Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Holy Spit!

Well, my recent Madrid trip goes down as one of the most interesting I have ever had.  We got a late start because our plane we were taking had diverted into Oklahoma City on the way to Dallas with a medical emergency.  In the end, we were about 3 hours late getting into Madrid the next day.  I had planned to try to cover a lot of ground but we arrived so late, it was almost 1pm when we got to the hotel.  So plans changed, and after a quick trip to the MaxCoop (Grocery Store) for provisions, the whole crew decided to meet at 6 for dinner.  Roxanna, one of my co-workers knew of a Beer Hall called La Fabrica, a few bus stops down from the hotel that served good food and drink (which I would skip because I was not drinking).


The restaurant is off Plaza Castellana, an area along the main road to the Prado populated with many government buildings.  It's an easy trip with the frequent busses going past the hotel.  We paused for a group shot.  I had my finger on my lip because I was trying to cover up a cold sore I had, so everyone else gave me a sympathy finger.

The restaurant serves a great selection of "comida castellana" or Spanish cuisine.  I had the fried "setas" or mushrooms followed up "mejillones" or steamed muscles in olive oil and garlic. The food was amazing and they even had non-alcoholic beer!




The fun evening all came to a grinding halt when a young gypsy woman came into the restaurant with a paper that stated she was poor and needed money.  She took advantage of the large size of our party and the fact that we were getting ready to settle our bills.  The gypsy set her paper down on the table on top of Roxanna's wallet and then quickly took back the paper with the wallet underneath.

Roxanna realized it about 30 seconds later.  I knew right away she had been pickpocketed, so I jumped up and ran outside and down the street after the "gitana".  When I caught up with her I told her in Spanish to give me back my friend's wallet.  She said she didn't have it and I screamed at her to give it to me and grabbed her.  She then proceeded to spit on my face.  I was so stunned (no one has ever spit on me before) that I just stopped, at which point she and her co-conspirator took off.

I made my way back to the restaurant, without the wallet.  I went into the bathroom to clean up and we waited for the police to come.  When they arrived we gave them our statements.  Luckily, it was just Roxy's layover wallet so there was no passport or I.D. in it.  But she did have two credit cards, about 80 Euros and her iPhone.

We went back to the hotel and worked on canceling everything.  Luckily, Linda, our purser had the same bank and I had the same VISA card, so we were able to use the phone numbers we had to call and cancel everything.  The Chase Bank card was the hardest to cancel because they would not accept the charges on the International Collect number they post.  We did everything using the Skype on my phone, but we had a poor connection and the calls kept dropping.  It only added to the frustration level.  It took about two hours, but we finally got everything taken care of.

Next we made our way to the local police precinct to get a copy of the police report so Roxanna would have something on paper in case she had issues with the banks or her cell phone company.

We gave our statements to the intake officer and then he put together a report for us.  We walked back to the hotel mentally and physically exhausted.  I think it was after midnight when I finally made it to bed.

Lessons learned: be mindful of our wallet, don't take more than you need (i.e. take a debit card, small amount of local currency, and a photocopy of our I.D), and when the gypsies come to your table, make sure you have secured your personal belongings.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Redeye Flight from Honolulu

I decided to practice using my Flip camera on the way home to capture what a "Day in the LIfe of Ron" is like.  It's pretty amateurish but it was fun.  Kudos to Bobby for his impressive monologues.

Honolulu

For the month of March I have been flying mostly Honolulu.  I held turns to Cozumel but realized after the fact that the only reason I held them was because it was spring break and no one wants to haul the vacationers down to Mexico.  I was successful in trading them all for other things with the exception of one which I did last week.  It was mostly drama free except for a passenger who got argumentative with me when I told her that she could not sit in a row of three with two other people plus her two infant twins since there is only 4 oxygen masks in case of a decompression.  She seemed more concerned about the inconvenience of moving than the well being of her children.

But I digress.... anyway, I traded for several Hawaii trips.  Not really anything out of the ordinary. We did have some of the "simplest" people on the first trip, including a woman who complained that her cell phone did not work at 35K feet over the Pacific Ocean, another who wanted to know what the currency exchange rate was for Hawaiian money (seriously?!?!) and yet another who wanted us to call the police on a teenager sitting behind her who kept kicking her seat.

My most recent trip was fun because my friend Bobby was on it with me.  He's been on leave for most of the last year so I had not had a chance to fly with him recently.  He was on my Tampa trip a few years back where we spent the day in Sarasota.

(http://ronno1976.blogspot.com/2009/03/strolling-down-memory-lane.html)

I had a pretty decent room this last trip with a view of the atrium area and an ocean view.  Normally I do not see this much water!



Almost the entire crew went to Top of Waikiki.  Given my dry spell, the bartender Jeff took pity on me and created a special "mocktail" just for me.  It was a combination of guava and cranberry juice with fresh mint and lime.  It was pretty refreshing.


Afterwards I switched to non-alcoholic German beer, which was actually pretty good!


My appetizer consisted of Kalbi, which are little sliders made of braised beef with bock choy.


Of course everyone else was drinking adult beverages.  Jeff the bartender even made a drink in honor of our FO J.J.  We appropriately dubbed it the "Flying J.J."!



Kevin enjoyed a dirty martini.  When asked how dirty he wanted it, he replied "Cristina Aquillera dirty" so you can see how much more cloudy it was compared to Karla's.


We had great views from the rotating restaurant.  The pink building is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which was the first resort on the island, and a favorite spot with Teddy Roosevelt.


Bobby and I broke with the group at the end of happy hour and went to Siam Square for Thai food.  On the way back we stopped at a Ukelele store.  They were pretty pricey.  The "tenor" that Bobby is holding priced out at about $380! (But it came with a free carrying case).


The next morning we went to Eggs n'Things.  It' a pretty famous breakfast spot, but I had never  eaten there before.  We only had to wait about 20 minutes, which is pretty good, as the lines can get pretty long.


I ordered the pancakes, eggs, and corned beef hash.  Nothing like a big breakfast to start the day.


Bobby's inner tourist kept coming out during our morning walk.


I was dragged into a Baptist church for Sunday morning services.  I figured I owed it to Bobby since I have dragged him to my traditional church services.  This was a contemporary service with a Praise team and rock music.  Songs consisted of three verses sung five times.  Lots of hands in the air and lots of "Amens" during the sermon.  




The Lenten Journey Begins!

March 9th marked the beginning of Lent.  This year I have given up Facebook, dessert, and alcoholic beverages.  My Lenten swan song was in Honolulu where I spent the Monday before on a layover.  My friend Karla was the purser and so we went to the Top of Waikiki, our usual crew hangout for a few final drinks before my 40 days of dry time.  I had the Grape Soda drink, which is grape vodka, sprite and a lime.  

Tuesday afternoon before pick up I had a beautiful view of a rainbow outside my hotel room.  I thought it was an appropriate symbol before my  period of fasting.  Kind of like the Big Guy saying, "Good Luck Ron.... you can do it!"


Ash Wednesday began with evening services.  I made my friend Bobby come along for communion and the imposition of ashes.  Ironically this picture was taken at a bar afterwards.  My first test.... I just had water with dinner!  Like me, Bobby is giving up Facebook.


I am holding my own though.  I had a London layover and went out with my friend Andrea and her buddy bidder Alane.  I made do with Fizzy Water and soda.  We did go see a great new play with Matthew Fox, of Lost and Party of Five fame, called In a Forrest Dark and Deep.  A real psychological thriller!  I also introduced them to my love affair with Yo! Sushi.  A real test came afterwards when we went to a cafe and Andrea ordered a cinnamon crepe!


The Lenten season also coincided with my good friend Bruce's arrival in town for business.  You may recall Bruce, my co-star in the "Man-cation" adventure to drink Scotch in Scotland.  Remember that aside for booze and religion, we have nothing in common beyond the fact that we grew up together.  Bruce gave up Xbox and spending money unnecessarily.  So he was still drinking and I was not.  I had to spend the four days he was here living vicariously thru him and drinking non-alcoholic beer.  I did introduce him to my friend Carol.  She has a fine collection of Scotch and she was kind enough to let him sample some 75 year old Ballantynes.  I think it was the highlight of Bruce's trip.


So I shall continue the next 40 days of my Lenten journey.  Amazing how few emails I receive now that I am off Facebook.  Amazing how many people I am now out of touch with.  I guess social media has really taken over the way we communicate.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

London with Ladyfriend

My last trip of the UK brought the much anticipated trip with my Ladyfriend.  She tried to come with me on a layover to  London last summer and we got as far as the runway before the plane had a mechanical and we eventually cancelled.  Other than that, her only experience as a non-rev was a trip to Kansas.

The loads looked good for this trip and so we thought we would try again.  We went to the airport a bit early and got her checked in and we thrilled that she ended up in First Class.  I was working the flight as the aisle Flight Attendant in that cabin, so I would get to wine and dine her.


Kirsten had a fantastic experience in First Class, I am guessing because she had such a fantastic crew (that would be me).  She enjoyed a fine selection of spirits and a wide array of movies in her fully flat seat.  I think she is spoiled for all future travel if she has to go in coach.  We arrived into the UK early and everything was going great when there was a glitch with the jetbridge.  They could not get it to connect to the airplane, so we ended up deplaning thru a rampstand at the back door.  Kirsten was worried about getting thru customs in time to meet up with our crew bus and now she was the last one off the plane!

When we go to the pick up point, she was not yet there, but came along a few minutes later.  Our ride into the city was quick and we did not have to wait too long for the rooms to be ready. We made a quick trip to Sainsbury for provisions and then grabbed a power nap.

We left the hotel around 2pm or so and made our way first to Leicester Square to one of the many Half Price ticket sellers.  We wanted to see Billy Elliot, and were lucky to grab two seats on the main floor for the bargain price of 90 pounds! (The theatre isn't cheap in London that's for sure).

After that we made our way to Trafalgar Square and made a quick visit to the National Portrait Gallery to pay our respects to Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I.  

We then hit the Mall (the main road to Buckingham Palace, not a shopping center) and made our way down to see where the Queen lives.


As we passed the statue of King George and Queen Elizabeth, Kirsten snapped this photo, stating on her Facebook page that it was new line of succession.  I guess I am next!





We left Buckingham Palace and made our way to St. James' Park.  It was a beautiful day.  We really lucked out because the days before and after our trip were rainy and dreary.  St. James' park is laid out with a large pond that extended from one end to the other.  Kirsten was rather taken with the array of fowl and so she took lots of pictures of ducks and swans.  She tried to get them to pose but they did not cooperate all that much.



With the London Eye in the background, Kirsten said I looked like I was wearing a halo.  I am angelic!



We ended up walking past some government buildings and the Cabinet War Rooms.  We were under the gun with limited time, otherwise we would have stopped and toured.  As we passed a UK icon, the red phone booth, we stopped for the obligatory picture.  I wonder if this famous symbol will eventually go the way of the public telephone booths in the United States, what with the advent of mobiles and all.


As we made our way around Parliament and Big Ben and Westminster, we approached the London Eye on the other side of the Thames.  We were hoping to make a 5pm Evensong service at St. Paul's Cathedral, so we hopped on the Tube and made our way north a few stops.


We got to the Cathedral with about 30 minutes to spare, so we ran into Yo! Sushi (see previous blog entry) for a quick meal.  I had a beer too.




After gobbling down some sushi we paid our bill and made our way over to St. Paul's for services.  We were very fortunate when we arrived that we were invited to sit in the quire, the part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary.  This was kind of a big deal and even a first for me after my many visits to St. Paul's.  I was glad that we had this opportunity since this was Kirsten's first time to the church.  We sat adjacent to the Men's Choir (the Boy's Choir was off that night).  We are not allowed to take pictures inside, so you will have to go to Wikipedia or something other site to get an idea of what I am talking about.


After a wonderful service, we hopped back on the Tube and made our way to Victoria Station. It was rush hour for commuters so it was a bit cramped but I managed not to lose Kirsten.


Billy Elliot was being performed at the Victoria Palace Theatre, adjacent to Victoria Station.  We stopped at the Pret-A-Manger for some sweets and tea and then made our way over to the theatre.  The musical is based on the movie of the same name that came out about 11 years ago.  The premise is about a boy in County Durham in the North who wants to be a ballet dancer.  The backdrop is the Miners' strike of the mid 1980's. It was very much a pro-labor musical in theme, much more so than the movie.  The music was good, but the real gem was the fantastic dancing.  The little boy playing Billy was making his debut and he did an outstanding job.


We made it back to the hotel a little bit before midnight.  We were concerned that Kirsten might not make it thru check-in and security if she were to ride with us, so Kirsten decided to take the tube out to the airport a bit early.  Our hotel sits on the same line that runs to Heathrow so she used my Oyster card and made it there with plenty of time to spare.  Unfortunately, the premium cabins, both business and first, were booked full, but coach was wide open and she was given an aisle seat with the two adjacent to her unoccupied so it wasn't that bad, but not as good as her experience over.

For being a 24 hour layover, we accomplished a lot and really enjoyed ourselves.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Londontown

So as I wrote in the last post, I am trying to catch up on the blogging.  My first London trip ended up being very short.  We had a mechanical delay in Dallas that made us about 3 hours late.  We also went out short a few flight attendants because people could not make it into the airport.  By the time we got to the hotel is was about 2:30 or so in the afternoon, so I decided to forgo the nap and just do the Energy drink thing and ride the caffeine wave the rest of the day.  

I did a little shopping at the local Sainsbury, where I continue to amass a collection of their re-usable canvas totes (the latest one rolls into a little ball).  Then I headed over to St. Paul's for their nightly Evensong service.   (I seem to attend St. Paul's more than even my church at home since I work so many weekends).  Afterwards, I stumbled across a unique little sushi restaurant.... Yo Sushi (http://www.yosushi.com).

It was a perfect place for someone who is dining alone.  Everyone sits at a counter together and the food just comes around on conveyor belts.  You take what you want.  You can also order hot dishes made to order (I had the chicken gyoza).


Each little Sushi station has it's own supply of wasabi, ginger, fizzy and still water dispensers, chopsticks, etc.  At the end of the meal, the waitress adds up your plates.  Each colored plate has a different price and that equals your bill!


As I made my way back to my hotel, I came upon a Whisky shop (notice they spell it the Scottish way).  It reminded me of my friend Bruce and our man-cation trip to Scotland last fall.  I shed a wee tear that he was not with me to enjoy the sight of the liquor store!


My second trip a few days later was much smoother.  We arrived on time, and it was the earlier trip so I could actually catch a few winks before heading out.  I took the train from Victoria south to Redhill to visit my friend Wolfie*. (*Wolfie is a dachshund who belongs to my friends from college, Amanda and Aaron).  We had an enjoyable afternoon catching up.  I brought Amanda her Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies that she loves so much and can't get in the UK.  I would have brought her Girl Scout Cookies too, but they were not out at that time.

We went to a place near Gatwick Airport called Nando's, which was a kind of Afro-Portuguese restaurant.  (Loved the peri peri sauce).  Aaron drove us and I must say he did a very good job for someone driving on the wrong side of the road (with a manual transmission nonetheless).

It's always great to catch up with them!

Snow-pocalypse.... Texas Style

It's been a while since the last blog entry.  Not really for lack of things going on.  More of a mix of just being busy and too lazy to blog.  But here I sit in my layover hotel on Waikiki in Honolulu on a rather blah and rainy day so what better time to catch up on the blogging.

February was a good month schedule wise.  I was able to trade most of my trips for London, my favorite layover.  I was fortunate enough to also trade away my first trip, at the beginning of the month when we were scheduled to have a real cold snap and an ice storm.  I thought I had dodged a bullet, or so I thought.

The weather event was slated to hit Tuesday in the early hours of the morning.  Monday evening you would have thought nuclear war had been declared.  Not being a native of Texas, I have never understood people's fascination with weather events.  But sure enough, Monday night the stores were jammed with shoppers, there were long queues for gasoline.  Folks were preparing for the impending storm.  I tried to go out around 6pm or so and it was so busy, I ended up going out later that night.  While at the grocery store, the cashier was hoping her Economics class would be cancelled at the University the next day, but I did not think it was going to be that bad.  Armed with my provisions, I headed home just as the rain started coming down.

The next morning I woke up to this...


Overnight the freezing rain had turned into ice.  There was very little snow.  I had my dog Gretchen and my parent's dog Beau with me and they were not real thrilled with the outside conditions.  We basically spent the next few days indoors being very still.  They got into a habit of just going to the bathroom twice or three times a day.  In fact, Beau would growl at me every time I picked him up to go outside.  I ate big breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (since there was nothing else to do) much to the detriment of my waistline. I watched so much of my DVR that I had no programs in my queue.  It was a lonely few days because I did not leave the house.  There was no school.  Things were shut down.  When I lived in Boston, no one would have given this weather the time of day, but it's different in Texas.

So Thursday evening rolls around.  Things have started to melt off a bit.  I am actually excited about going to work on Friday, just to get out of the house.  Our local meteorologist, Dave Finfrock, tells us that we are due for a little snow on Thursday night/Friday morning, but I specifically remember him saying in the DFW area it would just be a "light dusting".

Around midnight I was just about to go to bed when my friend Michelle K. posts on her Facebook page that it is snowing like crazy.  I check outside and sure enough things are already covered.  But I still trusted Dave when he said it would be light so I thought nothing of it and went to be.  Imagine my shock the next morning!  The evidence is captured on camera below...






I think the official record for my part of town was about 8 inches but it felt like 2 feet.  Of course I still had to go to London on Friday night, so I had the driving to deal with.  I ended up leaving the house hours ahead of my flight so I would have enough time.  I had already heard horror stories of coworkers so snowed or iced in they could not get out of the driveway, or their gates were frozen shut.  

The roads were crazy but most people were taking it very slow.  It took me about an hour to drive the 10 miles to the folk's house to drop the dogs off.  One jack wagon in an F-150 was driving fast and furious.  I'm sure he ended up in a ditch.

I did make it the airport just fine, although we left about 3 hour late because of a mechanical delay (nothing to do with the weather).  When I returned home 48 hours later, it was all gone, melted off.  Like it never even happened.