Yo estoy en Buenos Aires!

Here I am in Buenos Aires in an internet cafe on Ave. 9 de Julio, so named in celebration of their independance, much like our 4th of July. I´ve been told this avenue is the widest in the world, with nine lanes of travel in each direction. It´s huge! The avenue also reminds me of times square, although there is no square, because it has large animated billboards and neon lit signs much lke Times Square. There is also a large obelisk in the middle of the avenue... don´t know it´s significance. It is simple called "The Obelisk."

Before coming to the internet cafe, I visited the Pink Palace, famous because that is where Eva Peron gave her infamous speeches to the people of Argentina gathered in the Plaza de Mayo. I´ve been here since about ten a.m. Sunday morning and we´re leaving tonight at eight to return to New York. We´ll arive Tuesday morning at six.

Last night we had a great dinner at Broccolino´s, and Italian resteraunt. I had steak and fries, famous in Paris, and famous here, too. Although I can tell you, I paid a little less than half here than I did in Paris. Right now the exhange rate is about 2.89 pesos per dollar. This little internet cafe charge one peso per hour. Cheap, cheap, cheap! Which is perfect, because I couldn´t afford any other layover right now. Although I don´t have my camera with me this time, I´ll try to add some pictures to this post when I return. I´ll find some on the internet.

The news we've been waiting for!

I'm going back to work! Hooray! My doc released me yesterday morning back to full duty. My ankle is still healing, but it is well on it's way to a full recovery, and other than wearing a small sports-wrap style ankle brace under my sock, I have no limitations on my activity. I was discharged late last week from physical therapy which allowed me to call and move up my doctor appointment.

I am so eager, I am already heading back to work. My first trip is tomorrow. I'm all sorts of excited and nervous as I had just transferred from domestic to international before I broke my ankle. I never made it back to international before I went out on medical leave. So, not only am I going back to work, something I haven't done in almost four months, I am going back to a type of flying I haven't done in over two years. On top of that, we moved into a new terminal in New York and I have no idea where anything is, including operations for flight attendants. Let's add one more thing... I fly Purser, which means I'm in charge.

The best part about the whole thing is this: I'm headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a 33-hour layover! It'll be a blast! What a way to get back into the swing of things!

"I'll Be There For You"

Bon Jovi turns his lyrics into action when he partners with GAP, Staples and CompUSA to provide under priveledged children in Philadelphia with the things they need to go to school. In Philly, public schools require a "uniform:" children must wear khaki colored pants and either blue or white shirts. Beth and I have debated over whether these "uniforms" are legal and enforceable in public schools. As much as I don't like it, I believe they are.

The "uniforms" required aren't uniforms as you might expect. Instead, the idea of a uniform is created by enacting strict dress code policies that only allow certain colors and types of clothing, like pants, skirts and polos. Kids can wear any brand of clothing, they just have to fit the parameters of the dress code. Every school has a dress code, some are just strict enough to create something like a uniform. Which is what makes it legal and enforceable, in my opinion, in public schools.

That takes me back to Bon Jovi. Some kids in Philadelphia couldn't even afford to buy clothing of the right color and, therefore, aren't attending school at all. That's a total injustice to those children, a huge pitfall in the idea of uniforms. So he, along with GAP, gave three hundred dollars worth of clothing that fit the parameters of the dress code to 50 kids. Staples donated backpacks loaded with school supplies to each child, and CompUSA donated a laptop computer to each child.

In addition to Bon Jovi making those donations, he and his band donated one million dollars to Oprah's Katrina Relief effort, a part of her Angel Network.

So you're wondering, why am I giving Bon Jovi all this attention? The other day Beth and were discussing how celebrities in general don't have a very important job. Yes, they keep the country entertained and many of them keep us laughing... even during times of crisis. That's important but does not, in our opinion, equal the pay they receive. So when tragedy strikes, like Hurricane Katrina, it's nice to know they give back. The outpouring from celebrities in the wake of Katrina is admirable, as is Bon Jovi's commitment to educating children in his home town.

I Pledge Allegiance

I've been meaning to write about the recent federal court ruling in California that says reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance" in public schools is un-Constitutional citing the seperation of church and state.

I think the pledge should be said in public schools, but without the Congressionaly added phrase, "under God," added in 1954. Adding "under God" to the pledge made it religious, and therefore, a religious creed which violates the seperation of church and state. Some say "under God" is not necessarily religious. When you consider the group who petitioned that phrase to be added, the Knights of Columbus, it's religious, and the Knights promote discrimination, making the phrase even more inappropriate as a pledge for American citizens to their country.

This is how the Pledge's author, Francis Bellamy, wrote it:

'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'

That's how it was written, that's how it started and that's how it should stay. I think we should begin a petition to remove the phrase "under God" from The Pledge. Of important note, Francis Bellamy was a Baptist Minister. If he wanted a religious phrase to be added, he would've done it. Bellamy died before the change was made, but his daughter contended he would not have approved of the change.

Here is a brief history of The Pledge of Allegiance.

Have you ever...

Woken yourself up laughing from a dream? I do a few times a year, and this morning was one of those times. I was dreaming I was flying with these two flight attendants that were hillarious. The part that got me laughing (and woke me up) was the safety demo. This funky low and slow beat seventies song came over the PA system and the flight attendants lauched into this dance choreographed to the music while performing the safety demo. It was a total Ally McBeal moment and it cracked my shit up!

Did you know?

--> The melting point of cocoa butter is between 97 and 99 degrees -- right at body temperature which is why chocolate melts in your mouth.

--> Milky Way was the first filled candy bar, created in 1929, followed by the Snickers bar in 1932 and the 3 Musketeers in 1935.

(From the History Channel's Modern Marvels: Chocolate.)

The Aviary

I have seen an ad several times for a movie called The Aviary. I've been interested in the movie for sometime as it is an indy film written by a flight attendant about flight attendants. It probably doesn't interest many people, but it does me. It appears to be a love story of some sort, so maybe it will appeal to some. I'd like to get my hands on a copy, but am waiting to return to work before ordering it.

Click on "The Aviary" above to learn more about the film.

What was she thinking?

I just heard on tv Britney Spears gave birth to a baby boy today, via a C-section. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? If anyone needs their abs to be intact, it's a performer who relies on wiggling them around on camera to keep fans panting after her. Now, of course, it could have been "medically necessary," but that's so rare, I highly doubt it. If she really didn't want one, I could have directed her to a really good Doula that would have assured her wishes were met! Sherry... Britney just didn't know you were out there!

Mexican Troops Aid Katrina Victims

Unbelievably, Mexican troops made a historic trip yesterday from Mexico City to San Antonio to help aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. This is the first time Mexian troops have been on US soil in 159 years. It pleases me to know our neighbors from the south are willing to offer their assistance for the victims, but I also like the political message it sends. Sincerely, it's an unprecedented show of cooperation between the US and Mexico, and, more synically, it proves President Bush and his administration are incapable of utilizing our own country's resources to provide adequate aid to those affected, and that we have to look to Mexico for help. Unbelievable.

Click on "Mexian Troops Aid Katrina Victims" above to read an article from the San Jose Mercury.

Here's another interesting article from the Houston Chronicle.

Back from Never Never Land

Hola! I spent this past weekend in Gardnerville with friends and family. Beth and I flew up Friday night, went to Lake Tahoe Saturday morning to have lunch with grandpa and then up to Sparks for the "Best of the West" Rib Cook-off. So yummy. So yummy indeed. Had a great time hanging out there with Brad, Kanako, Brad's family, Dan, Rene and their friends and Brett, Sherry and the boys. It was quite a group. After that we met up with Brad and Kanako at Sparky's for a drink before heading back out to Gardnerville.

Sunday was spent at the house at Lake Tahoe. Lots of family and friends there. We got to see Brian and Rene' and little baby Sophia. She's just so damn cute! Beth, Dan and I stayed overnight, got up early Monday morning for breakfast at the "Red Hut" and then headed back to G-ville just in time for mom to drive us to Reno to catch our flight home. It was a rushed weekend, but we had a lot of fun, got to visit with a lot of people, and had great ribs to boot! Can't beat that.

Ankle update: I just completed my third session of physical therapy this morning. That seems to be going well and the PT gave me permission to attempt yoga again tonight. I've been missing this class for quite a while. Looking forward to that. I received paperwork from my doctor yesterday for American which stated a return-to-work date of October 1. That's good news, and I hope we can stick to that. My next appointment with the doc is Sep. 27. Fingers crossed.

However, October is shaping up to be a busy month in terms of potential out-of-town trips, and if I go back to work I'll be on-call, which gives me very little control over my schedule. That's the crappy part about returning to work in October. If I had thought ahead, I could have bid onto reserve (on-call) this month, but didn't think of that until it was too late. Shoot! We may be going to Hawaii next month and would like to take a trip to Wisconsin to visit Beth's family. And, Dan is coming to town at the end of the month. I can't wait to go back to work, but this presents a real challenge. Work will definitely win, however, as I need the money!