The Rerouted Skytress

Whew! It’s been quite a year for all of us. This time last year I was in my grocery store dumbstruck as people shopped while wearing plastic gloves and N95 face masks. A mask mandate was not in effect yet for my St Louis County. Unlike the people in my grocery store, I was taking a wait and see approach with COVID-19. I was adamant I was not going to get swept up in all the hysteria. Heck, I had St. Patrick’s Day to worry about.

The next week I was flabbergasted when I went to the grocery store. Yes, as we all know now….all the toilet paper was missing! The meat, eggs and milk products were also running low. I was no longer keeping a wait and see approach. Skytresses know about hoarding…..This was hoarding! I started to take a defensive shopping approach. I was going to make sure I stocked my basket while there were still things to buy. I took great pride in the fact that no one could tell I was an off-duty Skytress on a covert grocery store hoarding mission. That’s the beauty of being a Skytress or Skyter. We smile through everything. Only another Skytress or Skyter would be able to see the hoarding gleam in my eyes. I wasn’t wearing a face mask at this point in the new COVID-19 world. However, I was absolutely keeping my distance from the other shoppers. Skytresses and Skyters are professionals when it comes to keeping a healthy distance from potential virus carrying people.

Astonishingly, the next time I went to the grocery store I had to give myself a pep talk just to walk inside. It was similar to the pep talk I give myself before I do a New York to Florida flight. I told myself I could do it. I tried to convince myself it wouldn’t be as bad as I’ve made it out to be in my mind. I did wash my hands in the portable sink outside the grocery store before I walked into the newly designated “Entrance Only” side. I don’t know who thought of the sink….but, I have a huge suspicion a Skytress or Skyter suggested it. Yes, we know things! Yep, especially how gross people can be when it comes to cleanliness. Stunningly, when I went to check out there was a uniform security officer standing at the front of the store. They were there to deal with customers who were not adhering to the “one item only” signs. Mostly they were there to stop the toilet paper hoarders…..Only there wasn’t any toilet paper to hoard. I was relieved I didn’t need to buy toilet paper. No, unbeknownst to us, my family had won the toilet paper lottery. We had received our Amazon shipment of toilet paper and paper towels before the world went hoarding crazy. My poor niece in college couldn’t find any toilet paper anywhere near her school. Like everyone in the early days of the pandemic I was debating how much I loved her. Did I love her enough to give her some of our coveted toilet paper? Of course, I did. I didn’t have to though. Thankfully, my sister found and mailed her camping toilet paper. Whew!…for that discovery!

Today when I went into the grocery store I still wore my face mask. Amazingly, it was the first time in a year I could use either entrance into the store. It was like having a Known Crew Member entrance. And everyone going in and out of the store was a known crew member!Happily, the grocery store shelves have been stocked for months. When I walked down the paper aisle to get some parchment paper, I smiled. On the other side of the aisle the shelves were stocked with paper products. No one is hoarding it anymore. However, being the ever diligent hoarding Skytress, I admit I have rolls of paper towels and toilet paper stocked in my basement. I even have extra cleaning products and liquid soap. Hey, I know what it’s like to go from coast to coast on a plane without enough supplies. I’m not going through another pandemic without extra supplies. Whew! Let’s all pray we never have to go through another pandemic, though. One pandemic is enough for me.

Last Monday I got my 1st vaccine shot. It was the first day tier 3 people were allowed to receive their shots in Missouri. Whew! I was so relieved when I got my email on Saturday stating I could finally schedule my appointment. Skytresses and Skyters in other states have been getting vaccinated for weeks. I’m also relieved to know that when I go back flying on March 29th, I will be protected 60% with just the 1st shot. Then after I fly that trip, I will get my second vaccination. You can bet, I will be counting the 14 days after my second shot until I will be fully vaccinated. Our airline even has an app to update our vaccination status. The other day I was thrilled to check the box stating I received my first vaccination. Who knows how I will react when I get my second shot. I may just cry happy Skytress tears when I update my status to received second shot. Whew! I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. But,…Haven’t we all!?

I know everyone has been waiting a long time for the return of an actual beverage service on our flights. When Skytresses and Skyters are looking forward to a regular in-flight service,…whew!…you know it’s been too long without one. I’m happy to report, everyone can look forward to our regular in-flight service returning very soon. That being said, I’m taking bets to see how long it takes for one of us to reminisce about the good old days when we just handed everyone a snack bag and moseyed to the back of the plane. Thankfully, our planes are continuing to fill up with passengers, too. After a year of losing millions of dollars each month, this month we may actually break even. Whew!!! And double Whew!! to this news. We still have middle seats blocked until April 30th, though. I won’t be surprised to see this policy discontinue after the 30th. So…middle-seat passengers…. Get ready to fight for your armrests again!

My next trip I will be the Skytress In-Charge. Whew! I haven’t flown in this role since COVID came into our lives. I have a whole new set of COVID PA’s to make as the Skytress In-Charge. So, I will definitely be reviewing them before my trip. I have a 30 hour layover in Birmingham. I don’t plan on doing anything with my crew. I know some crews have been hanging out together on their layovers for months. I also know this is how many have contracted COVID. I don’t want to mess things up before I get my second vaccination. I am so close. Last time I layed over in Birmingham they had removed the hair dryer and all the drinking glasses from the hotel room. According to the sign in the room, I wasn’t supposed to have an iron or ironing board either. Thankfully a fellow Skytress or Skyter hoarded these items for me. I’ll be curious to see if I have all these previously removed items in my room this time. Just in case, though, I’m bringing a plastic glass with me. Whew! I’ll be glad when the only extra thing I have to throw in my suitcase are cute layover clothes. I’ll be more glad to take the face masks out of my crew bags. I won’t throw them away though. Whew! I’d never do that. I’m a Skytress. Of course, I’ll put the face masks next to my hoarded paper products in my basement.

Whew! Yes. It has been quite a year for all of us! Like everyone I am very excited to see things returning back to normal. I pray everyone who wants to get a vaccination gets one. Needless to say, I look forward to hanging out with friends and family again. I’m also looking forward to hugging people outside my bubble again. You may not know this, but, Skytresses and Skyters are world class huggers. I’m definitely looking forward to going places without having to wear a face mask. I know I will have to go back to wearing makeup more regularly. I’m okay with this. Heck, I can’t count the number of people who have been deprived of my beautiful smile for months now. It’s a travesty, I know! I am absolutely looking forward to my company making a profit again. Oh, I look forward to all businesses making a profit again. The more the merrier! Mostly, though, I look forward to only being a hoarding Skytress on the airplane. Whew! After a year of hoarding off the airplane…That will be a VERY welcomed change.