audrielc

[audrielc]

Thursday October 5, 2017 

Sick Leaving 

I have never called in sick from a trip after I have been out on the line before.  Last night, after arriving into KC, my seasoned crewmate Sherry, could tell I had been beaten down pretty hard, and wasn’t feeling well... I needed some warm food for my belly and some senior momma counseling; so over my Hotty-Totty and pretty epic baked potato & brussel sprout dinner she explained the contract and point system - and the magical rules of the 4th quarter.  Talked about using my PIN vs taking 1/2 point, etc.  What I discovered, after processing and doing the math, is that by the end of the quarter I would be no different off than if I called out for this one final day of this trip or not.... hmmm.  Figured I would sleep on it and see how I did in the AM.  Morning arrived, and I was sicker than a dog.  Stressful weekend catching up with me? Got dehydrated? Exposed to some early cold bugs on the airplane? Depressing world junk happening? Forgot to take my vitamins? Probably a combination of all that... But I was down and out, and woke up to a missed call and message from my Partner saying “I just really wish you were here.” Meeee too.  Looked at the work day ahead of me - which already showed us as pretty delayed, and, feeling defeated, called the DEN base to discuss my options, confirm my work-points situation, and discussed how to get myself home the easier way--Mike at the Inflight Base was SUPER helpful and affirming. It wasn’t an easy decision to tap out, and with the upcoming big BEER FEST weekend upon us, with our of towners arriving tomorrow, and my head feeling like it was going to explode, my lungs heavy, and my energy at -20 it was time to throw in the towel for the first time in over a year and a half flying. Crew Scheduling got me a DH on the 2:40 flight to DEN... And I would be home before 5:00.  On the airport shuttle, I met the BWI crew working the DEN flight, and one gal tipped me off to a new (to me) travel industry employee vacation website... Fate? Well, LRATT right? I snoozed on the flight home.  When I got DEN, I still hadn't heard back from Jake, so decided to spend 10 minutes shining up my winter work boots with the shoe shine lady at DIA - 

Midge, who just so happened to be there when I walked into the terminal from my gate. At home, Jake informed me it was Scott’s birthday, and a Symp crowd was gathering at the Horseshoe... How could I say no to that? So, I unpacked, changed, and we headed over for more hotty-totties and birthday candle shots.  Tanked out we crawled back home after short stop off to Jake’s new local brew spot to stock the fridge for the Acton’s arrival tomorrow.  I crawled into bed, beat and feeling that ugly virus creeping further in.

“The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.” ― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

[audrielc]

Wednesday October 4, 2017

Blue State 

Woke up today in Boston...Ive been here a few times and never really gotten out and about in this city... Though I hear good things.  The original plan today was to meet up with my Crew Gals and go exploring...And a 5:00 wake up to some cold sweats/fever/chill/sick/ick feeling put a full and hard stop on that original plan... When the ladies messaged me around 10:00 I knew I needed more time under the covers and sucking down the cold medicine/homeopathics, and hopefully some more Zzzz’s.  By 1:00 I threw the curtains open and checked the weather... 65 and sunny.  And as I often do, I thought WWJ(ake)D? Live as a verb, was the answer that came back, and not to waste this 86400 of perfect New England fall weather.  So, dosed up on cold meds, and praying this was a 24 hour allergy related slump, I threw on my tennies and headed out to find coffee and perhaps some lobster.  We have two crew hotels in BOS, one is literally attached to the airport (total snooze) and the other is on the Harbor. Google quickly found me a local non-star-dunken-bean coffee spot - called Blue State - walking distance from the hotel, and their website said they sustainably and fairly sourced their brew, and they donated to local community charities, after a quick glance through their sponsorships, I agreed I was on board, and would spend my out of state dollars with them today.  Only about a 4 minute walk along the water and in front of the WTC Boston Harbor, I was happy to find the tiny joint and they had something unusual that sounded appealing to my snuffly stuffed up head... Chider (Chai Tea / Cider) hmmmm, gave it a whirl and was very happy with my choice.  Hot drink in hand walked back out on the busy water front street to window browse in a local flower shop that had cool, over priced, hanging succulents in glass bulbs & spheres and very fine looking french soaps.  I resisted the “buy something bug” and moved along to another little clothing shop, as I made my way to the Fish Pier, that had the No Name Restaurant, off Northern & Fish Pier St.  Apparently this place has been around for 100 years, no joke - since 1917.  They claimed to serve New England Classics, so I decided to check out their lobster selection. The place was rustic, and busy, and the host said they could give me a seat and a meal in the 25 minute window I had left before I needed to head back to the hotel and start my work day.  So, I was in.... Wanted that lobster roll, and considered subbing french fries for the roll part, but opted for some “garden salad” instead... $22 bucks for about 4 oz of seafood delight over some fresh but boring iceberg lettuce a few hunks of cucumber, and some cherry tomatoes, served with that classic boston-esque glow and glamor.  Not my very best overnight meal, but it was a memorable experience in a historic place nonetheless.  Feeling like I might have this head cold on the run, I scuffled back to the hotel across the street, and hopped in a hot shower and steamed towards my LL time and three legs to the city of fountains.  

Quote: “What New England is, is a state of mind, a place where dry humor and perpetual disappointment blend to produce an ironic pessimism that folks from away find most perplexing” ― Willem Lange      

[audrielc]

Tuesday October 3, 2017

Downward Dog Day 

Spent the morning just as down and depressed as the whole day yesterday - on the couch with Havarti - who didn't seem to like all the melancholy in the air either.  Didn’t get to the store. Didn’t get any meal prep done.  Half expected a call from Crew Scheduling, half didn’t.  Half wanted to go, half wanted to stay.  Half wanted to get up and move, half wanted to sloth on the couch.  It took from 10:00 am - 2:30 pm for CS to ring, they called J’s because of my phone debacle last few weeks left his number as the primary; got a trip, A position - I get to be the face and voice for the next three days--grrreat.  Work one to BOS, decent overnight at a hotel I’ve not been to, work three to MCI and then three home.  Scheduled to be back in the DEN around midnight Thursday, before the Acton Fam arrives on Friday at about 7:00 am. No cleaning was done, house functionally as wrecked as I felt on the inside. Time to go to work.  I gathered what I could out of the cupboards & fridge & freezer to piece together a food bag.  Showered, threw some refills in my toiletries, and some random clothes into the rollerboard.  Took the Spotty ride to DIA and sucked it up.  At least we were on time, and my crew seemed decent - two ladies I hadn’t flown with before.  I felt them both out - not all of us had the same values, and we all commiserated about the tragedy and shock. My BFF Ash in LAS was safe after a birthday a weekend not to remembered as remarkable at home.  A classmate of mine who attended the concert was saved by an early Monday work trip that had him and his partner leaving the concert just minutes before the chaos began--That was close.  It was shared today that one of our SWA FAs was shot in the arm, and was in recovery.  Another FA’s young 20′s sister was shot in the eye, and in critical condition.  Depressing heavy junk.  LONG flight to BOS, with lots to think about.  Used the PA to try to pump some positivity into the airwave vibes- “Audrie you still have a job to do, so make the best of it,”  requested moments of silence during our taxi, filled with solidarity and love; “In a world where you can choose to be anything, we hope you choose to be kind, loving, and compassionate.” Many people just talked over me anyway. Got some warm smiles and thanks on our deplane anyway.  And so it goes.  After searching for a dinner snack with my crewmate Sherry (this hotel’s apparently closed down at 12:15), we found last food call at the restaurant next door, and called it a night.  Made plans for the next day to get up and venture out with the crew-gals... Tossed and turned for quite sometime in my home sweet hotel home - head spinning. What a trip, these last few days. Worrisome, woeful, weighted. 

“What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?” ― Ursula K. Le Guin           

[audrielc]

Monday October 2, 2017

Tough Stuff 

Spent the day under covers; horrified, depressed, and ultimately checked out of reality while watching the shocked nation grieve the greatest mass shooting in US history.  So unlike me to be glued to the talking heads on TV, flashing images of another massacring man, terrifying iWitness videos, and sound bites from a community in shock. And are we all that shocked? Something’s gotta give.  Something’s gotta move us enough to move us to change.  Something’s gotta get us collaborated to come to our senses and connected enough to take action.  If no this? Then What? 

Rough start to a rough week, after a rough end to a really rough weekend. JA and I rolled in mid-afternoon yesterday, REALLY beat up after a really bonked, really terrible trip to NM, that definitely brought out some of the worst in each of us.  New lows, and already finding myself in self-preservation-mode; internally repeating my mantra LRATT - no exceptions, find the blessings, what you focus on grows, breath deep and trust the process, the Universe is perfect, balanced and all knowing, Love prevails. Despite the positive internal talk, I was useless today.  Felt really frozen and broken with a truly broken heart.  So much to think about and so little to say.  Searching for meaning, and finding nothing but numbness, empty, grief.  Frozen. Stuck. Lost. Wasted day, wasting away.  I go on call tomorrow for three days, and then J’s parents arrive for a festive-fun-filled weekend.  Zero progress on prepping the house for guests, and no meals prepped or packing for a potential trip.  Wasted.  And washed up.  

     “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow