Grounded

Well, today I am reminded of how much I despise non-rev travel. I tried to make one last trip to NYC for dinner with a girlfriend and the flights were disgusting. The first flight of the morning cancelled leaving 150 people at the mercy of the standby list. I got up at 300AM to check myself in for my 7AM flight, but never went back to sleep. Made it to the airport about 6AM and hopped from terminal to terminal for about 4 hours. I fluctuated up and down the list and 4 flights later, I was still sitting in DFW. Bleh. And now, at 6:35PM, I am still sitting in Texas, not New York. So much for great flight benefits.

A few dramatic events lately to post...

• I rear ended a BMW driving foreigner. He short-breaked at a stop sign and gassed it like he was going to go, decided he couldn't make it across traffic and slammed on his brakes. I had, of course, already turned my head to make the turn, hit the gas, and tapped his bumper. So, two hair line scratches on the back of his car will probably cost me a pretty penny. AND of course, he called his insurance on the spot and reported it....he bought the car at Carmax and has it insured with Geico...bet he sure has deep pockets. Whatever. Still waiting to here the estimate of damage.
• Bo had a mouse in his apartment. His complex backs up to an open field where I assume the unpleasant little rodent migrated from for warmth. I was sitting in the living room when it scurried across the carpet and you'd have thought I was held at gunpoint I squealed so loud. Needless to say, we ran straight to Albertsons where we purchased 6 mouse traps and strategically placed them along the most likely baseboard paths. Those things are a bitch to set by the way. I snapped my fingers at least 3 times.... We were successful though - the little guy was attracted to our peanut butter bait and bit the dust during the night. He was properly disposed of this morning.
• My garbage disposal malfunctioned while doing the dishes yesterday. I was cleaning up the last of lunch when I felt water dripping onto my toes. Sure enough, I opened the cabinets below the sink and it was flooded with water and ground food particles. Disgusting. I had to pull all the stuff out from under the cabinet, wipe off and salvage what I could, and soak up the standing water. Ick. I will say I was impressed with my apartment complex maintenance department. Fortunately, I had never had a reason to call. But they responded to my Saturday afternoon call within an hour and fixed me all up. And then called this morning to follow up and make sure my request had been taken care of. Good thing I pay them too much in rent.

It seems the more chaotic life becomes, the less I write. Who knows why. There's probably more thoughts in my head now than since I started my blog, but I guess I'll blame it on lack of time. I'm officially halfway into my in between jobs hiatus and starting to wonder what to do next. I've cleaned my apartment (several times), put up my Christmas tree, gone shopping (several times), ate lots of Thanksgiving foods... I certainly don't think I could be a housewife/stay at home mom. This stinks - I'm ready to get back to work. Two days off would have been plenty, but now I'm just searching for things to do...

Updates

Oh, so much to post!

• The biggest news...I have 5 days left with American Airlines. I have accepted a position with Parsons, an engineering, costruction, and project management company headquartered in CA. No worries though...I will be staying in Ft Worth. I will be working on a project to improve the FAA environment - radars, nagivation systems, infrastructure improvements. It is a bittersweet transition since I have grown to love the people and work that I do at AA. On the other hand, I can say there are people and work that I will NOT miss. I wasn't looking for the job. It just fell into my lap and with the uncertainty of commercial airlines, Parsons will be a relief. My last working day at AA is Nov 21st and I don't start at Parsons until Dec 8th. My flights benefits will be good until Dec 1st. Any one want me to come visit?? I'm going to have 2 weeks free to go insane with nothing to do!!
• Since my days with AA are numbered, I am headed to NYC for the weekend with Holly. I intended to do the weekend trip for Holly's graduation in May, but my flight benefits only last a few more weeks. We're staying on Fifth Avenue in Midtown minutes away from the best of New York City. I'm thrilled to say we will be taking a Sex and the City tour through New York!! We'll see all the sites where the show and movie were filled as well as a few cosmos along the way! I'm absolutely in love with that city so I've been looking forward to this all week! And going with one of your best friends is the best way to enjoy it.
• My air conditioner went out in my car. Blah. It probably went out a while before I noticed, but the weather has been cool and I haven't needed the A/C. Well, a few warm days came through and hot flash momma noticed immediately. I had it checked out to day and $800 later, I find out my condenser was pierced by an object that must have hit under my car when driving. I had to have a new condenser, dryer, and fill up of freon. Ugh. $800. Really? Good thing Parsons is giving me a hefty raise and signing bonus.

So much more to post but I'm exhausted...

Obama the Post Turtle

Now that we have learned our fate, it is time to be prepared on the issues.

This is what pisses me off...Facebook status' such as this:

XXX....My president is black!!!! Bitches.

Who fucking cares if he's black? Do you even know what he plans to do in office? Color should be irrelevant. For 22 months, Obama attempted to keep the race issue quiet and what does the media do within minutes of the presidential annoucement? Interview people who start playing the civil rights card and the efforts of MLK. Pathetic.



An analogy for thought...

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our president.

The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'Post Turtle''.

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.

The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, and he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there to begin with'.

'08

Go vote, maverick style.

Blog time again

In case anyone reads this, I apologize for my infrequent posts lately. Sickness, weddings, and work have kept me busy lately. Unfortunately, I have a busy week ahead of me again...and it's already November! Hard to believe...

More posts to come...I promise.

The loveseat is now a loving couch

Fuck slipcovers. I bought a new couch.

Jobs

Time for a work related post. I had an interview yesterday outside of American Airlines and... I rocked it. I was very pleased with my responses and I'm very qualified for the position based on my experience with AA. If I was afforded the opportunity to pcik from both jobs I interviewed for, it would be a tough decision. I've been with AA for a year and a half, yet I'm not sure I am ready to leave. Maybe a big fat raise would solidify the decision. After all, I just bought a great AA sweater vest to wear to work..

I'm still sruggling with the loveseat. I need a new couch altogether....

Loveseat, not so Loving

The loveseat in my new apartment has been the center of much controversy for many reasons. First, it's a loveseat, not a couch. Bo is about 6 feet. There is not so much loving on the 4 foot loveseat. He either curls into the fetal position with sad eyes, rearranges the furniture to prop his feet on the side chairs, or lays on the floor. Breaks my heart!!!

Second, the couch is white - bright white. It does not match the decor, which causes me to dislike the couch almost equally as Bo, but for the lack of style it brings to my petite apartment. So, I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond in search of a slipcover to coordinate the loveseat better with my apt. The first cover wasn’t a Sure Fit stretch cover and didn’t fit snugly and “hug” the loveseat. I stuffed and straightened it for 20 minutes and in the end, it looked like a limp sheet. If no one ever sat on it, it worked. But how realistic is that? It took Bo about 5 minutes of tossing around to turn it into a ball of fabric. Wonderful. Two styles later, I think I have settled on a winner. What do we think?

Deep Fried in the South

I am madly in love with the fall season. As the calendar flips a new quarter, it becomes an enjoyable time of year in Texas for many reasons - crisp mornings with days less that 100 degrees, light jackets, college football, and the State Fair of Texas. I am fortunate enough to have a boyfriend who equally enjoys my love of fried food, exhibit shopping, and carnival rides. We usually celebrate the fair each year by stuffing our faces and walking til our legs ache and we run out of money. This year was no exception.

After a good night of partying in downtown Dallas for OU/TX weekend and drowning our sorrows in as many beers as we could consume, we crashed in a tiny hotel room way too small for about 10 people. Still cramped from a few hours of sleep in the fetal position, we made a day of the fair.

Today I ate:

• Fletcher's Corn Dog
• Corn of the Cob
• Fried Banana Split
• Fire and Ice
• Chicken Fried Bacon
• Fried Guacamole
• Fried Queso

I would say it was a light eating day compared to years past at the fair. Nonetheless, I enjoyed every bit of it. The judges were correct - Chicken Fried Bacon was the winner of the day. Fried bacon with a crisp battered crust and a side of ranch seems a natural. Why had no one thought of this before? Although, I did feel my heart slowing down for a minute, the 2008 fair winner didn't disappoint. Fried banana split was a rip off and Fire and Ice was overrated. Unfortunately, I had to go without a turkey leg and candy apple this year - there just wasn't any room left in my belly.

I anxiously await next years fried treats.

When it rains, it pours...

Almost another week of work down and what a week it has been. We had an opening for a position at AFW still within Purchasing, so I applied. Turns out, I am perfect for it. Same work I do now, just with more responsibility and a promotion! Right now I manage about $15 million dollars, this job is a few hundred million dollars. So, I interviewed with the manager and he seemed to be very impressed. He's actually one of the people who interviewed me a year and a half ago for the job I have now. According to him, I should find out about that job early next week.

However, to add a layer of complication to that job, he, the manager, is leaving on Monday for a new job. I applied for the position before that piece of info came to light and now it has me questioning my interest. Knowing quite a few of the candidates for the position because I work with them now makes me a little uneasy. There's some decent candidates, ok candidates, and horrible candidates. So, do I grow my career and experience at the risk of not enjoying my boss.

Ok, next layer of complication. I interviewed for that job yesterday. About a month ago I applied for a job outside of AA with an excellent company in the Fort Worth area. A month ago. When do they decide to call? Today. And when do I have an interview for? Next Wednesday.

I am equally qualified and interested in both postions. Ultimately, if I was afforded the opportunity to both, $$ and benefits will tip the scales. Stay tuned to find out how this one plays out.

Halloween Costume

Oh there's so much to post from this fun filled birthday weekend. We'll start with my favorite - Molly. We had dinner at my parents house so I took her costume for a preview fitting. Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled with her Perrin Pirate outfit. As soon as I put in on her she was as still as a statue. I think she looks beautiful and much more attractive in her outfit than the model dog in my last post.

Molly's Halloween Costume

Drum roll please...I have Molly's Halloween costume for this year. In honor of her daddy's school mascot, Molly will be a pirate this year. Previously, she was a ladybug and witch. This year we're adding some sentiment to her outfit. Now I just need a costume!

Move

I still have mixed emotions about all this change, but I love my new apartment. It's small, but just right for me. I got up at 7AM and got to packing. The movers were suppose to be here between 8-10AM and the cable guy from 10AM-12PM. However, the cable guy showed up way before the movers! Cable man can at 10 on the dot. Movers however, called at 10:45AM, were in Arlington, and still needed gas. Sheesh.

So, they showed up about 11:45AM. They did a pretty decent job with the move...very careful with stuff. However, mom had left all the cables connected to the back of the tv and when one guy was bringing it in, he tripped on the cord and the tv went right into the stair rail outside my apartment. I heard the crash hoping it was either nothing valuable or something I hated anyways so I had an excuse to buy something new. It was the bedroom tv so now there's a nice gash in the corner of the tv. The insurance only covers $0.60 per pound so I'll be lucky to get about $30. Oh well, could have been the new tv... =/

We finally finished all the "moving" portion of the day about 4PM. What a day! It would have been much more relaxing to go to work! Now I sit amongst boxes and boxes and boxes! I ran out of energy so the rest is tomorrow's chore. I barely got furniture moved into place and sorted into each room. Hopefully, I'll post some pictures as the place takes shape.

My Former Youth Pastor

Steve Richardson was my youth pastor in junior high at FUMC Duncanville....

FUMC-Royse City stunned by pastor’s arrest
Sept 25th, 2008
By David Wilfong

Herald-Banner Staff

Members of the First United Methodist Church were in shock when they learned that their pastor, Steve Richardson, had been arrested by agents of the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) on charges relating to child pornography.

Richardson was taken into custody on Wednesday on a charge of transporting child pornography, at which time agents confiscated his computer and executed warrants at his home and church.

According to a statement released by the office of U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper, Richardson has already admitted to ICE agents that he had been trading child pornography online using his work computer.

The trading apparently took place on a “Google Hello” Internet program.

The arrest was the result of a long-term investigation by ICE that involved at least two other persons.

According to Roper’s statement, the investigation began in August 2007 when ICE Special Agents executed a search warrant in a child pornography investigation at the residence of an individual who consented to agents assuming his online presence on Google Hello to communicate with individuals involved in distributing child pornography.

On December 20, 2007, an ICE Special Agent, using that identity in an undercover capacity said he communicated with and received an image of child pornography from Hello user “cowboysspades.” He received a total of six images from “cowboysspades,” one of which fits the definition of child pornography (the other images would be considered child erotica).

In a Sept. 26, 2007 ICE raid, special agents executed a search warrant on a private residence which resulted in the seizure of computers and arrest of an individual for possession of child pornography.

That individual advised that one of the screen names he remembered trading with on Google Hello was “cowboysspades” and that “cowboysspades” had sent him “homemade” images within the past three months.

Examination of that person’s computer revealed a folder named “from coyboysspades,” which contained approximately 30 images of child pornography.

According to investigators, the Google Hello records for “cowboysspades” lists the email address as “girlpedolover@hushmail.com.” Further investigation revealed that the Yahoo! e-mail name “girlpedolover@yahoo.com” is registered to Steve Richardson in Royse City, Texas, with the same IP address as one of the nine IP addresses “cowboysspades” used to logon to his Hello account.

The statement goes on to say, “Further forensic investigation revealed additional chats between ‘cowboysspades’ and others. In one, ‘cowboysspades’ received and distributed dozens of images of child pornography including several images of infants engaged in sexually explicit conduct.”

Steve Richardson and his wife adopted an infant girl from Ethiopia, which they brought home to the United States on May 5. Currently, there is no reference to the international adoptee in the criminal complaint.

Richardson came to Royse City in August of 2006 following five years of service with the First United Methodist Church in Boyd.

Old Apartment, Last Night

I hate change. Each time I am mid-move, I have mixed emotions of excitement and loneliness. I am still sleeping in my old apartment, yet half my stuff sits across my complex in a small one bedroom. For three weeks, I have looked forward to this moved with positive anticipation. I bought a new tv, new dishes, and even new shoes for my wonderfully huge closet. Hopefully, once the dust settles and my new cabinets fill with dishes, I will feel home.

Weekly Update

Eek. I need to put an appt reminder on my calendar that says "UPDATE BLOG!". The last week has been unusally busy with lots of packing to fill my evenings. The apt is almost all packed up and ready for the 29th. I know which apt I'll be moving into and I've been stalking it for a week. Our apt manager said they were moving out last week so I have been waiting for the outdoor furniture and bike on the patio to disappear. Luckily, a Uhaul truck showed up last Thursday, so the little apartment is waiting for my boxes!

Since I will be living on my own, I am on the search for a 2nd tv. One tv just won't do. I couldn't sacrifice the tv in my bedroom for the living room and I can't very well not have one in my living room or Bo will never come visit me! I'm looking for a 30-40" flat screen, but not sure what direction to go. I'm thinking I heard an LCD is better than plasma, but that's the extent of my knowledge.

Saturday I ran the Oktoberfest 5K in Addison with Nick. It took me 39 minutes to run the 3.1 miles down Arapaho. I started out pretty good until I hit the 3rd mile, uphill, and into the sun. I lost it and had to walk for a little bit. By the end of the mile, I was huffing and puffing pretty hard. We're scouting out our next run, hopefully another 5K. Nick wants to run the 8 mile Turkey Trot but I am going to need some shorter practice runs before that!

I also saw the Women on Saturday. Is anyone aware that that movie has no men in it? Not a one. Still, a decent movie. Speaking on movies...Sex and the City comes out on DVD Tuesday. I will be in line.

We Will Never Forget

A somber day on the job: working for an airline on 9/11 when layoffs are announced. Fortunately, my job was spared today. I can't say the same for others. However, one more slip of the economy and my neck's on the chopping block next.

Lately my life has seemed a dream. One of those unsettling thinker dreams you have when you've eaten a big meal before bedtime. Restlessness controls you and you wake up in disbelief that those situations really happened. Today was a sombering reminder than I am not dreaming and I am simply on the other side of the fence from not having a job or a place to live.

Maybe when the snowglobe settles, I'll look back at think the abandonment I feel from my close friends and uncertainty of the real world was a blessing in disguse meant to prep me for my next stage of life. Eighteen days from today I get to welcome myself into a new home. 636 sq feet of Jen's space. No one elses. Hang the pictures where I want, arrange the furniture to my liking, and decorate to my taste. Myabe then I'll feel as if I have regained some control over my life that seems to overwhelming to contain right now.

RNC

"I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me...." -Mike Huckabee

"Then he ran for -- then he ran for the state legislature and he got elected. And nearly 130 times, he couldn't make a decision. He couldn't figure out whether to vote "yes" or "no." It was too tough. He voted -- he voted 'present.' " -Rudy Giuliani on Obama

"Tough times require strong leadership, and this is no time for on-the-job training." -Rudy Giuliani

"Because change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy." -Rudy Giuliani

"Well, I'll tell you, if I were Joe Biden, I'd want to get that V.P. thing in writing." -Rudy Giuliani on Obama's tendancy to change his position

"Know the difference between a hockey mom and a pitt bull? Lipstick." -Sarah Palin

"This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign." -Sarah Palin on Obama

"My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer." -Sarah Palin

Life is Sudden Sometimes

Let's say..

Supplier "A" signed a one year agreement with you. However, shortly after the agreement was finalized, Supplier "A" can no longer support their end of the bargain. You have a Supplier "B", but for political reasons, this might not be the best alternative yet. You are supportive and have nurtured the relationship with Supplier "B", however, timing isn't quite right for a few months. Your parent company is not crazy about an investment with "B" without indefinite commitment. For good reason though - stakeholders are interested in the well-being of the company, emotion aside.

Rather than relying on any supplier, you might be able to offset the inconvenience caused from Supplier "A" by relocating to your own facility. Relocation comes with a hefty price tag though. Because Supplier "A" caused the initial trouble, costs associated with this should be covered by "A". Anything less would be unacceptable and legally unsettling. So what to do?

It's more than business, it's personal.

Non-Stop

I've been evaluating my finances lately and have decided I will be buying nothing but gasoline and dollar menu meals for awhile. My spending has been a little excessive lately with all the things going on. All I am allowed to do is work out since I paid for that up front. However, I have decided it is time to retire my trainer. Although my workout program is very good and I have been able to tell a lot of difference in my muscles, I need to create my own motivation and save some moolah!

It's going to be a busy few weeks. So far, this weekend we're floating the river, Ashley's bachelorette party is the next weekend, I have a weekend off, then Nick and I are running at 5K the next weekend, and finally, the last weekend of September I'm helping with a garage sale Friday and then headed to Norman for an OU frat weekend reunion/football weekend (OU/TCU!!). Whew. I should be able to breathe around October!

That is, assuming I still have a job. We are still doing voluntary layoffs, which involuntary to start around the end of September if not enough people took the voluntaries. We shall find out...

TUL

Today was my visit to TUL. I had to get up at 4AM to leave by 5AM and board the plane at 6AM! We were slightly delayed waiting on our flight attendant to arrive so we were suppose to leave at 640AM but didn't even start boarding until 715AM. It was an American Eagle flight so we were on an 40-seater. For anyone reading this who is not familiar with the Eagle jets, the cabin is about the size of a school bus. My head almost touches the roof of the cabin so it's very claustrophobic! I'm often on that 640AM flight so I usually take a nap.

Luckily, the flight to TUL is only 40 minutes. What's mind blowing to me is we send those Eagles as far as 4 hours. I CANNOT imagine. They're miserable.

So, we fully board, push back from the gate, and begin taxiing to the runway and this horrible grinding noise starts coming from below us in the wheel wells. And it doesn't stop and we don't appear to be slowing down. Finally, a guy in the back pushes the flight attendant call button to make sure the pilot knows there is a crazy noise. So, we turn around and head back to the gate. Sure enough - maintenance issue and we have to get a new plane. So, we deplane and wait.

However, that's not the worst part. Earlier I mentioned how tiny the Eagle planes are. Well, they're even tinier with a large neighbor sitting next to you. This guy who sits next to me has to be 300 pounds. Not fat, just a big guy and gigantic by Eagle passenger size. AND HE SMELLS HORRIBLE. Every time he shifted in his seat, I gagged a little. So, not only was he overflowing on to my seat, but he wreaked. I had to breathe through my mouth the whole flight. Eww. He was by far, the worst person I ever sat by. Lord help me tomorrow. I'm getting tired of traveling...

What a busy last few days. Friday I headed to Houston for Ashley's wedding shower. I actually tried to fly down, but went to the airport and missed the flight by one seat so I had to drive Friday night. Saturday Holly and I got up for an excruciating workout session at the gym. I am still sore by the way.

Ashley's shower was decorated and hosted perfectly. She got lots of great presents and I got fabulous cake and alcoholic beverages so I was happy! It was a wedding weekend extravaganza! I got back to Fort Worth Sunday night just in time for lots of rain!! It's not as cool as I would like, but I'll take the rain at the expense of my hairdo. I just thought leaving Houston I would escape the humidity, but it followed me!

Today was a jam packed day at work which shall continue to be a busy week. Assuming the weather holds off, I'll be headed to SNA for a 745AM flight tomorrow returning around 8PM, a trip to Tulsa on Wednesday, and a final trip to Kansas City on Thursday. Whew.

Busy Busy Busy

I go tanning frequently - a few times a week. Yesterday was August 13th and for 13 days, not one tanning salon employee told me I had received a free month upgrade to the level 4 beds! Rude. What a waste.

Unfortunately, I won't be tanning very much next week. Tomorrow I'm off to Houston for the weekend for Ashley's first wedding shower. Hopefully I can get on a flight. Otherwise I will be driving alone late at night after a long day of work. Tuesday I'm off to SNA for the day, Wednesday TUL for the day, and Thursday MCI for the day. Whew. It's going to be a long couple of days....with no boyfriend time.

New Job Lookout

Today was an overwhelmingly busy day and definitely one I had to walk away from with a list of incomplete tasks. My idea of a good workload is being able to work diligently and complete all my action items within an 8 hour period. Not so today. In fact, I was so busy I had to take an hour break and work on my resume. With the impending layoffs, I am preping my resume to hopefully scatter it into the hands of prospective employers. =) If anyone knows of any good supply chain/purchasing positions, send 'em my way.

Built Ford Tough

Bo retired old Dixie this weekend for a huge monster truck. He got a 2008 Ford F150 Supercrew with the chrome package (I think that's right??) Unfortunately, we haven't taken a picture with Bo and his new lover, but here's the closest picture I could find online. It's a beast of a truck I have to use the running board to get in to it. The top of the bed is almost at my shoulders!

The old truck had definitely served its time and this was meant to be because we got a great deal on it. Best of all, it has roomy interior with 4 full doors. So, he can carry people in the backseat comfortably. I now have the old, boring car and Bo's is cool and sexy! I'm jealous.

Ok, detoxing is not fun. I am craving caffine, ice cream, and pickles. The diet plan limits dairy, caffine, meats, and wheat products among other things. Meanwhile, the pills strip your body of all toxins leaving you bloated and tired. Not fun. I'm on day 4 and it seems to be working. However, getting through 3 more days, especially the weekend, is going to stink.

Week of Cleansing

Bo and I have started our first detox regimen. I've hit a wall with my workouts/weight loss. I'm hanging at 21 pounds with no budge. So, we decided maybe we needed a good cleansing. I just finished day 1 of 7 so we'll see how long this lasts...

My Last Week

What a busy week it was last week. Bo is finally back - thank goodness. I was beginning to get tired of having to entertain myself. He actually got back a day early on Friday night so we had the whole weekend!

This week became an opportunity to think about friendships and the value they hold in my life. I'm 22 and granted that is no where close to the middle aged "30-39" check box, I have completed my higher level education (unless I get on the GMAT exam) and become a self-sufficient, financially stable adult who only needs quality companions in my life. My life as this great adult means no more elementary, dramatic people who talk out of both sides of their mouth. I have a wonderful companion in Bo and a handful of wonderful friends who aren't just seasonal. Those are the relationships to cultivate and use for support. However, those that cannot aid when called for assistance and a favor.....those relationships have expired.

Sno-cones

I found a little place of heaven while giving my car a good cleaning today. My first sno cone of the summer. And suger-free strawberry is depressing. I knew I should have gone for rootbeer with cream, kiwi, or even strawberry cheesecake...I'm trying to abide by my strict diet, but a sno cone's not worth it if there's no sugar.

Feeling Alone in Fort Worth

My job involves a significant portion of travel - conferences, supplier visits, maintenance bases, and airport stations... About once a week, I'm napping in the air to and from. However, not this week. I have no trips planned and no boyfriend alll week.

Bo has been out of town for 12 hours and I am already bored. No roommate and no boyfriend and no ipod..eek. I parted with my most important work out accessory for the sake of Bo's long drive to San Antonio. I ran 2.5 miles today pretty well today with VH1's Top Songs of the 90's. However, I am forced to watch the channels assigned to each tv at the gym. Yuck.

8 Finger Workout

My fingers are doing a little better today. Could just be because it's a good mood Friday and the weekends always temporarily pause all troubles. My dessert was a hit at work today - despite to pain it caused...

Tomorrow;s workout with my trainer should be a challenge since I cannot bend my index and middle finger. It's going to have to be an all legs workout.

Why I Don't Cook

So, Bo and I had a great dessert at The Strip House while in San Juan - ice cream, pudding, bananas with crystalized sugar. Delicious.

I have a recipe that uses graham crackers, vanilla pudding, and chocolate topping. I got sidetracked from work today and started thinking the recipe would be good with crystallized bananas. Ashley has a creme brulee torch so I ran over to Bed Bath and Beyond after work for some more butane to go in it, made a quick trip to Tom Thumb and sprawled the ingredients across my kitchen counter. I mixed the pudding and tried to carmalized some bananas as a test run before I assembled the dessert. I filled the torch full of gas, flipped the million safety switches all over the gadget and pressed the button. Nothing.

I start fiddling with the trigger trying to figure out how gas is coming out, but no heat. In a split second - whoosh - a huge flame right into my fingers. I rush them under to faucet for about 10 minutes holding back tears. Because I couldn't bring my self to take my fingers out from under the water, I called my mom to figure out my next move. We diagnosed me with somewhere between a 1st and 2nd degree burn. Crap. Do I go to the emergency care center or suck it up?? We decided I should go to the pharmacy at CVS. I hurry to the store, fingers wrapped in ice cold wash cloths to find a very unhelpful pharmacist. So, I made a judgement call and went with some Neosporin, gauze, bandage wrapping, and pain relievers.

I now have 2 paralyzed fingers and it has taken me 25 minutes to type this entry. Sheesh.

Neck Troubles

I've been on the disabled list for 2 days now. Thursday I had a day trip to MCI and my flight out was at 6:25AM! In order to make that flight, I had to be at the airport by 5:30AM to park and get to my gate and be up at 4AM. It's exhausting jsut thinking about it!

So, I get there, board the plane no problem and even got first. However, I was SO tired on the plane I was out the whole flight and even had 3 dreams I remember! Apparently, I was so sound asleep, the cramping pain in my neck diddn't wake me up. I awake as we were landing and couldn't move my neck. I'm assuming it was cramping for an hour and half with no relief. Therefore, I have had limited neck rotation since. And here it is, the morning of the 3rd day and I still can't turn my neck. This might be a problem!

I'm off to get my hair colored....

Puerto Rico

"The world is a book and those who don't travel only read one page." - Saint Augustine

Puerto Rico was the vacation is I was in desperate need of! We left Thursday afternoon and got into San Juan around 9:30 PM and just relaxed in the pool. Friday morning we got up, worked out, had some breakfast and took a tour of Old San Juan, a gigantic fort, and the Bacardi Rum Factory..yumm. Unfortunately, the drink limit was 2! We had some Puerto Rican food food for dinner....well, Bo had some, I had chicken.

Saturday we took it easy and laid at the pool allllll day! We drank, ate, swam and repeated. Saturday was also our big anniversary dinner at The Strip House. It was voted a top 10 by Maxim magazine so we gave it a try. I had a $38 sirloin and by had a $44 NY strip. Ridiculous. The menu was a la cart so no sides came with that wonderful meat. It was probably the most expensive dinner I have had in a long time. Good, but expensive. We did a little gambling....I played the nickel slots and acutally got up by $100. For some reason, maybe because the drinks were free, we decided to keep playing. Little did we know that would be the only time we were not in the negative the rest of the trip!

Sunday was the big day of activity. We took a boat off the coast of Puerto Rico and stopped at 3 islands for some snorkeling! Puerto Rico is on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean so the water was beautiful! Saw some big fish and got too much sun, but it was awesome. Sunday night we relaxed and had some Puerto Rican food again.

Monday morning we got up at 5:30AM to check in for our flight and I couldn't go back to sleep so we got ready and headed to the airport. Because we were standby, we had to wait out the flights. There are 3 direct flights out of SJU each day and we couldn't get on the first 2 so we hedged our bet and rerouted. However, flights to everywere remotely close were oversold. I tried MIA, ATL, BRT, TPA, ORD, STL, EWK, IAD....nothing. So, in the end, we had to take a flight to JFK, take a cab from JFK to LGA, check a bag because we bought alcohol in SJU not thinking we would be leaving the airport secured area no matter where we went, and fly from LGA to DFW. It took us 20 hours of waiting at airports and on airplanes to get home, but Bo visited his 11th state, say the NYC skyline, and crossed the Mason Dixon line! What a trip. I'm on a quest to visit all 50 states (I'm at 30 so far) so it was awesome to sightsee a place neither of us had been and get to see my favorite NYC, even if it was brief and just at the airports!

P.S. Pictures are on Facebook!

VC

My mind has already left work and focused on vacation. Flights are still looking good so we are headed out Thursday afternoon. This makes me enjoy American Airlines. I looked up this flight on aa.com and if we bought tickets, they would be $1000 EACH. However, first class will be $93.00 each for Bo and I. Flights are getting pricey. =) If only the hotel was cheap....

Nike+

So, I am completely exhausted. The Nike+ is. a. bitch. My trainer has been bugging me to get a bodybugg. I have repeatedly refused because it's about $300. No way. It's a neat calorie log, but it's gigantic and there's no way I'm going to make a positive fashion statement wearing it. So I refuse.

24 hour fitness has started carrying the Nike+ gear. I had been reading up on it since the purchasing of my "Nike+ ready" sneakers and it seems the cheaper alternative to my dilemma. Since I don't have a iPod nano, I had to get the sportband. Why in the world would Apple collaborate with Nike to offer a product only compatible with one version of the iPod? STUPID.

At any rate, I set it up (username is jenrpollard in case anyone is interested in big brother monitoring my workouts). I ran for 30 minutes at the gym today, but of course, I needed to try it out so I jogged for 30 minutes at my apt to figure out how it worked. The Nike+ is. a. bitch. Apparently, it needs a stomping motion to calculate your stats so the exercise bike and elliptical machines DO NOT WORK. I have to run the whole time, or walk I guess. Man, this is going to wear me out.

Shopping

I've been doing a lot of shopping lately and Mom's coming over for some more today. It seems every top or dress I like "would be perfect for Puerto Rico". Ha. I checked the weather and it's in the low 80's, which is average. So, we'll see how many things I find for our 4 day trip!

Fireworks

Tonight is fireworks night! Bo and I picked up some goodies yesterday at a stand in Weatherford. Next to Christmas (no other holiday comes close to that one) is 4th of July. I love grilling, swimming pools, fireworks, suntans, and beer! Usually we go to the Rangers game. However, poor planning by the guy who makes the schedule (maybe they should give me that job) made their 4th of July game an away one. Boo. So, we had a casual day yesterday. I ate wayyy too much Risky's BBQ.

One week from today, I will be on vacation at the beach! =)

July 4th

Finally. July 4th! I can't say that I have any exciting plans, but being off work for three days is good enough for me. I think there's some plan to shoot fireworks, but it should otherwise be a relaxing weekend.

What. a. day. I was non-stop. Six meetings, lots of phone calls, and no lunch! =( Work is really kicking my butt lately! This 4 day week is a cursed blessing. I get a day off, but now I have to do 5 days of work in 4! Whew! Unfortunately, I have no exciting 4th of July plans. Maybe relaxing should be my plans. At one point, Bo and I had plans to visit some friends on their land in Waxahachie and shoot fireworks, but I haven't heard any more about that lately. Last year we went, and if you remember, it had been a very rainy summer. The guys convinced me to go on a "hay ride" through the woods. Weeelll, they intentionally left out the part about 40 miles an hour through the cow pastures and people flying into the mud. Luckily, I held on, but got off with a mixture of cow shit and mud caked into my hair. So pleasant.

Bo and I do have exciting plans for the weekend of July 11th. It started like this...

I bought a really cute strapless top, which I immediately showed Bo the minute I got home from shopping. His response was, "Cute. That top would be cute for our 5 year anniversary dinner in Key West." Key West is mine and Bo's preferred vacation destination. However, we've both been there so we agreed to choose a different location. The beach was required so we compromised on Puerto Rico. So, I'm taking Friday and Monday off for a long weekend of relaxation. We booked an ocean view room at the http://www.condadoplaza.com/ Condado Plaza Hotel and Casino. Should be an excellent getaway!

I tried out my new sneakers today - awesome. My old shoes seemed adequate until I ran in these today. The huge arch support really made a difference. Definitely worth the bucks.

Sundays are a bittersweet day of relaxation. I usually don't have much to do on Sundays so I catch up on cleaning and laundry, but this great day of nothingness is followed by a high-stress Monday!

I did get some new sneakers yesterday. Everyone seems to be giving me shit about my old ones, especially since I own more shoes that everyone in my building combined. For some reason, I could care less about tennis shoes. At any rate, they had seen better days. The tread was starting to wear and the cushion was loooong gone. So, I headed to Luke's Locker and they gratefully showed me every shoe in the shoe in the house hoping I would shell out for the fancy ones. They were in luck - a shoe salesman's dream.

Tomorrow should be a good workout!

Check 'em out -

So, where do I begin? Tuesday I flew to Tulsa. I arrived at 10:45AM just in time for an 11AM meeting. And I mean wheels hit the runway at 10:45AM - still had to get off the plane, meet up with my ride, get to the base, get a visitor's badge, and up to the Engineering conference room. The windows Engineer was picking me up so I assumed if I had the subject matter expert with me, I could keep the meeting attendees waiting before we could start. Good strategy I thought. By time we were running in, the meeting ended. So begins my next two days...

After meetings in Tulsa all day, I flew straight to Chicago for a safety roadshow at the hangar on Wednesday. I arrived at 8:30PM, did some chatting with my co-worker and finally got to sleep about 11PM. Not bad right? Well, I had to be AWAKE at 3AM to be in the hotel lobby at 4AM so we could catch the first shift folks getting off at 5AM. Brutal. So I helped out at the roadshow all day and met with some facilities maintenance folks. I was finished early afternoon so I headed over to the terminal to try for an earlier flight. I had a confirmed flight at 8PM, but I didn't want to sit at the airport for 5 hours. Well, the 1AM flight was cancelled due to weather so all those passengers were rolled over to the flights I was attempting to get on. No way - there was 100 people on the standby list. Crap. So I decide to take a layover in Kansas City which would still allow me to be home at 8PM.

I get from ORD (Chicago) to MCI (Kansas City) no problem and in First Class. Well the MCI-DFW flight before mine had also cancelled while I was in route to MCI so my hopes for First were shattered when it when from open by 6 to Jen is 14th on the list. Yikes. My MCI to DFW flight however, had an unexpected aircraft change so we were 1 hour late departing as well.

So, I'm in 30F headed to Dallas. Not the best seat, but the flight is only 1 hour 15 minutes so no big deal. Welllll, some crazy weather came though Dallas just as we reached the airport keeping us from landing. We circled for 45 minutes then had to divert to Tulsa. Ugh. At this point, I am miserable and unpleasant. We land and park on the tarmac for what seemed like forever. There were no drinks on the plane because MCI didn't have enough catering to stock the new plane we received. Ugh. We sit for about an hour and the pilot informs us if we want to get off the plane and stay in Tulsa, air stairs are coming. So about 6 people out of 165 get off the plane. They turned out to be the smart ones...I stay seated in 30F.

Finally airport control lifts the shutdown and there's hope we will make it to Dallas. It's about midnight at this point and we've been waiting forever. We were 7th in line to get more fuel. Plane finally fuels up and they do one last check before we try and head back. Uh oh. They find out the hydraulic system is no longer functioning. How it failed in that short time we were sitting, who knows. They turn on the engines on to test the system - broken. So the captain informs up delivery of parts will take 20 minutes and labor 45 minutes. Ugh. This means we will not be taking off until 1AM-ish. Well, 15 minutes into our wait, we find out there's another 757 at the terminal we can take. So, we are instructed to deplane our aircraft and we will take the other plane. I start thinking...."We've been at this for awhile, we're going to lose our crew soon due to FAA work hour laws..." No sooner does the pilot get on the intercom with, "Uhhh ladies and gentlemen. I have some good news. We're going to take all you guys and luggage to the waiting aircraft and get you to Dallas. However, we only have 25 minutes to get you guys off and on to the next plane - luggage and all. Well fuck. No way that's going to happen. We're not even going to get off the plane in 25 minutes. Never have I seen people de-plane so quickly and at 1AM!

We're all RUNNING to the next gate to get on our new plane and make it just in time. Whew. And I got a better seat out of the deal because people where frantically trying to just sit down. So we landed in DFW at 2:15AM.

As I'm leaving the airport, the weirdest thing happened. I'm waiting in line at the toll plaza and this car in front of me rolls down the window and throws out a burning Startbuck cup - literally engulfed in flames. My mind says, "oh hell, is that going to blow up?' Remember we are in the airport so there's a heightened sense of fear when things like this happen. I skirt around it just in case and some guy comes running from the toll booth trying to figure out what happened. I roll down my window and tell him it was the guy in front of me. That car pays its toll and bolts off. I pay and head towards home. So, who knows what happened. I assume the guy was smoking, threw his cig in the cup and it didn't go out. But it made for some 230AM excitement.

I make it home about 3AM and the thought crosses my mind to email my boss and tell her I will be in late. The more I think about it though, I knew I would still wake up as usual and not be able to sleep in. So, I go in on time with the intention of leaving around 2PM because at this point, I have only had 7 hours of sleep in 2 days. However, I get busy and have a couple meetings so I don't leave until 515PM. What a day!

Ironic thing is the 8PM flight I was avoiding was only one hour late and arrived just after the storm at 1130PM. Bad gamble on my part....

I did go shopping tonight though. DSW Shoes is heaven on earth. I left with 4 pairs of shoes and a smile.

Nick left for jolly ole England today. He got upgraded to Business Class so I'm sure he's 5 hours into his flight an feeling very relaxed from a few drinks!

I love this Sunday for a couple reasons - good breakfast, a clean apartment, Food Network episodes all morning, a good tan at the pool, and shopping by myself for my one size skinnier self. =)

Well, it only took a week and a half of writing for me to slack off for the next week and a half. But here I am - back again. I don't quite know if I would say life got better or worse during my absence. I have gained my lunch hour back a few times the last week. Not tomorrow though.

My trainer came back! Sadly, I did not lift free weights as often as he would have liked so I'm paying for it! But it's a rewarding feeling to be sore. I have officially lost 24 inches (and 18 pounds)! That's two feet all over my body. Weird. Clearly, I had a distorted image of myself before and didn't realize I had 24 inches to lose, but here we are. I've had to retire quite a few clothes that aren't favorites enough to make it to the tailor.

If only it was Friday. This week is dragging. I bought a new cell phone hoping it would make me feel better yesterday only to find out AA doesn't support BlackBerrys and we have a firewall up against them. Looks like I will be headed back to get a BlackJack like the one I had. So unfortunate - I was really liking the BlackBerry. The rollerball is very cool. The phone works fine, but I won't be able to sync my work email to pop up on my phone - no bueno. Could I survive without 24 hour access to American Airlines??? Guess not because I'm headed to AT&T tomorrow to make an exchange.

Tomorrow should be a packed day - MCI for the day, AT&T, dinner with Holly! Keeping myself busy is the key to surviving this week. Thursday I have a 30th birthday for a co-worker Thursday, then it's the weekend!

I'm approaching my 1 year anniversary with American Airlines. I have seen all 4 seasons and all 12 months. I wouldn't say I am content, but I enjoy my position. The impending layoffs have caused me to search the market, but now is not the time to disrupt my work life. I'm still searching for some level of consistency, and I'm finally accepting that the lack of consistency is ny new consistency - watch my back, stay one step ahead of the boss, and document everything.

I make up for the incosistency with a stable personal life. I have a routine that's working for me with my trainer and the gym (which relieves stress!), I see my family regularly, I have a great apartment and wonderful friends, but this life is slipping lately as well. I've entered that stage where it becomes necessary to domesticate or live up my 20's. Naturally, my long term relationship has leaned me towards domestication. However, I worry it is not leaning both us and causing a disconnect.

I'm not a patient person. I hate the transitions. I wish I knew the outcomes. I assume people around me always had life as easy as they do now. I want to catapult myself out of this holding pattern and get on with it. I guess I can only catapult as fast as my other half.

Another weekend past and not much to say for it. Mom's birthday party was Friday night and good to see all of my family. Nick will be headed to London to study abroad pretty soon so it's nice to see him for the few weeks he's home. I think I'll need to take a long weekend and visit him. Maybe in August.

Other than mom's dinner, I have done nothing. Besides Friday, Bo has been MIA for the second weekend in a row. So, I worked out, did a load of laundry, watched too much tv, and slept. Good news is, I am down another pound bring my total to 18. Maybe I just needed to sleep away pounds.

Good news - doctors appointment was scheduled today for Monday!

It has been a tired week. Since Sunday, I have not gone to bed before 1AM and when 5:30AM calls, I curse my alarm. So, by 5PM, I am exhausted. It makes me test my workout willpower and even I have impressed myself. I'm pretty dang dedicated.

I am a little irritated with myself though for not making an appt with my thyroid doctor yet. I have noticed a pattern with my tiredness lately. Every morning I eat a bowl of cheerios about 20 minutes before I head off to work. About 20 minutes into my drive, I can't stay awake. I crash. I have to turn the radio up, blast the A/C, call someone to chat...every morning. Then, I eat lunch at 11:30AM everyday. About 1PM, I'm falling asleep at my desk and I have to take a stroll around the cubes. I crash again. I don't notice it so much at dinner because I am usually active and not focusing on anything. Weird. I can't figure it out. Maybe it's a thyroid thing, maybe it's a food digestion thing. But it's been happening consistently for weeks now (not just this week). If anyone has a diagnosis for me, please speak up.

So, since this is turning out to be a complaint blog, I have one more thing to complain about - conference calls. WHO schedules a daily conference call for 12PM every day. Since the windows ordeal, we have one of our conference calls at 12PM every day. Work is really cutting into my social lunch hour. I haven't been able to sit and gossip. Hopefully this will not be a permanent thing.

On a happier note, tomorrow is my mom's 50th birthday. We booked a private room at the Reata for a family dinner. It;'s been quite awhile since we have all been together with Nick in Oklahoma.

Agh. My trainer needs to come back ASAP. I am losing workout motivation.... =/ However, I'm noticing a little definition in my arms. I haven't had strong muscles in quite a while. It's rewarding. I have also noticed sit ups are becoming much easier. Our conversation often goes like this:

Jenny doing sit-ups.

"Get you chin down to your chest."

"I can't."

"Yeah you can."

"No, I can't. My other chin is in the way."

And now it's going away!

Windows

Well, I think this blog will be my avenue for complaints about work. So, what happens when a cabin window shatters mid-flight and the engine ingests the window shards and shuts down for an emergency landing? Meetings, meetings, meetings. All day. A typical busy day turned into a very stressful one. Therefore, I am exhausted. And my planes to Tulsa and from Tulsa were both delayed making it a very loooong day.

Munday

Today was definitely a case of the Mondays. I have a horrible horrible habit of sleeping later than necessary on Sundays and suffering Monday mornings from lack of Sunday night sleep. Consequently, being tired made for an unproductive night. The following were high priority to-do list items: work out, laundry, clean bathroom, preprare for work tomorrow...NONE got done. I slept. All evening.

I have a day trip to Tulsa tomorrow for an afternoon meeting. Out of office travel keeps me sane. I would rather a more exciting destination, but I'll take what I can get.

The First

In an attempt to make my life more accessible to this world that demands the use of online profiles and communication, I am starting a blog. I'm sure my words are not prophetic or sensible, but at the least, they are meaningful to me.

Since it is the first day of June, it's an appropriate day for my first entry. So, catch up for the masses: My current love interest is 5 years in the making - Bo. He is a teacher in Perrin, Texas. A town smaller than the 5 block radius I live in. He's an excellent basketball coach making a world of difference for those kids.

My second love, maybe arguably my first love, Molly - she's a beagle/blue heeler mix who is currently vacationing with my parents until I have a yard she's satisfied with.

I have a little seniority with American Airlines. It's not much when the average is 16 years. I am a commodity manager in Purchasing with my largest responsibility being aircraft windows for our fleet. I also manage facilities maintenance and some misc aircraft parts. It's become a great short term position, but with these layoffs, it has me looking for my next move.

My free time is spent with a trainer who has turned me into a work out monster. Other than that, I enjoy Sex and the City reruns, my nightly hot bath, and weekly manicure/pedicure.

This "transition period" of my life should make fore interesting reading.