The day I’ve been dreading for months finally arrived. Actually, hundreds of us at my airline have been dreading this day. Simply put….We are no longer positive people. Yessiree. The days of commuting to and from work with a positive space ticket are over. Of course, our airline executives are trying to put a positive spin on this life changing decision. But, believe you, me. It’s extremely difficult to live in an airline world when you are no longer positive.

Flying during the pandemic was challenging to say the least. However, for commuters like myself, there was one silver lining. We could book a positive seat to and from work. In essence, we were a regular passenger flying on our airplanes. We didn’t have to sit standby to see if we had a seat on the plane. We didn’t have to book the jumpseat, either. This was a complete game changer for us commuters. For the first time in my 33- years of flying I didn’t have commuting stress. Yessiree. I basked in my plushy Comfort Plus seat on my commutes. Occasionally, I would bask in a First- Class seat. I even basked while sitting in a regular passenger seat. I’m not going to lie. It was fabulous. Heck. I didn’t even mind the days I was stuck in the middle seat. A middle seat always trumps a jumpseat. I was in paradise. I wasn’t living in a Fool’s Paradise, though. I knew one day…November 1, 2022,….everything would revert back to the old commuting lifestyle. I’ll admit. I pushed that ugly thought out of my head as best as I could. Instead, I crossed my fingers and my toes hoping we would continue to have positive space to and from work. I aggressively nodded my head in agreement every time another Skytress, Skyter or Pilot mentioned that positive space was helping the airline’s reliability numbers. Sadly, all my head nodding and fingers and toes crossing didn’t mean anything to the powers that be. They were steadfast in their decision that positive space would be going away. The powers that be chose to call it, “sun setting”. “Sun setting” is a trendy positive phrase people use these days to soften the blow of something ending. Believe me. There isn’t a positive word that exits when it comes to ending positive space.

Airlines drastically reduced their flights when Covid hit. Our airline blocked the middle seats for social distancing. We, also, couldn’t sit next to another person on the jumpseats because of social distancing. Thus, our airline decided to give the commuting Skytresess, Skyters, and Pilots positive space seats. This would help insure employees made it to their respective bases to fly their trips. Let’s be real here, too. Airplanes were basically empty for months. It didn’t matter if we had positive space to get to work or home. We weren’t taking up paying passenger seats. Fortunately for our airline, passengers are coming back in droves to fly. They are filling up every seat imaginable. My butt, and every positive space commuter’s butt, was taking up potential revenue seats. Thus, our airline decided to end positive space. Commuters now have to once again compete with each other to get the coveted jumpseat. I’ll admit. Racing to get the only jumpseat before everyone else is positively a pain in everyone’s non-revenue butt!

I can definitely be described as a commuting veteran. When I was a new Skytress first class was often filled with commuting airline employees. Of course, this was way before the frequent flyer programs. Even if we weren’t in first class, we had little fear we would get on a flight. I remember when we first got the approval to book the jumpseat for personal travel. At the time, it was a nice traveling option for Skytresses, Skyters and Pilots. Especially, for the rare occasions when it didn’t look like we would get on a flight. Getting on a flight became more challenging when air fare wars between airlines drastically brought ticket prices down. I clearly remember passengers bragging about how little they paid for their tickets. I, also, remember when gas prices went so sky high it became cheaper to fly than drive to destinations. Passengers once again bragged about how much money they were saving by flying instead of driving. Our airplanes were filled to the gills with passengers. Booking the jumpseat actually became a necessity to get to work and to get home. Fortunately, we had multiple airplanes with multiple jumpseats. Commuting via the jumpseat was a pain for everyone. However, it was doable. When Covid hit, our airline retired our older airplanes with multiple jumpseats. Egads for commuters! Unfortunately, for many new hires at our airline, the only life they have known is the life of commuting to work with positive space. Double Egads for them! I’ll admit. The adjustment period has been excruciating for flight crews and gate agents. Especially for the newly hired gate agents and crew members. It gets worse my sweet readers. In my 33-years of flying I’ve never seen so many payload optimized flights like I have in the past several months. When a flight is payload optimized no standby passengers are boarded. That includes crew members that are on standby because a jumpseat is no longer available. Triple Egads to this! All I can say is turbulence is brewing for everyone. I’m positive commuting is no longer going to be a positive experience for any of us. Quadruple Egads!

Reliability factors are extremely important to airlines. The powers that be at our airline stressed reliability didn’t improve with positive space. Everyone, airline employees and the public, know Covid sickouts increased dramatically during the past few years. Additionally, Pilots couldn’t fly for several days after receiving Covid shots. Flight cancellations due to weather issues increased dramatically this past year, too. Unfortunately, we will never know if these factors, along with other factors, played heavily on the reliability factor. Crews were never privy the actual reliability breakdown numbers. Oh well. I do know for a fact that employees in other departments didn’t like commuters having positive space to and from work. I can’t say I blame them. A large number of Skytresses, Skyters and Pilots may be commuters. But, they definitely aren’t the majority of our airline’s employees.

I’m quite certain every airline would love for all of their Skytresses, Skyters, and Pilots to live in base. Heck. It’s less of a headache for them. Heck it’s less of a headache for crew members too. Well, maybe not for people based in cities with exorbitant rent and home prices. Not having money to pay for housing is a huge headache! Especially for new hire Skytresses and Skyters at the bottom of the pay scale. I fear many new hires will quit if commuting becomes too difficult for them. I suspect senior Skytresses, Skyters and Pilots will decide to retire earlier than planned if commuting becomes increasingly arduous, too. I know for myself, I have less flights from St. Louis to Atlanta than I did prior to Covid. I jokingly say I hope my airline lets me retire before they fire me for not making it to work because of commuting issues. All joking aside, I truly appreciated having positive space for as long as we did. I know my fellow commuters feel the same. It’s true….on November 1st we were no longer positive people. However, it goes without saying, we will always be grateful that we once were.

I received an unexpected wake-up call on my San Diego layover two weeks ago. The fraud department at my credit union was calling me at 5:30am. Unfortunately for me, I had only fallen asleep a short time prior to my phone call. You see, I had received news earlier in the day that weighed heavily on my mind. Sadly, I found out a Skyter I few with in Cincinnati had been arrested on Federal charges. I’ll admit. I wasn’t sure which shock was worse…..The fraud department calling while I was in the middle of my REM sleep…..or the realization that a person I enjoyed flying with was involved in fraudulent behavior. Two weeks later I’m still baffled by the news I received on both accounts.

Incredibly, my trip that week started off lovely enough. I was flying with three spectacular Skytresses. More importantly, the reroute gods didn’t rear their ugly little heads and mess up my layover plans. No siree. We made it to our Cincinnati layover as scheduled. Better yet, I met up with my dear Skytress friend, Jennie Lou. Yes. THE Jennie Lou that has filled my blog posts for the past two years. When I walked into the restaurant Jennie Lou was excitedly jumping up and down waving to me. I burst out laughing. Not surprisingly, that was the first of many laughs we shared that day. Heck. Between the laughter and all our catching up, we barely had time to breathe. It was wonderful!

As you know, the airline industry took a brutal hit from Covid. Unfortunately for the Cincinnati Skytresses and Skyters, the Cincinnati base was downsized significantly. Many people, like Jennie Lou, took the early retirement package. Other Skytresses and Skyters were forced to transfer to other bases to maintain their quality of flying. Jennie Lou and I updated each other on the whereabouts of our Cincinnati family of Skytresess and Skyters. Jennie Lou ask me if I had heard the latest news about our fellow Skyter. I hadn’t. Jennie Lou disclosed he had been arrested two weeks prior. I was gobsmacked. Jennie Lou pulled up an article on her cell phone and read me the felony charges he was facing. She then showed me his mugshot. I’ll admit. My brain didn’t know how to process this unfathomable information. I thoroughly enjoyed flying with this Skyter when I was based in Cincinnati. I couldn’t understand how he became involved in criminal activity. I felt sad for him. I was angry with him. Admittedly, I was extremely grateful he was no longer a Skyter for our airline at the time of his arrest.

When I got to my hotel room in San Diego I felt compelled to google our fellow Skyter. I was trying to make sense of the deplorable charges. Sadly, I could not. Everything I read reaffirmed he was indeed a fraud. I struggled with this realization. I had so many unanswered questions. Mostly, I wondered how this jovial Skyter I flew with was involved in abhorrent fraudulent activity. What was he thinking? Didn’t he care about his actions? Didn’t he care about the people he was hurting? Now he was behind bars. What was he thinking now? These questions replayed on a loop in my head. It was extremely difficult to fall asleep. When I did fall asleep I had incredibly bizarre dreams about this Skyter.

Those dream abruptly ended when my cell phone rang. I was so startled the fraud department was calling I actually hung up on them. Well, actually, I hung up on the automated machine wanting me to verify my identity. Heck. I couldn’t even verify where I was at that moment. When I finally got my wits about me, I logged on to my account. I didn’t notice any unscrupulous activity. However, my instincts told me I better call the credit union. Incredulously, fraudulent activity seemed to be the theme of this trip.

The kindhearted agent in the fraud department asked me if I was trying to purchase something via an app. She explained they received an alert for an impending purchase of zero dollars at 830am. Zero dollars? That didn’t make sense to me. It didn’t make sense to the fraud department either. I explained to the agent it was 5:30am where I was and that I had been sleeping. She then verified my past purchases with my credit card. All the while, I wondered who from my previous purchases was trying to fraudulently use my account. I felt violated. I was angry and irritated that some nefarious person was trying to take advantage of me. At that moment I regretted not using good-old hard cash for several of my smaller purchases. Ultimately, with the help of the agent, I decided I would lock my account. I could still have my credit card available to pay for my parking when I got home to St. Louis that evening. My plan was to go to the credit union at the airport prior to my next trip and get a new credit card. It seemed like a perfect plan.

I had barely closed my eyes again when I received a text message from the fraud department at my credit union. My heart sank. The fraud department had noticed more suspicious activity on my credit card. Via text the credit union wanted me to verify two purchases. I thought, “Oh, Boy. This can’t be good.” And I was right. They wanted me to verify two separate purchases for the identical amount at Apple.com. I answered “no” as to whether I authorized the purchases. I’ll admit. I was furious at the audacity of the person trying to use my credit card information. If I could have texted “no” a hundred times I would have just to make an emphatic point. Another texted popped up on my cell phone screen. It was inquiring whether my card was lost, stolen, or in my possession. I quickly replied that I had possession of my card. If I could have typed “Stop that thief! They’re a fraud!”, I would have. I didn’t need to, though. A second later I received a simple text response saying “Thank you. Your card has been blocked to prevent further unauthorized purchases”. I felt very conflicted. I was thrilled I had beat the fraudulent person at their own game. However, I was still livid at the deceitful person for both trying to use my card and for having to deal with their actions at 5:30 in the morning. Of course, I had a renewed appreciation for the fraud department at my credit union. As I placed my head back on my pillow, I conjured up a mental image of someone at the fraud department with their hands on their phone ready to call when suspicious activity alert sounded. I envisioned them wearing a cape emblazoned with the word, “Fraud” in a circle with a line through it. Truthfully, the agents in the fraud department are my unsung heroes. Once I had purchased several hundred dollars worth of makeup while shopping with my friends in Atlanta. No sooner had I swiped my credit card, the fraud department called me. Yessiree. They suspected fraudulent activity. It was humbling to tell the man at the other end that I did indeed just spent several hundred dollars on makeup. Now, if I had a female agent call me, I know she would have completely understood this purchase when I verified it. Nonetheless, I was grateful the fraud department was quick to respond to my purchase. I know the agent was at the ready to catch a fraud. Instead, I’m positive he mumbled under his breath, “Who spends that kind of money on makeup?”

I used another credit card while I waited for my new credit union card to arrive. That credit card isn’t associated with my credit union. Even though I know this credit card company also has a fraud department, I still felt exposed to frauds with each purchase I made. I’ll admit. I didn’t feel secure in the knowledge that someone at this credit card company was diligently waiting to call me with fraudulent activity. No siree. I envisioned this person would be on a coffee break when fraudulent activity was occurring. Their cape would be rolled up in a ball to give them lumbar support when they returned to their desk to get to the next level on Wordspace.

This past Friday I drove to the UPS office to pick up my new credit card. The UPS delivery man tried to deliver it to my house a few days prior. I anticipated the delivery while I was on my trip. Thus, my Mom diligently waited all day for the UPS man to arrive so she could sign for the delivery. Of course, the one time she left her post to go to the bathroom, the UPS delivery person came. I didn’t mind driving to the UPS facility to pick my new card up, though. Actually, it felt very satisfying to pick my card up. Once again, I feel confident knowing my credit union will act swiftly if someone tries to use this credit card without my authorization. Yessiree. I can see the agent clearly in my mind….their one hand on their phone,…their other hand tapping the word “fraud” glistening on their cape…shouting at their computer, “You’re not Eileen Gaffney! No siree. You’re a fraud!”

Skytresses and Skyters despise being flown into their off days. Often these reroutes are pretty ugly. You can bet, the stories about the reroutes are retold for years. Yessiree. Skytresses and Skyters never get over being flown into an off day. When I was a new Skytress I got flown into my off day. I’ve talked about this reroute for years, too. Remarkably, this isn’t an ugly reroute story. No siree. It’s a love story. A love story about the Holy City called Charleston.

My friend Kristin and I were waiting in the gatehouse to catch an earlier flight home. The day before scheduling had granted us a deviation from our scheduled deadhead. We were absolutely giddy. Yessiree. We were beating the odds. As young Skytresses, we rarely got home hours earlier than scheduled. When the gate agent walked over and told us he had a reroute for Kristin and me, we laughed. We thought he was trying to be funny. Heck. He was definitely aware we were deviating from our scheduled deadhead. We laughed even harder when he handed us our pretend reroute paperwork. We admired him seeing his joke through… even at our expense. Then we realized he wasn’t joking. Holy Moly! Scheduling had gut-punched us. Our three-day trip was turning into a four day trip. Sadly, scheduling gut-punched our other crew members, too. Skytress Tracie and Skytress Sharon thought they were going to sleep in and deadhead home on the original deadhead flight. Unfortunately, they received a wake-up call from scheduling telling them otherwise. Yessiree. We were all heading to Charleston. A city none of us had ever been to. More importantly, it was a city we couldn’t care less to layover in. We wanted to go home. We didn’t want to go to Charleston. Amazingly, our hostile attitudes softened a wee bit when two commuting Charleston Skytresses repeatedly told us, “You’re just going to LOVE Charleston”. Yessiree. Their sweet southern accents soothed our raging rerouted Skytress souls. Ultimately, we decided to make the best of a bad reroute. We agreed to go out on our layover and explore Charleston. We quickly discovered Charleston is aptly called the Holy City. We couldn’t praise Charleston enough. Yessiree. We had unabashedly fallen in love with Charleston. Heck. We didn’t want to leave the next day. We all made a solemn vow we would come back. Fortunately, I have been blessed to go back to Charleston many more times since that layover. Last week I went back again. What can I say? I just LOVE Charleston.

We arrived to our hotel in Charleston just before midnight on Tuesday. Now, I’ve stayed in numerous hotels in Charleston throughout my career. Admittedly, I didn’t think any Charleston hotel could outshine the Mills House. Incredibly, that thought was proven wrong as soon as we pulled up to our hotel. I’m not sure how we ended up in this luxurious five-star hotel. But, I pray we never leave. My room was breathtaking. Boy, oh boy, I was in my glory. I happily stayed up until 3am finishing the novel, “Falling”. It was captivating. Ron’s sister, Sherri, thought I would like the book. So she mailed it to me to read. The novel was written by a Skytress. What can I say? I was a deliriously happy Skytress…reading a book written by a Skytress…where one of the main characters is quick-thinking, indomitable Skytress. It was a perfect start to my Charleston layover. I knew it was going to be hard to leave my lavish accommodations in the morning. Nonetheless, my love for Charleston will always be much stronger than my love for a super comfy bed. Thus, I eagerly woke up when my alarm went off a few hours later. I knew I only had a couple hours to shop and explore before I had to be on the crew shuttle heading back to the airport. My plan was to power walk and power shop. I’ll admit. It was the perfect plan. In just a few hours I single- handedly boosted Charleston’s economy. Of course, it was my pleasure to do so!

Our hotel was located across the street from the Charleston City Market. I walked over to the market a couple minutes after it opened. I’ll admit. I was thrilled I beating the rush of the tourist shoppers. I leisurely perused the items the vendors were selling. Well, as leisurely as one could while power shopping. I bought several items before I headed out to walk around the city. The weather was exceptional. It was sunny and cool. I can’t tell you how delighted I was to be out power walking without power sweating. Alleluia! A minor miracle in the Holy City!

I’m always mesmerized by the historical buildings and homes in Charleston. I love catching little tidbits of information the tour guides tell their guests whenever I walk around the city. That morning I would have completely missed the oldest liquor store in America if I hadn’t walked by a tour guide at the right moment. Yessiree. Power walking does have it’s drawbacks. I slowed down to read the sign outside the building. It made me chuckle to know people have been buying liquor there since the 1600’s. Cheers to this! I tried to picture myself walking these same streets as Charlestonians did in the early colonial days. The horse drawn carriages clopping down the street made it easier to imagine. I didn’t power walk by the numerous churches and graveyards. Instead, I stopped and read the gravestones. Time and weather had worn away many details engraved on the headstones. Fortunately, there were several beautiful stone inscriptions from the lates 1800’s that time didn’t completely erase. I always said a prayer for the people buried in the church graveyards before I continued on with my walk. I have always loved Charleston because of it’s juxtaposition. One moment I am walking by a church from the 1700’s. Then a few hundred feet down the street is a James Beard Award winning restaurant. I’m forever fascinated how Charlestonians seamlessly embrace the old and the new.

As I walked around Charleston, stories popped in my head of previous layovers and trips to the city. Yessiree. I, too, have history in Charleston. I remembered laying over in Charleston right after 9-11. My entire crew went to dinner. We were cognizant of the fact that so many people no longer had this privilege. I remembered the hamburger joint my Skytress friend, Ginger took us to on King Street. I tried to replicate the hamburger when I went home. Sadly, the restaurant closed when the owners got divorced. My sweetest Charleston memories will always be the ones I shared with Ron. Not surprisingly, I had a lot of beautiful memories of Ron and me pop in my head as I traipsed around Charleston. Each one made me smile. I believe Ron was beside me the other day as I zig-zagged from one street to another. Ron didn’t like to power walk. But, I knew he was power walking with me that day. When I walked back into the Charleston City Market to do a little more power shopping, he was with me, too. I’m convinced he pushed me past a few vendors so I wouldn’t spend all my money. I heard him whisper, “Leave some stuff for the other tourists”. Without a doubt, I heard him laugh when I said, “You know I will come back to get it on another trip”.

The last day of this trip we flew from Grand Rapids to Atlanta. During our flight I served a young couple their beverages. They had the most delightful energy and humor. They told me they were going to have a cocktail to celebrate going on vacation. Their delightful disposition compelled me to comp their drinks. They were happily surprised. They both thanked me. They jokingly told me they now had more money to spend in Charleston. I jokingly replied I had spent my fair share of money the day before on our layover in Charleston. The couple couldn’t believe we had a layover there the previous day. I asked the couple if they had ever been to Charleston before. The wife told me she had been there once years ago. Her husband told me this would be his first visit to Charleston. I looked at the young man and smiled. Then in the sweetest southern accent I repeated the words that were once spoken to me by the commuting Charleston Skytresses, “You’re going to just LOVE Charleston”. I told him I fell in love with Charleston the first time I went there. And that I have been in LOVE with Charleston ever since.

Growing up my family moved several times. Each time we moved my parents had one steadfast rule. They would find the best school district and buy a house in that district. When my Dad was offered another job promotion we moved from Pittsburgh to St. Louis. Before we moved my parents reached out to our friends, Rick and Penny Clatt. The Clatt’s were our neighbors in Cincinnati. They were now living in St. Louis. Actually, they lived in Chesterfield, a suburb of St. Louis. My parents flew to St. Louis on a house hunting trip. While on their trip they visited with Rick and Penny Clatt. My parents questioned the Clatt’s about the best school districts and best locations to live in St. Louis. Long story short, my parents bought a ranch-style house down the street from the Clatt’s. Prior to living in St. Louis, my family lived in two- story homes. So, my Dad promised my Mom they would buy a bigger two-story house after living in the ranch-style house for a year. However, there was one huge problem. My parents had bought the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, with the perfect neighbors. The subdivision is called Westbury Manor. It’s similar to Mayberry. Except it didn’t have Sheriff Andy Taylor, Deputy Barney Fife, Opie Taylor or Aunt Bee. We did have a filling station just outside the subdivision. Goober and Gomer Pyle didn’t own it. But, there was an attendant that we called Woodie Woodpecker. So, it’s almost the same. Yessiree. Westbury Manor was our version of Mayberry. It was the perfect place to grow up.

You may be asking yourself why I am writing about Westbury Manor and not about flying. Well, I am the Rerouted Skytress. So every once in awhile I have to reroute my blog posts. I did have a flying blog post I was going to write while I am out on vacation. However, on September 9th we lost a dear friend of the family, Donna Kelly. The days prior to Donna’s passing, I thought a lot about growing up in Westbury Manor. We had a beautiful community of friends that became family. Westbury Manor was not only a safe haven for me. The subdivision was a magical backdrop for creating cherished memories while growing up. You would think such a magical place filled with the most amazing friends would be easy to write about. No siree. I started writing this blog post the night Donna passed away. I’ve rewritten this post several times in my head and on my iPad. Something interesting I’ve learned about these past two years from blogging….it’s easy to write about flying. In contrast….It’s extremely difficult to write about the people and places that mean the most to me. This blog post I am going to share a few stories of growing up in Westbury Manor. I think since Donna was the catalyst for this blog post, I shall start with a story or two about her.

Donna Kelly was an extremely talented artist. I’d like to say my Mom commissioned Donna to paint several pieces for our home. However, I’m almost positive no money was ever actually exchanged between these two friends. Whenever I sit in our living room and write my blog posts I am surrounded by Donna’s exquisite watercolors. Donna didn’t just paint watercolors. No siree. For years, she happily painted my brother Brian’s face for Halloween. I’m not sure if Picasso or Michelangelo would have painted a clown or Dracula face on a giggly little boy, but, Donna did. For my family, having Donna come paint Brian’s Halloween face was much sweeter than a pillowcase full of Halloween candy. I’m not sure how my Mom ever sweet talked Donna into hanging wallpaper in our house while my Dad was gone on a business trip. But, she did. Several times! Actually, I’m sure Donna always offered to help. However, I’ll just leave you all with this. After hanging wallpaper in our dining room….wallpaper that my Dad saw in a nice restaurant and decided it was perfect for our dining room… well, Donna and my Mom never hung wallpaper ever again. Thankfully, Donna and my Mom laughed the whole time they hung the unforgiving wallpaper. Yessiree. They graciously chose to laugh about my Dad’s choice of wallpaper instead of killing my Dad because of it!

I know I have written in previous blog posts about the unsanctioned Westbury Manor Association and their extraordinary love for 40th birthday party celebrations. For those of you who missed the posts….first of all, shame on you. Second of all,…. this association was comprised of our close-knit neighbors who proclaimed themselves to be, “The Westbury Manor Association”. The Westbury Manor Association loved to celebrate everything. So they did just that. You may recall my blog post about my Mom’s 40th birthday celebration. The Association got my Mom a live chicken and a turkey for her birthday theme. Yessiree. She was no longer a spring chicken….She was now an old turkey. For our neighbor Sue Evers’ 40th birthday, the Association got her a pig. You guessed it! “Sue-EE” was this birthday theme. After Sue’s birthday party her kids gleefully put a leash on the pig and walked it around the neighborhood. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you about Bob Isham’s birthday celebration. Bob Isham was affectionately known as the Captain. He was a Captain and Commander in the Coast Guard Reserve. Interestingly, when he was a young reservist, Bob was chosen to lead his formation in President John Kennedy’s funeral procession. The Association completely admired and respected this fact. Thus, they planned a procession to Bob’s house on his 40th birthday fit for a Commander in the Coast Guard. And what does a Coast Guard Commander need for his birthday theme? Well, a boat of course! Bob Isham had a boat. However, he didn’t have a boat anchored smack-dab in the middle of his front yard. So the Association placed one there for Bob’s 40th birthday. In addition, the Association cemented a highway construction barrier, complete with a blinking light, inside the boat. Yessiree. It was a beacon to all in Westbury Manor that Bob was turning 40!

Bob Isham worked for Monsanto. He was one of several members of the Association that worked for Monsanto. Leo Paradis worked for Monsanto, too. He and his family lived behind the Isham’s. You may recall my blog post about my flight crew going to the Paradis’ house on Christmas Eve to sing Christmas carols. Leo loved music. He also loved Jaguar cars. So he bought himself one. Everyone loved Leo’s Jaguar. Myself included. One day my Mom was talking on the phone to Leo’s wife Julia. My Mom told Julia she needed to call a plumber to fix a leaky drain. Julia told my Mom not to call a plumber. She would have Leo come over to fix the leaky sink drain. Leo wasted no time in coming over. In fact, he jumped in his Jaguar and drove up the street to our house. He rang the doorbell. When my Mom opened the front door Leo was holding a wrench he called, “big red” and declared, The plumber is here!” In a matter of minutes Leo had the plumbing issue fixed. From that day forward my Mom would tell everyone her plumber drove a Jaguar to make house calls.

Leo Paradis wasn’t the only neighbor that made house calls . No siree. Across the street from the Paradis lived the Weyerich’s. Dr. Weyerich was an internist. Thankfully, he was a phone call away for anyone needing medical advice or medical treatment. One day the Weyerich’s telephone rang. Megan Weyerich answered the phone. A man with a distinctly soft spoken voice asked to speak with her father. Megan asked her dad who the man was after Dr. Weyerich hung up the phone. Dr. Weyerich told Megan it was Michael Jackson. Dr. Weyerich had treated him when he was performing in St. Louis. Michael Jackson called to thank Dr. Weyerich for helping him. I thought this was the coolest thing when I was a kid. Heck, I still do!

I’ll admit. The coolest neighbors in my opinion were the Clatt’s and the Kelly’s. Not surprisingly, the Clatt’s and Kelly’s were the two families our family hung out with the most in Westbury Manor. Eventually, we all became one cool family. If love and laughter are two signs of a perfect childhood, well, I grew up with an unlimited supply of both thanks to the Clatt’s and Kelly’s. We shared more meals, attended more sporting events and celebrated more life milestones and everyday simplicities, than I could ever count. We toasted every get-together. Unbeknownst to our parents, one New Years Eve my sister Maureen and Kathy Kelly had their own celebration. Yessiree. My sister Maureen and Kathy were sneaking champagne down to the Clatt’s basement to drink it out of view of the adults and the rest of the party goers. Maureen and Kathy were both in high school at the time. When they got caught, Kathy told her parents that they hadn’t been drinking. She told them she simply had a speech impediment. I though this was hilarious. My sister Maureen wasn’t as quick thinking. All she could say to my Dad as he walked her home on the ice-covered sidewalk was, “I’m sorry, Dad”.

If the Westbury Manor kids weren’t drinking champagne, they were eating dog chews. Yessiree. You read this right. One night when we were having dinner with the Clatt’s, my brother Sean told on himself. Sean informed everyone at the table he thought the beef stick sample that came in the mailbox earlier in the day was beef jerky. He explained he he was really hungry and failed to read the packaging until after he took a bite. He admitted he only read the packaging simply because he thought the beef jerky was awful. He mentally concluded he would never purchase the new product. Sean looked at the package to inquire the beef jerky brand. That’s when he discovered he had consumed a dog chew. I couldn’t contain my laughter. Then Brad Clatt spoke up. He said he, too had done the same thing. I thought a was going to pass out from laughing so hard. I couldn’t believe these two were telling on themselves. But, I was thrilled they were! Yessiree. Dinner was always served with a healthy side of laughter when the Clatt’s and Gaffney’s were eating together. Brad had me doubled-over with laughter another night when our families were having dinner. Everyone was either talking or eating. No one was paying attention to Brad. The next thing we heard was Brad saying, “Hey! Who’s throwing the skewers?” Brad had taken the bamboo shish-kabob skewers and stuck them randomly in his hair. He sat there without cracking a smile. I almost choked on my food it was so unexpectedly hilarious. His Mom and Dad tried not to laugh. But, it was too funny not too. Brad’s brother, Mark, also has a superb sense of humor. Yessiree. It’s definitely genetic. To this day, Mark will send me something that makes me laugh out loud. Believe me. I know I am truly blessed to have brothers with fabulous senses of humor. Brad and Mark may not be my biological brothers like my brothers Sean and Brian. Nonetheless they are my brothers. Heck. Mark and Brad are both kindhearted, smart, successful and extremely hilarious. Obviously, we are related!

Another story I love to tell about growing up in Westbury Manor involves my brother Sean. One day Sean got the courage to ask Annie Roth out on a date. Annie lived up the street from our house. She was also the sister of Sean’s friend Peter. I’ll admit. I was a wee bit shocked when I heard Sean was going out on a date with Annie. I was even more shocked when Sean came home and stated he and Annie would probably never go out on another date. We knew if Sean readily told on himself about the dog chew, he would definitely spill the beans about his date. Thankfully for us he did! Sean admit to us that he got pulled over by the police as soon as he exited Westbury Manor. Yessiree. My brother was so nervous about going out with Annie that he forgot to turn his headlights on. I’m sure if Sheriff Andy Taylor had pulled them over the date would have had a much happier outcome. Now Barney Fife would have thrown the book at Sean saying, “Sniffing out crime, one step at a time”. And, “It’s a wise man who knows not to push the limits of the law”.

Westbury Manor may not be Mayberry, North Carolina. That’s perfectly fine by me. We may not have had Sheriff Taylor or Aunt Bee living in our neighborhood. But, I was surrounded by loving people that could give the folks of Mayberry a run for their money. I like to think we had more laughter in Westbury Manor than they ever did in Mayberry. We definitely had better stories! I have shared stories about growing up in Westbury Manor since I started my blog. I will continue to sprinkle a story here and there in future blog posts. It’s inevitably. God made sure I grew up in Westbury Manor. He put his glorious plan into effect when my parents asked Penny and Rick Clatt about the best places to live in St. Louis. Yessiree. God had my parents buy the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, with the perfect people…that are… and always will be…family.

I usually am not a fan of flying to New York. However, on September, 1st, I had a little pep in my step as I headed towards our gate. You could almost say I was giddy. I was a little nervous, too. My crew was experiencing the same emotions. We weren’t nervous about the Chicago passengers flying with us to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. We got over that years ago. We weren’t giddy because most of the passengers were from Chicago and not New York. Although, it was a pleasant surprise. What was the reason for our mixed emotions? It was the Airbus A220. None of us had ever flown on this aircraft. However, we all heard great things about the airplane. Especially the aft lavatory. I’ll admit. Skytresses and Skyters are quite adaptable to many new situations. The Airbus A220 was just another perfect example that Skytresses and Skyters are never too old to learn a new aircraft.

We rarely see the small, but, mighty, Airbus A220 with our Atlanta rotations. Currently, the 220 flies to specific northeastern and southern cities. Amazingly, it does have the capabilities to fly non-stop from New York to the west coast….or from Los Angeles to Hawaii. To me, the Airbus A220 is basically a Boeing 717 on steroids. Unlike the Boeing 717, the Airbus A220 has an in-flight entertainment system. Woo-hoo and Alleluia for this feature! The flight tracker system graphics are exceptional. I was mesmerized by the graphics as I watched the passenger’s monitor from my Skytress jumpseat. The passenger in-flight seat monitors are also bigger than most in our fleet. My senior Skytress eyes truly appreciate this detail. We quickly learned the Skytress In-flight system panel likes to be touched softly to respond. As a New York Skyter told us….This is a Diva airplane. She likes to be caressed ever so gently. This is unlike most of our other aircraft. Those panels liked to be boldly poked….. similar to how the passengers poke us as we walk down the aisles. In addition, the 220’s chimes system has a very dainty bell. This is in strike contrast to the rest of our aircraft. Those airplanes have a very clunky pong sound. I’ll admit. When the 220’s bells rang to signify we were at 10,000 feet, well,… we had no idea what the charming sound was. Yessiree. We may not be too old to learn something new. But, sometimes we “seniors” do need a slight learning curve. Another unique feature of the Airbus A220 requires the pilots to set the flight plan into the Skytress- Skyter in-flight system. So, if you are looking at your seat monitor and it shows your aircraft is going to Boston instead of Dallas,…we’ll, don’t blame the Skytresses or Skyters…..it’s definitely a pilot problem. Egads!

Our Captain briefed us more in-depth than is typical for a pre-flight briefing. Not only did he have three Skytresses that had never flown on this type of equipment. He, also, had a First Officer that was new to the aircraft, too. We all listened intently to everything the Captain had to say about our flight and about the airplane. We three Skytresse all admitted that we had reviewed the A220 in our manuals prior to our flight. I’ll admit. I, also, watched a few YouTube videos. Ron used to tell me there is a YouTube video for everything you need to learn about. He was correct in this particular instance, too. Thankfully, we had a Skytress commuting from Chicago to New York. She taught us how to get the Safety Video to load in the Skytress-Skyter system. I’ll admit. I put notes in my cell phone for the next time I fly the Airbus A220. Yessiree. You are never too old to learn. But, there are definitely days I forget. Taking notes was my personal Skytress backup system for future flights on the 220.

Thankfully, the aisles on the Airbus 220 are much wider than the Boeing 717. Yessiree. I didn’t catch my flight bags on even one seat as I walked to the back of the plane. Crazy, I know! Shockingly, I was able to fit my suitcase into the two-seat side of the aircraft,….wheels in first. You can’t do this on the Boeing 717 aircraft….even though passengers definitely try on every flight!

The galley in the back of the Airbus A220 is fabulous. Why? Well, first of all, there is a galley! Second, the lavatories are not in the galley! They are actually located outside the galley. Some of you may not understand the magnitude of these features. However, my Skytress and Skyter friends will greatly appreciate these details. Additionally, the porthole window in the galley has a magnified insert that allows us to get a clear view of the ground below. It was wonderful to see the streets clearly below while we were in flight. More importantly, if we need to assess the conditions outside during an emergency, this added detail is a complete game-changer.

My crew and I played around with the phones system prior to the passengers boarding. Yessiree. Phone systems are different on many of our aircraft. Thankfully, most of the phones are user friendly. I guess the Airbus aircraft manufacturers don’t believe Skytresses and Skyters are capable of learning new tricks. They put an eye-friendly handy phone menu on the back of the Airbus A220 phones. Yessiree. It’s captivating reading when you are standing in the galley getting a shot of cool air from the air vent located right next to it. Ah, an air vent in the galley. We can never have enough of those. Yessiree. Every Skytress and Skyter will absolutely verify this fact!

The windows on the 220 are much wider than our other aircraft. I was tickled by how this little detail added to the flying experience. At least my flying experience. Everyone in the row can clearly see out the window. Even when the passenger sitting next to the window has their big head plastered up against it.

The best window on the Airbus A220 is in the aft lavatory. Yessiree. You read that right. It’s the most talked about…. and I’m positive…the most photographed place on the Airbus. This day the laboratory was inop. But, that didn’t stop us from unlocking the lavatory to take a look-see….and a photograph. It, also, didn’t stop me from unlocking it again during flight to take a look-see…..and a photograph. Many Skytresses and Skyters have posted their 220 lavatory selfies on Facebook and Instagram. It’s definitely a bragging photo-op for sure. Incredibly, this isn’t the first plane I have been on with a window in the lavatory. I remember when Comair was still flying. They had an aircraft with a window in the lavatory. Inevitably, passengers would use the restroom on the ground. Then they would come out and ask the Skytress if the people on the ground could see in the window. I always thought “Yes, they can. But, they prefer not too.” I’ll admit. This will now become my standard response on the 220.

I’ve actually been trained on the Airbus A220 for several years. So, I was thrilled to finally fly on the aircraft. I’ll admit. There have been several aircraft in my long Skytress career that I have been trained on, but, never flew a trip on. The MD-11 came and went without me ever stepping foot on it. The Boeing 777 had an evacuation command of “step, jump and slide”. Incredibly, the only stepping I did on the Boeing 777 was in the mock-up at the training center. Each year at training I would evacuate the upper deck on the Boeing 747. The only time I came in close proximity to the 747 upper deck was when I walked by it as the airplane sat at the gate.

I was fortunate to fly on one aircraft that most Skytresses and Skyters never stepped foot on. Yessiree. I was one of very few Skytresses and Skyters to fly In-Charge on the Airbus A310. Most Skytresses and Skyters these days have never heard of this aircraft. The Airbus A310 came with the acquisition of Pan Am. This aircraft mostly flew internationally out of New York. However, one winter the Cincinnati base had a trip that flew the A310 from Cincinnati to New York’s JFK airport. The aircraft then flew on to Moscow. I wasn’t trained on the A310 when I first got my schedule showing I would be the Skytress In-Charge. My friends on my trip had been trained on the A310. However, none of them had ever flown on it. I decided I wouldn’t bring it to anyone’s attention that I hadn’t been trained on it. I figured I would just….in aviation terms….wing-it! Heck, I wanted to fly with my friends! Scheduling did call me several days prior to my trip and ask me if I wanted to drop the trip, or go to Salt Lake City to be trained on the equipment. So, off to Salt Lake City I went. I’ll admit. It was a small price to pay to fly with my friends.

My friends and I laughed when we boarded the Airbus A310. We still had no idea where anything was on the aircraft. We opened every cart and carrier there was before the passengers boarded. Fortunately, all airplanes are basically the same when you get down to it. Especially, the beverage carts. Luckily for us, we only had to conduct a beverage service to JFK. We quickly learned most of our passengers were heading to Moscow. We, also, learned very quickly that they didn’t speak any English. They couldn’t care less if we were conducting a proper beverage service for this particular aircraft. They simply wanted Vodka. Or rather Vooooodka! Our beverage service couldn’t have been easier! The following week when we got on the aircraft to go to JFK, supervisors flooded through the boarding door. Each one was overly eager to help us become familiar with the Airbus A310. They were flabbergasted when I told them we had everything under control. Little did they know, we learned everything the week before when we were left to our own devises. Truthfully, this is how Skytresses and Skyters learn to work any new aircraft. This is definitely how we learned to work the Airbus A220 the other week!

Amazingly, I’ve learned to work on more types of aircraft in my 33 years of flying than I can count on my two hands. Yessiree. The airline industry is forever changing. Just when we get used to our favorite airplane it’s either reconfigured or replaced by another model. Needless to say, I’ve had several favorite aircraft in my many years of flying. However, none became my favorite aircraft overnight. This all changed with the Airbus A200. My trip from Chicago to New York set a new airplane standard for me. Heck. It’s set a new aircraft standard for many of us. I haven’t heard one Skytress or Skyter quip that they didn’t like the Airbus 220. Of course, I’m sure the naysayers are out there. You can bet, I’m sure I’ll fly with them sooner than later, too! Personally, I am looking forward to flying on the A220 again really soon. Yessiree. I’m going to enjoy all the fabulous aspects of this particular aircraft while I can. If history repeats itself, this aircraft will eventually be updated by someone who has never been a Skytress or Skyter. I can see it now. Some nincompoop will narrow the aisles. If possible they will make the windows smaller. They may even reconfigure the back galley. I fear that they will eventually take out the prized aft lavatory window. Egads! Yessiree. I’m positive some knucklehead will do something awful, awful, awful to warrant the window being replaced with a boring wall. Fear not, though. I’m equally positive there will be a new aircraft that comes down the pike that will quickly become the coveted aircraft of Skytresses and Skyters alike. Heck, it may be currently being built by Airbus or Boeing as I write this blog post. Bring it on, I say. Remember. I learned long ago,…. Skytresses and Skyters are never too old to learn a new aircraft. Heck. It’s part of our Skytress and Skyter DNA!

Do you ever turn on your cell phone, see a waiting voicemail, and immediately get the intuition you are about to hear some bad news? This happened to me a couple weeks ago. I had just landed in Atlanta. I turned on my phone and I saw I had a voicemail from my sister. Usually, I know it’s nothing. This time I knew it was something. The pit in my stomach grew. One of the downsides of flying is being away from home when family matters arise. But, I’ve also learned that having a caring circle of family and friends to turn to in these times is what matters most. As you all know, family matters when it comes to family matters.

My sister called to tell me our Mom had fallen in the garage while she was trying to get into the car to go to her pulmonologist appointment. My sister had to call 911 to have the firemen help get my Mom up due to our Mom’s limited mobility. Since the firehouse is across from our subdivision, the firemen arrived very quickly and got my Mom back into the house. My sister subsequently canceled my Mom’s doctor appointment. I called my sister back as I was walking to the crew lounge. I was prepared to jump on the next flight home. I eventually stood in an alcove down by the concourse trains while I talked to my sister. I figured it was more private than talking in the crew lounge. Yessiree. Passengers are more worried about getting to their next flight than they are listening to phone conversations. I’ll admit. All conversations in the crew lounge are fair game for everyone to listen to. Heck. It’s just the nature of the beast. The crew lounge is usually filled with numerous Skyters and Skytresses. There are very few places to conduct a private phone call in our lounge. Some Skytresses try to conduct a private phone call in the women’s restroom. But, I can tell you all…there is not enough toilet flushing to keep a cell phone conversation private in the Skytress restroom. Egads!

When I arrived in the lounge I saw my fellow commuting buddy Jay. Jay and I had flown to Atlanta together. I told Jay my Mom had fallen that morning. Skyter Jay completely understood the complexities of being away from home when a family member is having a trying day. Jay offered me comforting words as we sat at the computers pulling up our trip rotations. I was extremely grateful. I had just walked away from Jay when my sister called again. She said our Mom’s blood sugars were extremely high. The doctor told my sister to call 911 immediately and have my Mom go to the ER. I felt sick. My Mom will soon be 83. My sister told me to sit tight and she would keep me updated on things. My mind was racing. I felt helpless waiting. I had no longer hung up with my sister when another St. Louis commuter walked by and inquired how I was doing. He was heading upstairs to catch his flight home. Normally I’m not too forthcoming with information about my Mom heading to the ER. But, St. Louis commuters are a tight-knit group. So, I filled Skyter Will in on what was transpiring back home. Skyter Will’s genuine compassion made me feel better. He then revealed to me his brother is dealing with an ongoing medical condition. My heart felt for Will, his brother and Will’s family. Although Skyter Will has only been flying with our airline since March, I knew he was familiar with the special nuances of flying when a family member was dealing with a medical issue. I’m positive if I asked each Skytress and Skyter in the lounge if they were worried about a family member while they were out flying, not one would tell me no. Of course, I’m sure this is true for all humans. There is a saying by Regina Brett I always remind myself of when I think about how difficult life can be….especially while I am out flying. The saying goes, “If we all threw our troubles into one pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.” I know this was the case when I thought about my Mom and Will’s brother. My Mom is older and medical issues are bound to happen. Skyter Will’s brother is extremely young. He should be living a life free of medical issues. Especially a life-threatening medical issue. After Will left to catch his flight home, I sat in my red lounge chair and I prayed for my Mom and Will’s brother. I knew God was listening.

There are several people I always reach out to when I need a comforting voice and an anchor to stabilize my anxiety when my Mom is experiencing a medical situation. The first person I called while I was waiting in the lounge for updates from my sister was my Aunt Cathy. My Aunt Cathy always has the perfect words to comfort me. More importantly, she can make me laugh. Yessiree. Laughter makes everything better in my world. Laughter and love are a powerful combination. My Aunt Cathy is an expert in weaving both of these into a conversation. Not surprisingly, I hung up from my Aunt Cathy feeling extremely calm. It was a refreshing feeling.

I then called our dear family friends, Penny and Rick Clatt. Penny, Rick and their sons have been our family friends for close to 50 years. Heck. We are officially family as far as our families are concerned. This particular day Penny and Rick were driving to St. Louis to visit. They planned to have dinner at our house on Thursday. Our plans, as they say, were now fluid. Nonetheless, Penny and Rick were going to be there for my Mom and our family. Whether that was visiting my Mom in the hospital….Or visiting my Mom at home. I felt like Penny and Rick were the Calvary heading to St. Louis. Everyone knows when the Calvary shows up there is very little to worry about. So, I breathed a sigh of relief. Yessiree. Once again….Family matters when it comes to family matters.

Whenever I need a compassionate ear and extra-powerful prayers I always turn to my two best friends, Tara and Shannon. They are experts in both of these departments. The three of us have been friends….well, I choose to believe….family….for over 50 years. Are you all noticing the fifty-year trend in this blog post? Yessiree. God sends some of his best people to be part of my life. Tara and Shannon are God’s gold standard when it comes to friends. Tara and Shannon replied quickly to my text. I may have been sitting by myself in the crew lounge. However, I no longer felt alone. Tara and Shannon made sure of this. Yessiree. Once again….Family matters when it comes to family matters.

My head was still swimming with a multitude of thoughts when I stepped on the airplane to brief with my crew. Fortunately, I was flying with two special members of my airline family….Skytress Kelly and Skytress Kim. The three of us flew together when we were all based in Cincinnati. I’ll admit. I’m absolutely biased when I say we had the best Skytresses and Skyters in Cincinnati. Our Cincinnati base was the perfect-sized base. It was big enough, so, we had a wonderful assortment of trips for everyone’s flying taste. Yet, it was small enough that we got to know everyone on a more personal level. Thus, we became a “base family” within our airline family. Flying is definitely a nomadic lifestyle. So, it should come as no surprise to you all that feeling like family truly matters within an airline family. After our Skyter In -Charge’s briefing, I informed my crew there was a good possibility that I would need to get off our trip and fly home. My crew completely comprehended my situation. Heck, they all had been in my situation at some point in their career. I’ll admit. I stayed on my trip because I knew I was flying with Skytress Kelly and Skytress Kim. I knew, without a doubt, that they had my back. I’ll admit. If I hadn’t been flying with them, I’m almost positive I would have returned home after I received my sister’s voicemail earlier in the day. Throughout our trip Skytress Kelly and Skytress Kim constantly asked about my Mom. This simple gesture meant the world to me. Yessiree. Once again….Family matters when it comes to family matters.

For three days I was in constant contact with my sister, Aunt Cathy, Penny, Rick, Shannon and Tara. Their constant communication with me eased my worried mind on multiple occasions. Thankfully, on day two of my trip I was finally able to speak with my Mom in the hospital. Talk about easing my mind. Hearing my Mom’s voice reassured me that everything was going to be okay. My Mom knew she had dodged another life-threatening bullet. Yessiree. If a cat has nine lives, my Mom obviously has twelve. Thankfully, my Mom has also been blessed throughout the years with superb medical doctors and medical teams. These medical angels have always gotten her upright after a medical situation tries to take her down. My Mom was confident that she would be out of the hospital by the time I finished my trip. Thankfully, the medical staff concurred with my Mom’s medical assessment.

I arrived home after midnight. I was mentally exhausted from my trip. However, seeing my Mom sleeping in her own bed was positively heartwarming. I woke up the next morning eager to start the day. Penny and Rick Clatt headed over to our house in the early afternoon. Seeing their beautiful faces was not only the best medicine for my Mom, it was the perfect cure-all for the entire family. The laughter that filled our house for the rest of the day was heavenly. We all felt the blessings God was bestowing upon us. My sister, Patti, and her family came for dinner. The laughter around the dinner table was non-stop. I silently wished for time to stand still. I knew it wouldn’t though. So, I drank in all the conversations, stories, hearty laughter and over abundance of love that filled our house. We were one joyful and thankful family. We all knew the only thing that mattered that evening was family. No doubt about it, my sweet friends,….Family matters.

Something crazy was in the air for July. Yessiree. I was given an Athens trip on my schedule. Anyone who knows me, knows I am very selective with my international flying. I’ll definitely fly to Canada. Heck, I don’t mind if scheduling throws in a Costa Rica trip here and there. I’ll even fly to some of the islands if I have too. But, I had to give a hard pass on working a trip to Athens. So, I put Athens on the swap board to drop. Fortunately for me, some very excited Skytress or Skyter picked it up. I learned as the month went on many of my Skytress and Skyter friends that avoid flying international trips, were given international trips on their schedules. We all dropped them. When you drop a trip, you lose the flight time on your schedule…..and ultimately the money for the lost flight hours. In my case, I knew I had to pick up a trip to compensate for the lost hours and money. I contemplated picking up an Anchorage or Juneau trip. Unfortunately, these trips didn’t quite fit my schedule. Luckily, there was a Skytress who wanted to drop her Burlington, Vermont trip. Her trip fit my schedule quite nicely. I was extremely excited to go to Burlington. Just as excited as I would be going to Anchorage or Juneau. I know this sounds odd. But, it isn’t. Burlington is a much coveted trip at our airline. I bet you all didn’t know this little quirky airline tidbit. Yessiree. Burlington is as sweet as the maple syrup that comes from Vermont. I had a grand time bouncing all around this quaint city. I’ll admit. I had a pep in my step all day. I could blame it on the maple latte I drank early in the day. But, I won’t. I would never lay blame to something so delicious.

Years ago a new city code appeared in our monthly trip bid packet. BTV…Burlington, Vermont. I remember thinking at the time this could be a great layover or it could be a bust. Unfortunately, I didn’t remember that my best friend Tara had a layover there when she was a Skytress with United. She LOVED Burlington. It was the first time she had a pumpkin latte. Most people had never drank, let alone heard of a pumpkin lattes back then. Pumpkin lattes and maple lattes…the people of Burlington are geniuses when it comes to their hot beverages. Sadly, I wasn’t a genius back then. I didn’t bid to fly to BTV. The Skytresses and Skyters that did fly to Burlington the first month we had the layover were in awe of the city. Word got out quickly that Burlington was a spectacular layover. Senior Skytresses and Skyters started bidding every Burlington layover that popped up in the bid packet. I was too junior by many years to hold the trip. Graciously, the senior Skytresses and Skyters allowed me to fly to Flint, Michigan, instead. Gee, thanks!

I flew my Burlington trip the day after I had my annual Skytress training in Atlanta. Hours after my training, I had dinner with my other best friend Shannon and her husband Jay. I like to think of these two good fortunes as my rewards for passing my Skytress training. The last time I saw Shannon and Jay was right before Covid closed down the world in March of 2020. We did joke after dinner that we hoped another world pandemic wouldn’t occur after this visit, too. I’ll admit. I was giddy that I was able to visit with Shannon and Jay one day and then fly to Burlington the next day for a 30- hour layover. I felt like I was on a mini vacation. Funny, the Skytresses on my crew had the same mindset that our Burlington layover was a mini-vacation, too. Yessiree. It would have been a perfect mini vacation if we didn’t have to work several flights before and after our layover. Oh, the silly things we have to endure as Skytresses!

We landed in Burlington at 10pm. I was extremely excited to get up early the next morning to explore the city. I was so excited I made sure I ironed my outfit for the next day before I went to bed. And I hate to iron! I was elated when I woke up. My plan was to spend the day exploring Burlington until it was time to meet up with my crew for an early dinner. The weather could not have been more pleasant. It was overcast and in the 70’s. It was a pleasant reprieve from the oppressive heat the rest of the country was experiencing. Yessiree. Burlington was definitely living up to it’s welcoming reputation. I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy the city’s hospitality.

My heart smiled when I turned on to the main drag of the Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington. Interesting shops lined each side of the street. I walked by several shops simply because I was fascinated by everything I was observing. I was mysteriously pulled into my first store. This magical force always appears when I spy a cooking shop. Oh, boy! This shop was a kitchenware shop on steroids. There was a little bit of everything inside. Including Christmas ornaments. Eureka! And Alleluia! I was thrilled my first purchase in Burlington was a Christmas ornament. I celebrated my happy victory with a hot cup of maple latte from a little French bistro kiosk. The maple latte was life changing for me. Yessiree. My best friend Tara will always remember that she enjoyed her first ever pumpkin latte in Burlington. Well, my sweet readers, I will always remember my first cup of hot maple latte in Burlington. It was scrumptious. I plan on having this delectable drink often in the winter…spring ….summer… and fall. Yessiree. Cheers to me and my maple latte!

I spent my morning oohing and ahhing at all the beautiful items I spied as I weaved in and out of each shop. Funny, everything seemed more dazzling in Burlington. Curiosity took me down a side street. I was happily rewarded for following my instinct. I walked into a store called Simon Pearce. It’s a glassware and pottery shop. I’ll admit. I was convinced nothing could compare to my love of Waterford Crystal. That was until I walked into Simon Pearce. The crystal items inside glistened. They were simple in their design compared to Waterford Crystal. Nonetheless, they were exquisite. I learned the man behind the store, Simon Pearce, is originally from Ireland. This explained everything for me. The Irish sure know how to make exceptional glass items. I took numerous photos of items displayed in the store. My heart raced at the thought of being able one day to buy several lovely items for my cocktail napkin home….or any home I’m living in.

I ran into one of the Skytresses on my crew several times during the day. She told me about the woman selling Moussaka at the outdoor market. She said it was incredibly delicious. I’ve never eaten Moussaka. Heck, I had no idea what Moussaka was until my Skytress friend showed me the Greek meat and potato dish inside her meal container. I decided to be adventurous and get some. But, before I got my Moussaka, I stopped at a very talented artisan’s booth. Olivia Stone is a jewelry designer. I adored each piece of botanical jewelry she had displayed. It was hard to decide which earrings I was going to purchase. Ultimately, I bought three pairs of earrings. Yessiree. If there is one thing I have learned in all my years flying….if you see it and it calls to you….buy it. If you don’t, you will be forever thinking about it. Believe me. There are a pair of green cowboy boots and an exotic wood pepper mill that I still dream about. Sadly, I always will. Yessiree. Lesson learned.

Later in the afternoon I walked several miles along Lake Champlain. I chastised myself for not going down to the lake earlier to take a boat ride. But, it’s definitely on my to-do list for next time. My heart was so happy to see all the boats bobbing along the water. I was inquisitive to know where they were heading or where they had been. I’ll admit. If I had planned my day a wee bit better I would have walked along the lake before I explored downtown Burlington. The walk back up the hill to the main square was heart pumping. My reward for making it to the top of the hill was a quick stop into the Lake Champlain Chocolates shop for a piece…actually three pieces…of Burlington’s famous handcrafted premium chocolates. Each piece was delectable. They were almost as wonderful as the maple latte. Almost.

My crew and I met to go to dinner. Deciding where to eat was difficult. Mostly because the spectacular weather conditions brought people out in droves. Getting a table in a restaurant was not an easy feat. The wait times to be seated were impinging upon our plan to get to bed early for our early pickup in the morning. We ultimately decide on a pizza place because there wasn’t a wait time to be seated. This place was a hidden gem. The pizza was marvelous. We sat next to an open window that made us feel like we were actually eating outside. It was the perfect place to cap off a splendid layover. We filled our bellies and then we took a scenic walk back to the hotel. I’ll admit. I slept hard. But, I woke up easily knowing the day ahead was an undemanding one.

As we drove to the airport, the Skytresses on my crew were pointing out places they had gone to the day before. I was stunned I completely missed so many interesting shops. I made a mental note of each place I missed visiting on this layover. Heck, even though I walked by Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop numerous times, I never went inside. If you didn’t know, Ben and Jerry’s originated in Burlington. I’m convinced Ben and Jerry’s will taste even better when you eat it in Burlington. Yessiree. I know I will definitely go back to Burlington if the scheduling gods allow it to happen. I don’t mind if it’s in the dead of winter, either. I know there are maple lattes to keep me warm. If I can’t find it in a shop, I’ll make it in my hotel room. Thankfully, Vermont maple syrup is readily available in Burlington. But, just in case, I’ll bring my bottle of maple syrup I bought this trip. Yessiree. You guessed it. I bought it as I was happily bouncing around Burlington.

It finally happened my sweet friends. I had a passenger board our airplane in Lexington who told us he personally knew our airline CEO. Now a passenger telling a Skytress or Skyter they know our airline CEO is something we hear ad nauseum. I’ll admit. Not once have I believed a passenger when they told me they personally knew our CEO. No siree. This information is usually revealed by a passenger who is angry, arrogant, or just a plain goofball. So, I take their comment with a grain of salt. However, this time I absolutely believed the passenger. Especially because he was a priest. A priest that showed us pictures of he and our CEO meeting with Pope Francis. Guess Father Jim knows Skytresses and Skyters can be skeptical about things. A picture can say a thousand words. It can also make the most skeptical Skytress or Skyter a believer. I quickly learned Father Jim is one of our most loyal passengers. We couldn’t be more blessed to have him fly with us. Having Father Jim on my flight was a blessing from God. Yessiree. I knew it the minute he stepped on our airplane, handed us a gift card and asked to take a selfie with us.

Father Jim was very unassuming when he boarded the plane. Well, unassuming that he was actually a priest. Father Jim wasn’t wearing his white clerical collar when he boarded the airplane. No siree. He wore a simple black hoodie. His vibrant blue and black glasses were exceptionally hip. His energy was exhilarating. I unequivocally knew the Holy Spirit flowed through every cell of Father Jim’s body. And this was before Father Jim revealed to us that he was a priest. As soon as Father Jim boarded our plane he asked my Skytress In-Charge and I to pick a card. He has holding five Starbucks cards in his hand. He had a gift card for each Skytress on the crew and our two pilots. If you are a frequent reader of, “The Rerouted Skytress”, you know how Skytresses and Skyters love to receive gifts from our passengers. Starbucks cards and candy are absolutely at the top of our “favorites” lists. After Father Jim handed us the gift cards, he asked us to stand next to him so he could take a selfie. My Skytress In-Charge then questioned Father Jim about him knowing our CEO. She was quite skeptical when he mentioned he was having dinner with our CEO and other executives at our airline. I’ll admit. I was more curious than skeptical. Father Jim sensed he had one, possibly two, Doubting Thomas’s on his hand. So he scrolled through his phone to show us several pictures of himself and our CEO. There was Father Jim in his black priest attire with our CEO standing before Pope Francis. I immediately recalled seeing the story on our airline website about our CEO meeting with Pope Francis. More importantly, I recalled seeing Father Jim’s picture in the article. I was truly fascinated by Father Jim. I was curious how this exuberant priest from Lexington was present when our CEO met Pope Francis. So, I did what everyone does. I googled Father Jim. I quickly learned Father Jim is a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. He is one of a thousand priests worldwide,…one of a hundred in the United States, ….commissioned by Pope Francis to be one of his Papal Missionaries of Mercy. In essence, Father Jim travels around the world preaching the Gospel and teaching about Jesus Christ through his life experiences and stories. He has been ordained by Pope Francis to conduct random acts of kindness to spread God’s word. I also learned Father Jim loves to take selfies. Oh boy does he!

My Skytress In-Charge asked me if I wanted to work first class for her. I knew she wasn’t a fan of flying In-Charge. Since I was the newest member of Father Jim’s fan club I wholeheartedly agreed to work first class. When I offered the snack basket to Father Jim, I smiled and confessed to him I had googled him before we took off. I even blurted out I was going to purchase his books I saw he had written. He smiled. I admitted to Father Jim I knew I was supposed to meet him that day. I’ve come to learn Father Jim hears this statement daily from many people he meets. Interestingly, Father Jim flipped the script on me. He wanted to know more about me. He asked me how long I had been a Skytress. I told him I had just started my 33rd year. I laughed when I told him my original plan was to be a Skytress for a year. We chit chatted about where I lived. Father Jim was aware most of us do not live in our base city. Then he asked me if he could take a selfie with him after the flight. Without hesitation, I said yes.

When Father Jim deplaned, we stepped into the jetway and he snapped a selfie with me. He told me he was going to tell our CEO about me later that day. Since I had become a huge Father Jim fan, I saw that he had a twitter account. I clicked on it. There was the picture of myself and my Skytress In-Charge huddled next to Father Jim holding up our Starbucks card. My Skytress In-Charge and I giggled when I showed it to her. I then noticed Father Jim had a Facebook account. So, of course, I clicked on it. Father Jim had posted our picture on it, too. Later when my crew and I were waiting for our airplane to Tallahassee to arrive, I commented on Father Jim’s Facebook post. Minutes later Father Jim responded. He responded with a screenshot of a text he received from our CEO. Our CEO had texted Father Jim thanking him for telling him about me. Our CEO texted he would be reaching out to me. I was floored. And humbled. Two days later my supervisor called me. He said I received a complimentary letter that was addressed to our airline CEO and other executives. All the executives had responded to the letter. I was gobsmacked.

I was completely touched by Father Jim’s random acts of kindness. Receiving the Starbucks gift card was lovely. Receiving the complimentary letter was indescribable. Well, actually it was a godsend. I’ll admit. Prior to my encounter with Father Jim I had been feeling quite melancholy. I couldn’t shake the feeling no matter how hard I tried. I didn’t fly the week of the anniversary of Ron’s passing and birthday. I always choose not to fly this week; simply because it is too hard. Instead, I prefer to be at home doing happy things to remember and honor Ron. Yessiree. I had a beautiful week doing special things to honor Ron. When it was time to go back to work, my heart just wasn’t in it. I’ll admit. I did a lot of praying on my jumpseat hoping I would get out of the funk I was in. I, also, deeply contemplated quitting ….well, at my seniority it would be considered retiring…. and looking for another career. A career that would once again fill my heart with joy. Of course, God was listening to my prayers. So, he sent selfie enthusiast Father Jim my way.

Father Jim definitely brought the much prayed about joy back into my life. Amazingly, the more I learned and read about Father Jim, the more my soul filled with joy. Father Jim is quite the dichotomy. Yes. He is a priest. But, he is human. He is not perfect. Nor professes to be. He uses himself as the example to teach lessons. He admits to the times he is ……in his words… a jerk….A sinner….A lost soul. More importantly, he talks about his faith. He talks about God always placing him in the right spot. Some would say, these moments were unexplained miracles. Father Jim would say it was God being God. Well, let me tell you, God was being God when Father Jim walked on to my airplane. I’ve read both of Father Jim’s books. I watched several YouTube posts of Father Jim’s “60 minutes with Jesus”. I laughed and cried. Father Jim’s stories reinforced my belief in God’s miracles. Father Jim is a faithful shepherd taking care of his flock. He takes care of his flock through preaching the Gospel, through stories, through random acts of kindness….and yes, through his numerous selfies. My sweet readers, I pray one day you too are blessed to meet the divine Father Jim. I know he will make you smile a Heavenly smile. Then he will most assuredly take a selfie. It will be glorious!

Skytresses and Skyters adore 30- hour layovers. Well, at least the Skytresses and Skyters I fly with these days. Yessiree. The saying, “birds of a feather flock together”, pretty much sums up the crews I fly with on these longer layovers. We will fly hard on day one and day three just to have day two off. Not too long ago our crews started laying over in a prime location in Knoxville, Tennessee. Between the ideal location and the many Knoxville commuters vying to have a long layover at home, I couldn’t touch this layover. I’ll admit. Knoxville wasn’t always at the top of my layover list. But, it was certainly on my list. Perseverance of bidding this layover finally paid off. I held one 30-hour Knoxville layover for June. I was excited for my layover. Then….my stomach started to get a little knot in it. The closer the day came to my layover, the bigger the knot grew.

I rarely mention to people that Ron passed away in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is, however, a fact that I cannot forget. Another fact I couldn’t forget….I hadn’t flown a single flight into Knoxville since Ron’s passing. I wasn’t avoiding flying to Knoxville. I just never had Knoxville on my rotations. When I saw the date of my Knoxville layover, the knot in my stomach immediately appeared. I’d be laying over in Knoxville a week before the anniversary of Ron’s passing and also his birthday. Because of this, I prepared a tentative itinerary for my layover. I knew having a plan in place would help alleviate some of my anxiety of laying over in Knoxville. Or at least I hoped it would.

I never revealed my trepidation to my crew concerning my Knoxville layover. Instead, I eagerly listened to all their recommendations of what I could do in Knoxville. Our Skyter, Nathan, was from Knoxville. He had a long list of suggestions for me to do on my layover. He actually had so many suggestions I tried to concoct a realistic game plan to fit it all in. My game plan seeped from my brain as we made our approach into Knoxville. I could only think of Ron and his last day on Earth. The knot in my stomach that I quelled for most of the day, came back with a vengeance. I desperately tried not to think. Instead, I concentrated on my breathing. I knew if I could get to the hotel I could loosen some of the colossal knot in my stomach. Fortunately, our shuttle driver was a very chatty fellow. His conversations about Blackberry Farm and Tennessee football distracted me from my unrelenting anxiety. Then, as if he knew the epicenter of my anxiety, he pointed out the hospital. My heart ached thinking about Ron’s final hours of life in that hospital. Was he scared? Was he lonely? Did the medical team show him compassion? Was he conscious of the grave situation he was in? Did he think about his loved ones? I thought about the book, “Into The Light”. Ron and I both read this book. It recounted the final moments of hospice patients before they passed. I wondered what Ron experienced. I knew the flawlessness of Heaven and the presence of God and his mom would have been too much for Ron to walk away from. So, he didn’t. This glorious image of Ron entering Heaven has always brought me peace. I hung on to this peaceful image for the rest of the ride to the hotel. The massive knot in my stomach lessened.

I had the unequivocal feeling Ron was with me….helping me face Knoxville. I made the ultimate decision we were going to have a great layover. I told Ron my plans for the layover. I know he laughed at my ambitious plan. We had quite the day ahead of us.

I woke up early and headed out to the Farmer’s Market. It was a scorcher of a day. Not too many venders were out in the main square. Still it was wonderful to see independent farmers selling their products. If I lived in Knoxville I would have purchased numerous items. The goat cheese booth alone would have been my downfall. What I didn’t buy in farm produce I made up in flavored vinegars and olive oils. There was a shop on the perimeter of the square. I truly had to force myself out of the shop with just several bottles of vinegars and oils. Yessiree. I have a massive weakness for flavored oils and vinegars. Okay. Truth be told…It’s more than a fascination. It’s an obsession. Egads!

There were numerous little boutique shops in the main square area. I thoroughly enjoyed perusing each one. I kept reminding myself my suitcase was already too full. I didn’t have much room to spare for additional items. Except for my Christmas tree ornament. There is always room for one or three of those. My Skytress friend, Anne, that was on my trip, told me I needed to go to the Mast General Store. So, of course, I did. It truly is a General store. They had a little bit of everything. A little bit of everything I wanted. Not needed. Just wanted. I walked out of there with Palmetto Farms white grits and some pineapple pecan cheese spread mix. Two very Southern items I can’t find in St. Louis. I did laugh when I walked downstairs in the store. There was a huge selection of Patagonia items. Ron loved Patagonia clothing. Unfortunately, he was too muscular for their clothing. Nonetheless, I enjoyed checking out each item that wouldn’t have fit him. Of course, I knew Ron was right beside me checking out the items, too.

Skyter Nathan had suggested I treat myself to Cruze Farm Ice Cream. It is a stone’s throw from our hotel. He told me there is usually a line down the sidewalk of people waiting to enter the shop. There wasn’t a line as I was walking by. So, I took this as a fortuitous sign I should go in. Actually, I believe Ron pulled me inside. Ron had a true weakness for ice cream. I felt like I had stepped back in time when I entered the building. The vibrant decor was reminiscent of an old time ice cream shop. If I didn’t know better I would have sworn the dairy cows were outside in the back of the building being milked for the daily ice cream selection. I decided I would get a lavender honey milkshake. I knew I could savor a milkshake longer in the oppressive heat than an ice cream cone. Lavender honey sounded exotic for a milkshake. Oh boy! My compliments to the Cruze dairy cows. My milkshake was utterly…or should I say…udderly delicious!

Skytress Anne and Skyter Nathan both suggested I eat at the Ruby Sunshine restaurant. They specialize in breakfast fare. I’ll admit. I salivated just looking at the pictures on their website. I did walk by Ruby Sunshine several times. But, I never went in to eat. I was steadfast with my original plan of eating shrimp and grits from Tupelo Honey for dinner. Ron always told me one should go out for shrimp and grits. You shouldn’t make them at home. Since I knew Ron was with me….I knew I was going to eat shrimp and grits on my layover. The shrimp and grits were exceptional. The chorizo pork sausage nestled on top of the grits gave my meal the right amount of spicy kick. Unfortunately, it kept on kicking long after I had finished my meal. Holy moly! The chorizo pork sausage heartburn kept waking me up all night long. Considering I had to get up at 2:40 am this wasn’t ideal.

We left the hotel at 4am. Between the chorizo pork heartburn and the knot that was once again growing in my stomach I was wondering how I would survive the van ride to the airport. Even though it was early, I was absolutely cognizant of the fact we had to drive by the hospital to get to the airport. I dreaded this. I closed my eyes on the drive. I tried to think about my wonderful layover and ignore the knot tightening in my stomach. My crew was uncharacteristically chatty this early in the morning. I welcomed listening to their conversations. It was a nice distraction. Unfortunately, one of my crew members addressed me and I opened my eyes. I could see the hospital in the distance. For a brief moment the knot in my belly constricted my breathing. I prayed to God. He graciously gave me respite. I no longer imagined Ron in the hospital. I imagined him sitting next to me in the crew van. I pictured him with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. This is how Ron would ride to the airport in the wee mornings when we flew together. I closed my eyes and smiled, too.

Truthfully, it was an unsettling feeling being in Knoxville. I’ll admit. The knot in my stomach never fully went away. I wasn’t shocked by this. I still have a small knot in my stomach every time I fly to Atlanta for work. Admittedly, the knot gets bigger if I have to leave the airport property. Yessiree. The further away from the airport….the bigger the knot gets. I hate this feeling. I used to love to spend time in Atlanta. Now it’s a constant battle between my persistent anxiety and the excitement of hanging out with my friends. Thankfully, I’m getting more proficient in conquering my anxiety when I’m amongst my friends. I’m proud I did face my anxiety about laying over in Knoxville. Yessiree. It was a marvelous layover. Moreover, I had a spectacular crew that distracted me and made me laugh when I needed it most. I’ll admit. I’m not sure if I will go back to Knoxville anytime soon. I’ll let the scheduling gods be in charge of this destiny. If by happenstance I do get another layover, I do have a well-constructed plan formulated. My first destination will be Ruby Sunshine. I’m going to order the peaches and cream stuffed French toast. I’ve thought about this French toast ever since Skytress Anne told me about it. She, also, suggested I get the French toast bites for an appetizer. She did. THEN she had the peaches and cream stuffed French toast for her breakfast entree. Yessiree. It seemed excessive and delightful at the same time. Oh well. If I am going to have another knot in my stomach while in Knoxville, it should include a knot from over eating French toast items. I know Ron would most assuredly laugh at my ambitious plan to clean my plate. Heck, he’d probably suggest I head to Cruze Ice Cream afterwards. Especially right after breakfast…..before the line starts going down the street.

No words this week….Just lyrics for my Ron in Heaven.