These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

We finally got that new crew hotel for our long LHR layovers! Its a reasonably nice hotel somewhere in Kensington, and I just love being in central London again. I would have liked to have followed Pinto's example of doing a layover on less than $50 USD, but I wasn't quite dressed to spend much time outside; it was rather breezy and I didn't have a jacket. I did, however, manage to wonder around our new 'hood and find the coolest pub ever! The building is covered in ivy and vines and foliage, with various flags flying from the rooftop - UK, Irish, and something else. I wish I would have taken a picture but I already felt like a poorly dressed American tourist. Inside is a classic pub, with a lovely bar and great beer selection. But if you continue around the bar to the right and keep heading to the back, all of a sudden you're in a Thai restaurant! That's decorated like an English butterfly garden! So I got myself a Guinness and a table, ordered green curry with prawns and gorged myself on some of the best Thai I've had in a while. I can't wait to take crew members and enjoy it with others.

RIP TravelPro

Today as I was coming back from Heathrow, I noted that the handle on my roller was a bit abused. I don't usually use the handle on the side to pick up my bag so after three and a half years of flying around the world, abuse is saying it nicely.

So just now, at this very moment, I was bringing my bag upstairs to un- and re- pack for my trip to who knows where tomorrow, and bam! Gone. The handle broke. I pitched a mini melt down for dramatic effect, seeing as I don't have a back up suitcase. My father promised to glue it and bring my beloved roller that I've had for as long as I've been flying back to life. My game plan is to invest in a new roller tomorrow to have just in case.

I'm Going Home

When I first transfered to the international base, the very first trip I picked up was LHR 777 aft galley. On that trip I made career long friends with a few people on the crew and we spent the layover wondering around the city and stuffing our faces with fish and chips and mushy peas. Oh how I love mushy peas. For those of you who've been following me for quite some time know that I love London; I forced myself to fall in love with this capital city because I knew I'd always be there or that this trip would be floating around open time so I might as well embrace it and enjoy. And I have. I was there for the good - our first crew hotel in Bloomsbury - and the bad - Camp Marriott for Crews. And now, I'm headed to our new crew hotel! I'm not really sure where it is, but it'll be good. I even have errands to do already; I have to exchange a shirt at Primark and my father has requested I bring home coffee. I hope I can find raisin bakes too!

Take me to New York? Nah. Londontown bound.

Oops...

I lost a unam.

A unam is an unaccompanied minor. For my first trip back, I wanted to go to Dublin and to do so, I had to work the purser position - the service manager - meaning I was in charge of making announcements, selling duty free, and responsible for the delivery of the unaccompanied minor. She was older, about 14, and had flown by herself before and lied to me when she said she knew the rules. Obviously she missed the part when I told her not to go running off the plane upon our arrival, and that I would come and collect her. I was seated at door 1, we use door 2 for deplaning and by the time I was out of the bathroom, she was long gone. I gave her passport and information to the gate agent so she could find her and get her out of the country... only to discover as we were leaving immigration that she made it out of the immigration hall without her passport and the gate agent had yet to locate her. Awesome. So now not only have I lost her, but apparently the Irish government just lets anyone come waltzing into their country. I so desperately wanted to ask one of the agents the following morning what happened but it wasn't anyone who had dealt with the situation initially and I certainly was not going to rat myself out. So 14 yr old Samantha, who runs away and can't follow directions, where ever you might be, I hope someone who you know collected you at the airport and that Ireland beefs up their immigration policy... like requiring passports...

Band Aid!

I have a band aid! And a pedicure! And a cute little scar on my ankle involving a boat, champagne, and glass...

Guess who's going back to work tomorrow??? Sans heels of course ;)

Fan Mail: Skirts

I received this email over the weekend and would like to pose this question to all of my fellow flight attendant followers. I also forwarded this to my flight attendant best friend who's on a layover in the UK (oh international juniority!) and will post her reply as soon as I can, along with my own. So have at it kiddies!

Hi, I have a question - I fly pretty often and I noticed that many of
the female flight attendants seem to dress very provocative. Whether
its the high heels, extremely short/tight skirts,
tight/revealing/lowcut blouses or all of the above!
Do they dress like this on purpose - to entice the men? I happen not
to mind because it gives me something to look at when bored :) but
just curious why they do it.

Of course I have seen plenty of FA who don't dress this way but my
question is on the ones who do.

Eagerly awaiting your response

Rick

Doctors Orders...

I saw the doctor day - it appears I'm out of commission for yet another week. It was indeed an appointment, he didn't know Lisbon is in Portugal. Things are healing up nicely, it just takes time to get things back to 100%. I'm hoping to be back in the air by the 17th, so we'll see.

Job share request is in... we'll see.

Dinner, courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa

Now that I'm semi mobile, my mother put me to work and I made shrimp scampi for dinner with a simple recipe from the Food Network. There were zucchini floating around in there too but were not present for this particular snap shot. Thus far, I've also made lemon squares and zucchini bread.

Can you tell I'm ready to go back to work???

Lies

The battery light on my dash, when illuminated, isn't lying. I thought it was; I was down the shore before my surgery when it first shined it's ugly orange light in my face. I figured with the rain and excessive salty air, there was nothing to fear. I haven't been driving much since then, but the past few times when I have been on the road - bam - there it is. The battery light. Usually it would turn itself off after a bit. Not the case today. So at the moment I'm stranded at the post office waiting for the tow truck. Awesome. There's a pizza place in this shopping center and I practically have a library in my trunk so I'm fully stocked with provisions and activities. This just isn't exactly how I pictured my Thursday...

Via iPhone

As it would turn out, I have a bad alternator. The shop I took it to actually put in this now bad alternator about a year and a half ago - half a year over the warranty. The whole thing is going to cost me $400 for a "new" (they don't make new ones for my car, only re - somethings... so technical, right?) part and labor. I told him time wasn't too important... its not like I'm going back to work just yet. I suppose the light on the dash should have been my first clue...