Lenten Reflections

For Lent this year, I decided to give up the usual, desserts.  But last year I read an interesting article about christians who give up something more techno, like the internet or Facebook.  I found it intriguing at the time and shared it with an old college friend, Jenn.  We decided last year that a Facebook fast would be our goal for 2010.  I kind of forgot about it, and then mentioned it to Jenn in January and she was still game, so we went for it.  I tried to be responsible about my Facebook hiatus, giving everyone a heads up, selling the fish in my virtual Fishville aquarium so they wouldn't die, removing the app from my phone, etc. etc.

The fast is over, and post Lent, I am about 5 pounds lighter thanks to the lack of dessert and I was surprised at how easy it was to quit Facebook cold turkey.  In fact, I came to enjoy the simplicity.  I didn't realize how much time I was spending in the land of social networking, especially in the evenings as the day was winding down.  When Easter came, I logged in for the first time in 40 days and was OVERWHELMED with all the messages, friend requests, notifications, etc. that were waiting for me.  I think I had over 100 notifications from various Facebook apps!  It was almost easier to not have to worry about that.  I am still slowly working my way thru those, and finally managed to catch up with some people.  Of course it was a nice surprise to see a few friends who had surfaced while I was gone, including a friend from my early days in Sarasota (we're talking 20 plus years).

The one realization I had was that I did not see how I had come to use Facebook as my primary means of communication with so many people.  My next door neighbor, who like me is a flight attendant, and I commented on how we never heard from each other during my fast, and our houses are 15 feet apart!

So coming away from all this, I will try to use more email and phone calls to friends versus FB messaging and wall writing.  I'm glad I took this fast and think it will become one of my annual Lenten rituals.

Flying with Friends

This month has been kind of low key.  Nothing really "blog worthy" to speak of.  I've been flying the Caribbean mostly, and I did a Maui trip and will be heading off to earthquake ravaged Chile tonight.  I managed to catch the "Cruise Ship Virus" that has been plaguing passengers sailing around the Caribbean.  No doubt someone gave it to me on the plane.  I am constantly washing and sanitizing my hands, but I guess that doesn't fend off all the germs.  What a bummer to get the "Cruise Ship Virus" without getting to enjoy the cruise.

It has been a fun month because I've gotten to fly with some friends I've known for ten plus years, but actually never worked with.  My company employs so many flight attendants and there are something like 1,400 just at my base so when you fly with friends it's a treat.  This month I flew with my friends Leatha, Gay, Dina, and Rick.  When you fly with people you know, it just makes the trip go better.

My most recent trip was a three day trip laying over in San Juan and Guatemala City with Rick.  We both kind of have that witty and sharp sense of humor so we would "bicker" back and forth on the cart, much to the enjoyment of our passengers.  I would comment on his age, lack of hair, and encroaching senility and he would come back with a comment about my youth and stupidity.  We did have a lady who snapped at me because she claimed someone from the airline stole her purse at security, but she had a nice slice of humble pie when another passenger merely pointed out that she left it in an empty seat.  To her credit she did apologize and she must have felt bad because when I came thru the cabin at the end of the flight with the UNICEF pouch collecting donations, she gave me a $20.  Guilt can pay off financially I guess.  

I snapped the  following photo from my hotel balcony.

From the total view, I counted so many "American" businesses.  I guess the desire for American brands is very strong here.  I saw: Chuck E. Cheese's, Mc Donalds, KFC, Burger King, Blockbuster Video, Chevron, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Chili's.....

Globalization is alive and well in Central America.

The Adventures of Flat Stanley

I am spending the month of February with Flat Stanley.  I'm doing it for Tristan, the son of my high school friend Vanessa, as part of a project with his school.  The story goes that Flat Stanley got flattened by a bulletin board and so he goes off to have adventures.

Our first stop was Montreal.  While it was a short layover, I did get a picture with Stanley and a UN Peace Keeper named Denis.  He was on his way to Haiti.

Stanley also got his chance at HAM Radio operation at my friend Mark's house.  Don't tell anyone though because Stanley hasn't gotten his radio license yet.

My annual Valentine's date with Ladyfriend is at a local Japanese restaurant and found Flat Stanley as the third wheel, but he did enjoy the hibachi.

Back to work, our next stop was Calgary, Canada.  The customs officer was kind enough to put an entry stamp on his back so he was "legal".

Stanley also got a few lessons in flight from some of my airline's finest flyers.  He's now checked out as a First Officer on the MD80.

Let's not underestimate the importance of the cabin crew (not that I am biased or anything).  The girls on my trip were happy to teach Stanley about some of the emergency equipment and how it works.

The end of the trip had a quick turn into and out of San Diego.  Believe it or not, the freakin' airport doesn't have a "Welcome to San Diego" sign, so I had to make do with a gift shop sign.

More adventures next week!

George Washington's 110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation

I am reading an interesting book that Ladyfriend got me for Christmas called The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs  http://www.ajjacobs.com/books/guinea-pig-diaries.asp.  The whole book describes how the author tries various experiments that change the way he lives his life.  My favorite chapter in the book is when he outsources his life to India, but a close second is when he lives his life like George Washington, including following George's 110 Rules to Live By.  My challenge to you is to check it out and pick one or two to follow for a month.  My favorite is Rule 2.  When in Company, put not your Hands to any Part of the Body, not usually Discovered (i.e. don't scratch your privates).

I pulled these from Foundations Magazine at the following link http://www.foundationsmag.com/civility.html

The Rules:

Treat everyone with respect.  1st Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.  2nd When in Company, put not your Hands to any Part of the Body, not usually Discovered. Be considerate of others. Do not embarrass others.  3rd Show Nothing to your Friend that may affright him.  4th In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming Noise, nor Drum with your Fingers or Feet.  5th If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but Privately; and Speak not in your Yawning, but put Your handkerchief or Hand before your face and turn aside.  6th Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.  7th Put not off your Cloths in the presence of Others, nor go out your Chamber half Dressed.  8th At Play and at Fire its Good manners to Give Place to the last Commer, and affect not to Speak Louder than Ordinary.  9th Spit not in the Fire, nor Stoop low before it neither Put your Hands into the Flames to warm them, nor Set your Feet upon the Fire especially if there be meat before it. 10th When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them. 11th Shift not yourself in the Sight of others nor Gnaw your nails. 12th Shake not the head, Feet, or Legs roll not the Eyes lift not one eyebrow higher than the other wry not the mouth, and bedew no mans face with your Spittle, by approaching too near him when you Speak. "&c" here is et cetera, as in "and the others" or " and company" 13th Kill no Vermin as Fleas, lice ticks &c in the Sight of Others, if you See any filth or thick Spittle put your foot Dexterously upon it if it be upon the Cloths of your Companions, Put it off privately, and if it be upon your own Cloths return Thanks to him who puts it off. 14th Turn not your Back to others especially in Speaking, Jog not the Table or Desk on which Another reads or writes, lean not upon any one. 15th Keep your Nails clean and Short, also your Hands and Teeth Clean yet without Showing any great Concern for them. 16th Do not Puff up the Cheeks, Loll not out the tongue rub the Hands, or beard, thrust out the lips, or bite them or keep the Lips too open or too Close. 17th Be no Flatterer, neither Play with any that delights not to be Play'd Withal. 18th Read no Letters, Books, or Papers in Company but when there is a Necessity for the doing of it you must ask leave: come not near the Books or Writings of Another so as to read them unless desired or give your opinion of them unasked also look not nigh when another is writing a Letter. 19th Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave. 20th The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are upon. 21st Reproach none for the Infirmities of Nature, nor Delight to Put them that have in mind thereof. 22nd Show not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy. 23rd When you see a Crime punished, you may be inwardly Pleased; but always show Pity to the Suffering Offender. Don't draw attention to yourself. 24th Do not laugh too loud or too much at any Public Spectacle. 25th Superfluous Complements and all Affectation of Ceremony are to be avoided, yet where due they are not to be Neglected. 26th In Pulling off your Hat to Persons of Distinction, as Noblemen, Justices, Churchmen &c make a Reverence, bowing more or less according to the Custom of the Better Bred, and Quality of the Person. Amongst your equals expect not always that they Should begin with you first, but to Pull off the Hat when there is no need is Affectation, in the Manner of Saluting and resaluting in words keep to the most usual Custom. 27th Tis ill manners to bid one more eminent than yourself be covered as well as not to do it to whom it's due Likewise he that makes too much haste to Put on his hat does not well, yet he ought to Put it on at the first, or at most the Second time of being asked; now what is herein Spoken, of Qualification in behavior in Saluting, ought also to be observed in taking of Place, and Sitting down for ceremonies without Bounds is troublesome. 28th If any one come to Speak to you while you are are Sitting Stand up though he be your Inferior, and when you Present Seats let it be to every one according to his Degree. 29th When you meet with one of Greater Quality than yourself, Stop, and retire especially if it be at a Door or any Straight place to give way for him to Pass. 30th In walking the highest Place in most Countries Seems to be on the right hand therefore Place yourself on the left of him whom you desire to Honor: but if three walk together the middest Place is the most Honorable the wall is usually given to the most worthy if two walk together. 31st If any one far Surpasses others, either in age, Estate, or Merit yet would give Place to a meaner than himself in his own lodging or elsewhere the one ought not to except it, So he on the other part should not use much earnestness nor offer it above once or twice. 32nd To one that is your equal, or not much inferior you are to give the chief Place in your Lodging and he to who 'is offered ought at the first to refuse it but at the Second to accept though not without acknowledging his own unworthiness. 33rd They that are in Dignity or in office have in all places Precedency but whilst they are Young they ought to respect those that are their equals in Birth or other Qualities, though they have no Public charge. 34th It is good Manners to prefer them to whom we Speak before ourselves especially if they be above us with whom in no Sort we ought to begin. When you speak, be concise. 35th Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive. 36th Artificers & Persons of low Degree ought not to use many ceremonies to Lords, or Others of high Degree but Respect and highly Honor them, and those of high Degree ought to treat them with affability & Courtesy, without Arrogance. 37th In speaking to men of Quality do not lean nor Look them full in the Face, nor approach too near them at lest Keep a full Pace from them. 38th In visiting the Sick, do not Presently play the Physician if you be not Knowing therein. 39th In writing or Speaking, give to every Person his due Title According to his Degree & the Custom of the Place. Do not argue with your superior. Submit your ideas with humility. 40th Strive not with your Superiors in argument, but always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty. 41st Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Professes; it Savours of arrogance. 42nd Let thy ceremonies in Courtesy be proper to the Dignity of his place with whom thou converses for it is absurd to act the same with a Clown and a Prince. 43rd Do not express Joy before one sick or in pain for that contrary Passion will aggravate his Misery. When a person does their best and fails, do not criticize him. 44th When a man does all he can though it Succeeds not well blame not him that did it. When you must give advice or criticism, consider the timing, whether it should be given in public or private, the manner and above all be gentle. 45th Being to advise or reprehend any one, consider whether it ought to be in public or in Private; presently, or at Some other time in what terms to do it & in reproving Show no Sign of Cholar but do it with all Sweetness and Mildness. If you are corrected, take it without argument. If you were wrongly judged, correct it later. 46th Take all Admonitions thankfully in what Time or Place Soever given but afterwards not being culpable take a Time & Place convenient to let him him know it that gave them. Do not make fun of anything important to others. 47th Mock not nor Jest at any thing of Importance break [n]o Jest that are Sharp Biting and if you Deliver any thing witty and Pleasant abstain from Laughing thereat yourself. If you criticize someone else of something, make sure you are not guilty of it yourself. Actions speak louder than words. 48th Wherein you reprove Another be unblameable yourself; for example is more prevalent than Precepts. 49th Use no Reproachful Language against any one neither Curse nor Revile. Do not be quick to believe bad reports about others. 50th Be not hasty to believe flying Reports to the Disparagement of any. 51st Wear not your Cloths, foul, ripped or Dusty but See they be Brushed once every day at least and take heed that you approach not to any Uncleaness. 52nd In your Apparel be Modest and endeavor to accommodate Nature, rather than to procure Admiration keep to the Fashion of your equals Such as are Civil and orderly with respect to Times and Places. 53rd Run not in the Streets, neither go too slowly nor with Mouth open go not Shaking your Arms kick not the earth with R feet, go not upon the Toes, nor in a Dancing fashion. 54th Play not the Peacock, looking every where about you, to See if you be well Decked, if your Shoes fit well if your Stockings sit neatly, and Cloths handsomely. 55th Eat not in the Streets, nor in the House, out of Season. Associate with good people. It is better to be alone than in bad company. 56th Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation; for 'is better to be alone than in bad Company. 57th In walking up and Down in a House, only with One in Company if he be Greater than yourself, at the first give him the Right hand and Stop not till he does and be not the first that turns, and when you do turn let it be with your face towards him, if he be a Man of Great Quality, walk not with him Cheek by Joul but Somewhat behind him; but yet in Such a Manner that he may easily Speak to you. Always allow reason to govern your actions. 58th Let your Conversation be without Malice or Envy, for 'is a Sign of a Tractable and Commendable Nature: And in all Causes of Passion admit Reason to Govern. Never break the rules in front of your subordinates. 59th Never express anything unbecoming, nor Act against the Rules Moral before your inferiors. Some things are better kept secret. 60th Be not immodest in urging your Friends to Discover a Secret. 61st Utter not base and frivolous things amongst grave and Learned Men nor very Difficult Questions or Subjects, among the Ignorant or things hard to be believed, Stuff not your Discourse with Sentences amongst your Betters nor Equals. 62nd Speak not of doleful Things in a Time of Mirth or at the Table; Speak not of Melancholy Things as Death and Wounds, and if others Mention them Change if you can the Discourse tell not your Dreams, but to your intimate Friend. A person should not overly value their own accomplishments. 63rd A Man ought not to value himself of his Achievements, or rare Qualities of wit; much less of his riches Virtue or Kindred. 64th Break not a Jest where none take pleasure in mirth Laugh not aloud, nor at all without Occasion, deride no mans Misfortune, though there Seem to be Some cause. 65th Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest Scoff at none although they give Occasion. 66th Be not froward but friendly and Courteous; the first to Salute hear and answer & be not Pensive when it's a time to Converse. Do not detract from others nor be overbearing in giving orders. 67th Detract not from others neither be excessive in Commanding. Do not go where you are not wanted. Do not give unasked-for advice. 68th Go not thither, where you know not, whether you Shall be Welcome or not. Give not Advice without being Asked & when desired do it briefly. If two people disagree, do not take one side or the other. Be flexible in your own opinions and when you don't care, take the majority opinion. 69th If two contend together take not the part of either unconstrained; and be not obstinate in your own Opinion, in Things indifferent be of the Major Side. Do not correct others when it is not your place to do so. 70th Reprehend not the imperfections of others for that belongs to Parents Masters and Superiors. 71st Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of Others and ask not how they came. What you may Speak in Secret to your Friend deliver not before others. 72nd Speak not in an unknown Tongue in Company but in your own Language and that as those of Quality do and not as the Vulgar; Sublime matters treat Seriously. 73rd Think before you Speak pronounce not imperfectly nor bring out your Words too hastily but orderly & distinctly. 74th When Another Speaks be attentive your Self and disturb not the Audience if any hesitate in his Words help him not nor Prompt him without desired, Interrupt him not, nor Answer him till his Speech be ended. 75th In the midst of Discourse ask not of what one treateth but if you Perceive any Stop because of your coming you may well intreat him gently to Proceed: If a Person of Quality comes in while your Conversing it's handsome to Repeat what was said before. 76th While you are talking, Point not with your Finger at him of Whom you Discourse nor Approach too near him to whom you talk especially to his face. 77th Treat with men at fit Times about Business & Whisper not in the Company of Others. Don't compare yourselves amongst yourselves. 78th Make no Comparisons and if any of the Company be Commended for any brave act of Virtue, commend not another for the Same. Do not be quick to talk about something when you don't have all the facts. 79th Be not apt to relate News if you know not the truth thereof. In Discoursing of things you Have heard Name not your Author always A Secret Discover not. 80th Be not Tedious in Discourse or in reading unless you find the Company pleased therewith. Do not be curious about the affairs of others. 81st Be not Curious to Know the Affairs of Others neither approach those that Speak in Private. Do not start what you cannot finish. Keep your promises. 82nd Undertake not what you cannot Perform but be Careful to keep your Promise. 83rd When you deliver a matter do it without Passion & with Discretion, however mean the Person be you do it too. 84th When your Superiors talk to any Body hearken not neither Speak nor Laugh. 85th In Company of these of Higher Quality than yourself Speak not til you are asked a Question then Stand upright put of your Hat & Answer in few words. 86th In Disputes, be not So Desirous to Overcome as not to give Liberty to each one to deliver his Opinion and Submit to the Judgment of the Major Part especially if they are Judges of the Dispute. 87th Let thy carriage be such as becomes a Man Grave Settled and attentive to that which is spoken. Contradict not at every turn what others Say. 88th Be not tedious in Discourse, make not many Digressions, nor repeat often the Same manner of Discourse. Do not speak badly of those who are not present. 89th Speak not Evil of the absent for it is unjust. 90th Being Set at meat Scratch not neither Spit Cough or blow your Nose except there's a Necessity for it. 91st Make no Show of taking great Delight in your Victuals, Feed not with Greediness; cut your Bread with a Knife, lean not on the Table neither find fault with what you Eat. 92nd Take no Salt or cut Bread with your Knife Greasy. 93rd Entertaining any one at the table, it is decent to present him with meat; Undertake not to help others undesired by the Master. 94th If you Soak bread in the Sauce let it be no more than what you put in your Mouth at a time and blow not your broth at Table but Stay till Cools of it Self. 95th Put not your meat to your Mouth with your Knife in your hand neither Spit forth the Stones of any fruit Pie upon a Dish nor Cast anything under the table. 96th It's unbecoming to Stoop much to ones Meat Keep your Fingers clean & when foul wipe them on a Corner of your Table Napkin. Don't take so big a bite that you must chew with your mouth open. 97th Put not another bit into your mouth till the former be swallowed. Let not your morsels be too big for the jowls. 98th Drink not nor talk with your mouth full; neither gaze about you while you are drinking. 99th Drink not too leisurely nor yet too hastily. Before and after drinking, wipe your lips; breath not then or ever with too great a noise, for its uncivil. 100th Cleanse not your teeth with the table cloth napkin, fork, or knife; but if others do it, let it be done without a peep to them. 101st Rinse not your mouth in the presence of others. 102nd It is out of use to call upon the company often to eat; nor need you drink to others every time you drink. 103rd In the company of your betters, be not longer in eating than they are; lay not your arm but only your hand upon the table. 104th It belongs to the chiefest in company to unfold his napkin and fall to meat first, but he ought then to begin in time & to dispatch with dexterity that the slowest may have time allowed him. 105th Be not angry at the table whatever happens & if you have reason to be so, show it not; put on a cheerful countenance especially if there be strangers, for good humor makes one dish of meat a feast. 106th Set not yourself at the upper of the table; but if it be your due or that the master of the house will have it so, contend not, least you should trouble the company. Show interest in others conversation, but don't talk with your mouth full. 107th If others talk at the table, be attentive but talk not with meat in your mouth. 108th When you speak of God or his attributes, let it be seriously & with reverence. Honor & obey your natural parents although they be poor. 109th Let your recreations be manful not sinful. Don't allow yourself to become jaded, cynical or calloused. 110th Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

Fort Misery and Gospel Music

I'm back to domestic for the month of February.  My first trip of the month was an easy three day with a long layover in Ft. Misery the second night.  Really it's called Ft. Meyers.  I call it Ft. Misery because my dad's late co-worker and friend Jerry Johnson, who was from there, called it Ft. Misery.  After drama on the first day going to New York and back (I got embroiled in an incident with a passenger over bottled water) I was looking forward to a fun layover in Ft. Meyers.  My friend Jessica was on the trip with me.  The last time we flew together was a year and a half ago.  Two years ago we flew a trip to Vegas that was full of drama and tall people (http://ronno1976.blogspot.com/2007/11/viva-las-vegas-leaving-las-vegas.html ).

We had to get up so early after the first layover that by the time we got to Ft. Meyers I was cranky and tired.  Plus it was raining so there was not much you could do as everything involved walking around outside.  I decided to take a nap so Jess, our co-worker Mary, and I, all agreed to regroup a couple of hours later.  I had brought along a bottle of Yellow Tail so we all met up in Jess' room to watch Maury Povich and drink wine.  It was one of those priceless episodes where we find out paternity results for various children.

At 5pm, the hotel offers a Manager's Reception on their Club Level.  So we made our way up there for snacks and drinks.  The meatballs down at the end looked good, but later on did not agree with me so much.

After our snacks, I walked with Jess over to Walgreens.  She and her husband are hoping to have another baby so she wanted to purchase a pregnancy test (I made her buy the generic one).  What I found to be the most interesting part of the whole experience was the fact that directly across the aisle from the pregnancy tests are baby products.  Interesting product placement to say the least.

Seeing as we had a very early pick up the next morning, it ended up being an short evening.  Our flight home was full of course and the average age on the plane was about 90, but we did have a brush with fame at the end of the trip.  We had the honor of meeting Jerome L., a gospel singer from Phoenix.  A very animated and interesting fellow.  You can check out his music at http://qwestmusicentertainment.com and he has a new album coming out soon.

Amen.

El Salvador

January is a reserve month for me, so it usually means short call outs and running to the airport to make flights.  I was surprised when I called in for the next days assignment, expecting to hear I was on "Ready Reserve" and instead had a trip assigned.  It was a three day trip to El Salvador, via Los Angeles.  I was scheduled to dead head that evening, so I spent the late morning at UT Southwestern's Ashton Clinic.  I am participating in a study to see if Polybrominated Diphyrel Ethers (PBDE's), the chemical that makes seats flame retartat, is showing up in the blood stream of Flight Attendants.  It is a carcinogen, so if it is showing up in our blood stream, we could be prone to cancer or other health problems.  I had gone with a group of friends a few days earlier and I managed to get Nurse Ratchett for my blood draw.  She stuck me three times and could not get blood.  Now I just got my "Nine Gallon" pin at the local Blood Bank so I think it was her and not me.  Anyway, on Thursday I went down for another "sticking".  I had success this time around and they got the seven vials they needed.


After dinner with Ladyfriend, I made my way to the airport for the deadhead to Los Angeles.  The flight was full, but I got an aisle seat.  We arrived about 45 minutes early in Los Angeles and had to wait about 10 minutes for our gate and the guy sitting next to me was just dropping "f bombs" and going on about how ridiculous this was.  We still got to the gate 35 minutes early, but he swore he was never flying the airline again.  Oh well.


I had about three hours before our midnight departure so I went down to the crew lounge to grab a nap, but the carpets were being cleaned with the loudest industrial strength vacuum cleaners I have ever heard.  So much for the nap.


Our flight was full, but the Salvadorian folks are nice and easy going.  They never complain about anything.


We arrived into San Salvador at about 6:45am, as the sun was coming up.  Three of the flight attendants and one of the pilots were going to spend the 24 hour layover at the beach (they had even brought their own surfboards).  That left the Captain and two other flight attendants going with me to the hotel.  The property is beautiful and the rooms are very nice.  I passed out pretty quick, since I had been awake for what felt like days.


After a quick work out, I met up with Lynn and Chris, the two LAX based crew I was working with and we went downtown.

The thing that makes me sad though is the fast food explosion that seems to be everywhere.  There seems to be a Pizza Hut and a KFC on every corner!  

The great thing about El Salvador is that they use the US dollar for their currency, so you don't have to change any money.  We decided to get the local flavor and take the bus down to the city center, versus a cab.  All of the buses are old yellow school buses from the states that are painted in these trip out colors.  The bus we rode downtown on was named Jesus.  A bus ride costs 20 cents.  That is a pretty good deal!

I made a little friend on the bus named Manuel.  He must have been about 8 or 9.  The girls were looking for the part of town where you can buy cheaps DVDs, and Manuel decided he would be our tour guide.  Of course, he wanted money, so after I gave him a dollar, he said thanks and bolted off to find the next tourist he could help.  The girls fly this trip all the time, so they like to go and find the deals.  They found this place where you can buy CDs and DVDs for the cheap.  Notice the local woman walking around with items balanced on her head.

There are tons of street vendors selling all sorts of food.  Chris and I decided to try the "Chocobananas".  They dip the frozen banana in hot fudge and then roll it around in the topping of your choice.  And all this yumminess for only 50 cents!

The next stop was the Iglesia de San Ignacio, one of the many cathedrals around town.  The outside of the church was so ornate, but the inside was surprisingly simple.  One of the stark reminders about being in a third world country, was the poverty and beggars.  The church entrance was surrounded by lots of people asking for money, and many of them were missing limbs or disabled, which was sad.

We were trying to figure out how to get a bus back to the hotel as the evening rolled in.  The crowds were everywhere and I wasn't watching where I was going and I bumped into a box of chicken legs.  It took a second to register what they were.  I am not quite sure what recipes they are used for.....  hmmmm.

As the sun began to set, people were ending their work days and they all just sort of found their way to the many parks and squares around town.  It must be the social part of the day.  It was fascinating to watch people bustling about, buying things from the street vendors, sitting and chatting, etc. etc.  Certainly a much simpler life than what we have in the US, but everyone seemed jovial and happy.  We rode back to the hotel on a bus named "Christina".

The flight back the next morning was full, but the people were just as nice as on the way down.  A lot of the folks, especially the elderly ones, can't read or write, so being the spanish speaker onboard, I had to help them fill out their forms.  You have to be sesitive about it though.  It must be hard to admit for them, because they always say something like their eyes or bad or they left their classes at home.  I just tried to make it seem like it was no big deal.

The deadhead back to base from Los Angeles was great.  A lot of my friends were working the trip, so it was fun to catch up with them and visit.  I sat next to a United Flight Attendant who had just flown in from Sydney.  She looked surprisingly fresh after a 15 hour flight.  I look desheveled after a two hour flight from Cancun!

Boxing Day

A little late on this post. I flew a London trip on Christmas Day, arriving in the UK on the 26th, Boxing Day. When we left, the Captain has told us about some "nut job" who had tried to light a firecracker on a Northwest/Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. Little did we know how that was going to play out at the time.

The flight over was uneventful, except for the "Vegetarian Issue" as history would come to call it. Apparently, British Airways cancelled their flight out of Dallas to London due to a mechanical, so we inherited a lot of their passengers, including a large number of passengers who were connecting to Pakistan. Because of the last minute change, all their special meal requests were not honored (you need 48 hours to plan for that), so the Chicken or Meat Lasagna was not very well received by these people.

A lot of places were closed on Boxing Day, but most of the big stores were open for the post Christmas sales. When we arrived, I changed clothes and went to Tesco to get some Original Source shower gel (http://www.originalsource.co.uk) and got some provisions for late night snacking.

After a short nap, I woke up around 3pm or so. The sun was already starting to set by the time I made my way outside (the joys of Europe in winter) I have a friend who recently moved to the UK with her husband and they live outside London. However, with the reduced train schedule on Boxing Day, it wasn't feasible to make the journey to their place. I decided to walk around Kensington instead. Down by the British Museum lots of people were ice skating and they had the trees all decorated with lights.

After walking around for about two hours, I made my way back to the hotel to meet up with my co-worker Patrick. I first met him in 2001 when I was volunteering at the union, but this was the first time we had flown together. We made plans to meet in the lobby at 5:30 and find a place to eat. That evening, a lot of local restaurants opened for business, so we went to the Stanhope Arms, a local pub, for dinner. I had Steak and Ale pie and mushy peas. Comfort food to say the least!

I was in bed pretty early. We had a pick up the next morning at like 7am, which is one am body clock time, so I wanted to get a good night sleep. I had purchased a milkshake called Frijj, which I have been buying since I first layed over in the UK when I was a new hire back in 1998. They had a new "flavour" called cookie dough. Now the real story is that lactose and I don't get along, but I always fall victim to Frijj. I enjoyed the cookie dough shake, but at 4am, I was not enjoying it so much.

The next morning, the full ramifications of the "crotch bomber" had surfaced. We were looking at some major security changes and the boarding of our flight took about two hours as each passenger was given additional screening. Everyone seemed to take it in stride, even though we were about an hour late arriving home. We did have some "East Ender" girls who proceeded to get sauced on the flight home. I knew they were toasted when she came up and told me I was "hot". (Let's face it... I am average at best). I had to have a talk with her and make her promise not to enjoy any adult beverages during her sit time in Dallas. I wanted to make sure she sobered up.

Those kind of passengers sure make the job interesting.