Small Problems Can Create Large Ones

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UPDATE: The repairman fixed the fridge on Wednesday, so we are back in business.

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Our refrigerator has taken us on an unpleasant adventure over the last few days. Only 18 months old, it surprised us on Friday when the water dispenser began to leak when we tried to get water. It came out the spout but also other places, making a big mess on the floor. Saturday evening, while I was at work, the entire refrigerator shut off. Since the fridge was out of warranty, I could feel the doubletime I was making at work disappearing from my wallet.

Fortunately (?), I came home and discovered that the fridge had tripped the GFCI – kinda weird, but at least I could reset it and turn the fridge back on. I stayed up for a while to watch a movie. Then around 1:00am the ice maker started freaking out, filling the ice dispenser to overflowing, churning constantly, and dropping ice all over the floor when I opened the door to investigate. Then the water dispenser started dumping water everywhere. I ran around frantically trying to catch the ice, dump it outside or in the sink, sop up the water, reset the GFCI, figure out what on earth was going on without slipping on the wet tile and breaking something. I would have called an exorcist, but I figured they were all in bed. I finally shut off the water line and emptied all the ice and water from the fridge as a temporary solution.

Jenny called out a repairman on Monday. He discovered that the small plastic tube in the water dispenser’s spout had gotten pushed up into the door, which is why water was leaking. That alone is an easy fix. Unfortunately, we’d run it so much trying to troubleshoot it that water had dripped down onto the circuitry that control the icemaker, ice dispenser, and water dispenser, which is why that side of the fridge seemed to be possessed. New circuit boards are not cheap, but they are cheaper than replacing an 18-month-old refrigerator, so that’s the plan. He had to order the part and hopes to install it on Wednesday.

Introverts, Retreat!

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I found a great article, part truth and part humor, in The Atlantic called Caring for Your Introvert. It was refreshing to find someone who could eloquently describe me. Since I know many of you are introverts as well, I think you’ll enjoy the article.

Introversion is often considered synonymous with shyness, but it’s really more about the effect other people have on you. Think of your energy level, both physical and emotional, as a battery. An introvert recharges by spending time alone and gets drained by spending time with other people. An extrovert recharges around other people and gets drained when alone. Shyness, on the other hand, is more about how confident or self-conscious you feel when interacting with other people, especially ones you don’t know well.

I am both very introverted and fairly shy. That’s part of the reason I love working the midnight shift at work. I can keep to myself, do nearly all of my work independently, spend very little time on the phone, and have plenty of time to recharge even though I’m not technically alone. When I have a night off with no plans, when some people would call up some friends and want to go hang out, I typically want to spend some time with Jenny and then simply be alone for a while to watch a movie, read, or blog. In a group, I would much rather listen than speak, to absorb and think about your ideas rather than simply spouting off my own half-baked ones. I keep my internal filter on HIGH. Speaking up to a group requires significant energy and risk, which is why I rarely do it unless necessary.

But Andy, you might be thinking, you intentionally hang out with people all the time – at church, after church, in your small group, having friends over for dinner, and organizing events. What are you talking about?

I like people, but only want to be with them in small doses, and I need time alone afterward to recharge. As mentioned in the Atlantic article, I am interested in what’s going on in your life, but I want the real stuff, not hours of small talk about issues that neither one of us really cares about. What are your plans? What are you worried or excited about right now? How are you doing?

Introversion still seems to be viewed as a liability rather than an asset by our society. Sometimes I feel that way myself. I am grateful that our closest friends and family understand and accept my introversion, and some of them share it as well.

So please don’t be offended if I don’t want to spend hours on the phone with you or run around with you every weekend. It’s not that I don’t like you, because I do. It’s that I only have so much in the tank, and it takes a while to refill.

Southwest – AirTran Merger

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DISCLAIMER: Although I am a Southwest employee, I am just a lowly dispatcher and was not involved with this transaction in any way. The opinions expressed on AndyBox.com are solely my own and do not reflect the position of Southwest Airlines, its Board of Directors, its Leadership, or anyone else who has any authority whatsoever over anything.

I’m sure many of you heard last week about Southwest’s plans to acquire AirTran. In a nutshell, we’re buying them for a combination of cash and Southwest stock, and the deal is expected to close in the first half of 2011, assuming all the regulatory agencies bless it. After that, we will merge our operations with theirs over a two-year period. The airline will remain based in Dallas with Gary at the helm.

I am VERY excited about this acquisition. AirTran is a well-run and successful airline. A couple of my coworkers came from AirTran, and they are both excellent dispatchers and valuable assets to our team. Here are some of the key benefits I see:

  • Atlanta – As the world’s busiest airport and a major business destination, ATL has been a huge hole in our network for many years. However, it’s extremely difficult to obtain gate space there. By buying AirTran, we instantly get 30 gates.
  • Other New Destinations – AirTran serves several airports that we don’t serve. Some are domestic, such as Rochester, Wichita, Branson, and Memphis. Others are international, such as Nassau, Montego Bay, and Cancun. With the exception of DFW, we plan to continue serving all of these destinations, creating a formidable nationwide network. We also get additional slots at LaGuardia and new slots at Washington Reagan, which are both very difficult to obtain.
  • New Aircraft Type – AirTran flies both the 737-700, which we also fly, and the 717-200, which is new to us. We plan to keep the 717s, configure them with 117 all-coach seats, and use them in smaller markets that don’t need the size of a 737.

For me, the main differences will be new airports, a different aircraft type, and most importantly, new coworkers. Since most of the employees at both airlines are unionized, one of the toughest questions will be how to combine similar work groups with regard to culture and seniority. It’s up to the unions, not management, to work out how to combine the seniority lists. Although my pay shouldn’t change as a result of this merger, it could boost my seniority a bit, which would help when bidding for my schedule and vacation. My main concern is that all the different unions can work out agreements that everyone can live with. I look forward to welcoming the AirTran dispatchers to our office and will probably get to sit with some of them as a trainer.

For Further Reading:

Online Defensive Driving

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Partly because I’m a nerd and mostly because I like to save money, I am taking a defensive driving course online through DefensiveDriving.com. So far it’s not too bad! It uses streaming video and does a good job of mixing up the content to keep it interesting. The course only takes 6 hours, and that includes mandatory 12-minute breaks. For $25 and a few hours of my time, I can save up to 10 percent on my auto insurance for the next three years. Plus I’ll be a better driver, at least in theory. I’ve actually learned a few things, and most of the other info is simply a good reminder.