Seasons

The seasons are changing here in Florida (yes, we do have seasons here). It's gray, overcast, rainy, and our daily high is only 74 degrees. Yep, fall is in the air. Lots of changes for us happening too.

We had a wonderful visit to Houston and decided to commit to moving. We found a suburb we love, a school for Kidzilla we love, family overjoyed to welcome us to the area. Our goal is to move out there around June 2008. We are waiting for A to hit his 2nd year salary and for me to clear some things up related to the wasband before we go after a mortgage. It will save us from my having to find a job in my field and be employed there for at least one month to qualify (and thus saving us a second move). A maintains that he'll continue with the west coast base, but that in time, the local base may become more appealing. But for now, it's westward, ho! If you are in the IAH area, by all means, let me know.

We are having fun with the new "holding a line" schedule. The convenience of being able to trade out the terrible trips (like the 3 day that dead-heads from Ontario to Spokane to Sacramento, flies from Sacramento to Fresno and then deadheads back to Ontario. ONT to Fresno is only a 5 or so hour drive) and picking up a trip with a 21 hour overnight in Sacramento so A can see his family for the first time in nearly a year, is fantastic. The next few months are going to be enjoyable, until I find something else to complain about.

Kidzilla and I are facing our first Thanksgiving alone. A's good friend has a 21 hour layover here in town that day, but since they are on different sides of the operation, they can't trade trips so A can be home for the day. A will be enjoying a fine hotel buffet in Tucson instead. I was having visions of Kidzilla and I having a sad dinner alone at the local Denny's, with all the other patrons murmuring about what a terrible mother I was for not cooking a meal and where was our family. BUT, we scored an invite to a friend's house so now I can relax. I know I could have non-rev'd out to Tucson, family in Houston or on the West Coast, but it just seemed like too much hassle. Flights are going to be crowded and I just don't want the stress- maybe if I were alone, but not with a 5 year old in tow. I guess apathy wins again.

I was thinking this morning- it seems like EVERY pilot has to fly on the holidays. You hear about it from pilots, wives, media, forums. But really, the company only owns around 205 aircraft, so that's only 205 crews that are needed that day. That would be roughly 410 of the total 3000+ pilots with the company. Plus, adding in the ones that might be starting or ending a trip that day and it still seems like it's only 1/3 of the pilots that will actually have to work that day. So maybe we have a hope of having a holiday off eventually. At least I like to think so.

A has been off now for 11 straight days. He goes back tomorrow to start a pairing on the 1st. I thought for sure I was going to go nuts having him home for so long, but actually it's been pretty nice. His time off was extended a bit by having to call in sick on his last two days of reserve due to a chest infection, but we still made the best of it while he was sick. It's going to be weird to have him gone again. It looks like we'll have another 2.5 week block of long trips and short visits home and then another good block off at the end of the month.

In a testament to bad karma, I've managed to destroy two cell phones in as many weeks. I knocked my barely two month old phone into the toilet one day at work. Everything worked fine except the speaker, so we had to replace it. $250 later, I was the proud new owner of a Razr. A mere 4 days later, I accidentally put that phone down in a puddle of water on a public bathroom counter and shorted it out. But we got it replaced for free. So now I'm on cell phone no. three and hoping I can keep it for a while. I think if I ruin this one, A is going to make me get one of those clunky indestructible ones they advertise now. I'm resisting because they really have no bling, but I realize that it might be in my best interest.

Happy Halloween and be sure to enjoy all that candy that kids will be bringing home. One more piece won't hurt, it's little...