Always a bridesmaid, never a bride...
So there's this family that lives across the street from my parent's house. A mom, dad, and their two kids. The boy is my age and the girl is three years younger. I have known these people practically my whole life and when we were all growing up, i was almost like a member of their family being always over there and stuff. A couple of years ago things changed though. This was a family with no real religion in their life and one day some people knocked on their door and offered them one. They are now full fledged Jehovah's Witnesses. At first we (me and a few of our other friends from the neighborhood) were very concerned that they were joining what seemed to be like some kind of cult. They stopped celebrating holidays, started having bible studies at their house once a week, and because the kids still lived under their roof (even though they were over age) had to have supervised visits with friends (particurily friends like me who were not in "the truth" as the call it.) None of the rest of my friends from the neighborhood even bother with them anymore but for some reason i was never able to cut them out of my life completely. In the last two years, i haven't been nearly as close with them as i had been in the past but at least we've stayed in touch. And they've calmed down some. Its not as new, so while they're still pretty strict about alot of things that i think are pretty dumb, they don't make as many idle attempts to convert me anymore at least. Well the girl, Kim, is this cute little blonde who found the transition into her new church much easier with the help of a cute boy named Ryan that she met. They were never allowed un-chaperoned dates or anything but somehow still managed to convince themselves they are now in love and want to be married. He proposed (and let me say, its a pretty damn nice rock) and they are getting married in April. The other day Kim asked me if i'd be her maid of honor. Part of it feels very natural. This is still the same girl who almost ten years ago now used to stuff her bra because me and some of the other girls we hung out with were older and started to develop and she felt left out. I helped her plan her sweet sixteen because four years ago, that's what she wanted more than anything (some big birthday blowout.) And now i'm going to be in her wedding. She's not the same girl though. I still think she's in a cult (sorry if any of you are Jehovah's Witnesses or know ones and are offended by it....but i'm sorry, its scary alot of it.) I'm going to be in the wedding though. They're getting married outside of the reception hall (if it were in church i wouldn't be allowed to.) And i haven't met any of the other bridesmaids because they're girls from church but hopefully they won't be freaks. I've never been a bridesmaid before though (i was a flower girl a few times- for an uncle and two cousins) but don't even know what i'm supposed to do. I mean what's expected of me? I guess i just sorta tag along.
Anyway....the last sequence i was on for work absoulutly sucked. I was on the CRJ (the plane i hate) and the other FA was way senior and thought he was perfect and could do no wrong. Plus the pilots sucked ...ug, just not a good situation. It was cool when i got home though. I had my four days off (which are going by very quickly might i add.) I went and saw the BEST movie yesterday- "Garden State". I don't think its playing at the big multi plexes (like the Palace or somewhere) but alot of the more artsy theatres have it. Zach Braff (from Scrubs) wrote, directed, and starred in it and it was phenomanal. Its been a while since i saw a movie i liked that much.
Only other thing really that i can think of is....i might have been discovered on a plane! Ok so i'm sure i'm exaggerating but last week i was flying to Albany and i was doing my safety demo (the thing with the seatbelts and oxygen masks) how i usually do it (lip syncing and whatever) and this guy sitting in the front row has on a shirt that says 'masque theatre' on it. We get to talking and he ends up giving me monologue suggestions for future auditions and his buisness card. He said to give him a call. I would have felt funny calling him up but i did check out the website for the theatre that was on the card. The theatre is nothing to be too excited about i don't think but i am going to send him a proper headshot and resume at least. So...i dunno.
And i think i'm gonna just stop believing in jinxing. I do believe in fate but i think everything is jinxed and if that's the case, then nothing is (if that makes sense.) Like my dad isn't going to Chicago with me today for the Saints/Bears game tonite but that's because he makes a bunch of excuses for things (not because we're cursed.)

Screw Scheduling!
So it had been a while since i had had a four day sequence. I went back to work on Saturday and after doing a Buffalo turn, layed over in Indianapolis. The FO that i flew with was pretty cool and so we hung out and stuff. He left though after we got back to Chicago Sun morn and so the captain, a new first officer, and i went to Montreal. That was the closest i've ever been to leaving the country. We weren't allowed off the plane even though (because then we would have had to go through Customs.) I did get a chance to practice my French, though. I had taken French in high school and in college but didn't really learn that much. I couldn't figure out how to say cran apple juice in French so i just kept offering l'orange jus or la coca. Sunday night i changed crews again and went to Newburg-Stewart, NY with an eccentric captain (many of them are i'm finding) and this FO who looked exactly like Guy Peirce (from "Momento".) We didn't hang out at all though because we weren't there but like 9 hours or so. On Monday, i went with them back to Chicago and then on a turn (i don't even remember where now) and then...that's when i got pissed. The crew i was with was about to go on another overnight and for no apparent reason the jerks at crew scheduling pulled me off and re-assigned me to do a Springfield turn. By the time i got back, i couldn't go on an overnight so i got stuck going back to the orphanage. Then yesterday....they called me in for a Dubuque (Iowa) turn. Its only a 30 minute flight and i was scheduled to get back to Chicago at 6:00. There was a 6:25 flight to New Orleans (i was off today and tomorrow so i was gonna try and go home then) and i would have done it too...the captain i was with then was trying to commute somewhere too so we had this plan to get back early. Well we made it to Dubuque early but then we got a ground delay and couldn't leave. We sat on the runway for like an hour and a half. I only had 16 passengers. I was so pissed. I had gotten stuck at the orpahanage again. I ended up flying home first thing this morning. Several of my friends have quit recently (or are about to quit) but i am determined to stick it out two more months (i've made it this far.)
On the plus side...i got a parking permit for the New Orleans airport. I had been told that they weren't giving them to crew members anymore but when i went to the third floor today, i got issued one. See until now, either my dad would pick me up or i'd have to ask a friend or get a cab- now i can just leave my car in the parking lot when i'm gone. I just wish i would have seen about it myself sooner.
Also on a plus side kind of note for me, i talked to my friend Brian Sterling (from college) and he's going to a regional audition in February that i think i'm going to go with him to. Its called Midwest and its in Missouri i think. You audition for a bunch of different theatre companies in hopes of getting summer work. As much as i'm hating this living out of a suitcase thing, i wouldn't mind it if it was for like a touring group...so, we'll see...

A Catch 22.
You can't get a job without experience. But you can't get experience without a job. So i finally heard back from that lady at ATL. She said she decided to go with someone with more professional theatre experience (a former intern at that particular theatre actually.) Its understandable and all but it still sucks.
Anyway i finally finished reading "Catch 22". I'm not nearly as far along as i should be on the summer reading list i made for myself. I just only seem to have spurts at a time to read and if i put a book down mid chapter i tend to lose my train of thought next time i pick it up. It was an interesting novel though. It was sort of slow moving and had way too many characters but the dialogue was amazing. I've rented the movie and watched half of it the other night (hmm, i should finish it...) Alan Alda plays the lead character and so far he's phenomanal. I think this book/movie should be turned into a musical. There are certain scenes that i remember reading that i imediatly envisioned characters breaking out into song. I would enjoy seeing a production if someone were to do that. The unrealistically ambitious part of me wanted to undertake that project myself. And i would...only i don't know the first thing about writing music and that seemed to be a problem.
In other news, i did finally go back to work. I figured after over a week i could no longer prolong the inevitable. I flew back up on Monday, sat ready reserve at the airport for a few hours (they didn't use me though so i just sat in the crew lounge and watched monday night football with a couple of pilots.) And then Tuesday night i flew a trip to Grand Rapides, MI. The guys i flew with were insane. Its hard to explain really, but it was like there was this huge inside joke that i wasn't on the inside of. They said they were just really tired and delerious. It never ceases to amaze me how these pilots can fly perfectly fine when they can't even form complete sentences. The overnight was really short but aside from the Wyndham in Harrisburg, PA, the Hilton in Grand Rapides has the best hotel beds ever! (just a little FYI in case anyone were to ever happen to find themselves in Michigan for some reason.)
I think i'm becoming a full fledged commuter this month. If you work for the airline you are either a resident in the city you are based or else you are a commuter. I'd say 70% of pilots/flight attendants don't actually live where they work. In previous months i hadn't been going home much but lately i've been flying home whenever i have a couple of days off.
I flew home on Wednesday and was very excited to have a package from Dell waiting for me.
I had been wanting an MP3 player and was going to get the IPod but i found that Dell has a Digital DJ jukebox and it is $100 less and holds 4000 more songs (the one i got cost $200 which you only have to pay a mimum of $7 a month and it holds 7000 songs!) Its kind of confusing to figure out how to upload the songs but i think i'm starting to get the hang of it. I can put any song that i download off the internet (i have winmx which i find doesn't give you as many viruses as kaaza) and i can put all of my cds on there. The actual device is about the size of a walkman and there's no tapes or cds or anything to insert. It is so cool. Especially for me traveling all the time, i can put my entire music collection on this one thing. So...if you're into electronics and can figure out how to work things without getting too frustrated, then i totally recomend! (i feel like Becca, promoting things.)
So, yesterday i got to go up to Natchitoches. I so miss that place its sad. Since i graduated in December, i went up there in February for Circle K's Midevial Ball then i went in May (i had a couple of days off so i flew into Shreveport at the last minute just to surprise a couple of friends and visit.) It seems like i go every three months because then i went up again yesterday with my friend Mickey who had to go up to get his lease signed on his new place. We only stayed less than 24 hours but at least i got to see a few people. There's a chinese restaurant called Chef Wok and they have the best sweet tea ever and then right across the street is this daquris shop where they have this drink called a Starburst...absoulutely phenomenal. Its crazy how those are the first things you think to do when you get to a place like that (well besides go to Wal Mart, that place is just like a social icon or something.) Most of the people i knew have graduated but my friend Angela is still in her last semester (she got her very own trailor out in the boonies...its cute though!) and then my friend Robin is gonna be teaching GED canidates in Natchitoches parish so she's up there. I think it will be sad when everyone is gone from there that i know.
Somehow just a couple of beverages doesn't seem like good enough reason for a four hour trip.
But anyway...back off to the windy city in the morning. It was in the 50s when i was last there. Every time i pack my suitcase to go back up i have to bring an array of clothes because you never know what the tempature will be. Gotta make sure you're prepared. On the other hand, you don't want to overpack...hmmm, could that be a catch 22??

$85 for a note!
So i finally got around to going to a doctor (i just looked one up in the phone book) and they charged me that absurd amount just to see the guy for five minutes and for him to scribble, "may not fly until 8/9/04." Oh well, bought me some time off work.
On this time off i went and saw "Collateral" with my friend Kristin (my oldest friend in the world- she and I go see all of Tom Cruises' movies together.) It was definatly different from most other of his movies (especially the end) but it was entertaining. There were some holes in the plot and the cinematography seemed a bit off but otherwise i think i'd give it a thumbs up.
Anyway last night i went out with four other friends of mine. We went to dinner and to a club and drove around alot. It started out really cool- it was me, two other girls and two guys...then something happened. I became the fifth wheel. Hanging out with just a couple isn't always so bad. At least when you start as the third wheel, you're prepared for it. Fifth wheel sometimes comes out of nowhere. Neither of those couples were or are dating but it was just sorta one of those situations where pairing off occured and as usual i was the odd man out. Now i'm not complaining, its cool for all them and all. It just sucks that those are MY friends and i end up the one left out. Ok so maybe i am complaining....sorry. i just honestly don't know how i keep getting myself into situations like that. Its fine though.
On more positive notes....my dad might be coming up to Chicago to visit. My dad is one of the city's last true die hard Saints fans. He's had season tickets since the Saints started back in the 70s and in that time can count on one hand the number of home games he's ever missed. Well the Saints are playing the Bears in a preseason game at the end of the month. My parents have the same flight benifits as i do and thus far have yet to take advantage of that. It would be cool to go to the game. Now that i've typed it though it probably won't happen. I'm not generally superstitious but i do believe in jinxing. I didn't get that house manager job in Kentucky that i was all excited about and i've convinced myself that the only reason is that i talked about it too much. I hope the same thing doesn't happen with my dad. But there i go being all negative again. I'm going to work on that. I can be very sarcastic sometimes and that's ok so long as i'm not detrementally negative. Um...happy thoughts...happy thoughts...I got my name tag for work. For some reason they take forever to come in usually. So now instead of people being all, "excuse me, ma'am" they can be "excuse me, Taryn"...ok yeah, that was lame. Oh well...i don't think anyone reads this thing anymore anyway so whatever...

A Terminal Illness.
No, I’m not dying but I do think I’m allergic to this airport.
So last Sunday (a week from yesterday) I finally made it out to Houston to visit some friends of mine from college. It was cool except that two of my friends have new boyfriends and so I had to deal with the annoying coupledom. Some couples are actually pretty cool to hang out with…most aren’t (especially new couples.) I’ve come to the conclusion that I never want to be part of a couple. I’d probably end up part of one of those annoying couples that I hate and I have enough on my plate without having to deal with self-loathing.
Anyway it was good to see my friends and stuff. We were supposed to go jet skiing but we ended up pretty much just bumming around. Sleep is usually good. Some people really don’t need sleep, they can get by with five or six hours a night and be fine. I, on the other hand, require at least eight or nine. The past few weeks I hadn’t been getting that so when I managed three nights in a row with proper rest, it caught up to me. The last time I was sick was in December (right through Christmas actually.) I had been so busy getting everything ready for graduation, etc that I went for at least three weeks barely resting. As soon as I’d gone home, though, and started sleeping again is when I got sick. Same thing this time. I was fine until Wednesday afternoon on the flight back up to Chicago (which is why I think its just as much allergy to the airport as it is inadequate rest.) On that flight and the subsequent flights that I would end up working Thursday and Friday morning, I thought my ears were going to explode during the descent. Everything would be all fine and dandy until the last twenty minutes out and then I could feel the ear drums rattling. A healthy person simply has to swallow or yawn or whatever to get their ears to pop, but a sick person has no remedy except to pray that their ear drums don’t actually rupture (thing number 762 that sucks about my job- flight attendants are at very high risk for hearing loss due to perforating of the ear drum.) I wound up having to skip those last couple of days of my line (and the FO and I had plans to go out one last time.) We have an infirmary at the airport for American/American Eagle employees and they use this little hot glue gun looking thing to stick in your ear to test for blockage. I was grounded. I then proceeded to spend three whole days at the orphanage, which has gotten worse since on of the ladies that I didn’t like from my training class has moved in. On the plus side, today they released me to at least fly home (under the stipulation that I see a doctor once I get there….anybody know an ear, nose, and throat specialist?? Problem is that I don’t have insurance. I missed the cut off date to sign up for it with the airline and can’t sign up til October…oh well, whatever.) Guess it really is the Hard Knock Life for me.
Although if I’m going to stick with this cheesy theme, I guess the sun is bound to come out Tomorrow right??