and witches parading throughout the mall. for it was trick-or-treating day at gurnee mills.
it was a cluster. after making our way through the spidery mall, we had to traverse back to our starting point. forced to dodge strollers, kiosks, and hordes of people, we reached our destination - not without breaking a sweat and being slightly out of breath.
while we were able to find great bargains and check more off the christmas list, i made a mental note to self: steer clear of shopping malls the weekend before halloween.
and i thought michigan avenue in december was bad.
exactly. and that it why i will steer clear of it at all costs. online shopping was created for a reason.
it was expected that the mall would be busy. it's a sunday in late october. but, what we didn't consider was it being the sunday before halloween. not only were there people stopping and standing in every corridor, but there were spidermen, fairy princesses, ghosts, devils and witches parading throughout the mall. for it was trick-or-treating day at gurnee mills.
it was a cluster. after making our way through the spidery mall, we had to traverse back to our starting point. forced to dodge strollers, kiosks, and hordes of people, we reached our destination - not without breaking a sweat and being slightly out of breath.
while we were able to find great bargains and check more off the christmas list, i made a mental note to self: steer clear of shopping malls the weekend before halloween.
and i thought michigan avenue in december was bad.
exactly. and that it why i will steer clear of it at all costs. online shopping was created for a reason.
24 October 2007
a day in the life
while it still may be a few months away until i'm invited to a training class to be a flight attendant (aka "air hostess", "fly guy", "stewardess"), i got a taste of what it will soon be like for me while accompanying my favorite man with wings (MwW).
after two shorts hours of sleep - due to my insomnia as of late - i awoke at 4am (0400) to quickly shower, get dressed, and throw those last few things in my roller bag. we drove to the airport, arriving 15 minutes before check-in. we went to the crew lounge to check the passenger (pax) loads for the day, print off the trip schedule, and to check for communication in the "box" (basically a wall of hanging file folders). after making our way to the gate, MwW made his way down the jetway to do all his flight attendant (f/a) duties , while i waited for my time to board the plane with the other 26 passengers.
as the second person to board the plane, i made my way to the rear (aft) of the plane and secured my seat...er...row. i then was given a brief tour of the galley while the rest of the passengers were boarding the aircraft. i then settled into my seat, fastening my belt tight and securely around my waist. as part of the privileged on the flight, i was given a can of water (yes, can - deja blue) and an oatmeal raisin breakfast bar (yum!).
while pulling away from the gate, my MwW was demonstrating the safety procedures with a large grin on his face. note: i was not attempting to make him uncomfortable or laugh. after takeoff, we found ourselves in quite a bit of turbulence due to weather in the area. it was some time before the crew was out taking drink orders or tossing the breakfast bars to the other customers, but MwW was able to sit with me and catch up on the "trashy magazines" with me.
upon our arrival into denver (DEN), i got off the plane and waited for 3 hours while the crew finished their flights to salt lake city (SLC) and back to denver. MwW and i then took the hotel shuttle to the doubletree and nestled in for an afternoon nap. later that evening, we were lucky enough to meet our favorite coloradian friends for a quick dinner. it was quick due to the fact that the 23rd of each month is a sacred day; for it is open time.
open time is the chance to change all of those nasty trips that you don't want to keep or to pick up those which look more appealing. already being a pro at this, i look forward very much to this day each month! after clicking and more clicking, it was ready to retire for the night at 0045, far too late for the 0645 lobby time the next morning.
luckily i wasn't continuing on with my MwW, yet was able to spend a glorious 'day of yay' with my friend. the day consisted of massages, a fantastic lunch, peacefulness sitting on the porch with wine in hand, and and a quick cat-nap on the way back to the airport.
on my return flight, i was again fortunate enough to get my own row. yet this time, i was surrounded by those that will i will soon deal with on a daily basis: the captain commuting home after his trip, the couple that talks constantly during the entire flight, and the men that reek like an ashtray. and then there is the flight crew - the flight attendant making noises and jokes in the PA, which are not funny or even slightly amusing.
but after landing and making my way to the economy parking, i realized that this will soon be my life. it's not a job - it's a way of life. my life...as a flight attendant/air hostess/stewardess/fly guy.
after two shorts hours of sleep - due to my insomnia as of late - i awoke at 4am (0400) to quickly shower, get dressed, and throw those last few things in my roller bag. we drove to the airport, arriving 15 minutes before check-in. we went to the crew lounge to check the passenger (pax) loads for the day, print off the trip schedule, and to check for communication in the "box" (basically a wall of hanging file folders). after making our way to the gate, MwW made his way down the jetway to do all his flight attendant (f/a) duties , while i waited for my time to board the plane with the other 26 passengers.
as the second person to board the plane, i made my way to the rear (aft) of the plane and secured my seat...er...row. i then was given a brief tour of the galley while the rest of the passengers were boarding the aircraft. i then settled into my seat, fastening my belt tight and securely around my waist. as part of the privileged on the flight, i was given a can of water (yes, can - deja blue) and an oatmeal raisin breakfast bar (yum!).
while pulling away from the gate, my MwW was demonstrating the safety procedures with a large grin on his face. note: i was not attempting to make him uncomfortable or laugh. after takeoff, we found ourselves in quite a bit of turbulence due to weather in the area. it was some time before the crew was out taking drink orders or tossing the breakfast bars to the other customers, but MwW was able to sit with me and catch up on the "trashy magazines" with me.
upon our arrival into denver (DEN), i got off the plane and waited for 3 hours while the crew finished their flights to salt lake city (SLC) and back to denver. MwW and i then took the hotel shuttle to the doubletree and nestled in for an afternoon nap. later that evening, we were lucky enough to meet our favorite coloradian friends for a quick dinner. it was quick due to the fact that the 23rd of each month is a sacred day; for it is open time.
open time is the chance to change all of those nasty trips that you don't want to keep or to pick up those which look more appealing. already being a pro at this, i look forward very much to this day each month! after clicking and more clicking, it was ready to retire for the night at 0045, far too late for the 0645 lobby time the next morning.
luckily i wasn't continuing on with my MwW, yet was able to spend a glorious 'day of yay' with my friend. the day consisted of massages, a fantastic lunch, peacefulness sitting on the porch with wine in hand, and and a quick cat-nap on the way back to the airport.
on my return flight, i was again fortunate enough to get my own row. yet this time, i was surrounded by those that will i will soon deal with on a daily basis: the captain commuting home after his trip, the couple that talks constantly during the entire flight, and the men that reek like an ashtray. and then there is the flight crew - the flight attendant making noises and jokes in the PA, which are not funny or even slightly amusing.
but after landing and making my way to the economy parking, i realized that this will soon be my life. it's not a job - it's a way of life. my life...as a flight attendant/air hostess/stewardess/fly guy.
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