Real life is boring
I try to keep this blog about the aviation related parts of my life, but lately there hasn’t been much to write about. I guess that’s good. There’s little things here and there, but nothing lately that’s been worthy of its own post. A comes, A goes, life goes on.
While A was here recently, I got to listen in on the pilot conference call with the CEO of the company. It was really interesting to listen to and hear some truth behind the rumors. Basically, pilots can call in from where-ever and listen in on a giant conference call. After an update by the CEO, people are free to ask questions of him and he will answer them to the best of his ability. Of course, the CEO painted a rosy picture of the future of the airline while rumors run rampant about base closures, investors pulling out and a million other things. But I think it was great that the pilots got a chance to candidly ask the CEO questions.
We also hosted A’s friend on Superbowl Sunday while he was here on a layover. It was interesting to talk to someone from a different base and hear his take on all the news and rumors.
We hear there’s going to be a 20% reduction in lines in the next few months, which may or may not put A back on reserve (we’re hoping not). Already there have been reductions in the lines from our local airport as they concentrate the flying in another part of the US. He’s had to turn to other airlines to commute out to his base, whereas he used to be able to do it solely on his own. But whatever works.
I watched both the American and British versions of Airline. It was interesting to see the difference in the two. I had first thought that the British staff were mean compared to the Americans. But then, at the same time, there were some instances where they went out of their way to do things I don’t think the Americans ever would have done. So I guess it could go either way.
I saw that UAL was going to start charging for people who checked more than one bag (link here). I’m not sure that I agree with the way that they are implementing the rule, but there is no doubt that it will generate some revenue. The comments were the most interesting part of the article.
Maybe A will have a good flying story when he gets home in a few days…
Friends and foes
Wrote this out last week, but didn’t have time to finish and post until now-The other night we finally met up with another local pilot A knows and went out. It was so nice to be with another pilot wife to commiserate with in person. Although I have several internet friends, there’s nothing like being able to knock back a couple beers (or pear ciders as it were), drowning your sorrows with live friends. A has met several local company pilots while commuting and recently even flew with an entire crew that all lived here. I think half the battle is just actually calling someone after you met them and inviting them out. It’s like dating- scary to make the initial move, but fun when it all works out well.
A is on a trip right now with his most favoritist FA ever- a middle aged, swishy, latino man. Every night I get calls about what fun he and FA are having hanging out in the local bars, going out to the steakhouse, riding in the hotel van, waiting at the airport… It’s not that I don’t want A to have fun and enjoy himself on his time off, but I hate to have to hear about it when I’m standing in the frozen foods aisle at the local Publix trying to clean up all the bags of frozen veggies that Kidzilla accidently pulled out onto the floor while trying to help shop or while sitting in traffic on the bridge because everyone insists on slamming on their brakes the moment a single raindrop hits their windshield. I think I’m jealous. A’s friends probably think he’s attached to me with a cell phone umbilical cord b/c he calls me so much- b/c he’s afraid I’m mad at him for having fun.
I finally had to whip out the “well, he’s an airline pilot so he needs special treatment” card yesterday. We’re still working on getting a diagnosis on the cancer issue and an office scheduled him for testing without consulting us. I got a call that he needed to pre-register for a procedure scheduled for 2 days later. Of course, he’s off on a trip and can’t make it. So I had to call back, be put on hold several times and explaing the problem to several different people. I gave them his schedule with limited weekday in town availabilty (actually got a good feb schedule with some weekend time off…) and they acted like they had to move heaven and earth to get him rescheduled. They tell me, we can schedule him for a saturday, how’s that? Well, um no, just because it’s a weekend, it doesn’t mean he’ll be home.
On one of A’s very first flights, his Captain told him- never surpise your wife by coming home unexpectedly; you never know what you might come home to. Sad advice, but good advice as well. A nearly came home and suprised me, but then thought better of it when he realized I’d probably be asleep and have the inside only lock on our front door done. If I woke up to the sound of someone trying to open the door at 10:30pm when I wasn’t expecting it, I would have flipped out. so he called at the last minute to let me know he was coming. It dulled the suprise, but was probably better in the long run. It’s not always cheating spouses you have to watch out for, sometimes it’s also a visit from the police for attemped breaking and entering.
Keeping occupied
To keep busy and entertained this weekend, I’ve been watching the DVD (thanks Netflix!) of the A&E channel show Airplane. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a reality show based on the customer service supervisors for the Southwest Airline counters in Chicago and L.A. Basically a “what not to do when you are a passenger” or a “why working in customer service sucks”. I applaud the patience of these people. A&E could have gone a lot farther with the show, to document the low pay and stresses of working in the airline industry, but Southwest probably had a hand in nipping that in the bud… Definetly a show worth watching.
Kidzilla drew a picture of us waiting for A’s plane to come in at the airport. He even included the marshaller helping to guide the plane in. He’s no Picasso (well, judging from the perspective of the plane, he might be…) but it’s cute.
o.m.f.g.
Last week was probably one of the most difficult we have been though in quite a while. Our lives will be changed forever. And to top it off, I’m in the throes of pms.
Our cat of 7 years disappeared. This is totally unlike him. Usually he goes outside, cowers under a bush until the next time we open the front door and then runs in again. He doesn’t really like other people. We let him outside on Thursday afternoon and he has since vanished. I’m crushed. He’s microchipped, but so far we haven’t heard anything about him. We did post a sign at our common mailbox area, but I’m not holding my breath. I just wish I knew what happened to him. And how to keep Kidzilla (who is the one who let him outside) to keep from feeling at fault.
A has been diagnosed with *something*. Dr’s aren’t sure that it’s cancer (good chance it is though), but even if it isn’t, it’s a problem. Right now we are waiting for blood tests to come back. Any treatment will mean he’ll have to stop flying and give up his medical for a while. Right now I’m wading through our Loss of License and Disability insurances to get a handle on things. This is obviously not a turn we were expecting our lives to take.
Right now I’m swimming against the tide and trying to keep my head above water. A left on a trip yesterday, leaving me alone to deal with a lot of emotions and practicalities. Such is my life- people don’t want to stop flying just because my cat ran away and my husband may be facing a terrible diagnosis. Keeping up normal routines is taking just enough of me to keep from obsessing though, so maybe it’s not all a bad thing that life goes on.