Utah

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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!

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Tonight I’m in Los Angeles where it feels like Christmas. The temperature is in the upper-50s and a light wind is blowing off of the Pacific Ocean. Sepulveda Blvd is somewhat lit with Christmas lights, and I just walked back from grabbing an early dinner at Panera Bread, and stopped at Trader Joe’s (where I picked up some Italian butter cookies and a carton of chocolate almond milk. I’m not anti-cow, but this stuff is so good! I never realized you could milk an almond!).

It’s time for a Christmas movie. Tonight will be my very favorite version of A Christmas Carol. This is Disney’s animated version, starring Jim Carrey. If you haven’t this version yet, I highly recommend that you do! Not only is the animation amazing, but the musical score is just the best! If you’re into music, make sure you pay attention to the score, even when it is just in the background. It gives me chills every time I watch it!

Tonight I’m thankful for my new friend Cindi. I have worked with her before, and she is also a fellow Utahn. I saw her waiting in line for my same commute flight in Salt Lake City last night and was pleased to learn that she’d traded into the work trip that I was already on. She is definitely becoming a great friend, inasmuch as I probably shared entirely too much information with her on the jumpseat. I love the person she is, and I love her faith.

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Here’s a little #ThrowbackMonday for you. Yes, I know the official hashtag should be #ThrowbackThursday, but today is Monday, and since this happened exactly seven years ago today, I wanted to post it now. Here’s the story: My buddy Dan asked me if I wanted to go skydiving with him for his birthday. It just so happens that this was the very first thing I’d written down when I was brainstorming on setting up my own bucket list. I had wanted to do this for as long as I can remember.

Dan, myself, and some of his BYU classmates met at the skydiving facility in Ogden, Utah. Before you can jump, you have to go through a little training/lesson. As I was learning how to properly jump out of a plane, I wondered how many times someone had chickened out while learning this. I probably would have also wussed out, if Dan hadn’t been there to peer pressure me.

Years ago I posted the video of this skydive on my blog, but when I was going through some stuff this morning, I realized that I hadn’t yet re-posted to this new blog. I was going through my videos and also realized that I never actually posted the footage that leads up to the jump. So, for the first time ever, here is the whole experience.

Today I’m extremely thankful for Apple Music.

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I have discovered so much incredible music- and if we’ve ever met, you know that my life pretty much revolves around music. People tell me that there’s more music on Spotify, but I choose Apple Music because I’m an Apple guy. I always have an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook Pro with me, and when I’m at home, I have my iMac and my Apple TV. I do use Spotify on occasion, but not enough that it warrants paying another subscription fee. I subscribed a couple years ago, and it’s been well worth the $10 per month that it costs.

This morning I am listening to Christmas music. Before you chime in about it being too early for Christmas music, please note that we’re past October 1st, and so I’m allowed! This has been my rule for years now. October 1st through January 31st is the window that I’ve given myself. Outside that window of time, I’ll skip over a Christmas song that comes up in the music shuffle- I would listen to it year-round, but I don’t want to ever become one of those people who takes Christmas music for granted.

Speaking of Christmas- bucket list item number 112 is to spend Christmas in Scotland- we all saw this one coming. Perhaps one year, I can fulfill bucket list item number 50 simultaneously to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh.

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It never fails… I just finished making this year’s birthday video, and I’ve been watching it over and over again, unable to hold back the tears. I’m pretty sure that Heavenly Father has given me the absolute best family and friends! He has filled my life with so many amazing people!

If you’re not familiar, this is my yearly I Scream, You Scream video. It all started 7 years ago (if you know this story, feel free to skip it)- I was stuck at my Baltimore crashpad, as Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on Maryland. I remember wanting to be with friends for my birthday, but that was impossible. I sat there wondering how we could celebrate together, even though we were far apart. I came up with a brilliant plan (if I do say so myself): I asked all my friends, via Facebook, to go out and buy their favorite pint of ice cream, and to take a bite at precisely 21:00 (eastern time). When each of them took a bite, they were told to take a selfie (or have someone take their picture) enjoying the ice cream. Next, they’d send me the picture and I’d turn all the pictures into a slideshow.

So here is this year’s offering. I want to thank those who took part. I hope you know that this means so much to me! I love you guys!

On Sunday evening, I was at the Salt Lake City International airport.

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It was time to commute to Denver since I had an early A.M. trip on Monday. Apparently, one of our flight attendants had gotten very sick and started throwing up after the passengers had boarded the plane. When I approached the customer service desk to get my boarding pass, the agent asked if I’d be willing to work a flight out of Salt Lake City. I told the agent that I was happy to help but wouldn’t be legal for it. After working six days in a row, the F.A.A. requires that we rest for 24 hours. Since I was about to work six days in a row, this wasn’t going to work. The only way this could be if my work scheduling department were to change my trip.

Wouldn’t you know it? As I was saying this to her, my phone rang. It was scheduling. I answered, and they asked if I would work that flight to Chicago, and they would adjust my trip so that everything was legal. I told them I would but didn’t have time to check my assignment before boarding the plane. After all, the passengers were already boarded and now late. I boarded the plane, stowed my bags, and we were off. I thought that my new assignment was to work to Chicago, and then they’d either work or deadhead me back to Denver to start my trip the following day. It wasn’t to be. When we landed at Midway, I checked my assignment. I was to work for another flight that night to Boston.

Usually, stuff like this only happens if I’m excited to get to a particular layover. Somehow the powers that be, scheduling, and even the weather, knows when I’m excited to be somewhere, and it seems that that’s when I get some kind of reroute. It’s just the way things go (sometimes).

I’m looking forward to my next trip day-after-tomorrow. Hoping for smooth flights, and if I am rerouted, I hope I get a great destination.

Every Southwest Overnight?

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So much has happened in the last few days- I hope I can do this story justice. First off, I’m happy to report that I am another step closer to checking bucket list item number 74 off (which is to stay at every single Southwest overnight). I will admit that this is one bucket list item that I may never check off wholly. The reason why is because my employer constantly changes what overnights are available to the flight attendants. Since I’m based in Denver, there are some places where we just don’t go. Now, if I were still Baltimore-based, there would be some other places that I would not be able to go- layovers that may be only available to Denver-based flight crews. Does that make any sense? Regardless, it’s good to have goals and reach for dreams, even if they may never come to fruition.

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That being said, I finally spent my first night in Memphis. After checking in at our hotel, Ashley, Will, and I changed into “regular people” clothes and had the hotel’s van driver take us to “the best Memphis barbecue.” We ended up about a mile away, at a restaurant called Central BBQ (map). Ashely and Will (who happen to be my roommates at my crashpad) got half racks, but I opted for a full rack! It was so delicious! The sauce was incredible, and the meat fell off the bone pretty magically! And just like that- bucket list item number 66 is checked off!

The Civil Rights Museum: Across the street from the restaurant is the Lorraine Motel- this is the place where the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed as he stood on the motel’s balcony. It was such an unimaginable experience to be there. The motel has been preserved in the same condition that it had been back on April 4th, 1968, the day of his assassination.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot while he was standing right beside room 306. 

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This is the marked path of the assassin’s bullet.

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Next, we headed up to historic Beale Street, stopped in a few gift shops, and then sat down to hear a live blues band play. It was incredible! The perfect day, with the ideal weather- the upper ’70s and not too humid. Later, I walked back to the hotel by myself, wanting to see more of the city. Ashley and Will weren’t feeling it, and they opted to call the shuttle driver back from the hotel.

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Voodoo Shrine

Now- to report on two nights ago. We ended up in one of my favorite places: Nashville, Tennessee! Before our last flight landed in Nashville, I logged on to our plane’s wifi signal and checked to see if there were any tickets left for The Grand Ole Opry. Thank goodness- there were a few left! I asked Will if he was interested in getting tickets, and he wasn’t. I then walked to the after galley and asked Ashely and Lori the same question (Lori is our “D” flight attendant who wasn’t with us yet in Memphis but had worked with us this second day and would be staying with us in Nashville). They said they were indeed interested!

After checking in at our hotel, the four of us Uber’d into Nashville and found dinner at Dave & Buster’s, adjacent to The Opry House (map). Will was with us for dinner, but we said our goodbyes since he didn’t want to go to the Opry. He headed back to the hotel, then Ashley, Lori, and I went to the show.

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This was my second Nashville overnight, where I attended the Opry (the first time having been at the Ryman downtown- see post). Some of the artists were the same, but I was also introduced to a few new ones. Unfortunately, there were no surprise visitors, as there had been on that first visit. Maybe this is a good thing since we had to head to the airport this morning at 05:00. When Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood showed up that night, that stretch things out pretty late, and even though it was a fantastic experience, I was a zombie the next day.

Still, the show was incredible, and I need to research and find out if they do some kind of Opry season pass. I will love to get one of those if they’re not too expensive (and if they even exist).

Tonight I’m back in my own home, getting ready to sleep in my own bed. I was supposed to work another trip yesterday, but unfortunately, I have something going on with my throat that I hope doesn’t turn into laryngitis. The last time I experienced this (that I can recall) was back in December of 1996. I can remember the experience so well because I was required to sing in Handel’s Messiah over the Christmas break, and even though no sound would come out, I stood there with the choir and mouthed the entire thing. Good times!

When I worked back to base yesterday morning, I had no voice left and even had to ask the other flight attendants to make my required announcements. Today I’ve been sipping on herbal teas, and unfortunately, I can now am being bugged with a headache and sore throat as well. I hope I’m better by Wednesday when I’m planning on commuting back to work.

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Since I’m finally back in town, I was able to go pick up my recently framed picture of Victoria’s Street that I bought while I was in Edinburgh last year (see post). The guy who did it is a man by the name of Jason Potter (the only reason I’m posting his full name is because I think he did such a great job- that maybe some of my neighbors and friends may use his services in the future). He not only makes frames with his art business, Silverstar Art, but he is a police officer for the city of Tooele. This is one reason that I knew I wouldn’t’ be cheated- he more or less has his reputation on the line as a cop. It ended up costing me $84. I gave him $85 since I didn’t have any smaller bills, and before he could find change I told him to just deduct it from my bail, in case he ever books me in jail. I didn’t know I could prepay for future bail.

 

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“Turning Right On Victoria Street, Edinburgh”

 

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The photographer’s name is Josh Vogelsang. I think he has some breathtaking prints- definitely worth checking out his site: https://www.joshvogelsang.co.uk/. I hope to get more of his work in the future. Perhaps I’ll run into him again on High Street in Edinburgh- you never know. I noticed that his site has some limited edition, signed prints available.

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This past week, I started to read Wicked again. I love this book! If you’re not familiar, it’s the story of the rise [and fall] of the wicked witch of the west. Please understand that I’m not a huge reader- so for me to read on my own, is a pretty big deal. When I read this book, it’s easy to understand why the witch turned out like she did. I know that some of you may have the musical in mind, but the book is very, very different. Come to think about it, the only similarity between the musical and the book is the fact that Elphaba and Galinda meet while attending college at Shiz University.

I started the book again because I really wanted to read the next book in the series, called Son of a Witch. This way, Wicked will be fresh in my head. There is so much that happens in the first book, I’m sure that Son of a Witch builds onto it.  I have set a goal, to spend some time in a book every day. We’ll see how long this lasts. I love reading it on my

I have set a goal, to spend some time in a book every day. We’ll see how long this lasts. I love reading it on my iPad because I can read it with a split screen- on one side of my screen is the book, and the other side is a screenshot of a map of The Land Of Oz- this way I can immediately understand where the characters are. It makes it more clear for me and means that I don’t have to constantly turn back to the beginning of the book, which is what I have to do when reading a hard copy.

After having worked the last six days in a row, I’m very thankful to be off for the next four. My plane landed just before 02:00 this morning and after about 2 1/2 hours of sleep at the crashpad, I somehow managed to get myself together and head back to the airport in Denver. The goal was to get home as quickly as possible. As I sat in the airport, waiting for my flight, I found it very hard to keep my eyes open. A nap would have been nice, but I don’t think my employer appreciates it when I nap in full uniform.

My nap came later in the afternoon- and it was a heavy, three-hour affair. Even though I feel rested at the moment, I can’t wait to fall back to sleep tonight! I think it’s going to be a very chill evening. I plan on popping some popcorn and watching a movie. Perhaps I’ll watch The Wizard of Oz.

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Just as I thought, today was a struggle of needing to get things done and wanting to relax. I woke up before the sun and had planned on driving into Salt Lake City to give Lyft rides to the morning commuters, but on my way, it started to rain. I decided to grab some groceries and head back home. I was back home by about 09:30 and I soon fell back to sleep and got a nice, long nap. This was great, especially since I’d been going since 05:30 or so.

Tonight I’m packing bags, getting everything ready. I have a work trip tomorrow morning. The reason I didn’t commute to my base is because the first leg of the trip is a deadhead from Denver to Salt Lake City. My plan is to call scheduling tonight and ask them to release me from the deadhead, and just meet my trip at SLC tomorrow morning. I’ve never tried this before, but I know plenty of coworkers who have. I hope I’m with a great crew- I haven’t even checked who I’m working with yet.

Number 18 on the bucket list is to raft on the Colorado River. I remember about 18 years ago, or so, my buddy James surprised me with a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. What I remember about that trip is going to a dinner show where the Bar J Wranglers performed, camping, and rafting down the Snake River. There were two parts of the rafting trip, one that was slow and serene and the other was more rapids. Somewhere in my stuff, I have a picture of us rafting in the white water. Once I come across it, I’ll have to post it. I remember it’s hilarious!

I’ve been told that the Colorado River has some of the best whitewater around. I decided that I’d love to have this experience. I have enough coworkers who live in Colorado that I don’t think it’ll be too hard to find friends who are interested. This could be an amazing trip!