After my shift tonight, I’m off for the next several days, so I’m tagging along with Jenny as she flies out to Phoenix and Oakland for work. Like in September when we did Vegas, she’s helping run new hire luncheons and working a new hire booth at the annual Messages to the Field (a state of the company address/party) that SWA does. For this year’s luncheons, she and her coworkers put together an awesome sock puppet show that tells the history of SWA and shows our fun-loving and crazy culture. Despite hearing so much about the process of producing the show, I haven’t seen it myself. I’ve never been to PHX and haven’t see the Bay Area in nearly 10 years. Should be an interesting trip!
Category Archives: Trips
Vacation Vacation Vacation
I have finished my coursework at Embry-Riddle. So far I’ve had three celebration dinners. Tonight Jenny made baked potatoes, steamed veggies, and homemade beer bread, and I grilled filet mignons. We split a bottle of Michel-Schlumberger cabernet sauvignon that we’d been saving since 2004 for this very occasion. It was all delicious, the taste of victory. Tomorrow we’re set to leave for Ft Lauderdale. I plan to come home Halloween night, but Jenny has to go directly up to Baltimore and Philly for work.
In case you haven’t heard, the Wright Amendment is gone, replaced by immediate through-ticketing and full freedom in 2014. Many thanks to all the local leaders (whom I bashed so much in months past) for finally coming together to get the job done. Airfares are already dropping at DAL and DFW, just like we said they would.
Until we meet again…I’ll leave you with a link to a fabulous picture of Maho Beach in St Maarten. The airport (SXM) is right next to Maho Beach, so aircraft spotters come from around the world to take pictures of the planes as they land a few feet over the beach. There are signs posted on the beach warning you not to stand directly behind departing aircraft due to the jet blast. I hope to bring you some great pictures. =)
Cruising is Fun
If you’ve never been on a cruise, I highly recommend it. All you have to do is show up, and they take care of the rest – food, lodging, entertainment, and transportation. On Carnival, it’s like eating at a very nice restaurant for every meal, and you can order what you want because it’s all included in the price. You want the lobster? Sure! Creme brulee for dessert? No problem. Creme brulee AND tiramisu for dessert? Right away, sir! The rooms are cozy but comfortable, but you won’t spend much time in the room anyway. You can watch shows, dance the night away like we do, gamble, lie on the deck and read, play games, work out, get a massage, whatever floats your boat (hee hee, I’m so punny). Jenny and I are set to leave from Ft Lauderdale on Carnival Legend Oct 23 (my bday). We’ll have 2 full days at sea sailing to St. Maarten, home of fabulous beaches, good snorkeling, and fantastic aircraft spotting opportunities. The next day we hit Barbados, home of more fabulous beaches and the Malibu Rum factory. The final stop is Martinique, home of even more fabulous beaches. Two more days of sailing finally return us to Ft Lauderdale on Halloween. We are so excited, and so thankful for the chance to get away and celebrate the end of school like we did three years ago when Jenny finished. We’re even bringing nice clothes for formal night. If you’re interested in cruising, I recommend researching your options at Cruise Reviews and then booking at southwest.com. =)
No Wife, but I Have US Open Tickets
Jenny is now up in Baltimore/Philly getting the job fairs set up. She’s due to come back September 1. It’s kinda sad being a bachelor again, and it’ll be great to have her back. Mom and I are supposed to leave for NY on Sunday for the US Open. When we’re not watching tennis, we hope to go see a play in Central Park and visit Ground Zero. I haven’t been to New York since 1999. I used to have a great picture of the Twin Towers, but I’m not sure where it is. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get around on the subway. Mom’s been trying to figure out how to protect us from muggers. We have tickets to the day and evening sessions of the US Open on Monday and Tuesday. Sunday and Wednesday we should have a little time for sightseeing. Go Andre!
Traveling Fools
The Boxes plan to very a lot of the world over the next couple of months. For starters, Jenny has a 10-day trip to Philadelphia at the end of August to help with a couple of job fairs for ramp agents. At the same time, Mom and I are scheduled to go up to New York to see the opening round of the US Open, which will be Agassi’s last tournament. Then Jenny and I head out to Vegas in September for a few days. She’ll be working the LAS Spirit Party and another event, and I’m going along for the ride. Finally, to celebrate my birthday and the end of my MBA classes, we’re planning a Carnival cruise to the southern Caribbean in late October. Whew!
Half-marathon training is going well. I’m up to 12 miles per week and trying to increase it by a mile or so each week. I also joined Jenny’s gym, LA Fitness, to strengthen my muscles and swim a bit. I guess at some point I need to register for the race to make sure I don’t chicken out. =)
Out for Blood
We had a good time on our trip. The weather was great, but the whole region needs about 2 feet of snow. Jenny decided skiing wasn’t her sport, partly because the ski shop gave her the wrong boots, but she brought plenty of books to read while I skied solo. We got plenty of rest, ate well, watched the Olympics, and visited a couple of New Mexican wineries. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend Vivac Winery, which is owned and run by two brothers who are about my age. It was great just to get away together and leave work and school behind.
I gave blood today. If you’re in good health, I highly recommend it. Visit Carter BloodCare if you live in the Dallas area. It doesn’t hurt that badly, and it’s a great way to help someone else in a way that medical technology is still unable to duplicate. If you have past risky behaviors or serious medical issues, don’t give, but if you’re just afraid of needles, that’s no excuse! You even get free juice and cookies, and sometimes even a free t-shirt!
I finished Labor Relations last week, class number 9 of the 13. I’m scheduled to start Advanced Aviation Economics on March 7. If all goes well, I should be through with class in 8 months. Woohoo!