Time Really Does Fly!

It has been way too many months since I've last posted. I have worked many trips, attended sweet memorial services for two of my grandparents, gone on a wonderful Paris vacation with Jowen, attended our Family Reunion all the while forgetting to share the details with you. I have also finally worked another trip to London (last month) that I will write about... so as I start to get 'back into blogging' check back for finally some new stories!

Jowen and I have been very busy working on our new website and business (focusing primarily on sportfishing) www.angrymarlin.com

Please check it out! We'd love to hear your feedback!

Grounded for a few days:)!

EUROPE!!! YES!!!

Ever since I came over to the international... I have looked forward to working a trip to Europe. Out of MIA we only have LHR, CDG and MAD. These trips go VERY senior due to the the destination, hi time the trip is worth which makes about the only way I can work one of these trips is to A. Pay $$ to a trip trade service or B. Receive one from the company. I was on ready (meaning that I had to be within 2 hours of MIA) when I received exactly that.. a 2 hour call out to work to LHR. I was sooo excited! So I quickly went through all of my bags... taking out all the the extra liquids or larger than 3oz liquids.. to leave in my locker in MIA.

I worked J (business class aisle) #8. We totally lucked out! Going over I had a total of 7 people (2 of which thought they were in first class therefore asking for everything that we didn't have in J, but in F..) and only 5 on the return. It was a nice break! I worked w/ Marie (600 seniority, bossy but very professional and efficient) and Deb (just here from Boston). It was fun to work w/ them. The rest of the crew were great too! Stacy... (we had flown together about a year ago to LAX domestically) and I went to the Victoria and Albert museum after we woke up from our nap. We walked to a couple of different stores and then relaxed in the pub. I had fish 'n' chips.. which tasted soo good, but since I don't normally eat like that... my tummy hurt later. Oh.. we talked w/ a Quanta's f/a and he taught us that Brit's nickname is Pommie or Pom ( by Aussies.. So. African's..)... No other crew member had heard of that name, but when I asked J.. he was familiar w/ it.

I was sooo tired after dinner that I went to sleep really early. When I got back to MIA... I did some training and then at 7 when I found out I was released for the following day... I quickly checked my bags and caught my flight home.

It was a great Europe trip! I had been to London w/ J... years before... but it had been too long!

Augh... commuting is soo very tiring!!!

I am on call this month and needless to say it has been a pretty good month! I brought time into the month of 15 hours... I have my annual training EPT's which adds 8 hours... I sat Standby (spending 6 hours of unproductive hours at the glorious MIA ops) which I wasn't needed to finally receive a trip for the following day. It was a 2 day SJO which made me sooo happy! J had a fishing trip, but it was still nice to be home. I spend my layover washing the dogs, playing with them, relaxing, cleaning the house and mainly enjoying just being home.

I worked back to MIA and found out that I was released from duty the following day (which was yesterday). I arrived too late to make the last flight to SJO so I spend the night at my friend's cottage. I washed the car, did some shopping all before I tried to catch the noon flight home. Flight 937 an airbus ended up having a LONG mechanical. It was the same a/c the the entire crew had brought in from PTY (Pananma) and was fine until some checks were done. A decision was made to board the a/c... I was on the j/s due to an entirely full flight. In fact when I was checking in... a french lady was extremely upset that I was even getting on the flight. I explained that I was taking a crew seat, that only crew were authorized to use... and sheesh if looks could kill... I never would have made it!

It took over 3 hours for frustrations, anger, weariness, etc. to have someone make a decision to get a different a/c. The agents were nice enough to give all 266 passengers $10 food vouchers while we moved to a different a/c. We ended up getting home at 6 instead of the original 2pm. What a long day (& I didn't even work)!

I'm now relaxing and just chillin!

2009 New Years... Sao Paulo Brasil

What better way to bring in the New Year in Sao Paulo... than being where it all happens... On Paulista! We all met around 7pm after I had a small workout... had fun relaxing and getting to know everyone better in room 1017 with snacks and drinks. Then we ventured out towards Paulista. We had to walk 5-6 blocks down the same street of our hotel before we could find an open entrance to Paulista and the concert. We had to go through a security check where people (mainly guys) were checked and patted down for weapons, glass bottles and the like. Then on Paulista we joined the crowds toward the main stage. At a few points it was very, very crowded and rowdy but we held hands.. or linked arms and made like snake through the crowd. When we saw 2 girls start a fight we immediately went the opposite direction to get away... we decided to go towards the stage, but near a side street so we had an exit if we needed one quickly. We got to dance in the street to local bands playing local music as well as songs we all knew (from the 80's .... think 'We are the World' etc. ).

Sao Paulo had a great countdown... and at 2009 12:00 fireworks went off of buildings all over the place for at least 20-25 minutes. It was a beautiful firework show to music, meanwhile silver confetti filled the air. Afterwards we walked to the hotel and met up w/ 2 other crews (some who had just gotten in...) caught everyone up w/ the festivities and enjoyed the night...