As of Late

Denver

I must admit, lately I have been an absolute failure at blog writing. It has definitely been a while so I think I have a lot to catch up on. I don't think I can give a completely full-on detailed account of the last few months without boring you to death so instead let's focus on the most memorable passengers, crews and moments as of late....

One of the hardest parts of the job I have yet to master would be handling the overly personal passengers. The ones who want to know your whole life story, be your new best friend, or even be the future love of your life....ahh. This is difficult for me because I have to be nice, and let's just say things can get awkward.

On one of my recent flights I had a very "nice" lady. The fun began when she nearly started crying because she was so happy I was so nice and helpful towards her. She then told me that I was definitely a Christian because of the way that I acted. This brought her in to a conversation on my religious history and upbringing, and where her stance on religion was. After deciding that I was a suitable girl she decided she was going to set me up with her nephew who owns a heavy construction business....in Montana. "How old are you?" she asked. I told her my age and she followed up with a very loud squeal of, "OHHH that's perfect! Trent will just love you and he's rich!!!! I've got to get your number." Somehow I managed to escape the conversation and retreat back to the galley. I could not avoid her forever though, and on my next trip back she started on my hair..."Your hair is just so pretty! Who does it? Where do you get it done?" I told her my friend in Utah. At this time, the lady is running her hands through my hair. Not sure how to handle this I just stand there and smile while this lady treats me like her pet cat. She then proceeded to tell me that my hair is just so pretty and thick....now that one nearly had me on the floor laughing. My hair is far from think. Being bald until the age of 2 and accepting the fact that I will soon be bald again, I am very aware of this! Well soon it was time for service. By the time I got to her row, the ice was dwindling and there were a couple of frozen blocks. She decided to help me out and just grabbed the ice bag and started breaking up the chunks for me. Very nice of her. Then she held open the bag so I could scoop the ice. The guy sitting across from her just gave me this sympathetic and understanding smile. All around this was a very entertaining flight, with probably one of the sweetest women I've ever me, but boundaries people. Please.

I always feel bad for those poor parents braving the traveling nightmare with multiple children. I can't imagine dragging 2 or 3 kids through airports, trying to keep them entertained and quiet in a small enclosed area, and doing everything possible to keep the kid in their seat with the belt fastened. My understanding hit a new level on one particular flight. A woman was traveling with her toddler and an infant. Both children had been so good the entire flight. I was the aft flight attendant so my seat was right next to the mom. We were in our final descent, and I was all buckled in and ready for landing. But as the landing gear dropped, so did the toddler's patience. She started freaking out and climbing out of her seat. The poor mom was trying to get her to sit down and get her seatbelt on while trying to hold on to the infant as well. I was stretched out of my seat holding the infant on the moms lap so she didn't roll off. The toddler would not cooperate at all, so at the last minute the mom throws me the infant and grabs the toddler. Now while we are in position for landing we are supposed to be going through procedures, so as I'm freaking out about the fact that I'm holding a baby I was figuring what I would have to do with the infant if we had a situation. Luckily this baby was absolutely adorable and super well behaved. She just sat on my lap happy as ever. The landing touchdown was not the smoothest, so I was very glad that the mom had held on to the toddler. We taxied to the gate, baby in arms and all. I'm sure it was quite the sight!

A word to the wise...do not drink too much before trying to board an airplane. We are not allowed to transport drunk passengers. I know those long sits in airport lounges can be difficult, but please self-monitor. We would hate to kick you off your flight. On an 11 am departure (boards at 1030!) we had two guys who had somehow managed to have a little too much. As soon as they got on the plane they were giving hugs and high fives to everybody. It was great that they were friendly drunks, and when they realized that we were concerned they started to beg. Promising to be quiet, good, nice, etc. I promise when you are drunk enough that other passengers are concerned, you will not be going on the flight. We said goodbye to our intoxicated friends and left them in slc!

As far as crews go, I've flown with a lot of great people. However, with mixed personalities and lifestyles, sometimes things can get interesting. There are 2 particularly well-known flight attendants in my base for being slightly different. Lucky for me, I've managed to fly with both of them. First off was Wacky Wanda. Wanda is a very nice and sweet lady. I actually quite enjoyed flying with her. It was a very entertaining day. She told me that she thought she was mental and schizophrenic when it comes to relationships. Not sure what she meant by that I asked for clarification. Her response, "Well I've just dated so many guys and I like things about all of them, but I can't decide on just one." I'm not sure how that makes her schizophrenic but I went with it. She was by far more boy-crazy than me, and she had a good 15 years on me....strange. Then there was the trip from hell with Crazy Cathy. Opposite of Wanda, Cathy is not just crazy, she is mean, demoralizing and self-righteous. I did not enjoy flying with her at all. It actually took a week to recover from it I think. Cathy believes that our society is poisoned by the media, pivot line sprinkler fields are actually missiles, and that she once had cancer but she was cured because she found a man on match.com who had a cancer curing machine banned in the US because cancer is a billion dollar industry. She also got very upset with me when I didn't know where this tiny little country she once lived in was. She felt that it was irresponsible of me to work in this job and not know. She asked what I would do if I met someone from there. My response if they were from there they wouldn't need to ask me questions about it. I'm pretty sure she is confused, working for a regional airline that flies mainly domestic routes, maybe she should brush up on her knowledge on the US...just a thought.

1 year anniversary baby!

Oh wow, well that was pretty long. Sorry for the long blog drought and then this flood of a post. I did make my 1 year anniversary a couple of weeks ago. Milestones! Anyway, I promise to be better. I do have more stories to tell so it won't be long. Safe travels until then!

San Antonio

Happy Holidays

The joys of being on the bottom of the pyramid when it comes to the all powerful and mighty seniority system of the airlines are endless. Really who doesn't love working every holiday, weekend, long hour, low paying trip out there?? In all reality, I have very little to complain about, and my experiences over the holidays seemed to be eye openers for sure! Not every moment was great, but I did have plenty of good experiences to look back on. I would definitely call this last month a growing point in my life as I faced a new way to spend the holidays!

In my 22 years of life I have never been away from home for the holidays. I am very much set in my ways when it comes to seasonal tradition. It all changed this year when I was assigned a 4 day trip the 23-26. Fortunately most hotels have all of the television stations that show my Christmas favorites so I didn't miss any Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story or Elf time! The food was a little bit different as my Christmas breakfast consisted of a stale muffin and cheap OJ and I had a lovely family Christmas dinner (Captain and FO being my family) at Denny's! And just like extended family holiday parties, there were people that made my day and of course the people that cause those suicidal holiday spikes (I'm talking about you, Bozeman Beasts)!

I gained a new appreciation for those who spend holidays away from loved ones! It's much harder than you anticipate. I can't imagine how hard it is for those in the military so far from home, or for people across the Country who just can't afford to go home to see their family. I think precious time with my family for the holidays is something I always took for granted, but I realized just how fortunate I am to be around so many people I love and care about!

Well enough of the mushy stuff. Here is a brief overview of my first holiday season as a flight attendant. May it always be memorable!

The adventures began in Denver with an overly friendly driver and the longest shuttle ride of my life. I decided to take the hotel shuttle to a nearby mall. Of course this was going to be a 20 minute journey and it was just me and the driver. He was from Ethiopia, and apparently ready to find an American woman and settle down. Fortunately he did not know where Utah was, or anything about it for that matter. He was asking me if he should move there. I told him it was basically like Denver, but he should probably stay in Denver because it was a little more exciting. He then went on to tell me Salt Lake was better because I was there so he was going to move there. For the next 20 minutes I awkwardly tried to avoid answering any of his questions about our future together and me becoming his American Woman...oh boy.

Outdoor World in Denver

There were plenty of people that helped make working the holidays worth it. I had many passengers thank me for working so they could get home to their families (not that I had a choice, but hey you're welcome!). One passenger wrote me a very sweet Christmas card and included a nice assortment of Ghirardelli Chocolates. There are a lot of unaccompanied minors traveling during the season, and it was fun to hear their Christmas stories. My favorite were the two cute sisters. The older girl had to walk with the help of crutches, and her younger sister was so helpful and made sure to take care of her. They were so excited to tell me all about their Christmas and show me their new dolls and jewelry. They were absolutely adorable.

I've always been a huge fan of New Years Eve. It may have something to do with my Grandparents turning us all into party animals at a very young age. This year I was a little concerned with New Years Eve options in the grand old town of Idaho Falls, but I decided I had to do something. I text a friend from there and asked her what in the world people do in Idaho Falls on New Years. She told me to go the the Shilo....yes the Shilo Inn. I was a little skeptical too! On the way to the airport I was telling the pilots about her suggestion. They laughed and asked what in the world is at the Shilo? Our shuttle driver piped right in "oh yeah they have a dance floor there". My eyes lit up. A dance floor at the Shilo....yessssss!!! Pilots continued to laugh and asked jokingly if I was going dancing. Is that even a question?? (they totally thought I was kidding) I however, was not kidding. That night I ventured through the cold over to the Shilo to find the place to be on New Years Eve, and it did not disappoint. I was a little nervous/feeling a little loserish at first being at such a social place, but it wasn't long before I made new friends and was dancing the night away. Despite an early show time the next morning I celebrated into the new year. Feeling happy and content with my new friends and doing something a little different on New Years!

Leave Your Brain at the Entrance

It's amazing how many people forget to pack their brains when traveling. Sometimes I think maybe those security scanners have some sort of effect on intelligence! (if so I'm definitely screwed)

Of course I'm not perfect and I've had my flaws...like telling the passengers they were going to 3 different Oregon airports in one announcement, but really people some stupid things that you do never cease to surprise me. Unfortunately, a lot of these things happen on a daily basis. Let's see if you've ever made the top 10 of stupidity....

1- Apparently it is very difficult to open the lav door on an airplane. It is a challenging concept I know...turning the doorknob...who would have thought. I mean a circular doorknob, which I'm pretty sure is very widely used, is not just there for decoration people. Sometimes I like to sit in the back just so I can watch how many brainless people cannot open the bathroom door. One flight in particular I had to assist at least 3 people with opening the door...come on people!

2- Some of our aircraft have no storage areas in first class, where overhead bins usually are. I can see how this could confuse some, however, they specifically say no overhead storage! Yet every single time there is some genius who spends minutes trying to pry open a non-existent bin. It's comical really because it's basically a wall that doesn't open at all. I really find validation in this one because of its location. I love watching those super important/intelligent business execs and of course those special frequent flyers (who like to think they fly more than me) struggle with it for a minute before I point out the sign that says NO OVERHEAD STORAGE. Classic!

3- Some of the things that I've been asked for or asked to do are amazing really. I'm not sure if these people are blind and don't realize that we are in this tiny metal tube or what the deal is, but supplies are limited. (I did have a guy supply his own tabasco sauce once) Recently I had a passenger concerned about the air pressure effects on her bag of chips. She was a little nervous to open them because the bag had expanded. I had to open this passengers chips for her. Glad that one wasn't sitting in the exit row!

4- One of the biggest pet peeves of flight attendants is what you do with your trash. I do not come through the cabin multiple times with a garbage bag to collect air samples! I would really love it if you would place your empty cups and wrappers from those lovely snacks in the bag. It's hard I know, and I know that some of you get really attached to those empty cups and love to sit with them for the entire flight, but really just put them in the bag. I really hate when you put trash on your tray-table and then point to it to pick it up. Newsflash, I am not a maid and I am not your slave! Also, when you leave your garbage after landing, when I did multiple trash collections mind you, I hope and pray that your next flight is cancelled or delayed or that you sit on the tarmac for hours on a hot stinky plane! And if you really really want me to hate you and wish bad things upon you then please be sure to leave your used snotty tissues, throw up bags and banana peels in the seat back pocket. I will surely appreciate it. I also love it when you stick your gum to the seatbelt like the real mature adult you are!

5- I don't make announcements just because I like to talk on the PA. After we have landed and I tell you to remain seated with your seatbelt fastened, contrary to what you believe, I am not trying to keep you trapped on this little plane with me for a few minutes longer so we can continue to bond...trust me on that one! This little plane is still on an active taxiway with a lot of larger planes. One little wing clip and you could be in for the ride of your life. Just watch the airbus clip a regional at JFK! Unfortunately your stupidity could also cause others to be injured so please just listen to me. You can't get off this plane until I open the door anyway, so I'm not quite sure where you think you're going. I can see when you take of your seatbelt and half of it is dangling in the aisle. I can hear the clicking noise when you take it off early. Unlike you, I did not leave my brain outside of security. I once made an additional announcement about this, and this guy still didn't put it back on. After we were parked and the passengers were deplaning his wife realized where I was sitting and pointed back to me. The look on his face was classic and he knew that it was his lack of seatbelt I was referring to. I think he probably had to go check his pants as soon as they got off the plane. He apologized multiple times, and I just shook my head at him. Ohhh good times.

6- The specials...oh how I love the specials. The frequent flyers who have achieved the companies special status levels. The ones who have reached the ultimate airline supremacy. The ones who love to remind me how special they are. I really hate that. Generally the frequent flyers are great, and they have learned that treating the staff and crews respectfully is the best way to get what they want. But every once in a while you get the entitled ones. Acting entitled and better than everyone else is the best way to not get what you want. I really love when they tell me they know the rules better than I do. And my ultimate favorite is when they claim to fly more than I do...really...you really wanna go there! Recently I was following company policy and refused to give in to a certain "specials" request. She told me she filled out the surveys all the time and she was going to tell the company on me. I think she was a little shocked when I told her that was a great idea...with a smile of course!

7- Going right along with the entitled specials are those passengers who think they are the only ones traveling! On every little delay there is always the issue of missed connections, and for some reason people have this misguided belief that flight attendants have the ability to hold planes, call gates and magically help them make their ridiculous 5 minute connection that they booked. I am not freakin Harry Potter. I cannot call your gate and tell them you are on your way nor can I tell an aircraft with 200 passengers to wait 15 minutes for just you (especially if you are still in the air). Delays happen, and I assure you that you will make your destination. So when you are getting off the plane save your breath. Don't say "you need to call flight 1780 and tell them we just landed and we are on our way." Cause ya that's just not happening.

8- I am a really scary flight attendant! HAHAHAHA ya right, but the way people react when I tell them they forgot to push their bag under the seat or put their seat back up, you'd think I was walking down the aisle armed and dangerous. The reactions are classic. They get this terrified look, and nearly jump out of their seat. "Sorry, ahh so sorry!" Relax people I am not going beat you with that oversized carry on you brought onboard!

9- Bringing me right to the oversized bags. I can't even begin to place a number on how many bags I can magically fit in the smaller bins. Some people just give up too soon. I have been deemed a master of overhead bin stuffing by many passengers, but really some of those bags are ridiculous. Too many times I hear, "well it fit on the last one." Of course it did, that my friend, was an Airbus, this is a regional jet. Big difference. Your kitchen sink will not fit!

10- Finally, when I say that your carry-on items should be completely under the seat in front of you I don't mean under your feet, in your lap, to your side or behind your feet. I'm really not sure where you heard that. So please save me from crawling down the aisle pushing all of your bags under the seat. I understand that you are traveling and therefore completely brainless and helpless, but this one is simple. Let's start this flight right.

So that's just the top 10 for right now. I'm sure there will be more. Let's be honest, I kind of need you people to do some crazy stuff otherwise this blog will be boring. So here's to happy and safe travels with a little bit of stupidity!

One Year Later

Well exactly one year ago today I was anxiously awaiting to find my name on the LIST; the list of the final interviews to become a flight attendant. It was pretty much the scariest most nerve-racking day of my life. I'll never forget how sick to my stomach I felt as I looked at that piece of paper searching for my name, and how heartbreaking it was to see my new friends not make the list. I remember everything about that day from the speech to the most intimidating one on one interview I've ever experienced. Following the long day of interviews I also remember waiting for that email to tell me my fate. My phone was pretty much attached to me, and I would check my email every hour just in case. Soon enough the good news came, and that good news has helped make this one amazing year.

CA State Capitol

Beautiful Cathedral in Sacramento

I love my job for many reasons. For one, I get to see amazing and beautiful places. I love experiencing the joy of finding someplace I never really considered exploring. There is so much beauty in this world everywhere you go. I've learned to never disregard an overnight because I've never really heard anything exciting about it. I felt this way about Boise and Sacramento, but absolutely loved them both. Sacramento is probably one of my favorite overnights now! I love joining in on different cultural events, going to a Giants game in San Francisco or randomly running into a Latino Festival in San Antonio. It is also great to see the wildlife of different locations, and how skewed a view I had of things. Just today, I nearly had a run-in with a skunk on the beaches on San Francisco. I didn't know they were even around those areas!

Bridge in Sac

Though the traveling and adventure is amazing, there is still one part of my job I love more than anything. I love the people I meet and the different stories that I encounter day-to-day. I love how there is never a day that is the same, and how I have met life-long friends all over the World. It's great to run into flight attendant friends who are sharing the same overnight, or flying with someone you know.

Latino version of Elvis

There are great crews and great people with funny stories and sad stories. I've had many interesting conversations with random strangers. From a pilot giving me a random religion lectures and warning me not to sleep with pilots to spending enough days at a hotel in San Francisco that I was at hugging status with most of the employees.

 I've enjoyed laughing with my passengers and the group of old ladies talking so loudly on the phone, the entire plane could hear..."Doris, Doris ya there?? Here dear you take the phone I can't hear her. DORIS, oh you'll meet us at the bag place, ok that's where we need to go? Ok Doris....She said she will meet us where our bags go, apparently she travels more than us and knows what to do!"

I've met celebs without knowing it, and had a nice conversation with a rodeo clown who amazingly had performed at a rodeo I've gone to my entire life. I've had my share of embarrassing moments, from the announcement bloopers to having a lady freak out when I asked her if she wanted any snacks, she did not hear the world "snacks" (use your imagination)...we had a lot of fun joking about that one for the entire flight, and when she deplaned she told me she was going to get some "snacks".

Just a few weeks ago, I realized how much of a difference just listening to someone can make. Before we boarded our flight, the gate agent came on the plane and informed us that there was a passenger whose daughter had just passed away. When we started doing service I had the opportunity to speak to this woman. I just looked at her an she started crying. I sat with her for a while, and she told me all about her daughter and the car accident that took her life. She was only 21, and their family situation was not ideal, and she had heard the news via facebook. I couldn't help but cry with her as she told me some stories and showed me pictures of her beautiful daughter. When we landed, she gave me a hug as we deplaned and thanked me for being there. As I was cleaning the plane I noticed that she left behind her headphones. I knew her connecting flight, so I figured I could catch her before she left. I was lucky to find her in time, and she hugged and thanked me again. Those who know me well know that I am not a hugging person and that sometimes I struggle at being sympathetic, but this day was different. I only wish that I could do something more for her, and I hope that I helped to make her day just a little easier. I think this was a big moment that helped me to realize how much I love the people I interact with everyday, and how I can be there for someone and maybe make whatever experiences they are going through just a little better.

Being a flight attendant has changed my life, and I feel so lucky to be doing what I do. The experiences I've had and the people I've met are things I will never forget, they have definitely changed me for the better.

Never a Dull Moment

Well 3 trips later, I've decided this has been an exciting month. I don't know what it is about August, but everyday at work has been an adventure. Not all adventures have been great, but good stories nonetheless.

It all began when I was scheduled to sit reserve at the airport on Friday. I already had a 4 day trip scheduled to start Saturday so I wasn't anticipating much, maybe a Denver local. I wasn't going to take my overnight bag, but I figured it was packed and ready for Saturday's trip, so I might as well take it. It wasn't too long into my sit, when I was told I had 20 minutes to get to the gate for a no show flight attendant. The plane had to be out ASAP...and I would be on a 4 day trip! It's a little overwhelming to have 20 minutes to prepare yourself for a 4 day, when you have no idea where you're going!!! I made it to the gate with passengers very happy to see me, and their plane soon out for departure. With quick introductions to the crew, a super fast preflight, and learning I would be going to San Francisco, Chicago and Kalispell we were ready to board.

San Francisco was awesome. I rode the Cal Train downtown, and it was fun just to walk around. I realized however, that San Fran is way too cold for me in the summer, and I need to pack warmer clothes in my overnight bag! We flew to Edmonton, and our Edmonton to Chicago flight happened to have a famous passenger. Unfortunately I wouldn't know if someone famous was on my flight if they were sitting in the first row...literally! We were on our hotel shuttle when the other flight attendant told me that the guys in the back (who were very entertaining) were in a band, and their lead singer was the guy in first class. Of course I figured he was some sort of musician because he had a really cool music tattoo that I admired pretty much the entire flight. She told me they played in Wendover recently so I asked who the band was. She was not a fan of Country music so it took her a minute, but then she informed me that it was Gary Allan! "SHUT UP!" I yelled, "My friends are gonna kill me!" So yes, Gary Allan sat right in front of me, and I had no idea. But hey, I've served someone famous so that's cool.

San Fran

Deep Dish Pizza

I didn't have a lot of time in Chicago, but I did try some Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. That is a lot of pizza!!!! The hotel in Chicago is the most confusing hotel I've ever been in and I got lost multiple times, and it is also under construction. There are hallways that have no electricity and are closed off, somehow I ended up in one of these on one of my lost adventures. I felt like a cast member in a scary movie...terrifying really!

The most adventurous of the flights was Chicago to Kalispell. It's a pretty long flight so we had a lot of passenger bonding time. There was a nice couple in first class who own an acupuncture clinic. They were teaching me all about it. It was all very interesting, but I still don't know if I'm sold on someone sticking needles in me! There was also another couple in first class who wanted to take full advantage of their free drinks. Between both flight attendants serving them, they were pretty happy. We eventually ended up cutting them off...good thing I think because they were starting to get a little tipsy. The guy was very appreciative though, and kept complimenting us. He wanted us to work their return flight next week. When we were descending he motioned me over..."I asked the other flight attendant and she said we couldn't smoke as soon as we get off the plane, but my parents are picking us up and they don't know we smoke (they were 30 by the way). So I was wondering if we could just smoke really quick as soon as we get off?" I told him NO, and explained that with a huge machine full of fuel that would be a terrible idea. I told the other fa, and we spent the rest of the flight making it very clear to them that smoking was NOT ALLOWED!

Delicious Caramel Roll

Kalispell was beautiful! I went to an antique store which was pretty interesting. I also had the most amazing caramel roll ever!!!! We had an early morning flight, but the sunrise was absolutely beautiful. A great wake up for sure.

I ended up having the exact same overnight a week later. The Chicago to Kalispell flight was not nearly as great. It was actually the flight from hell. It all started with a terrible downpour in Chicago. There was no jet bridge so people had to walk up the plane stairs, and there was nothing to block the rain out of the plane. They wouldn't hold boarding, so we had buckets of rain running into the plane. All of the passengers were soaked! We were pushing water out of the plane, and trying to keep the heavy streams form going into the flight deck. It was more like we were on a boat. When we finally got everyone boarded and loaded an extra FOUR boxes of paper towels, it was time to close the door. I was already soaked from the rain blowing into the doorway, but when I shut the door, it was like someone poured a bucket of water over my head. Tons of water came crashing down over my head. As miserable as I already was from being soaking wet, we also were on a plane that was 1/4 full of out of control children. There parents could care less what they were doing. In and out of seats, chaos causing, screaming...the other fa and I literally had to mentally prepare ourselves before venturing to the back of the plane! It was insane. We filled both trash carts, and I have never seen a plane trashed as bad as that one. When we landed in Kalispell I told the gate agent that we needed some help cleaning. She was like, "Is it really that bad??" I told her to see for herself. She got on the plane, and all she said was "Woah, I don't know if our sweeper can handle this!" Ya, it was a rough day, but we had a fun overnight to make up for it. We went to a cool little Saloon. It was pretty legit with an old time cash register, sawdust floors and pretty good pizza!

Kalispell Sunrise

I also had an overnight in Tulsa, which was fun because I got to visit an Aunt and Uncle who live there. The night I was there, they had an incredible thunderstorm. From their house, I had a great view of downtown, and the stormy sky. It was a beautiful storm, and I must admit I'm a fan of midwest storms...absolutely amazing. It was also such a great experience to be able to spend some time with family I don't get to see very often!!!

I've worked with some awesome people, but unfortunately not all personalities work well together. One FA and I certainly were not on the same page. Thank goodness it was just a local!!! I fear that had we been on an overnight together, I would have needed some anger management possibly. I don't even remember her name, her name to me is...Crazy Face! Crazy Face is a very happy person, but she had a staring problem. She would creepily stare at you and smile with a blank face for what seemed like forever. She also had major trouble making a decision. Everything she would do seemed to take forever because she would always question it. A lot of times we pour leftover juices and sodas into the empty water bottles. I started to do that, and she proceeded to tell me that she didn't think we were supposed to do that anymore. I told her that I wasn't aware of that and I and every other flight attendant I've flown with do that all the time. Later on when we were finalizing cleanup she told me she really didn't think we were supposed to do that and she was going to pour out the liquid. The flight was just a super short flight, and with the slowness of Crazy Face we barely had time to cleanup before we were landing. I was the forward flight attendant, and instead of asking me to go get snacks people requested she insisted on writing them all down and taking them back later (such a waste of time). When we were boarding there was a cat in the exit row. She asked me if this was ok, and I told her no. Later on, she brought out her manual just to make sure this was true. She was behind on her pin count so I told her I would brief the exit row for her. After finalizing the pin, she told me she wasn't ready to close yet because she had to brief the exit. I reminded her that I did it, but apparently it wasn't good enough because she insisted on doing it again. Flying with Crazy Face was sure an exhausting experience. I think if I see her on my flight again...I just may have the flu!

Hello Monterey

Recently, I just finished a trip with two of my favorite overnights, Monterey and Victoria! I also had one night in Boise, and it turned out to be a lot better than I expected. The flights started off a little rough with some delays, and then there was the 45 minute weight and balance delay. The plane was 1400 pounds overweight, and nobody would volunteer to get off. I don't blame them though because due to the other flight bookings they wouldn't be able to get out for 2 more days. Trying to answer all of their questions and keep people happy for that long is incredibly hard. I had people yelling at me, and asking me questions left and right. Unfortunately the agents weren't giving me many answers and they weren't helping me out much. They finally decided just to pull off all of the checked bags (which didn't really ease the anger of the passengers). That flight wasn't much fun at all. People were angry about bags, connections, and delays. There was a passenger onboard whose wife was a flight attendant. He told me that when he told her they were sitting there with a weight and balance delay she didn't even care when he would be home, all she said was that she felt bad for the flight attendant. I told him his wife was my new best friend. A lot of the passengers were very nice, but of course there were the few who really tried to make it hell for us all. "The Doctors" were traveling home and were worried about their connection. They insisted on speaking to the Captain and having them hold their connection flight. I told them that was unlikely. I also had to explain to them that no matter who they were this flight was not safe to take off and until it was figured out, this plane wasn't going anywhere. I helped show them the gates and I think they ended up making their connection, so eventually they were appreciative! As soon as they pulled the bags and were weight cleared those gate agents sprinted off the plane, leaving me to deal with the rest....joy! Once we were off, things ended up not being so bad. Just a lot of questions about their baggage, again understandable.

Sunset in Monterey

This trip had a few flights with incredibly stinky people. This is a hard one for me to deal with. Honestly it makes me sick! I think complimentary deodorant and breath-mints would be a great idea. It can't be enjoyable for anyone. One passenger was complaining to me about the volume of the PA, it was so hard to listen to him because his breath about killed me right there in the aisle! Seriously people, it's called hygiene!!!!

Despite the delays and other people's personal issues, the trip was awesome. I walked to the beach in Monterey, spent some time in the amazing hot tub, stayed in an amazing hotel and met a super nice pilot from Florida and another cool lady from Jersey. I wasn't anticipating Boise to be super great, but there is a really nice river walk and it was beautiful. I went crab fishing in Victoria and caught a living starfish. The hotel there is amazing! They have robes and slippers in the room, and a spa at the hotel. Victoria is generally a pretty senior overnight so I was so fortunate to be there.

Awwww

Amazing Hotel in Sidney BC

Victoria Overnight

So that's the story so far. I don't think I've ever had a day that felt routine in this job, and that's what I love. There is never a dull moment, and so far I don't think there ever will be!!

The Only Constant is Change

Well it's been a while since my last post, but things have been kind of crazy! I transferred from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City, and although I'm loving SLC I still find myself missing MSP a lot! I'm glad I missed out on the terrible heat wave though.

Being back in Utah was kind of an adjustment strangely enough. I froze for the first 2 weeks I think, and when people would complain about it being humid and hot I just had to laugh. The thing I miss most is my Minneapolis flight attendant family. Living in a hotel for a month with a lot of people had its challenges, but I think it's something I will always fondly remember. It's strange to come home from work and not have your friends waiting to talk about your crazy trip filled with strange delays, you're awesome announcement bloopers, weirdo passengers or flying with the most attractive pilot you have ever laid eyes on! I learned so much from all of them, and miss them terribly! In a way, being a flight attendant isn't quite the same.

On a happier note, I still love every minute of this job! Every day is a new adventure with new people. I've only really flown with one other crew member that I didn't particularly get along with. We had a nice little disagreement in front of passengers where she ended up making an entire family move (even though I told her they didn't need to). After basically telling me off in front of them, she later told me that I was right and we didn't need to move them after all...crazy lady! She did make up for it later though when we had another puker, and she offered to handle it after realizing my stomach was a little to weak for it.

My first trip out of Salt Lake was awesome. I had overnights in Phoenix, Kansas City and San Francisco for the 4th of July. Unfortunately, mid-trip the flight attendant who previously dropped the trip took it back over, and I was stranded in Houston. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone that day working out what base I needed to be sent back to since I was still technically based in MSP. It was quite a mess, but strangely enough I ran into another MSP, recently transferred to SLC, flight attendant friend in the same exact situation. It was a crazy coincidence, but ended up being so great. We both got to stay at the same hotel in Houston, and we met up with another one of our friends who is based there! We kept with the Southern Style and had a classy dinner at Church's Chicken. The neighborhood was pretty sketch, and when we got our order of strawberry shortcake they brought it out saying, "we ain't got no whip cream", oh well...it was still great. I spent the morning of the 4th of July relaxing poolside in Houston, flying home in 1st Class, and getting to spend the night at the fireworks with my family. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Nearly dying of heat stroke!

Since then I've been flying quite a bit. I endured the mid-west heat wave in Oklahoma City and ended up underestimating the weather and getting heat stroke. I was exploring along the river walk without bottled water (super bad idea in a very humid, hot place). I really wanted to reach this one point and hopefully see some of the city so I kept going even though I was super dehydrated and tired. The way back was pure hell and took me forever. I had to stop and sit down in the shade like every 5 minutes. Pretty soon I was throwing up and had the worst headache ever. I could see a hotel not too far and figured they would have a store with bottled water. With eyes fixed on the hotel I slowly made my way. A few times I was worried I was going to have to call the ambulance to come rescue me or fall in the river and float away and never be found...how embarrassing. Eventually I made it to the field right next to the hotel (I swear it was the longest most pointless piece of land on this earth). It was like the final stretch of a marathon, but I finally drug myself into the hotel, grabbed a bottled water and handed the clerk my card without even being able to speak. I chugged the water and sat in the lobby watching tv for a minute (pretending I was a guest at their hotel of course). When I finally had enough energy I finished my journey back to the right hotel. What a day!

After Oklahoma City, it was on to St Louis. Fortunately it was a lot cooler! The hotel was nice with kind of a cottage style. They had a pond with cute baby ducks right outside my balcony. I really liked Missouri. It was really pretty. It was crazy though, you could see the path of their recent tornado, and the damage at the airport was still pretty evident.

St Louis Hotel

I've met so many passengers this month! Really nice and awesome people, and of course there are the people who are always memorable. One flight we had a little gas problem. This terrible smell kept making it's way into the galley from the first row, eventually the pilots called and asked what the smell was. "Sick, I know, I have no idea who it is, but it's disgusting!" I said. They laughed and said they had been blaming it on each other, and then they decided to blame it on me...haha gross! Every time it would creep up again I would look back at the passengers and try to distinguish who looked like the guilty party, but I could never figure it out.

On another flight, I was sitting in my jump seat when I noticed a male passenger with painted toenails. They were painted with cute polka dots even. As I was sitting there trying to figure out excuses for him I decided that maybe someone played a joke on him, but then I concluded that wasn't the case because he was wearing sandals! He had to know, and he was cool with it. I was trying to think of a polite and professional way to talk to him about this and figure out the story, but I decided it was best to just make up my own stories.

Many sweet passengers have provided me with gifts.  I met a nice couple who owned an embroidery company and left me their card if I ever had any embroidery needs. Another man, came into the galley and gave me and the other flight attendant pieces of chocolate. They were even xo chocolates...how sweet. Poor guy almost got his head knocked off by the other flight attendant though (sometimes when people catch us off guard we go into auto defense mode, and she was ready with the self-defense moves). We had a good laugh about that!

As far as my recent embarrassing moments, I'm sure I couldn't even write a list. It would be far too long, but that's the joys of learning something new. The other day I left my bags in a first class seat, and forgot to put them away after being so rushed to board.  A few minutes into boarding, a passenger stopped me and said, "excuse do you know whose these are...this is my seat." I looked down at my bags..."Oh my gosh I'm so sorry those are mine" He looked at me, shook his head and said, "Ma'am all carry on items need to be properly stowed in an overhead compartment or completely underneath the seat!!!" Everyone in first class was laughing! He told me he couldn't resist. Laughing myself, I told him that I just wanted to trade spots with him and sit in his nice first class seat and he could work this flight. He decided that he was doing pretty good so far, but he didn't wanna spill drinks all over everyone so probably not...funny people.

So sorry it's been a while. Hopefully I can keep more on top of my blogging! I really do enjoy remembering these stories, and hope you all enjoy reading them! I appreciate all of your support. Safe flying!!!

20 Fights, 4 Days, Too Many Delays

DELAYED...Now there's a word you never want to see on the airport screen! Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to have a nervous breakdown and someone decided mechanics needed more work to do...leaving me with a lot of unhappy people. My trip was going so well. Originally a two day with ten flights. The first day was great, all five flights with no major issues. A nice overnight in Winnipeg, and I was ready for day two.

Of course different day, different story. Arriving back in Minneapolis, we had an aircraft swap. We walked down to the gate, and our plane was still not there. Pretty soon we learned that the plane was actually still in Rapid City. It hadn't even left the gate yet. As I was sitting there waiting, another flight attendant joined us at the gate. She was there to do my line check (where an instructor rides on your flight and makes sure you are doing everything right). Because of the delay and other flights she had scheduled she was only able to do a spot check (they make sure you are compliant and have all of your required items). So I would still have to anticipate another line check...lucky me! The worse part of this delay is that the flight was just a short, 74 mile hop. The flight was eventually cancelled, 2 hours later, long enough that the passengers could have already been home (by car).

After flights two and three for the day were cancelled, I had about a three hour break before we had to leave again. More quality airport time. (I think I might hide a tent somewhere in the airport, and set up a little home) Pretty soon it was back to the gate for the next flight. Again...the plane was not there. This one was 45 minutes delayed. Eventually it made it there and we were on our way. The passengers were all pretty nice and understanding with me. I think it helped that I gave them cookies and peanuts on a technically non-service flight...shhhh. As soon as those passengers were off the plane, I went into turbo speed to get that plane out and hopefully make up some time. But then the Captain had some bad news, weather in Minneapolis had caused a ground delay. The airport was shut down. Seriously! As I sat there facing a very good possibility of being stuck in Sioux Falls, I was very glad that I had taken advice from other flight attendants and packed my bag for longer than my scheduled trip. It can happen people...be prepared! Luckily we were boarding and cleared to go 45 minutes later. Again, I had to bribe people with snacks, but hey, whatever it takes. When we finally touched down in Minneapolis, most of the passengers were very close or had already missed their connecting flights. I was just as ready as they were were to be done with this day, and not a fan of being delayed all day. But as we were taxing in to the gate more bad news...lightning strikes close to the airport had shut down all the gates. So 15 more minutes on the tarmac. By this time people really had to go to the bathroom, and I had some desperate requests to get out of their seat and use the lav. I called the pilots and begged for my passengers relief and they said it would be all right, just let them know when everyone was seated again. This is a moment when more than one bathroom is needed. I ended up having to cut off the lav line because the gates had opened again, and when those windows of opportunity open up on a day like this, you do not hesitate. We were finally home, and I was definitely ready to get back to my residence at the hotel!

After a day like that, I was pretty exhausted. I didn't really anticipate that I would get called out the next day, but sure enough, 6:22 a.m. my phone rang. I answered with a groggy hello, and a woman, with a voice that was way too happy for that time in the morning, informed me that I had another trip in two hours. Another two day with ten more flights. It was a pretty gloomy and raining morning, bad weather that meant the potential for more delays. Well they didn't start until the third flight. Another aircraft swap (they seem to be bad luck for me) and we were waiting for a motor on a windshield wiper. Two hours later, we were on our way. It was just a short flight to Duluth, and as we were nearing descent the passenger call button rang. I made my way down the aisle to a woman holding a sleeping baby. She asked if there was a bathroom where she could change the baby. I told her where the lav was and that it was really small and we were almost descending, but if it was really necessary she could get up and change the baby really quickly. She then informed me that the diaper was leaking, and it was acidy. Way too much information! Before I could say another word, she handed me the child. The poor baby was just dangling there in my arms (I am terrified of children, especially ones with overflowing diapers). The guy sitting next to the lady was like, "You don't have children do you?" "No," I said, "What was your first clue?" The lady then realized that she did not have any diapers. She looked at me and asked if we had them on the plane. "No ma'am we don't." She then went on to tell me that this was an emergency and she really needed to change the baby. There were no other babies onboard. I'm not quite sure where she wanted me to magically make a diaper appear from. I went through the plane trying to find anything that would work. I handed her maxi pads, wipes, paper towels, anything that would maybe help. She just looked at me and said, "Your delays suck!" So now it was my fault the plane was delayed, she didn't have extra diapers, and her baby was miserable. I was on a roll. She had the poor baby just sitting there in front of the lav as I was trying to find her something to use, so I also now had to ask another passenger to hold the poor child, she was definitely up for mother of the year! Finally she gave up and realized that since we were only 15 minutes from landing it would be better to wait than to somehow strap maxi pads to her baby. I wished her luck as she deplaned. Good thing the baby slept through this whole ordeal. She may have been traumatized for life!

Back from Duluth was even more unpleasant. Already delayed by two hours, some connections were already gone, and others weren't looking good. This is the flight where I received my first negative encounter with a passenger. We will call her Betty. The first thing Betty did when she boarded the plane was hand me a coupon for a free drink and requested it NOW. On this particular aircraft we don't do pre-boarding drinks and this was also a non-service flight. I told her I could not get her drink. She then proceeded to yell at me for five minutes on how she couldn't use this coupon on her last flight and it expires so she was going to use it now, and that I was going to get her drink for her. I told her we were boarding and trying to get the flight out faster since it was already delayed. She then told me I could have gotten the drink while I had been there arguing with her. Then she wanted me just to give her the mini liquor bottle and she would just take it with her. I told her we can't allow passengers to take them off the plane. Still arguing/yelling at me I just gave up and turned around and walked away. I was able to get her drink to her during the flight (it was not as turbulent as anticipated). As I was walking down the aisle, the passenger sitting behind Betty motioned for me to come here. She whispered to me that Betty had taken my name and information and was probably going to file a complaint on me. She told me that she had witnessed the whole thing and that she would be willing to write a witness statement to support me and provide her  information if I needed any backup in case I got in trouble. I will probably keep this note forever! It was so great. She said that the lady was rude and scary, and that Betty had harassed me and was very insistent to get alcohol. Instantly she became one of my most favorite passengers! As the passengers were deplaning this amazingly nice lady stuck a good job star sticker on my hand. I stuck it to the note she wrote me. A permanent reminder that for every one rude passenger, there are hundreds of amazing ones willing to help you out. As I got to my hotel that night in Grand Forks, I filed a report about the altercation with Betty. So if you're out there Betty...you file a report on me I will go ahead and file one on you!

The rest of the trip went pretty smoothly. Just some funny passengers. There was the guy sitting in the front row who would sleep with one eye open. The whole time it creeped me out because I wasn't sure if he was looking at me or asleep. Then there was the cute old lady who I had to lift out of her seat. Generally this wouldn't have been difficult, but It was my last flight of the 20 and I was beat! And on the last flight there was a special assistance passenger who kept me busy and entertained as I rescued him from the lav, and gave him a safety briefing where he would repeat everything until I acknowledged him. I really do love every moment of this job, and all of the amazing people I meet!

After that long exhausting trip I was able to go home for a few days and relax. Glad to have survived 20 flights in 4 days!