What goes up, must come down.
So Norfolk, VA turned out to be a pretty cool place. Last week the FO and I went out and we had a ball!
We walked over to their Riverfront area and hit up this place called Jillian’s. It’s a restaurant/bar/arcade and its really nice. We drank and ate and drank and played games and drank some more. There’s this game called Hyper Bowl and its like a virtual reality bowling thingie. Its weird, especially when you’re a little tipsy. After a while at Jillian’s we went to this comedy club they had downstairs. It was three different stand up comedians (one of them was even supposedly on last season’s “Last Comic Standing”- guess he couldn’t stand up.) They were funny though- again, especially when you’re kinda drunk. After that we had the audacity to go back to the hotel bar. We sang karaoke- hella fun when you’re drunk. I had had several different drink concoctions and was defiantly feeling it but wasn’t that bad off. My fateful pilot on the other hand, was smashed. Boy did we have an interesting flight out the next morning.
Tonite we’re in Norfolk again. Tomorrow won’t be too bad though because all we did was go to the movies tonite. This time the captain came with and we saw “Anchorman”. It was stupid as hell but really funny.
On my days off this week I had gone home. I was going to go to Houston to visit my friend Stephanie but I couldn’t get on a flight so I’m going to go there next week. Home was…home. My cousin Jeff was in town from Dallas (his dad is the one who got me the job with the airline). I hadn’t seen him in like five years or so. He’s defiantly changed. He had gone one night with my sister and I to a movie (“White Chicks”- its not gonna win and cinematic awards or anything but it was pretty funny) and then the next night with a group of friends of mine to regular bowling (still more fun than the fake kind), to play pool and to Morning Call. Very fun- and I didn’t have any alcohol this time. Anyway Jeff is defiantly different than most of the people I hang out with but it was still good to see him I think. He wants to me to come to Dallas sometime again to meet all his friends- hmm, I don’t know if I can do that much Texas though.
Anyway, just when things were starting to look up for me, the wretched news breaks…for the month of August I have been ‘awarded’ (that’s actually how they put it) Reserve flying. I thought I was done with all that dehumanizing crap. But apparently they cut a bunch of lines or something and now my seniority can’t hold a real line. I talked to a few other people from my flight class and they all have reserve lines too. It sucks SO much. Not that I had a good line this month but at least it was a line. Now I have to go back to that indentured servitude. Ug, damn physics.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Monday, July 19, 2004
Taryn’s Top 20 Pet Peeves
1. Couples making out in airports (for ME to say its too melodramatic, it must be bad.)
2. Automatic bathrooms (i.e. toilets that flush while you’re still sitting, sinks that cut the water off before you’re through, etc. How lazy is the human race if we’ve resorted to this?)
3. Automatic walkways (is it just me, or is it a little freaky to be walking and having the sidewalk under you moving as well?)
4. Mayo on pre-made sandwiches (what if you don’t like mayo? Why can’t they just make them all plain and have packets for those who choose to add it?)
5. Movies that digress greatly from the books they’re based on (sometimes the movie is so different you wouldn’t even know it was based on a novel except for the title.)
6. Low carb diets (who the hell eats a hamburger without the bun??)
7. Mail in rebates (why can’t they just deduct the price right then when you buy it instead of making you go through the trouble of mailing something in and then them having to mail something back to you?)
8. Merging in traffic (I have a perfectly good lane, why does it have to be taken away from me?)
9. Reality TV (not only does it take jobs from actors, most of them are so retarded and besides isn’t ‘reality tv’ an oxy moron- what you see on tv isn’t real!)
10. Water with lemon (if you want water, order water. If you want lemonade, order lemonade.)
11. Louis Vitton (those purses are really ugly and yet they’re SO fashionable)
12. Using north, south, east, and west when giving directions (seeing as how the average person doesn’t carry around a compass with them all the time, how do you know which way is north, etc? Why can’t you just say ‘make a left’ or whatever?)
13. Things that cost $2.99, etc (why can’t they just say $3??)
14. Stating the obvious with things like, “gee, I hate terrorists” or “man, I really hate it when I get stung by bees” (as opposed to what? No body actually likes those things!).
15. Automated phone menus (press one to hear your balance, press two to hear our latest offers….press 2,610 if your phone is about to blow up and you need immediate assistance…)
16. Chain Letters (sometimes you’ll get perfectly nice forwarded emails but if they have some kind of chain attachment, I automatically delete them.)
17. Self Help Books (how can “self” help be written by somebody else??)
18. Movies with subtitles and books on tape (if I want to read, I’ll read a book. If I want to listen to a story, I’ll watch a movie!)
19. Kids on Leashes and animals with clothes on (again, people don’t seem to get what goes with what)
20. Certain fashion items/statements (i.e. Belts- are your pants in danger of falling off? Panty hose- what is the point even? And high heels with blue jeans- the point of dressing casual is so that you don’t have to wear uncomfortable shoes)
1. Couples making out in airports (for ME to say its too melodramatic, it must be bad.)
2. Automatic bathrooms (i.e. toilets that flush while you’re still sitting, sinks that cut the water off before you’re through, etc. How lazy is the human race if we’ve resorted to this?)
3. Automatic walkways (is it just me, or is it a little freaky to be walking and having the sidewalk under you moving as well?)
4. Mayo on pre-made sandwiches (what if you don’t like mayo? Why can’t they just make them all plain and have packets for those who choose to add it?)
5. Movies that digress greatly from the books they’re based on (sometimes the movie is so different you wouldn’t even know it was based on a novel except for the title.)
6. Low carb diets (who the hell eats a hamburger without the bun??)
7. Mail in rebates (why can’t they just deduct the price right then when you buy it instead of making you go through the trouble of mailing something in and then them having to mail something back to you?)
8. Merging in traffic (I have a perfectly good lane, why does it have to be taken away from me?)
9. Reality TV (not only does it take jobs from actors, most of them are so retarded and besides isn’t ‘reality tv’ an oxy moron- what you see on tv isn’t real!)
10. Water with lemon (if you want water, order water. If you want lemonade, order lemonade.)
11. Louis Vitton (those purses are really ugly and yet they’re SO fashionable)
12. Using north, south, east, and west when giving directions (seeing as how the average person doesn’t carry around a compass with them all the time, how do you know which way is north, etc? Why can’t you just say ‘make a left’ or whatever?)
13. Things that cost $2.99, etc (why can’t they just say $3??)
14. Stating the obvious with things like, “gee, I hate terrorists” or “man, I really hate it when I get stung by bees” (as opposed to what? No body actually likes those things!).
15. Automated phone menus (press one to hear your balance, press two to hear our latest offers….press 2,610 if your phone is about to blow up and you need immediate assistance…)
16. Chain Letters (sometimes you’ll get perfectly nice forwarded emails but if they have some kind of chain attachment, I automatically delete them.)
17. Self Help Books (how can “self” help be written by somebody else??)
18. Movies with subtitles and books on tape (if I want to read, I’ll read a book. If I want to listen to a story, I’ll watch a movie!)
19. Kids on Leashes and animals with clothes on (again, people don’t seem to get what goes with what)
20. Certain fashion items/statements (i.e. Belts- are your pants in danger of falling off? Panty hose- what is the point even? And high heels with blue jeans- the point of dressing casual is so that you don’t have to wear uncomfortable shoes)
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Decisions, decisions.
So i interviewed for the front of house position at ATL on Monday. It went pretty well. She still has to interview several other people so i won't know for a few weeks whether or not i have the job. Its so weird though. On one hand, i would LOVE to have the opportunity to do anything to just get back into the theatre and i do sort of like the Louisville area but on the other hand...
I still don't love my job as a flight attendant and I don't think i ever will (how could anyone love being an air waitress??) but it is getting better. I only work four days a week this month and some of those days i don't even do all that much. Right now for instance, i'm in Norfolk, VA. Its an okay place- we'll be here again a few more times this month.
Its really not the world's worst job and i do love the flight benifits- there are still SO many places that i want to travel to that if i quit being a flight attendant, i won't have the opportunity to do.
I went to San Antonio on Tuesday. My best friend had an interview for a grad school there. I still hate Texas. The Alamo is completely overrated and their Riverwalk area is nice but i like New Orleans' and Chicago's better. My friend is in the same predicament i'm in- even though technically, neither of us have even been offered positions. Its a strange prospect: moving away to a place where you don't really know anybody for probably a six hour radius.
When i took the job i have now it wasn't as finite as moving to Kentucky would be. I work for an airline- i can go home or wherever whenever i want. If i move to Louisville i can't do that. Its like a 12 hour drive and i won't be able to afford to fly- i'm stuck. I dunno, its very exciting but its also very scary. I guess i'm not really sure what's going to happen. I suppose i'll figure it out, though...
So i interviewed for the front of house position at ATL on Monday. It went pretty well. She still has to interview several other people so i won't know for a few weeks whether or not i have the job. Its so weird though. On one hand, i would LOVE to have the opportunity to do anything to just get back into the theatre and i do sort of like the Louisville area but on the other hand...
I still don't love my job as a flight attendant and I don't think i ever will (how could anyone love being an air waitress??) but it is getting better. I only work four days a week this month and some of those days i don't even do all that much. Right now for instance, i'm in Norfolk, VA. Its an okay place- we'll be here again a few more times this month.
Its really not the world's worst job and i do love the flight benifits- there are still SO many places that i want to travel to that if i quit being a flight attendant, i won't have the opportunity to do.
I went to San Antonio on Tuesday. My best friend had an interview for a grad school there. I still hate Texas. The Alamo is completely overrated and their Riverwalk area is nice but i like New Orleans' and Chicago's better. My friend is in the same predicament i'm in- even though technically, neither of us have even been offered positions. Its a strange prospect: moving away to a place where you don't really know anybody for probably a six hour radius.
When i took the job i have now it wasn't as finite as moving to Kentucky would be. I work for an airline- i can go home or wherever whenever i want. If i move to Louisville i can't do that. Its like a 12 hour drive and i won't be able to afford to fly- i'm stuck. I dunno, its very exciting but its also very scary. I guess i'm not really sure what's going to happen. I suppose i'll figure it out, though...
Saturday, July 10, 2004
The cost of culture.
So i went to the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans recently. It was $15 to get in! And it wasn't even that great. The museum that i went to when i was in New York was like $10 i think, movies in Chicago are $9.50, Broadway musicals (in the orchastra, if you pay full price) are $100...its insane. Good theatre anywhere still costs alot (even if not a hundred bucks), and i don't know how much i like museums and stuff. The one in New Orleans (in City Park- that i went to for the first time in probably ten years at least about two months ago) is just like a big maze with some old paintings and sculptures lining the hallways. I had gone to the JFK museum when i was in flight attendant training in Dallas. Its ok, but i wasn't that impressed. The one place that didn't cost some ridiculous amount is in Chicago. The Lincoln Park Zoo is free. And its a pretty good zoo, too. I just get bored easy. I think i'm still too immature or dare i say for a liberal arts graduate, uncultured. I can't spend a whole day walking around looking at stuff, be it art or animals.
Anyway, i'm currently in Toledo, OH. Just a little random useless bit of trivia: the expression "holy toledo" actually refers to Toledo, Spain which in the 11th century was a hugely Christian city. Anyway the last few overnights i've had have been SO boring. One of my roomates was off to Brussels for her first flight today...mine was to Fort Wayne (indiana). Again with my attention span though, i'm not sure i could work International flights. I get restless when my flights are over two hours, i can't imagine twelve.
On the plus side and at the risk of jinxing it i guess, i have a job interview. Last January my friend Stephanie and i took a road trip up to Kentucky to visit these guys that she knew. While we were there we dropped off resumes with different theatre companies up there. I had dropped off both performance and Front of House resumes. Well probably a month and a half after we'd left, the woman in charge of the Box Office at ATL (actor's theatre of Louisville) called me back and said that there might be a job opening next season, to give her a call in a few months. The other night i had a layover in Louisville so i decided to call her up. She is still interested in meeting with me so i'm flying down there on my day off on Monday. She seems very nice and is even picking me up from the airport and everything herself. I don't know...i don't have any details yet obviously, but from what i know the pay sucks and there probably aren't any benifits or anything plus my ultimate goal is not to be a house manager, least of all in Kentucky BUT at least its theatre. And i really miss the theatre. So...cross fingers for me!
So i went to the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans recently. It was $15 to get in! And it wasn't even that great. The museum that i went to when i was in New York was like $10 i think, movies in Chicago are $9.50, Broadway musicals (in the orchastra, if you pay full price) are $100...its insane. Good theatre anywhere still costs alot (even if not a hundred bucks), and i don't know how much i like museums and stuff. The one in New Orleans (in City Park- that i went to for the first time in probably ten years at least about two months ago) is just like a big maze with some old paintings and sculptures lining the hallways. I had gone to the JFK museum when i was in flight attendant training in Dallas. Its ok, but i wasn't that impressed. The one place that didn't cost some ridiculous amount is in Chicago. The Lincoln Park Zoo is free. And its a pretty good zoo, too. I just get bored easy. I think i'm still too immature or dare i say for a liberal arts graduate, uncultured. I can't spend a whole day walking around looking at stuff, be it art or animals.
Anyway, i'm currently in Toledo, OH. Just a little random useless bit of trivia: the expression "holy toledo" actually refers to Toledo, Spain which in the 11th century was a hugely Christian city. Anyway the last few overnights i've had have been SO boring. One of my roomates was off to Brussels for her first flight today...mine was to Fort Wayne (indiana). Again with my attention span though, i'm not sure i could work International flights. I get restless when my flights are over two hours, i can't imagine twelve.
On the plus side and at the risk of jinxing it i guess, i have a job interview. Last January my friend Stephanie and i took a road trip up to Kentucky to visit these guys that she knew. While we were there we dropped off resumes with different theatre companies up there. I had dropped off both performance and Front of House resumes. Well probably a month and a half after we'd left, the woman in charge of the Box Office at ATL (actor's theatre of Louisville) called me back and said that there might be a job opening next season, to give her a call in a few months. The other night i had a layover in Louisville so i decided to call her up. She is still interested in meeting with me so i'm flying down there on my day off on Monday. She seems very nice and is even picking me up from the airport and everything herself. I don't know...i don't have any details yet obviously, but from what i know the pay sucks and there probably aren't any benifits or anything plus my ultimate goal is not to be a house manager, least of all in Kentucky BUT at least its theatre. And i really miss the theatre. So...cross fingers for me!
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Crash and Burn.
So i moved into another crash pad. I got the feeling i was starting to overstay my welcome with my friend. He kept insisting that he didn't mind my staying there, but since he wouldn't accept rent at first, i felt like a mooch (because i was) and i could tell he really wanted his own place anyway. So now i'm living at the Raddisson with 13 other flight attendants (ten of which are with United.) The few that i met Friday night when i was there seemed real nice- i'm the youngest one in there, though, the others are all either late twenties or some are in their fifties. Its a suite and the way they have it set up, it looks like an orphanage- just a bunch of cots spread around the room. But for two or three nights a week, i guess it will do.
Presently, on this lovely 4th of July (Happy Fourth of July, by the way, to anyone reading this) i am stuck at the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Atlanta. This layover was actually scheduled for 23 hours, which is crazy...most of our layovers, we're lucky if we get half that. It ended up being around 20, though, because we got stuck in Des Moins for like three hours yesterday. The captain i'm flying with this month is real nice. Its a female and she's probably only maybe 30. We seem to get a new first officer every other flight though for some reason. For the Des Moins turn we actually had an all female crew. That was the first time it had happened to me. Its so funny passengers' reactions to that. A few were actually uncomfortable to realize that both pilots were ladies. So much for women's lib...
Anyway Kim (the captain) is being reclusive today and the FO doesn't seem very interesting so i'm stuck here in this room alone. I would go venture out, but this neighborhood seems kind of sketchy. Out my window, there's a little country graveyard. Across the street from the main portion of the hotel is a ghetto KFC hangout. Maybe i should go try and make friends with them...maybe not.
So there's actually this website called www.cyberfireworks.com and you can create your own firework show- its kinda cute. It doesnt compare to real ones obviously but if its the best you can get then its the best you can get.
So i moved into another crash pad. I got the feeling i was starting to overstay my welcome with my friend. He kept insisting that he didn't mind my staying there, but since he wouldn't accept rent at first, i felt like a mooch (because i was) and i could tell he really wanted his own place anyway. So now i'm living at the Raddisson with 13 other flight attendants (ten of which are with United.) The few that i met Friday night when i was there seemed real nice- i'm the youngest one in there, though, the others are all either late twenties or some are in their fifties. Its a suite and the way they have it set up, it looks like an orphanage- just a bunch of cots spread around the room. But for two or three nights a week, i guess it will do.
Presently, on this lovely 4th of July (Happy Fourth of July, by the way, to anyone reading this) i am stuck at the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Atlanta. This layover was actually scheduled for 23 hours, which is crazy...most of our layovers, we're lucky if we get half that. It ended up being around 20, though, because we got stuck in Des Moins for like three hours yesterday. The captain i'm flying with this month is real nice. Its a female and she's probably only maybe 30. We seem to get a new first officer every other flight though for some reason. For the Des Moins turn we actually had an all female crew. That was the first time it had happened to me. Its so funny passengers' reactions to that. A few were actually uncomfortable to realize that both pilots were ladies. So much for women's lib...
Anyway Kim (the captain) is being reclusive today and the FO doesn't seem very interesting so i'm stuck here in this room alone. I would go venture out, but this neighborhood seems kind of sketchy. Out my window, there's a little country graveyard. Across the street from the main portion of the hotel is a ghetto KFC hangout. Maybe i should go try and make friends with them...maybe not.
So there's actually this website called www.cyberfireworks.com and you can create your own firework show- its kinda cute. It doesnt compare to real ones obviously but if its the best you can get then its the best you can get.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
I want to be a part of it, New York, New York...
A part, not all.
So i FINALLY went to New York city. My friend Mickey flew into Chicago on Friday and we went downtown Chicago and stuff and to see this really great show at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (it was in conjunction with Second City so it was really funny) then after two hours of sleep we flew Saturday morning into Newark, NJ. His uncle lives out there and so he picked us up and brought us into NY. It is SO BIG! We went to the Museum of Natural History. There is the absolute best planetarium show there. Then we got lost in Central Park and did a whole lot of walking around Broadway and 42nd Street. We made it into Times Square and were just amazed at the number of people there- its insane. Sunday we took an NBC studios tour- it was pretty cool, you see the sets for SNL and stuff. Then i got to see a Broadway show. I really wanted to see "Wicked" but the only thing i could get decent tickets for was "Aida" (its Disney produced and music by Elton John and Tim Rice.) I was overjoyed being at a Broadway play but not so impressed with the particular play i saw. It was kinda like an Egyptian Romeo and Juliet but with the exception of the lights, sets, and choreography, kinda sucked.
Monday was my birthday and we went to the statue of liberty, walked through SoHo and part of Chinatown. We went to the financial district and shopped at this really cool store called Century 21 (thanks Becca) and ate at a Four Star McDonalds, and saw Ground Zero. Then we got to go to a taping of David Letterman- our seats sucked but it was still sorta cool being there. The only thing i really wanted to do that i didn't get to was go to the Empire State Building...i guess there's always next time.
I definatly intend to go back and visit and stuff but i don't think i could live there- unless i had a lot of money, had a really great job and knew a bunch of people there.
All and all i guess i had a good time but the city is sorta overrated. Maybe it was just my unreasonable expectations. I had built up New York in my mind to be the pinnacle of everything that is anything and so i was inevitably let down a bit.
At least i still have Paris in delusional utopia...
A part, not all.
So i FINALLY went to New York city. My friend Mickey flew into Chicago on Friday and we went downtown Chicago and stuff and to see this really great show at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (it was in conjunction with Second City so it was really funny) then after two hours of sleep we flew Saturday morning into Newark, NJ. His uncle lives out there and so he picked us up and brought us into NY. It is SO BIG! We went to the Museum of Natural History. There is the absolute best planetarium show there. Then we got lost in Central Park and did a whole lot of walking around Broadway and 42nd Street. We made it into Times Square and were just amazed at the number of people there- its insane. Sunday we took an NBC studios tour- it was pretty cool, you see the sets for SNL and stuff. Then i got to see a Broadway show. I really wanted to see "Wicked" but the only thing i could get decent tickets for was "Aida" (its Disney produced and music by Elton John and Tim Rice.) I was overjoyed being at a Broadway play but not so impressed with the particular play i saw. It was kinda like an Egyptian Romeo and Juliet but with the exception of the lights, sets, and choreography, kinda sucked.
Monday was my birthday and we went to the statue of liberty, walked through SoHo and part of Chinatown. We went to the financial district and shopped at this really cool store called Century 21 (thanks Becca) and ate at a Four Star McDonalds, and saw Ground Zero. Then we got to go to a taping of David Letterman- our seats sucked but it was still sorta cool being there. The only thing i really wanted to do that i didn't get to was go to the Empire State Building...i guess there's always next time.
I definatly intend to go back and visit and stuff but i don't think i could live there- unless i had a lot of money, had a really great job and knew a bunch of people there.
All and all i guess i had a good time but the city is sorta overrated. Maybe it was just my unreasonable expectations. I had built up New York in my mind to be the pinnacle of everything that is anything and so i was inevitably let down a bit.
At least i still have Paris in delusional utopia...
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