news and notes from my quiet life

 
its been a long strange trip (again) now doing domestic trips earning less but don't really caring anymore. was is my mission statement? somewhere on this road most of the fun was sucked out of this job "the law of diminishing thrills" and now we are shoveling drinks to the walmart internet seach for the lowest fare crowd...which is okay but there are still many demanding people, and we don't know who paid full fare (tho many r not now) and who ran the orbitz search and are trying the scam on the crew for a better seat/upgrade/free drink. well my goodness for most of us homeey don't fly that way anymore...
a wise man knows not only to appreciate what is before him, but also to know when to call it a day. I am not a wise man, tho i have flashes of brillance sometimes....is it better to act now and just jump off this train or to ride it to the last stop??? bigger things are around the corner, and i hope for better days....

posted by brent at 11:53 PM

 
blog on, or not as it has been a long strange trip the past few weeks. working some playing some, lately watching lotta law and order, playing freecell, blazing away, starting to play some golf, flogging the fairways with olde pal ricky. working has been pleasant enough, with last month three asias and vacation. this month, one days domestic and international and one nrt and lihue and maybe i can keep the alaska anchorage layover, still in the height of summer, midnight sun and all that. back to ya later, got more stuff to do....
posted by brent at 11:10 PM

 
post april, busy fliing and just had the parents over for another stress and test i think the cultural gap is the grand canyon, though i am just making it as the bridge keeping the peace. lihue trips were a nice break, though i traded for two nrt and a dc got to help my bro move back from lanai and see the folks, do some home repair, and see the new home depot...
sarah brightman was great, a real talent, and we had a good time, haven't seen a concert in years and we had pretty good seats. found a tjmaxx and more in sj/sc and ate at tomatina's okay food.
taxes took longer than i thought j mcconnell is living in phoenix area now so she commutes here for tax season. must organize better for next year...
still trying hard to otasuke, but i need to improve myself first. and that is where i am right now...
posted by brent at 11:46 AM

 
no one to follow me, i guess i am just another weak nobody, after canvassing and cajoling and all that i am not successful at all. my faith is not strong and i am too self centered and i have to strive harder. Feb was successful in work as i was able to trade maui to 3 nrts and a lih and a koa. not bad for a junior purser....doing all lih trips next month so will try to trade at least two to get nrts and for the sarah brightman concert march 18....
wifey is out in japan, am a total hack without her, am amazed at how much she brings to my life and miss her so, so am i sick as when she is here her style makes me chafe, when she's away i fall to pieces...
need to do the taxes, get the computer upgrades in and just get my life simplified and in order....
flying was good, not doing too bad but need to work on openess and inclusion of co workers. reputation of hard worker and good organization skills being tempered by feeling i am isolating other co workers and i need to be more accepting and allow others to contribute.
doing lih trips next month, hope to keep most of them, till then blog on dudes...
posted by brent at 1:31 AM

 
winter training is now officially over, learnt much but without written directions, this style of introspective faith is hard for me to get used to. and this is after four years of wandering in the wilderness of my ego...have been enjoying the audio video gohoshi, trying to learn the various ins and outs of the system, while polishing myself with small learnt inspirations, focus on the job at hand, learn to stay in your position (trust your fellow worker), foster harmony with others.
did a fake 3 day trip to ord bitter cold at end of month, tried to stay indoors, which was accomplished as the hilton airport hotel is connected to the airport by a tunnel, so cool neat, i merely walked there and checked in, slept the day, and left at 8pm to fly back to sfo arriving at 1130pm.
officially doing maui 3 days this month, but traded/rdo and are now doing nrt (one) ogg (two) hnl (one) and lih (one) oh anna ugly domestic trip at the end of the month that i gotta trade away if possible...
gotta move on the taxes and organizing of the commuter room,,, offa this blog for now...
posted by brent at 9:28 AM

 
egads, the post is dying, the post is dying, or at least i am with all of the high time flying and whatnot in the life. got relief domestic and traded like a banshee to get two nrts and some dcs...new things, like the dc short layover, hard to get next month feb, but in the parking lot is a chick fil a, arbys, tacky bell/pizza hut, wendys, mc dees, applebees, and killer bar b que. rooms are new, with most cable channels available, roman type walk in showers, and broadband access. of course, once i found it out i could not get another layover there....the thing to do in nrt has changed, now no more jusco/100 yen store/ chili pepper men or yoshinoya beef bowl. it s quickly to the yaohan market, back to the excel tokyu to swim and then take sauna...aaaahhh, don't know why i didn't do this before, i really like the shower/furo at the inlaws, now every nrt layover i get to scrub up, soak in a furo, steam sauna till i sweat sweat sweat, jump in to the cold pool and then soak up again. go out chill in the resting area then go back again to soak. i spend a good hour and a half there and sleep like a king. met a dining service guy mr tanaka nice guy but how can you talk to people naked??? getting used to it, anyways...
posted by brent at 11:05 PM

 
and so into the new year, shit flying has come into my life or rather the flying that many have done before me and now i have to do it.. i can still trade into a nrt not all nrt like before so i have been spoiled a lot it think but still, the writings on the wall, the nrt run is over come with the bad mooded hags and people are actually leaving to go on other airlines and the end will be near, maybe not now but 10 years down the line as the last of the unplanned and fat and old wheezes down the aisle and one more mind thinks i shoulda taken jal or ana just to see someone from my own generation, and we're talkin 40 year olds here....the nrt run needs to be modified before the markettrak surveys judge us outta existence. i m serious here, this is a cry out for help, whether it's from the tpe/nrt extra stew lines or a total line takeover if i don't get to nrt ever again, too many have been dissed by the lethargic old and the uncaring new. burn out cases are more numerous here than in the so cal fires. we're only adding more cancer to the disease with the transfers, so i don't know what management can do, this is internal, this is soo deep that not even a vulcan mind meld can change the mindset here at untied....

oh well, maybe there will be a good job at target for me soon....


posted by brent at 11:48 PM

 
Turkey day, though for us we didnot follow the turkey route and had homemade ramen instead. no complaints, just as filling and easier to clean up. Vacation flew by, now i am starting to ease offa the booze and watch the weight. exercise more and then give up coffee and i will be a monk....visit to japan was okay, there are too many factors to make it totally enjoyable, when on my own i had some fun, but visiting the inlaws is not supposed to be fun, i guess. did errands and bills and still found no time left at the end of it all.

went back to japan for my first trip on reserve and went to the furo spa, lovely to take a full japanese bath for only 525 yen. swam and then slept like a champ.

came back still on japan time got an easy portland trip the next day one leg over 23hr layover and one leg back sweet deal, and technically done for the month. 87 hours and flew 23 actual this reserve deal worked out good for me this month.

trying to get in the holiday mood for the post thanksgiving rush to buy ship and receive packages for all of the christmas stuff. wishing to not have to do it, as usually get soso stuff, we are hard to buy for, we know, but gift certs or something like it would be okay....but a shopping we will gooo....
posted by brent at 1:19 AM

 
vaca time for the brentster twenty two days of no duty except the housework, time to figure out if i need ta go for the part time holiday job, or just suck it up and eat ramen noodles for the remainder of the time. SO going to japan, may join her for a few days, to see the inlaws and check out the latest electronic doodads at akihabara. need to collate the bills and prep for taxes and do insurance and just get every thing in order before the year is out....
strange trips with stranger people, just flew one day with pathological drunken lady poached first class seat and stayed and made a general pain in the a** of her self as we were on a runway hold waiting for the la wildfire smoke to clear outta las vegas...was forced to give her a lecture and the other fc pax were happy i stood up to her, but i think i let it get outta control. after i got some drinks to her she was as happy as a clam but was i enabling her? of course in vegas she could get drinks outta the water fountain at some casinos but still...
other trip was to nrt usually a pleasant affair, but the combo of western pax going thru to sin,hkg,tpe,sel, there was more drinking, and two personalities in coach were struggling with who was the alpha male/female of the aft galley. i was the chief, and most of the cabin was okay except for the gaman aft purser who was onna warpath and not listening to anyone. it was work work work for the whole flight and boy was i bushed in nrt....
this burning out usually comes before vaca, as my patience and apathy run thin...more later, i promise
posted by brent at 12:35 AM

 
just came back from a orrible, orrible (cockney accent) nrt trip with personality conflicts, a secret first class lurker/ wanaabee many many wheelchair lavatory visits, mechanical breakdowns and to top it off a last agricultural slap down/bust of illegal apples.
i believe i was okay with most of the sitches, but grace under pressure aside, the flight was one fire after nother to put out. and i was grateful to all of my crew for working with me and supporting the sections that needed help. and now it is all over, nly to be rehashed in my mind as long as i choose to remember it.
yas has been through a lot, but hopefully we can work it out and go forward. was very nice to do the taisai or fest of joy and do gohoshi and for the most part not have to stress out about everything though now the daily grind and all is in front of us and now we have to grind...
posted by brent at 6:50 PM

 
almost a month has passed we have been buzy working and trying to have babies and now for something completely indifferent, i must work on the bills or at least try to organize them so i do not have to shovel the desktop to find them. most are auto pay so its just receipts for taxes and my on anality...

will we ever move out of this place and go to a place with inroom washer dryers....

i think i think i have to replace the ink...

vacation coming up and we have nothing to do, esp as we are runnin out of munny, or at least it feels like it....

thinka go to hongkong and hangout....

wanna get my eyes done but prob wont...

ebay the answer is on ebay...

inna words of stan lee nuff said...
posted by brent at 11:07 PM

 
hooohah working the one day hawaii turns and i think there is a culture starting as the people doing these turns are suffering to (get more days off) (work as little days as poss) (complain about something, anything and the turns are ripe ground for complaints).
well, after doing the turns for 3-4 times monthly, the primary for the workers are to : preserve the work and the repuation for the good of all, make sure there is ample food provided or bring your own, and don't fall asleep....
to do purser on these are one of the hardest jobs and there are enough f/a to do the regular
search and advice...enough of this time to sleep, the dreams of angels
posted by brent at 1:30 AM

 
yeeps, made 38 and the world keeps on turning, worked a ord turn and died getting up for the 515 yaym check in. oh dark hundred indeed. wendy z bought me a cake which was nice and totally unexpected, had a maj cru on er in the day...went for birthday buffett at the todai in daly citee, made a very bad decision, food was not as good as the honolulu todai, clientele was botb, and the free eats on birthday was replaced with coupon for later (?) and charged full price. still to put a cheerful spin on it, got to eat a variety of seafood, yas wore the wrap top which i love,and i didnt fall asleep during dinner, which was a real possibility. just came back from the one day easy compared to the one day hard yesterday. flying seems to be hit or miss lately, and i don't know what i will get. although comp to other seniorities and bases what we got is pretty good.
just got zapped with another pop up ad, which i believe comes from kazaa, as i removed all of the tracing cookies and then kazaa would not work. which goes to show you, there is no "free lunch" it's always paid for one way r another.... have been thinking about the coneputter from kawasaki san, the fujitsu laptop with dvd and all of the bells and whistles...i am trying not to have attachments to items but hooman nature sometimes is too strong...late in the evening, thinking about the next dayand the day after that... want to continue the workouts at the gym, start of a good thing yet no followup, story of my life...
posted by brent at 2:27 AM

 
hello, doing the dc thing again, stuck at airport due to stormy weather, loads are veryy light, troubling as the sfo international trips are chock block full, while the dom things are lagging behind. who wants to get away? that should be our motto, as we need to get the business man as well as the leisure guy to go united as much as possible, no more ma and pa kettle, if you don't know how to travel, learn and look, this used to be a civilized thing, you know, and although now anyone can ride the cattle car, one should remember the time saved even though we are delayed due to weather, or what you want to go by car???
i want to make our company strong again, but that may mean taking a risk on the core business traveler, the one who says "what the ****" i'm buying first class with no restrictions, because i can expense it out, and want to watch movies and play freecell on the computer because i'm worth it and my father in law the ceo can kiss my ass if im going back into coach, cause his daughter cannot get preggers if im stuck in coach with my guebos clenched up and boiling in a small ass seat....
i want to help that guy, keep him off the net finding a cheaper rate with a sat night stay, a pairing to mry which will be slung in the trash because it was cheaper to book with the mry connection, i don't know why...
posted by brent at 2:15 AM