What would you do?

I checked the calendar to make sure that all my roommates were off of work and, hence, gone. I said, OK, come down Monday and he came. Something about celebrating my birthday week together. Then, surprise! One of my roommates announces that she will be back that night because she managed to pick up an extra trip starting on Tuesday morning.

No big deal, I thought. We can give her a ride back from the airport and then make ourselves scarce around the apartment. No deal. She said that she and her husband feel "very uncomfortable" about her staying in the apartment with another man there.

....uuhhhhhh, OK...... What does she think is going to happen?

So she says that she will just stay in a hotel that night.

....Aint nobody got $$ for that, I think. Plus, she pays to be here. I don't want to loose her as a roommate. Another flight attendant friend of ours that lives down the street offered to put her up. No deal. I feel like a shithead.

I see her the next day in the airport and she pulls me aside to let me know that she isn't mad at me, but "if he is going to be staying over a lot, I'm going to need to find somewhere else to live because I can't afford to stay in hotels."

"Is it just because he is a guy," I ask, "would it help if we slept separately or something?"

"No, its just not fair to my husband and I that a man would be around. Its just that he is a guy."

Conclusion-- so what, I either:

1) Can't have a boyfriend, my brother, father or 1/2 of my friends over in MY OWN HOUSE

-OR-

2) can't afford to cover the rent

>sad face<

I'm currently hanging out in Tuscaloosa, Alabama visiting my good friends E & Nigel. I'm having a fantastic time, but it all balances out the 30-or-so hours preceding my arrival.

After seeing the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, I woke up early the last day of my work trip with something on my mind that I couldn't turn off. Then our flight back from Greensboro was delayed because of the terrible weather. Then our plane to San Juan and back was suuuuper delayed getting out of NYC because of the terrible weather. So, I was sleep deprived and then had all this sitting around downtime which made me feel even more tired. We had another flight attendant join the SJU turn and she got on my last nerve. I usually don't have such a strong reaction to new people, but I wanted to punch her. I think they other FAs (flight attendants) did too. I was planning on taking the 1030pm flight to Alabama after getting in at 830, but we were so delayed, I missed the last flight and then had to wait an hour and 40 mins for the bus because the idiot driver crashed into the gate at the airport and a supervisor had to be called. I almost threw up on the ground walking back to the apartment I was so tired at 1am. That also could have been all the airplane food I ate though.

I planned to get on the 11:40am flight to Alabama, but the 10:30 bus never came due to all the craziness at the stupid-ass Panther game (did I mention I hate football?). During my time waiting at the stop, I had the pleasure of avoiding eye contact with the bottomless homeless man cleaning his ass with a towel on the bus stop bench and all the reveling tailgaters (note to self: NEVER sit on that bench again). The next bus was 25 mins late, so I didn't get the airport until 11:30.... missed the flight AND saw my irritating supervisor at the airport. Booked myself on the 1:00 flight, that had a mechanical, then another delay and FINALLY I got to Birmingham. I was so over it by that time. I looked at my numbers and decided it was safe to stay in Alabama during my on-duty time. (oooooohhhh bad girl)

BUT now everything is great. I missed Eleanor and Nigel a lot and I love their new house here and their giant cat named after Paul Pierce. It has been really nice to be in the same place for 4 nights in a row. It's almost unbelievable at this point. Its been nice to just hang out and eat a lot of great food.

I found this awesome beer with a Spade on it

And today we went to Moundville-- an ancient city where the long-lost inhabitants built these giant mounds mysteriously.

It was a cool day trip. I guess I have to leave tomorrow.... back to the sky

After a pretty good start to the year. I had an OK 3-day trip, another pretty cool day in Mexico and now I'm in St. Louis until later this afternoon. The hotel is right across from the Arch, so perhaps I'll wander over there and see it. I'm completely over all this winter business.

Christmas as a Flight Attendant on the road (Phoenix)

Roommate Judy and I celebrate New Year's Eve in Charlotte. Not shown... all the other craziness and silly string clean-up

I want this year to be a time where I make more memories than tears, so here goes. In my constant struggle for continuous self improvement:

2014 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS/GOALS

1) Visit 9 long distance friends

2) Read a book in Turkish

3) Learn 5 songs on the Mandolin

4) Pay off car and credit card

5) Learn how to make a couple of dishes with eggplant

This is what I wrote last year-- how did I do:

2013 RESOLUTIONS!

1. Learn at least 10 songs on the mandolin FAIL

2. Really do my best at flight attendant training– be #1 (on the job too) Yeah, OK

3. Visit at least 5 long-distance friends (hopefully this includes meeting a couple xanga besties, you know who you are) OK: Michele, Jackie, Eleanor, Asli, Mandy, Tara and Josh... PASS

4. Read a book in Turkish FAIL

5. Watch a sunrise with someone who is amazing PASS! Just did this on the plane with Buket

This is going to be a big year, one way or another. It might be better if it weren’t my dreaded [dum dum dum!!] YAKUDOSHI!!

Well hell's bells! It has been a big year. I guess 3/5 resolutions isn't too terrible considering what an insane year it has been. Can I hit all the high points?

I trained and started a new job and lifestyle as a flight attendant. I moved to North Carolina. I fell in love 3 times (and cried about it more than I can count). I got sick 3 times. I got fired. I got divorced. I went back to PA 4 times. I kept all my friends (to my knowledge) and gained more. I got painfully/embarrassingly drunk and hungover 6 times (3 of those coincide with the 3 loves, though...a pattern?) I got my haircut once. I got 3 roommates that I love. I have people who constantly put up with my gypsying into town for a day or two and always roll out the red carpet. I've had 3 parties at my new apartment (including the one that is going to start in an hour).

So, yeah, I guess some stuff happened, right? Well, I start another trip tomorrow which should give me plenty of time to sit on the plane and think up my next five New Year's goals.

Happy New Year, everyone

I woke up in a bad mood today and I stayed that way. These are the dark days of being a flight attendant. I've been in Charlotte for a full week now. I've never had to be here for so long. I feel utterly trapped. A whole week and no flying. No traveling, no work. Nothing. But I'm on duty so I can't leave. These are the times when I truly hate the reserve system. Thank GOD it looks like the USAiways-American merger will go through soon.

I could go on complaining all day, but after talking to two VIP people last night, I think I'm just really, really homesick for Gainesville, FL. Its been a month. A MONTH! I cannot believe it. First there was Philly and NYC, then LA, then Pennsylvania, then my mom visited... so yeah 4 sets of off days, no Florida.

1. I'm homesick
2. Its cold
3. I have no money
4. Its been a week since I've been on a plane
5. My personal relationships are not as good as usual (my friends aren't returning phone calls and my romantic life is sad, sad, sad

until tomorrow...

I had the perfect costume plan.

For my first time meeting Rveblade

I had a very good time, thanks for everything and good luck on your move.

Who's that heating up an ear of corn in the hotel microwave? That would be me. In an effort to eat healthier and save money, I've started packing more varieties of food for my trips. At the microwave in the lounge, I helped myself to some wine and discovered that there is a cocktail hour. Whoohoo for the long Baltimore layover. Maybe I should put on some pants (instead of my pjs) and go back up there. Free wine and cheese-- what could go wrong? Oh yeah.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, I never know how a day will go in this life. I decided to go for a walk downtown Monday when my friend invited me up to Philadelphia to help his roommate and fiance celebrate before heading down to DC where gay marriage is, I hear, legal now. I hopped on the next plane up to PHL where I was treated to dinner, a pirated version of World War Z (thank GOD, if I had to wait any longer to find someone to watch that with me...) and then we all went out for an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. Naturally after that the only thing left to do was tour the city at night-- I saw everything; the LOVE statue, city hall, the Liberty Bell, etc etc between midnight and 2am.

My friend Brian and I are pretty dumb

I woke up on the floor the next morning to someone making coffee and boiling eggs. I got talked into going to New York City. We drove up there and went around Times Square, the public library and Central Park before I had to scramble to JFK and get back to Charlotte to fly the next day. I had my own row in first class. That NEVER happens. It was so nice.

Because I CANNOT stay out of trouble, I was interviewed by a Chinese news crew. See the story at the link below. ha ha ha, seriously, I can be such a ditz.

http://v.ifeng.com/news/world/201310/012f1331-2ae9-479a-82a8-bdce2957fa2a.shtml

Martin got it all on camera too apparently:

Central Park

Honestly, if I made even close to a livable wage with this job, I would feel guilty pulling off this lifestyle.

...and on to the wine and cheese.