Scotland 6: Day 5

4 Mar 201817 Oct 2020 / Dav / Leave a comment

03.03.18 | Edinburgh, Scotland | 23:12

I didn’t get very much sleep last night. I could hear the music and a very loud party from a nearby pub. I think it’s the Irish pub just around the corner and up Victoria Street. It was Friday night, however, so I don’t blame anyone. I may experience the same thing again tonight. At least tonight, I’ll have my earplugs ready.

Jonny was out the door by about 03:30. I had planned on walking with him to the bus stop, but when I stood up and started to get ready, he told me that I didn’t need to. I tried to explain the directions as best I could and sent him off, hoping he wouldn’t get lost. He texted me a few hours later, just after he landed in Milan, Italy, so I know he made it safe.

Lunch was at Pret A Manger. I believe I’ve mentioned the restaurant before. It’s a soup/ sandwich shop where they make it all fresh daily. They put the food out on a shelf, and you grab whatever you want. They believe in trying to get local produce, and since it’s all made fresh daily, I’ve heard they even give the leftovers to food kitchens, not sure if that last part is true, but that would be cool!

I was bound and determined to get some exercise today. I made myself walk from the top of The Royal Mile to Holyrood at the bottom, and then I later walked over to New Town. In my exploring, I found a marketplace that used to be a church and ran into a photographer whose picture I have hanging on my wall at home in Utah (see story).

I told him that I was the guy who contacted him from Utah and reminded him that I had his image hanging in my home. He seemed delighted to shake my hand. I promised him that if I had the funds, I would be purchasing another one of his prints when I come back through Edinburgh and before I head home to the states.

Tonight was Italian food for dinner. I’ve eaten at Bella Italia many times over the years because they’re always so good! I ate some bruschetta and some gnocchi.

I just met my new roommate, a guy called Gohan. He is French and pronounces his name more like “jew-on”… only “Frenchier” than that. He told me that he was from about an hour south of Paris and is on a break from University. He is hoping to get a job here at the hostel. He has big plans to get a flat somewhere. He then asked me to go with him to help him open a bank account. I told him I don’t know anything about opening a bank account in the United Kingdom. Still, he told me the reason he wanted to take me was that he could understand me. When he spoke with the Scottish bank representative, he couldn’t understand the thick accent.

I told him that this probably wouldn’t be possible because it’s already late on Saturday night and I’d be leaving early on Monday morning. Plus, knowing me, I would probably accidentally co-sign for something, like possibly that new flat he wants to rent. No thanks.

I hope I can find somewhere to karaoke tonight. That would be fun! Y’all remember I like to sing, right?

2 Mar 201826 May 2018 / Dav / 1 Comment

Scotland 6: Day 4

03.02.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 20:56

Today was a “Check in- check out day”. When Jonny originally told me he was going to join me in Scotland, he said that he was just going to stay for only three days. For this reason, I’d booked us a bedroom with two beds, but then to save money, the rest of my time here was going to be spent in a cheaper room with three beds instead. He decided to extend out for one more day, and because both of us were moving to a new room, we had to be out by 10:00 and weren’t allowed to check back in until 13:00.

We went to get a late breakfast, but as soon as they let us check back in, we did so. I asked the desk clerk if he could put me in the same room as Jonny. After tinkering with his computer for a few minutes, I ended up getting the room upgrade for free. I’m not even sure why this happened, but I’m glad it did.

For our final day together, we went to the cinema in New Town. Dinner was at a nearby Indian restaurant. Since we were both craving this for a few days, this totally hit the spot! It was a great day, but I will say one thing: Jonny does not like walking around in the snow and he hasn’t been afraid to remind me of that fact, at least thirty-five times over the last three days. I just wish he would have enjoyed his time here. He has clearly been miserable. If I could control the weather, I totally would. I decided, from the beginning, that I wasn’t going to let the weather control my mood. Jonny, however, did not.

Tomorrow, Jonny is off to Milan. I hope it’s warm for him (even though I know it isn’t going to be), and I hope he finds a part of the trip that will make him happy. Or rather, I hope he chooses to be happy. We had quite a few heart-to-heart conversations and the man has been through a lot of hard times. Life is good, and I think we all need reminders of that from time to time. At least, I know I do.

I think that we have singlehandedly drank all of the hot chocolate in Scotland. It feels like we have, at least. I really need to eat healthier while I’m here. Perhaps I’ll start eating more salads and drinking less hot chocolates.

…but it tastes so good!

2 Mar 201826 May 2018 / Dav / Leave a comment

Scotland 6: Day 3

03.01.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 14:13

Snow-mageddon rages on! It’s really not a huge amount of snow, especially compared to what we’re used to in the states, but the biggest problem is that I’ve yet to see a single snow plow come through and clear the streets. I imagine they have them here, but they must be working in other parts of the city at the moment. The only snow clearing has happened from the brave drivers who are venturing out. Jonny is over it. Even though he lives in Chicago, where they get so much more snow than here, this is definitely not how he’d pictured Scotland in his head. He’s weighing his options… he’s either going to fly somewhere else (possibly Italy), stay here for a few more days, or just head back to the states. I’ll definitely miss him when he goes, but at this point I just want him to be happy. We’ll see what he ends up doing. I, for one, love the snow, but most of the businesses around Edinburgh have decided to stay closed. This is so their employees don’t have to come to work. Even the cinema is closed at the moment. So on a cold, blustery day, we could be watching a movie, but instead, we’re hanging out at the hostel. I’m working on this blog entry while Jonny decides what he wants to do, travel-wise.

We went back to Mum’s for lunch. The server seemed amused to see us back since we’d eaten there for dinner last night. I told her that she may even see us another time or two because almost all of the other restaurants are not opening their doors today. I had a venison and redcurrant pie, with a “deluxe hot chocolate”. Jonny had a questionable-looking veggie burger and some kind of shake with alcohol in it.

24:10

We learned today that the people of Edinburgh DO NOT plow the streets here like they would in any other civilized society. It’s no wonder that most of the businesses have had to remain closed for the day. This storm is the heaviest one they’ve had in about 22 years, according to our server. The city doesn’t really want to invest in all the snow-removal equipment, because they don’t know when they’re going to need it again.

At dinner time, we found a few restaurants open on High Street, but decided to trudge through the snow over to the New Town side. We managed to find a Chinese restaurant. The food was alright, but the chef sure loved to use salt. Both my soup and entree were extremely salty. Afterward, we headed over and found some dessert at an Italian restaurant/ cafe.

Scotland 6: Day 2

28 Feb 201813 Feb 2019 / Dav / Leave a comment

02.28.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 21:51

Edinburgh and many other parts of Scotland are under a “Red Alert Warning” because of all the snow that we’re getting at the moment. So far, this is nothing that those of us who live in Utah don’t already have to deal with. In fact, so many stores and restaurants have closed their doors because they are thinking that lives are going to be lost. I know it snows here, but I think they’re just expecting some kind of snow-mageddon. It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out.

Jonny and I were up until about 04:00, and didn’t wake up until after 11:00. That may be normal for some people, but not for myself. Perhaps this means I’m getting older? While we were walking around yesterday, we spotted an Indian/Thai restaurant that we really wanted to try out for lunch today. We found the place and it was closed. This sort of bummed us out a bit because we both had been craving curry. We ended up getting a late breakfast at a restaurant called Fig Tree Bistro. This is a perfect example of a traditional Scottish breakfast: A fried egg, pork sausages, a potato scone, a portabello mushroom, beans, bacon, a slice of tomato, and toast. Tradition would have me add some blood pudding and haggis, but no thanks- been there, done that.

Earlier this afternoon, we went to see The Greatest Showman. I felt like Jonny needed to see it, and I was right- he thought it was great! This marks the fourth time that I’ve seen it in the cinema, and it still gets me. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry and really touches my heart! I can’t promise you that I won’t see it another time before it comes out on video… and yes, I have preordered it on iTunes.

Tonight I took Jonny to dinner at Mum’s, which happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in all of Edinburgh. I’ve eaten here on many visits and it’s the best place for simple Scottish comfort food. Jonny got some kind of pie (something vegetarian, that he said tasted amazing. I got my usual: Sausages & Mash (bangers and mash, if you will). Always a great meal at Mum’s!

Today’s hot chocolate is brought to you by the fine people of Starbucks.

Scotland 6: Day 1

28 Feb 201813 Aug 2021 / Dav / Leave a comment

02.27.18 | Edinburgh Hostel | 23:00

When I came out of International arrivals, Jonny was waiting. His flight had arrived just about an hour before my own, and he waited at a Costa Coffee in the airport in Edinburgh. I’ve never had anyone waiting for me in Scotland. As you know, these trips are usually a solo endeavor and even though he’s going to be with me for less than a week, this is hopefully going to be a good plot twist.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before my jet lag kicked in, but since it was Jonny’s first time here, we needed to go see the world-famous Edinburgh Castle. We dropped our bags off at the hostel and headed up High Street, a.k.a. The Royal Mile. This city has so many great memories and about now is when so many of them were flooding back. We paid our £17 entry fee and were able to join a guided tour that had just started. Then the wind kicked in. Let me tell you- I have never been to Scotland in this kind of cold. The snow hadn’t yet started, but the wind was already starting to make things miserable. We probably spent about an hour walking around and decided to go find some lunch so we could spend some time indoors.

We walked down High Street until we came to Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. Jonny had some vegetarian sausages, and I had a steak, ale, and mushroom pie. This was the perfect escape from the wind, which had now brought in the snow. I have never experienced Edinburgh this cold before. Even when I come at the end of February, or the beginning of March, I only have had to prepare for winds and rain. This was a whole different ballgame, and I still loved it!

Dinner was a restaurant in a mall area on the New Town side of the city. It is called Slug and Lettuce. Jonny, the traveling vegetarian, got a salad. I had some fish, but it actually came with a super-foods side salad. Also, even though I’ve only been here for two days, I’ve already had three hot chocolates! This may become a problem! I will no doubt come back to the states heavier than when I’d left! Thank heaven for Herbalife!

Scotland 6: PreTrip

27 Feb 201820 Aug 2021 / Dav / Leave a comment

My plane from BWI to PVD landed just after noon- two legs down, one to go. When I turned on my phone, I had a voicemail from the Anne Arundel County police. Apparently, I butt-dialed 9-1-1. Whoops! I’m sure they got the wrong guy. Weirdly, the call isn’t showing up in my call history, though.

Here’s the problem I am now faced with: My flight doesn’t leave until 21:35 tonight, so I need to fill up the time doing something. How early is too early to check-in for an international flight? I texted Jonny, and he told me that he wasn’t looking forward to sitting around for five hours until he can catch his flight. I just wish I only had five hours here!

I asked a Delta baggage-office agent if there are any decent restaurants near the airport, and he sent me to Legal Sea Foods, which happens to be located right across the street. I had some clam chowder, followed by some dang good fish tacos. I fought the urge to order dessert. I rationalized that since I’m on vacation, it’s ok. Then I realized that I’m most likely going to eat too many desserts soon. I will remain strong (for now).

After lunch, I caught a Lyft to a nearby shopping center to get some chocolate for the flight crew and try to get a haircut. The chocolate that I found came from a place called Sweenor’s. I wanted something better than M&Ms, but not too expensive. I ended up spending about $30 on a 1 1/2 lbs. assortment. Since I’m flying Norwegian, I asked my friend and former crashpad roommate, Kyle, who now works for this airline, if he knew the crew. He said he didn’t, but that most of them were based in Edinburgh. I hope they appreciate the chocolate. Unfortunately, I was unable to get the haircut I was seeking. The lady told me that they did take walk-ins, but every stylist was fully booked for the day. I’ll have to get one on the other side of the pond.

Now I’m sitting at the Starbucks outside the Security checkpoint at the airport. This is awesome because my large 12.9 inch iPad is in front of me, and since I’m typing and sipping a venti-sized drink (an herbal tea, if you must know), I can pretend I’m one of those wanna-be screenplay writers who live in Los Angeles and hangs out at Starbucks to use their free Wi-Fi.

PVD > EDI | 21:35 (Eastern US Time)

21:35 was when we were scheduled to depart, but Norwegian actually pushed back from the gate about 25 minutes early. This was good because we’re already up in the air before our scheduled push time. I love it when this happens! I guess if you have everyone, you have everyone- let’s go! Jonny sent me a message right as I was turning off my phone. His flight was slightly delayed, and we were leaving about the same time. Perhaps we’ll land closer to the same time- he was initially supposed to have to wait for a couple of hours for me once he landed.

The crew really appreciated the chocolate, and they were terrific! I will definitely continue to look for a flight on Norwegian in the future. They impressed me from Copenhagen to New York City last year as well. They thanked me several times, handed me three bottles of water, and told me that there were empty rows in the back of the plane if I want to go back and lay down. I hope to get at least a little sleep in the next six hours and forty-five minutes. I doubt it’s going to happen, however. I’m “as giddy as a schoolboy.” I believe that quote is from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

23:40 (Eastern US Time)

I don’t know why I even try to sleep on the plane when I travel. I’ve never been able to rest. I think I may have mental problems. Perhaps it’s the fact that there are other people around? There are a few times where I’ve come close to dozing off, but I never get any rest. It doesn’t really matter how tired I am. If I don’t at least get some rest, tomorrow will be a long, headachy kind of day. Bless the flight crew who have reserved some vacant seats in the back so I can go lay down. I really don’t think it’s going to do any good. Just over four-and-a-half hours to go.

25 Feb 201817 Oct 2020 / Dav / 2 Comments

Last night, my nephew Sam came over and slept on my couch. I asked him if he could drop me off early this morning at Salt Lake City airport. Since I’ll be away from home for a while, I didn’t want to keep my car out in the elements. The employee parking area at SLC isn’t covered parking. I pay them tons of money to park there, and I wish they would use some of that money to put a roof over our vehicles. Perhaps my money is helping to pay for the new airport that they’re building.

Sam has inspired me to set up a website that will display a ranking of how much I love each of my nephews and nieces. This way, they can compete for the top spot by doing things for me or buying me stuff. He is currently at the top of the list. I want to inspire/ challenge the other 24 to up their game to earn that number one spot. I would include all of my great-nephews and great-nieces, but they are too young and don’t yet have jobs to make money to buy me stuff.

The first leg of the journey was a flight from SLC to BWI. Tonight I’m back in Linthicum, Maryland. This is my old stomping grounds from the first three years that I was based at BWI. Many memories of living in downtown Baltimore and then having a crashpad here in Linthicum after moving to Kentucky. The best part of living in Maryland was the friends I made. Among them is my dear, sweet friend Monica.

Monica picked me up, and we just had a great meal together. She told me about the friends she’d kept in touch with- friends from “the old days.” While we talked, I realized that I had left Maryland for Kentucky more than ten years ago! I don’t even know where time has gone! The last time I was even with Monica was at least five years ago when our friend Arron was in town- I remember going to play games at Dave & Buster’s. As per usual, my time with Monica was so short. I had to be the party-pooper and get back to the hotel. I need rest- I haven’t slept very much for the last three nights. This is because I’m too excited- it’s been constant trips to the bathroom, you know when a little puppy gets so excited that it has to pee? That’s been my body all week. Finally, the day has come! It’s time to go on vacation!

Each time I prepare for a trip to Scotland, I have a friend or two who want to go with me. The first time this happened, I asked that friend what he wanted to see and do while there. I set up what I thought would be the perfect trip to Scotland, especially for someone who has never been there. Then that friend had a conflict and had to drop out of the trip. I still had a great trip but by myself. I’m not complaining, however. This same thing happened a second time with other friends. Just like last time, these friends had to drop out for one reason or another. I’ve learned that I need only to plan the perfect trip for myself. That way, if the others drop out, I still have an ideal trip for one. No regrets- over the years, I have gotten extremely good at traveling by myself (and I like it!).

I invited many friends/ coworkers to come with me. Most of them said they were interested, but the number quickly began to dwindle before I started booking. Of the twenty-one invited, two have made it to the deadline. My coworker Jonny will join me for the first few days, and my friend Alan wants to join me toward the end. I am surprised that more weren’t interested because this is a group of people who make their living by traveling. Most of them know how to make an international trip. Some, albeit, are new to the line of work/ lifestyle and aren’t getting paid very much yet, but It’s not like I planned this trip last week- I let them know about this as early as October.

Again, no big deal- it’s still going to be a fun time in Scotland! I have planned the perfect adventure. I am going to try to update this blog every day, internet connection permitting. You know there will be pictures of most of my food and, more than likely, a daily sleep report. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors- these will be fixed at a future date.

Here we go! when you thought I would sit still for a little while- Tomorrow is the beginning of Scotland 6!

The bad news: I threw up six times on this last work trip.

27 Dec 201721 Aug 2021 / Dav / Leave a comment

The good news: I’m not pregnant- also, after getting it all out of me, my stomach ache immediately went away. Now I just have to deal with the “squirts,” as I call them. This is what happens when I eat too much junk food. It’s the Christmas season! Passengers constantly bring me things. I’m very thankful, but this is what did me in. Throughout the night, I had to rush back and forth to the restroom, meaning I didn’t get much, if any, sleep. Soon, I was up preparing for my work trip.

The drive to the airport was very annoying. I usually do about 85 mph on the toll road, but since we had a big ole snowstorm last night, I think I maxed out at about 50. Thankfully, the other drivers were alert, and there was no slipping or sliding for two of my crashpad roommates and me. Michaela googled the temperature- with the wind chill factor, it was -6 Fahrenheit! This is the reason I’m so thankful for this next part.

More good news: I only had to work one leg on the first day! Then I found myself relaxing in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. This is my first time here! Another step to fulfill bucket list item number 74 is to have an overnight at every work location.

By the time we landed, I was pretty weak. It’s incredible how much energy you lose from tossing your salad all night long. The crew went to the lunch buffet, and I went straight to take a nap. I was worried that I wouldn’t fall asleep since I was so excited to be in Mexico. I fell asleep very fast, however. The buffet was closed for the afternoon when I woke up, so I crossed the street to a fish restaurant and ordered some fish and chips. The fried food wasn’t the best for my stomach because I seriously considered going to the restroom to purge. I ended up keeping it down, however.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the grounds of the all-inclusive resort where we stay. It was terrific, and I felt so spoiled. I didn’t want to venture out too far since this was my first time there, and there was some kind of drug-related hangings in the news lately. Plus, it was probably wise for me to stay closer to a restroom if you get my drift. Later, dinner was with my awesome coworkers, Deborah and Lome. We had such a fun chat! Since this was Christmas Eve, they really made it feel more like I was with family.

Day two of this trip was one leg to Los Angeles. We were done with our day by about 10:30, so we checked in to the hotel, rested for a bit, then met downstairs for lunch. We all ordered personal pizzas from the hotel restaurant since we weren’t sure which restaurants would be open if we would have ventured out.

Afterward, we went to see the movie Coco together. This is the second time I’ve seen this new Disney, and both times I got tears in my eyes. I didn’t outwardly cry since I was with the girls and had to hold my ultra-macho status, but I wanted to. This movie has such a great message! It also teaches the importance of families and shows you what the Mexican tradition Dia De Los Muertes is all about.

Again, the three of us had a meal together (it’s rare that this happens more than once on a three-day trip, but this was our third meal!). The meal wasn’t the best (the service was horrible, for the most part), but it was, once again, delightful company.

The following day, I got a text from Lome. She said she’d been sick and throwing up all night- it seemed to be food poisoning, possibly from the seaweed salad that she’d ordered for her dinner. When I checked with her last, she was on her way to see a complaint doctor; still, I’m hoping she heals fast! What a horrible way to end such a perfect trip! It was bad enough that she had to call my work’s scheduling department to be replaced on the trip, so Deborah and I were forced to work our last two legs with other flight attendants.

Happy to share (brag) that I just got back from Costa Rica!

1 Dec 201718 Aug 2021 / Dav / Leave a comment

Even though this was a shorter overnight, and I didn’t have much time to explore, I’m still happy to be able to check this overnight location off of my list! I only wish I had more time there. It’s rather annoying that this is one bucket list item that isn’t totally in my control. Usually, one sets achievable goals, and I’ve blogged about this before. Bucket list item number 74 will be fulfilled, more or less, by my employer. The goal is to get an overnight layover at every work location. The reason this may be unattainable is that not all overnights are offered for all of our bases. This means that I may have to get creative and start picking up trips out of some other bases.

When we first arrived last night, it was dark, so I could not see the countryside. The hotel we stay in, however, is lovely! Probably one of the most excellent hotels in the system, in my opinion. That’s saying a lot because my work often spoils me, putting me up in hotels that I would never want to pay for on my own. By myself, I’d be all about the Super 8 or the Motel 6. That’s just how I roll.

As you can see, this Doubletree is nice! They even had Costa Rican Sesame Street for me (which I was very into for some odd reason, not that I enjoy Sesame Street or speak Spanish)!

On the ride to the airport the following day, the sun was out, so I could finally see some of the landscape. It is breathtaking here! And this is what leads me to a problem. Whenever I get the mere taste of a new location, I tend to become a little bit obsessed. Suddenly I must plan a fun trip to Costa Rica. I’ve heard about a company that will come to your hotel, pick you up, take you zip-lining all day, even provide you with a decent lunch on your adventure. All this for somewhere around $85. How cool is that? Will have to do more research, though.

I discovered that my old friend and coworker, Spencer, lives in Costa Rica, about 10 minutes from our hotel. He sent me a message on Facebook and let me know that he’d show me around the next time I’m in town! How cool is this?! Maybe he even has a couch that I can crash on for more extended trips?!

On our flight from San Juan to Houston, we had some of the coolest passengers. Among them was a gal named Molly, who has been a flight attendant with the company for just about 6 months. She was with two of her friends, Kyle and Tyler. We got to chatting in the back of the plane, and I told them that I would require them to take the “True Lime Challenge.” I stoled this idea from Jeremiah and Tamara, two of my awesome coworkers (you guys wanna buddy bid?). True Lime is a lime substitute that is actually made from limes. The creation process causes it to where we’re not bringing fruit across an international border, but our passengers still get lime to put in their drink. Basically, it is powdered, concentrated Lime. So without further ado, here is The True Lime Challenge (I hope you enjoy this as much as I did):

It’s been a great couple of days! Tonight I ended up in Austin, Texas. I want to shout out to my niece Annie and my nephew-in-law Easton who live somewhere in Austin. The only reason I didn’t let you know I was here is because I totally spaced the fact that you live here. Whoops! Next time I’m here, I’ll let you guys know and even take you out to dinner!

Life is good!!

It’s been so many years since I’ve been to downtown St. Louis.

18 Nov 201719 Aug 2021 / Dav / Leave a comment

Travel Week

Monday: DEN > BWI > STL

When I was a new flight attendant, one of our hotels was so far into the downtown area that you could practically throw a rock and hit the famous arch, not that I would ever do such a thing. Then, for years we weren’t even close to downtown, one hotel in Westport, and I don’t remember where our other hotel was.

One of my favorite downtown St. Louis memories: I walked around the city, looking for breakfast. I came across an old-looking diner that was somewhat run-down and looked like it hadn’t been updated since the 50s or 60s. I walked inside, and one of the servers even had a bouffant-style hairdo. I thought that I had discovered some kind of throw-back, 50s-themed diner. On further inspection, I realized that this was just who these people were. This wasn’t a show or a theme restaurant.

There was one long grill that sort of reminded me of the setup of a Waffle House kitchen. The oddest part of this whole experience was that the lady standing behind the grill held a spatula in one hand and, on the other hand, a lit cigarette. She’d flip someone’s pancakes and turned to take a drag off the cigarette. Next, she would turn someone’s eggs and again take another puff. This was seriously like The Twilight Zone in my mind. The best part of this story is the fact that I couldn’t taste her cigarette smoke in my grits and eggs.

Dinner tonight was at a restaurant called Charlie Gitto’s, Italian food that has been here for over 30 years. I told the hotel concierge what I was craving, and this is the place that he sent me to. I ordered some muscles and order of lasagna.

The muscles were just ok. Nothing wonderful, though.

The lasagna more than made up for the lacking muscles! Next time I’ll just get the lasagna.

A beautiful scene on my walk back to the hotel. See the famous arch in the background?

On my way back to the hotel, I stopped in the hotel lobby Starbucks for some herbal mint tea. I think that we really underestimate the power of herbs. This is perfect since the nights are getting colder, and I really wanted to sip on something terrible for myself. This is actually how I show supreme control over my cravings since I really just wanted a hot chocolate.

Tuesday: STL > TPA

When I got to my Tampa hotel, it had just dawned on me that I hadn’t eaten any solid food yet that day. That explained why I had a horrible stomachache and had the shakes. To be honest, I had such a great morning working with my crew on our flight from St. Louis that I didn’t even think about eating.

Legendary flight attendant Jacky (taken in 1977)

This was a Dallas-based crew and among them was a gal named Jacky, who was hired in 1976, or in other words, when I was one year old! The company wasn’t even formed until 1971, and so as you can see, she is one of the first! She is such an awesome person! Unfortunately, she has run into some hard times in her life recently, and all I’m going to say is that I am so glad that I can count her as a friend! We had a long and heartfelt chat.

I feel that sometimes too many meetings and interactions are dismissed as mere coincidence. Both Jacky and I feel like this meeting is more than happenstance. I plan on keeping her in my life!

My pain of hunger was soon relieved, and I walked down the street to the Waffle House. I have been to this location before, so I’m not allowed to count it as a new one for number 100 on my bucket list, which is to eat at 100 different Waffle Houses. It was still delicious, and I got my usual fiesta omelet with a side of grits.

After filling my belly, I walked to a nearby cinema and saw Murder on the Orient Express. The movie was fantastic! It was pretty different than I thought it would be. My only complaint is that so much information was thrown at me all at once that I will probably have to go see it again. I guess I’ll wait for it to get to Redbox.

Wednesday: TPA > PHL > DEN

One of my favorite burger spots is Bad Daddy. It was great to grab 4 of my crashpad roommates and drive to Thornton for some “family” bonding. Sometimes life in a crashpad is stressful and makes me want to pull all of the hair out of my head. I’d swear that some of my roommates have never lived away from mommy and daddy’s house. I’m not going to mention any names because I know a couple of these offenders occasionally read this blog.

On the flip side, there are these times where we’re really bonding as a group, and it does feel more like a real family.

Thursday: DEN > MCI

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it- I love days where I only have to work one leg. It makes this P.M. shift a little easier to handle. Passengers are less likely to drink in the mornings and are therefore less likely to make stupid choices. I ended my day in Kansas City, Missouri. Thursday night was a slam-click since I was dog-tired.

Friday: MCI > AUS > EWR

We finished our Friday, just before midnight. My co-worker Brooke and our first officer (whose name I don’t recall) met for a late dinner at the hotel bar. It’s always great when crews get together off the plane, although it’s weird seeing them in regular clothes. I ordered a Cuban sandwich.

This morning I set out in a Lyft to go to the mall. The four-mile drive literally took my driver 40 minutes. He was getting so into whatever he was talking about that he kept taking the wrong turns and the ride ended up costing me so much more than it would have. The kicker: His G.P.S. was right, but he wasn’t paying any attention to it! No tip for you! I complained, and Lyft gave me most of my money back.

When he finally dropped me off, I walked around for a bit (this counts as a workout). I bought some new shoes (I may have left a shoe in one of my hotels last week, and I need two, you see), and I saw Justice League. Turns out that this may be the best D.C. Comics movie so far… at least I think so.

It’s time to get ready for work. I’m posting this now since I’m not done until late tonight, and I’ll probably forget if I don’t. Here’s to hoping for safe/quick flights and passengers who don’t want to drink, only sleep!

DavTravels

Wanderlust And So Forth

Bucket List

Scotland 6: Day 5

Scotland 6: Day 2

Scotland 6: Day 1

Scotland 6: PreTrip

The bad news: I threw up six times on this last work trip.

Happy to share (brag) that I just got back from Costa Rica!

It’s been so many years since I’ve been to downtown St. Louis.

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