prepare to launch.

And so the countdown has begun.
Exactly 7 days until I return to real life. To my career. To my true love. I have this feeling of anticipation mixed with nervousness about going back after so long.  I have to review my manuals because I am not sure I remember all my safety procedures…However, I am determined to give it all my best. That’s the good thing about being away from your job, you start missing it and want to be good at it all over again. No more blasé attitude, no more annoyance with the little details. You get to like it all over again. Which brings me to the question that I constantly get when I tell people I am a flight attendant: “Doesn’t your marriage suffer from you being gone all the time?”  The answer is NO. It actually benefits from it (I think at least!). When I am away for days at a time, I really miss my husband and I have time to appreciate all the good things we bring eachother. When I get back home, there is more love to give and receive (and lots of sex) and a renewal of the feelings that too often get drowned under the routine of a more conservative lifestyle.  It’s been good to me and I am grateful for that.

Speaking of travel, if Mexico is part of your plans make sure you are aware and protected as best you can against the swine flu that is happening over there right now. Mexico is one of my favourite places to be and I sure hope that they recover quickly.

Summer is heading quickly our way and the festival lineups coming out are always a good reminder of that. Lollapalooza is looking pretty good this year! I think I might just want to go. I have friends who go almost every year, so maybe I could be part of the trip this time. I am usually not a big fan of younger crowds (especially when they are in the 100 000s!) but come on, it’s Lolla!!  This is the first festival I ever attended at the dear age of 13 (a friend and I managed to sneak in, because we didn’t have the money for tickets). Ah the memories.

Can you believe this guy?  He just won’t stop. I know he’s always been a little strange, but wow, he is just surpassing himself now. And just for the record; I looooooove mashed potatoes.

After reading and writing abuot the Canjet hijack this week, I stumbled on a link to a documentary that was made about one of the first hijackings that actively involved the US and opened their eyes to terrorism. It happened on September 6th 1970 and was quite a lesson in things to come. Read about it  if you’d like, I found it all in all interesting and informing.

So there you go darlings. I am not exactly sure when I will write again since next week I will be busy training the person who is taking over my position at the office and running around to get all the last minute details done so I am allowed back in the dark hallways of the airport. Of course, I will try to make an appearance and let you know what’s happening. Wouldn’t want to leave you in the dark after all!

.

bittersweet wondering.

I am living in a cardboard box. With the move date less than a week away, it’s almost impossible to recognize our beloved apartment. We are in the middle of packing and the place is a complete mess. As I put all my belongings away in boxes, I can’t help but feel a tad sentimental. I usually can’t wait to get out and move on, but this abode has been the home of many wonderful things and I am finding it surprisingly hard to let go of it. Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to settling in our new niche, but the transition will be one to grow into slowly. I think of the feeling of home this place gave me, being freshly transformed into a flight attendant and leaving it at the wee hours of the morning to catch a flight, the return of a birthday trip that became an engagement celebration, the wedding planning and the preparations on the morning of the big day…all memories that I cherish and take with me. I can’t wait to start this new venture. Minus the boxes.

With this feeling of change, I have realized that I am starting to eminently miss my career as an FA. I flew to Montreal a few weeks ago and I truly sensed I was lacking something important when I stepped on that plane. I felt like an impostor. There was something so familiar and somehow comforting about the smell of the cabin and the frenzy that happens before departure. And I miss that. I treasure the excitement of arriving at the front desk of a hotel, going to your room for the night, enjoying the little piece of quiet and alone time and the discovery of a new city and its people. I am delighted when I meet passengers and hear their stories. I love making someone’s day with a simple gesture. This job is made for me…..only a little over a month to go and I will back in the great blue skies!   Deplorably, there is one pivotal detail that affects me more than I would want to at this point: the raise in airplane accidents in the last few months. They average to about 2 a month now and that scares the hell out of me. I want to go to work without having to worry about my ‘office’ diving straight into the ground. Somebody please make sure those aircraft are operational!

On the same matter, I noticed that I haven’t really told you about my current day job since the week I started.  At first, I was slightly hesitant about the whole thing but it turned out to be a great disposition for the few months before my big return to my real life. I guess everything does happen for a reason after all.  The staff is very convivial and it is a verrry relaxed environment and the workload is minimal compared to what I am used to in this position.  I have a fairly normal schedule that never changes (not sure yet if that is a positive or negative) so I can make plans and stick to them and it allows me to get back to my roots, hence this blog.  How often do we get to try something else out just for a few months?

Just as if the world wasn’t crazy enough already, the Pope has announced during his visit to Africa that he is against the idea of condom use to help in the prevention of AIDS.  What the f***?!   Ok, this is no surprise coming from the Church, but I still have trouble believing that people are denied a tangible solution to a problem that is devastating the country just because of religion.  Africans imperatively need a better education concerning their sexuality and societal ethics and the Pope’s statement just takes them back to a time where we did not have the resources to teach and help those countries; to deny them this opportunity could be desastrous.  I don’t need to mention that this has raised many protesters’  ire.  This is a fight that needs to be won!

Another thing that irritates me; apparently fur is back! In a time where faux-fur has become the norm and PETA has all kinds of famous people campaigning against the use of carcasses as coats it is quite surprising that Lundstrom is making a comeback in the fashion industry with this article. I almost fell off my chair. There is NO reason why anyone should be wearing fur these days unless you live in the far north and hunt to survive.  Wake up people: fur is DEAD!

On a lighter note, Winnipeg now has their own rock festival. I must admit that this is good news to me as that city has the most beautiful summer weather and this adds to their cultural curriculum that is already pretty impressive.  Too bad this said Festival has to be Rock On The Range. The lineup is pretty horrible except maybe for Rancid, Rise Against and our own Billy Talent. Hoepfully by next year they will get some true rockers to play before the headlining bands.

That’s it for today darlings.

.

everybody wants it 9 to 5.

I have been absent in writing this week because I started a new job right after coming back from Cancun and haven’t really had a moment for myself.

I now work for the Government at a pretty quiet but friendly office just north of where I live. I don’t have to take the subway to get there (just a bus for about 40 minutes) so that is a little bit of a relief in the morning. There is no need to be part of the tight, pushy crowds of rush hour on the subway if you don’t have to! The job is an 8:30 to 4:30 deal that needs some getting used to since I am not a morning person.  This week was all about adaptation. To a new workplace, new coworkers, new tasks and responsibilities, new lifestyle, new business clothes… I am proud to say that it all went much better than I apprehended. Even the husband was supportive in his efforts to stick to my new schedule. Call me spoiled, but the only thing I really don’t get is how us, as human beings, can work 5 days a week every week. With my position as a flight attendant I have been used to working only 3 or 4 days a week and that was plenty for me. Granted, flying is really hard on your body and working more than that doesn’t do anyone any good at all.  Working 5 days a week in an office?! That is asking too much of a person. I struggle to make it through the week and the only reason I hang in there is that I know that I only have 8 more weeks of this! On the other hand, coming home early enough to catch some daylight is a whole new experience for me. I am not used to that and it certainly influences your mood. I get home and still feel like I have a little bit of a day left.  So all and all, I made it through my first week in one piece but tired nonetheless and am kind of looking forward to my second week.

Ok. Now, important things: the CMW lineup is out! That makes me really happy because I strongly believe in supporting our own showcases and fellow musicians before going to all the major American festivals.  I took a good look at all the artists that will be coming to the big city in March and I am quite delighted to be living in Toronto for all this. That means I will not have to miss any work or travel very far to see the bands I like and party with some close friends.  Wicked!

Here is a list of my favourites that I can’t wait to see:

Beast, Bloc Party, Crash Parallel, Duchess Says, GrimSkunk, Malajube, Mistress Barbara, Priestess, Rebel Emergency, SNFU and We Are Wolves.

A few bands that I already know but have yet to see live:

Caracol, Hexes and Ohs, Holy Fuck and Inward Eye.

Also, I am very curious to hear these artists that I don’t know but seem very interesting. Come on, impress me:

Everything All the Time, Ladies of The Canyon, Left Spine Down, Les Handclaps, Redeye Empire, Ruby Jean, The Von Drats and Vancougar.

I will buy my wristband very soon and hopefully I get to see at least 5 or 6 bands that I like. The only issue with CMW is that often enough you will show up at an event only to realize that the lineup is huge and that you won’t make it in on time for the performance. Many times, you end up standing in line more than watching shows. The venues are packed and wristbands are not accepted everywhere. So make sure you have a map of your favourite shows and a “plan B” option in order to avoid frustration! Most of all, have fun and don’t miss the after parties! Frequently, they are the best part of this festival.

.