Blog-TOWER OF BABEL

I have decide on something very important. I am a person who likes to stand on some ceremony of sorts and I remain true, even in the darkest of times. I do not want to try out or fly for anyone else other than the people I have flown for the past 5 years. I want my old bullshit back, I do not want some new bullshit, unaccustomed bullshit, nouveau riche bullshit,  I like the old agenda, and if i cannot have it, i am not having any of it. I want my owner back. I want him to get another plane, i feel like i have been thru hell and back with he, his family and all of our mutual trials and tribulations.

 

He knew about me having to put my three year old golden retriever down due to kidney failure, he knew when my mom died, he knew when i broke up with pete, he knew when i reconciled pete, he knew when i got skin cancer, he knew when I was having a super day and took me when the bad ones came. He was loyal, smart, irascible, sarcastic, brilliant, compassionate, difficult, moody, and sane. His family never made the crew feel like we were poor in any way, and WORKING FOR COMPANY X Y AND Z, WE WERE POOR ON PAPER. 

We had opinions, we have guts and glory and all those things real people  and cowboys have. And for now, it is gone, baby gone, like a quick birthday candle in the wind. I have tried to interview for jobs, I do not want any of them. I am half hearted, lack luster and it shows. I want a nap.  I would like to fly Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and maybe that pilot Sully who landed in the Hudson. That might get me going, but not like I was going. I flew people who called it like they saw it, they remembered their first dollar, their first steak and cheese, ringing the bell on Wall Street and I flew on the first plane they ever owned. It all sparkled like the first christmas lights that you ever saw. 

There was none of this curt crap, no sense of entitlement, no fake attitudes. Money was up there but it was not king. So, no, I will not be taking any new job soon. My heart is not there and I have developed a rash impatience with "this is how we do it here". Right now, I would rather help out at the local church with the downtrodden and live by my own schedule because I have not had one in a while. I do not jump when the phone rings, and I am liking my couch a bit more. My dog knows who I am and my son actually communicates with me at a normal decibel. Maybe I will write that book after all.

So I keep getting theses yellow envelopes for peoples bank,multiple bile colored envelopes , total bounced check and returned check fees totaling 250.00. I asked the bank manager if I was going to be taken off to jail They do have lot of jails in ct. The women's jail is far worse than the mens. more bickering. probably no hormone  replacement, Xanax or tequila  there.

Being broke is sort of like a prison sentence. No freedom, no joy ,no national enquirer bought in the check out line. Now I read it and put it back. The cashier leers and says to herself, she must work for an aviation company. I used to love this aviation company, It was pristine, lovely and I was proud to be a part of its mechanisms. It will be great again too, but I cannot go back there. Too much history, like an old boyfriend, once hurt, I lie in wait for more disappointment.   It is never the same, i lay an broken woman. 

So back to talking about prison, if I did have to go. Would I have a roommate that I called Bitch? Would they pair me up with another flight attendant who wrote bad checks, or would I get a bank robber or a mass murderer? I would like the bank robber because, in this economy, i am going to need a new trade. Murder was thought of this week, but it is a messy occupation. Do they have a resume center there? Can I collect unemployment whilst living with my bitch? Can I get on Ameritrade? Do they have vegetarian fare? Church? Pilates? Coke machine? Quarters? Meditation classes? Only one phone call a day? Any thoughts?

Well, my last blog got some attention, right? Still waiting on the paycheck. It is overnighted. I hope it is not rubber. Had to cash in a Roth IRA, but through all of this..........I still can hug my son and smell his boy hair, and I know everything is and always will be okay.

Was this greed, mismanagement, economy, FAA, government? We will never know. I was taught, "whatever you do, do not hurt anyone" lessons. People have lost their credit rating, their home, their head up at the bank. It all sucks. I am not the same person now. My glory and hope sits on a lower rung now, and I wake up thinking that more bad news is coming my way - no way to live. I hope the check does not bounce this time, but I can guarantee you, it will be my last check earned from company XYZ.

I have a Migraine. I have not had one since i was 9 years old. I deposited my paycheck and vacation pay, total over 10,000.00. I wrote checks, i planned a vacation. i paid my credit cards off in advance. it as my final check from company XYZ. It is my layoff tribute check. Before unemployment kicks in. My mortgage, my car insurance, my hope of respite, my swan song check. bounced. I have no recourse or back up, all will  bounce. I do not borrow, and no one has any money anyway. You do not know where i work, but it is a sign of the times, go do something else. Get trained, flying is dried up! Camelot is over. My son asked me if we were broke, I SAID NO. NOT YET.

I CAN REPORT THEM TO THE LABOR DEPT AFTER 7 DAYS. Done. the pain and agony that they have caused me is insurmountable. But. i should have gotten out when the going was good. last year. The expenses are a joke. One pilot is owed 70.000.00. That is 1/4 of a house. They are not paying him. My question is this? can you afford to work for a company that you have to bankroll?

 I cannot get on an airplane to save my life. Are they leaving without a flight attendant or are freelancers just taking every trip that comes along? I can see a lot of a/c in my hangar. It is like the twilight zone has taken over, or it looks like an abandoned movie set. There is no activity, no laughter, not towing in or out of the hangar.
 
It may be time to leave this career, to finally make a commitment to educate ones self into another NEEDED field like dental or nursing. How do you keep your head out of the lions mouth? My son asked me if we are going to be homeless soon. He loves CNN, and have the pulse of the american economy running thru his head. I said "no, we have a lot of friends and family that would not allow that" but I wonder, could this be worse than 1982?

The market used to mean good things. profit, gain, a place to meet, to get the latest news, fresh vegetables, fruit, a job, who was the best craftmans.... it all dated back to the 14 century. Now when the market is mentioned, i gasp. does anyone, especailly in aviation, have a plan b when their bread and butter has turned to toast? I do not.

I never had any really rich uncles, my mom died penniless, my brother and sister are teachers, i have no inventions on  the horizon, i do have a morgage, but i have a car payment, insurance, college fund to fill and about 5000.00 in general credit card debt. I have been so broke, i slept in my car in college and have eaten ketchup as a food group.I was 19 and had no fear!

At least the car i lived in for 2 weeks, had a heater and I was too proud to tell anyone I was broke. I lived on cheese puffs, coffee and thank god i did not turn orange from all the food coloring ingesting that nutritious snack, I am healthy and so is my son.

The hair color and manicures have gone, the coupons get clipped, and i try to walk to town now instead of jumping in my truck to go 1/2 mile. I do not buy brand, the yoga class never got signed up for, and i put flyers around the neighborhood for errand running. There is alot of pasta in my kitchen, and I buy in bulk. I pray that tomorrow i will not see another atrocity in the financials. Can I sell a kidney? Can i do without my mad money? will my son get his college fund? Can I ever retire?

No one can answer this.
I can still muster up a starbucks once in a while, and i now need my friends and family closer than ever, which is not a bad thing.

For all you freelancers out there, here are some tips, during these trying economic times, to save money. A lot of the items you pay for are not covered when flying. Yes, you can file them with your taxes as expenses, but you can try to cut back while doing these things. You may have to fly to your aircraft. It is cheaper to first go to individual airline sites, more carrier are offering exclusive deals to avoid paying broker fees to orbitz or travelocity. Sign up for fare alerts out of your local airport. There is a site called www.airfarewatchdog.com or www.farecompare.com. Fridays and Sundays are the priciest days to fly. 

To price shop for gas, go to www.gasbuddy.com, you can enter your travel route, and they will tell you where to find cheap gas. Also certain credit cards, like the Discover open road card will offer 5% rebates on gas and maintenance purchases. As far as cheaper meals, you can go to www..opentable.com, for menus around the world, with prices. With the high cost of food, i am thinking for my household, of BJs or COSTCO. I have never seen the economy this bad, lets hope it ends soon. 

I did not attend the 2008 flight attendant convention this year for personal reasons. I did feel a sense of loss, being left behind in an empty room, listless yet restless and my stomach started growling at 10 pm EST, when you all were surrounding the shrimp table and ogling the Cannoli and the latest ice sculpture.

 

Let's talk about networking. Do you know that networking is sort of a short stab at a mini job interview? Yup, it is. So, while at the flight attendant convention, when you want to scope in on a certain person, do not have your mouth full of bagels, do not be drunk or appear to be drunk, and  please , do not tap them on the shoulder -- LIKE THEY ARE THE TIN MAN.

 

I have seen people network with deal breakers. Deal breakers are red flags: that the person is networking you is needing some help. Here some tips: Do not talk over them, leave the palazzo pants at home, no sneakers or flip flops, digging thru your handbag, leisure suits, tight clothes, ripped stockings, shoes so high -- you cannot walk in them, use words like HUH. AWESOME, WHATEVER, SOMTHIN SOMETHIN, FOGETT ABOUT IT. Do not scratch or twirl your hair.  But instead: Be polite, direct, and not overbearing.

 

Do not treat the other person like they are god, have some self esteem. AND PLEASE, do not say you are the best. There is always a faster rat out there, you just have not met them yet.

I was wondering why I was weighing 20 lbs more than usual. I mean luggage and purse wise. I fly only international. I would be in shock if I flew less than 10 hours per flight. Anyway, I digress. My bags were getting heavier and heavier.

I finally went through everything on a rainy day in London. I had 35 Euro coins from Greece, 78 business cards from FBOs, from faceless crewmembers met in the concierge lounge or on check in, 2 bottles of olive oil left in the false bottom of my suitcase, 2 jars Greek honey, 6 hair conditioners from the maids cart in Milan, 12 Starbucks Coffee receipts for Quattro espressos, 3 retainer cases,(I only have 1 set of teeth), 4 phone chargers for the same phone, 2 -220 converters, 2 Greek adapters,  1 empty sleeve of 5 gum, 3 books that I have read already, 1 self help CD (that did not work), 2 lighters, 3 ChapStick®, 2 empty jars of La Mer, 1 key chain that spells out Santorini in little shells, 1 small flashlight with NO battery, 12 loose spearmint lifesavers with stuff suck to them and an empty bottle of Listerine.

What was I doing while packing? I was on the phone to caterers, universal, hotels, limo drivers, and my son. I need to downsize or join a pack rat version of AA. I think I need everything. What if the converter breaks? Or the charger? What is my excuse for errant lifesavers? How did I forget the olive oil and honey? I have actually packed for a 21 day trip, but packed NO SHOES. A flight attendant with no shoes? Yes, I am that girl. I had to borrow the pilot’s loafers, and yes, they were a bit small. I wear a TEN.

We have no concentration for ourselves before a trip. Our brains are frenetically overloaded with TRIP TRIVIA. I am getting an intervention for this soon.

What do you do if your catering companies are not true? What do you do if they go to the wrong airport? Deliver to the wrong plane?

 

Have you ever flown down to the Masters Golf tournament? Done trips to super bowl? Go somewhere where you know it will be so busy that maybe you should get your catering from a local deli or restaurant?

 

When you land and see over 50 corporate jets, do not think that the catering will make it, that is will be correct or that line service will get you the right box, or do you find another venue to avoid mistakes?

 

I had a caterer deliver to TEB instead of HPN. I always order my food 3 hours prior, (I ALWAYS TAKEOFF EARLY), I bring my own lemons, limes and milk. With the TEB incident, I canceled and did not pay for the order and I used Skytop restraint and paid ASAP fee of 25.00. The passengers never knew.

 

If a caterer makes a mistake, shame on them, if they make a mistake a second time, shame on me. We pay a lot of money to them for the right order. Fax, call, go over, and recall the day of the flight 6 hours prior.