August 4th, 2008

I have felt the sand and the salt of the Red Sea between my toes

I have been told I look more African than American
and I have bought over-priced spices at a Tel Aviv bazaar
I have been to Israel

Neither here, nor there...

What I know: right now I am home. Really home. Finally I made it back to Whidbey Island. My 6 precious days will go by so fast. I am craving cloudy days and coffee shops and walking along the beach!!! Will I get enough of it before I have to go back out into the big, bad, scary world?
Current weather: 60 degrees and partly cloudly. ;) aaaaah, Seattle.

I flew a 777 today, and other thoughts...

My life...I can't even really figure it out right now. This month has been soooo busy, I don't even know where all i've been or how the time has flown by so quickly. I haven't had a moment's peace from crew scheduling...At least I got to see Tel Aviv! AND...I can now say that I have operated a Boeing 777-200. ;) On the flight back from London-Heathrow, I worked up in BusinessFirst (which I somehow had managed to avoid on the 777 before) and so, instead of blocking (like I normally end up doing) I actually went into the cock pit when one of the guys needed a bathroom break. Normally, you just sit there and chat with the FO or the captain, whoever is up there and not in the bathroom. This time, the FO told me to take the captain's seat! I was a little unsure of that, and even more unsure of when he told I was going to fly the plane. ;) He got a radio that we need to lower down to 34,000 feet from 37,000 feet. He told me which dial to turn down to 34 and then to press the button in! YIKES. ;) I flew a 777! It was very cool of the FO to let me do that, I felt like it gave me wings for a minute. ;)

Quick Call!

I have less than an hour to get ready, for Tel Aviv! Looking at the crew list, some of them have 2 zero's before their employee numbers! (It's a very senior trip). I hope I am awake enough for this trip. I got back from a week in Germany to visit my sister (of which i hope to tell about soon) the day before yesterday. Yesterday I was assigned airport alert at 11am (too early for us international flight attendants) and they assigned me a domestic base pairing--an Aruba turn. As soon as I rushed to the plane and got on board the rain started. Not just regular rain, the plane was rocking back and forth at the gate as the flash floods and wind poured over us. Somehow that big metal bullet feels more like a toothpick in that moment. Of course we were delayed, 2 and half hours to be exact. And I got back from that turn after midnight. So here I am, still tired and half planning to go to the Jersey shore and I get a quick call to Tel Aviv. Okay, gotta go hop in the shower, no time to spare. ;)