Very, very nice not having seen a dirty bird in over a week. We're home again, after 19hrs of driving. We did make one 2hr stop at the outlet mall for some important purchases, tax free. Certainly, cannot pass that up. We left Seattle at 1115am Saturday, arrived 820am Sunday. Not my fastest time, but we made it, citation-free!
Just a quick post. Too much to do before back to work tomorrow. Highlights of Seattle trip: got a case of 14 Hands Cabernet & biking the Burke-Gilman Trail. :)
More to come...
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Work Hard, Fly Standby
"Oh you work for the airlines? Can you get me a free/discounted ticket?"
Sure, i'll give you a free one. Standby. Sounds great, doesn't it? Until you figure out what standby means. Standby means you stand by and wait until the plane fills up with paying customers. After everyone is on board and if any seats are still open(middle seats), stand by gets to sit in between your two new buddies. Sound good? Now, when there are multiple standby's there is a pecking order. First come, first serve. First one on the standby list gets to go first. Best shot of getting on fully booked flights, are the first flights of the day. No problem. Just show up super early for the super early flight, which is usually around 6am. Easy, right? Now, if for some reason, there was bad weather or huge delays the night before and a bunch of people could not get out and had to stay the night waiting for their flights... guess who goes first? After all, the did pay for a ticket, so it'd only be right to send them out on the next available flight... right? Standby.
Flying standby on an empty or half full plane is the single most best case scenario. Take a guess when these flights usually take place. Generally, the best time to fly standby are on Tuesdays or Wednesdays during Oct, Feb, Mar, May & June - which just so happen to be my favorite times to work! "But what about during holidays and my vacation?" you stupidly ask. "What about Apr, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec & Jan?" We full. Take a shot. Roll the dice. Maybe you get on, maybe you don't. Sounds rough, huh? Paying for a ticket sounds better, doesn't it? At the very least, you get to pick what time you want to fly, on the day(s) you prefer and even get to plan!
Free-schmee... It's one thing if family and friends ask me for a free/discounted airline ticket, it's another when someone i just met goes, "Oh! You work for the airlines, so you can get me a free flight?!" That's where i measure your depth with the underside of my shoes. It's a great perk, though. I love my job and i love to fly free. I fly standby to and from work every week and rarely to travel. If i have to work early, i fly standby the day before and pay for a hotel room out of my own pocket. If i fly late and finish too late or can't get on a standby flight home, i "sleep" in the airport until the following morning.
Standby, schmandby. It's July 3rd, the day before the big holiday and we can't get on a flight from Oakland to Seattle. I can do jumpseat, which is easy... but my wife on standby, not so easy. And i work here! Don't you know who i am?! Haha. That's a 2hr non-stop flight. No stops in between, no changing planes... just one non-stop flight from here to there. That's it. All full. We'll try again early tomorrow. Can you imagine if i was trying to get from Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale during the month of April? During spring break season? Can you imagine two standby passengers? Or even a group of five?! I've heard of a party of five traveling standby from San Diego to Orlando. Two flew to Kansas City, two to San Antonio, one to Houston and then met up 3hrs apart in Orlando. They were lucky because they arrived to their destination on the same day. I hate the stress. I'd rather buy a ticket during peak season or fly on tuesday in October.
I need a bumper sticker. Work Hard, Fly Standby.
Sure, i'll give you a free one. Standby. Sounds great, doesn't it? Until you figure out what standby means. Standby means you stand by and wait until the plane fills up with paying customers. After everyone is on board and if any seats are still open(middle seats), stand by gets to sit in between your two new buddies. Sound good? Now, when there are multiple standby's there is a pecking order. First come, first serve. First one on the standby list gets to go first. Best shot of getting on fully booked flights, are the first flights of the day. No problem. Just show up super early for the super early flight, which is usually around 6am. Easy, right? Now, if for some reason, there was bad weather or huge delays the night before and a bunch of people could not get out and had to stay the night waiting for their flights... guess who goes first? After all, the did pay for a ticket, so it'd only be right to send them out on the next available flight... right? Standby.
Flying standby on an empty or half full plane is the single most best case scenario. Take a guess when these flights usually take place. Generally, the best time to fly standby are on Tuesdays or Wednesdays during Oct, Feb, Mar, May & June - which just so happen to be my favorite times to work! "But what about during holidays and my vacation?" you stupidly ask. "What about Apr, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec & Jan?" We full. Take a shot. Roll the dice. Maybe you get on, maybe you don't. Sounds rough, huh? Paying for a ticket sounds better, doesn't it? At the very least, you get to pick what time you want to fly, on the day(s) you prefer and even get to plan!
Free-schmee... It's one thing if family and friends ask me for a free/discounted airline ticket, it's another when someone i just met goes, "Oh! You work for the airlines, so you can get me a free flight?!" That's where i measure your depth with the underside of my shoes. It's a great perk, though. I love my job and i love to fly free. I fly standby to and from work every week and rarely to travel. If i have to work early, i fly standby the day before and pay for a hotel room out of my own pocket. If i fly late and finish too late or can't get on a standby flight home, i "sleep" in the airport until the following morning.
Standby, schmandby. It's July 3rd, the day before the big holiday and we can't get on a flight from Oakland to Seattle. I can do jumpseat, which is easy... but my wife on standby, not so easy. And i work here! Don't you know who i am?! Haha. That's a 2hr non-stop flight. No stops in between, no changing planes... just one non-stop flight from here to there. That's it. All full. We'll try again early tomorrow. Can you imagine if i was trying to get from Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale during the month of April? During spring break season? Can you imagine two standby passengers? Or even a group of five?! I've heard of a party of five traveling standby from San Diego to Orlando. Two flew to Kansas City, two to San Antonio, one to Houston and then met up 3hrs apart in Orlando. They were lucky because they arrived to their destination on the same day. I hate the stress. I'd rather buy a ticket during peak season or fly on tuesday in October.
I need a bumper sticker. Work Hard, Fly Standby.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Happy Belated Father's Day!
After flying home on my wife's favorite airline, it was a mad rush to Costco and Home Depot for some bbq essentials to get the fire going. Three hours to smoke ribs seems like a long time to wait, but not if you're also cleaning house before parents & family are coming over. If the house is already clean, then there's time to drink and create appetite. I did attempt to get the cousins a lil buzzed before mom arrived. If we had started with the ICB's, instead of the Washington Apples, we'd be right there.
Hours later, a beautiful thing. Ingredients: 6 racks pork ribs, Kirkland's Sweet Mesquite Seasoning, Mesquite wood chips, honey, bbq sauce. Funny. It was such a good gathering at the table, i forgot to take a picture of everyone. Oh and the Tiramisu from Bucca di Beppo's topped off dinner just right. Good idea, Mochi.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Oh not much...
Lately, just working between trips to Seattle for some spring cleaning & gardening... Nothing really big to write home about. Did some biking along Belmont Shore and just working. I did create a fancy slideshow of some current pics, but the preview shows some other fool's pictures. Great. Wonder if my stuff is published elsewhere as well..?
Scored a few good finds: Downtown Seattle's O'Asian Kitchen & Lounge, Taiko Japanese Restaurant in Irvine and a New York-style pizza that's open til 2am if you're ever in West Seattle... Talarico's Pizzeria & Lounge
Something every American should see:
Scored a few good finds: Downtown Seattle's O'Asian Kitchen & Lounge, Taiko Japanese Restaurant in Irvine and a New York-style pizza that's open til 2am if you're ever in West Seattle... Talarico's Pizzeria & Lounge
Something every American should see:
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Random thoughts... i need better music.
I gotta get back in shape. I'm jogging at the speed of what most people call walking. It's humid and as much as i want to be in shape, the fatness in me is constantly trying to talk me out of it. Down the easy grade and through the woods i go. Music in my ears sounds like one song. Trance. Step by step, i look out into the distance. The tops of small hills hide small valleys of green grass. The lake on my left isn't a lake, but what seems like just a place to put reclaimed water. Mmm... the smell of reclaimed water in humid weather. The sky is gray, but it isn't dark. Heading into a thicker cluster of trees where there is so much green, it seems darker. Darker than the gray. It's not night, yet. I keep going. Left or right? Left or right at the fork? I go left. Steeper incline. Push. I've done steeper, longer runs before...
Yeah, that was before. Ten years before. When i was trying to get a job. A job that required fitness. Well, guess what buddy? Now i've got a life. A life that requires fitness... if i want kids and want to be around long enough to enjoy them. I need more music. Harder, thumpin' bass beats to propel my feet farther, no matter how hot it is outside, how far it is inside... because no matter what, it's all inside. It's all inside, what makes it go. If you want it, get it! Get it yourself. You wanted those beers, you wanted them fries, you wanted what you knew you didn't need to eat... now run with it! You used to do hills with a 50lb. vest on. Didn't that feel good when it was time to unstrap that bitch off? How nice it would be to unstrap this fucking beer gut off? Rabbits. They said there'd be rabbits out here. I see birds. Yellow and gray and brown birds and squirrels galore. Were Chip & Dale squirrels or chipmunks? I see the post at the end of this round. Finally getting closer. What is this? A mile? Couldn't be... maybe half mile.
Tag the post and walk. Breathe. Keep moving. Walk into the woods, where it looks dark, but isn't. Feeling better, not tired. So run again. Ah yes, a good song. #6 is a good one. Bigger strides on the straight away, cars coming. I can barely make out the drivers' faces. Can they make out the belly protruding from my shirt? Yes, i believe so. Fattie. Take a good look, it'll be gone soon. In about a year or so. It might be night soon. I'll ask this guy the time when i pass him. Hear that? I'm gonna pass him. Eventually. He's walking. On the horizon. Gloomy, grey clouds with droplets of water hitting my face. Or is that my own exhale? No longer breathing from just my nose, mouth shut, but inhale two breaths from nose and exhale two breaths from mouth. Am i spitting on myself? No, there are drops on the ground now. I can see clearer into the office buildings, so it must be dusk. Where's that dude? Right this time. Right at the fork, which actually just goes around and back to the same split in the path... making it a spoon. Hello bunny rabbit. I see you. Not quite the floppy ears, like in the pet store, but short stubby ears that stick up. Those aren't gonna be any good, come friday, ya know... Hope you got your government voucher for some digital converter box-thingy. You sit there and think about that, bunny. I'll be back around. Here comes the post at the end.
Walking back, arms up, long deep breaths... this walk through the woods seems a whole lot shorter now. One more, one more time. So where is that dude with the watch? Fucker took a shortcut. Bye shortcut. Remember, you're only cheatin' yourself when you take shortcuts. Form. It's about form, with or without witnesses. Dedication, motivation... and all that bullshit they used to feed us in the academy. Not really bullshit, but more like cheerleading in a masculine way. Get it in your head. You really gotta want it. Finish it. Finish hard. Handle it. Blah blah blah. So not me. All they had to do was put a fucking cold beer at the end of the course. Geez. Why be so complicated? Thunderstorms forecasted in the area. Me running out here all by myself. I suppose lightning has much taller targets all around me(trees, office bldg)... this part i listen to as i round the spoon. No shortcut back to the post. Finish it. Finish it faster. Walk. Breathe. I'll guesstimate 1.5 mile. Not much, but having done it. I feel much better about myself. Damn belly. Still hanging around.
Yeah, that was before. Ten years before. When i was trying to get a job. A job that required fitness. Well, guess what buddy? Now i've got a life. A life that requires fitness... if i want kids and want to be around long enough to enjoy them. I need more music. Harder, thumpin' bass beats to propel my feet farther, no matter how hot it is outside, how far it is inside... because no matter what, it's all inside. It's all inside, what makes it go. If you want it, get it! Get it yourself. You wanted those beers, you wanted them fries, you wanted what you knew you didn't need to eat... now run with it! You used to do hills with a 50lb. vest on. Didn't that feel good when it was time to unstrap that bitch off? How nice it would be to unstrap this fucking beer gut off? Rabbits. They said there'd be rabbits out here. I see birds. Yellow and gray and brown birds and squirrels galore. Were Chip & Dale squirrels or chipmunks? I see the post at the end of this round. Finally getting closer. What is this? A mile? Couldn't be... maybe half mile.
Tag the post and walk. Breathe. Keep moving. Walk into the woods, where it looks dark, but isn't. Feeling better, not tired. So run again. Ah yes, a good song. #6 is a good one. Bigger strides on the straight away, cars coming. I can barely make out the drivers' faces. Can they make out the belly protruding from my shirt? Yes, i believe so. Fattie. Take a good look, it'll be gone soon. In about a year or so. It might be night soon. I'll ask this guy the time when i pass him. Hear that? I'm gonna pass him. Eventually. He's walking. On the horizon. Gloomy, grey clouds with droplets of water hitting my face. Or is that my own exhale? No longer breathing from just my nose, mouth shut, but inhale two breaths from nose and exhale two breaths from mouth. Am i spitting on myself? No, there are drops on the ground now. I can see clearer into the office buildings, so it must be dusk. Where's that dude? Right this time. Right at the fork, which actually just goes around and back to the same split in the path... making it a spoon. Hello bunny rabbit. I see you. Not quite the floppy ears, like in the pet store, but short stubby ears that stick up. Those aren't gonna be any good, come friday, ya know... Hope you got your government voucher for some digital converter box-thingy. You sit there and think about that, bunny. I'll be back around. Here comes the post at the end.
Walking back, arms up, long deep breaths... this walk through the woods seems a whole lot shorter now. One more, one more time. So where is that dude with the watch? Fucker took a shortcut. Bye shortcut. Remember, you're only cheatin' yourself when you take shortcuts. Form. It's about form, with or without witnesses. Dedication, motivation... and all that bullshit they used to feed us in the academy. Not really bullshit, but more like cheerleading in a masculine way. Get it in your head. You really gotta want it. Finish it. Finish hard. Handle it. Blah blah blah. So not me. All they had to do was put a fucking cold beer at the end of the course. Geez. Why be so complicated? Thunderstorms forecasted in the area. Me running out here all by myself. I suppose lightning has much taller targets all around me(trees, office bldg)... this part i listen to as i round the spoon. No shortcut back to the post. Finish it. Finish it faster. Walk. Breathe. I'll guesstimate 1.5 mile. Not much, but having done it. I feel much better about myself. Damn belly. Still hanging around.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
10 Favorite Things to do During “Me” time
1. Internet
2. Sleep
3. TV
4. Gym
5. Cook/bbq
6. Monkey pictures around town
7. Walk dog
8. Get things done before "we" time begins
9. C&C
10. Veg
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Laptop in hand...
...is what the hacker says when he's created from the China barracks on Command & Conquer Generals...
For his birthday, he set up lunch at Fuddruckers with us and some family. Naturally, we arrived late and separately. Got our grub on, i had the ostrich burger. Half the fat of chicken and still same protein and iron as beef. Wife says it "tastes like bird" but isn't chicken a bird, too? With grilled onions, mushrooms & jack cheese, it sure tasted like a burger to me.
Anyways, the plan was to see Star Trek afterwards, since the theatre is just across the parking lot. But with the news that Nick was out of town, C&C overruled(Al uses Nick's laptop at the house to play). Can't resist the opportunity to play all day without having to starve anyone from the internet. Truth is... the rest of us couldn't wait to give Al his present.
Fuddruckers, Star Trek and Command & Conquer all day? Yeah, sounds geeky, i know... but F that! We are old enough to know that whatever we do, the time is well spent together.
*this post orginally written May 17, but finally got the pic just recently.
For his birthday, he set up lunch at Fuddruckers with us and some family. Naturally, we arrived late and separately. Got our grub on, i had the ostrich burger. Half the fat of chicken and still same protein and iron as beef. Wife says it "tastes like bird" but isn't chicken a bird, too? With grilled onions, mushrooms & jack cheese, it sure tasted like a burger to me.
Anyways, the plan was to see Star Trek afterwards, since the theatre is just across the parking lot. But with the news that Nick was out of town, C&C overruled(Al uses Nick's laptop at the house to play). Can't resist the opportunity to play all day without having to starve anyone from the internet. Truth is... the rest of us couldn't wait to give Al his present.
Fuddruckers, Star Trek and Command & Conquer all day? Yeah, sounds geeky, i know... but F that! We are old enough to know that whatever we do, the time is well spent together.
*this post orginally written May 17, but finally got the pic just recently.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Still here...
Been busy or not a whole lot to say...
Memorial Day Weekend... flew up to Seattle to do some serious spring cleaning. Gorgeous mild weather, without a drop of rain. Nice. Although it was all work, we managed to squeeze in a morning jog along the shore and breakfast at a local cafe. Painting, cleaning out the storage and moving heavy things in 2.5 days felt very productive. I couldn't wait to get home and do the same to my garage.
Got home and F that! Discovering bumps & bruises, i rested Tue & Wed. Errands Thurs and took a stab at the garage. I've come to realize that the easy part about helping someone clean out their storage, is simply moving/lifting stuff. The hard part is doing the deciding. Today, i'm determined to clean. Even if i'm keeping my junk, it must be cleaned.
Busy weekend ahead. Got family Saturday night, hike Sunday morning. Hopefully, we'll sort out more junk in the garage and of course, a game or four of C&C.
Don't worry, Wag... we'll get out soon.
Memorial Day Weekend... flew up to Seattle to do some serious spring cleaning. Gorgeous mild weather, without a drop of rain. Nice. Although it was all work, we managed to squeeze in a morning jog along the shore and breakfast at a local cafe. Painting, cleaning out the storage and moving heavy things in 2.5 days felt very productive. I couldn't wait to get home and do the same to my garage.
Got home and F that! Discovering bumps & bruises, i rested Tue & Wed. Errands Thurs and took a stab at the garage. I've come to realize that the easy part about helping someone clean out their storage, is simply moving/lifting stuff. The hard part is doing the deciding. Today, i'm determined to clean. Even if i'm keeping my junk, it must be cleaned.
Busy weekend ahead. Got family Saturday night, hike Sunday morning. Hopefully, we'll sort out more junk in the garage and of course, a game or four of C&C.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
10 Favorite Cities
1. Long Beach - home sweet home
2. Chicago - greatest place not to drive
3. San Diego - 72 degrees and perfect
4. San Francisco - great place to eat, take pictures
5. Las Vegas - fun
6. Lahaina - relaxing
7. Portland - no tax
8. Spokane - chill
9. Ft. Lauderdale - off season is nice
10. Seattle - very lush, green, opposite of LA
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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