security nightmare w/ awesome dinner!

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Today started out a little hectic trying to get on my flight back to ATL today with the fact that the line for security in Terminal 2 was being held up for 1.5 hours due to a security breach. This in turn caused the captain to time out and us to end up flying to Salt Lake for a new crew then on to ATL. Oh joy… now instead of getting into town around 5:00 PM local, I’ll be there around 11:00 PM. Should make out to be a quick nap at Loxford Lounge then onto my awesome four day trip. I spend the last three days just hanging out in San Diego and got to see the Padres vs. the Mets. Adelle and I took the trolley to downtown which was really easy and cheap and we ate some garlic fries and hot dogs. This is the definitely of a good night at the ballpark.

My line in August that I was awarded consists of 350 hours away from base so that should provide for another $500 of per diem. Now as long as I don’t’ spend it on food while away, I’ll be good. I also might be able to pick up some open time in August for some time and a half to help out with things. The biggest deal will be swapping out my car in Atlanta for the one in Wildomar. I’ll be driving the 1985 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel and it doesn’t have any air conditioning. That’s going to be fun in Atlanta. If anyone has any ways to create a new cooling system in a car, please tell me. It might be a little rough, but we’ll see how that goes. Wish me luck!

I had dinner with an old friend tonight and it was fun just hanging out. I'm glad that she's doing well and I do hope that we get to talk a little more often. We ate at a place called Joe's right near the airport and I have to say that they made me a really awesome hamburger. Now I'm fat again.

Still haven't found my headset (QC2s) or my video iPod. I'm very disappointed with Delta Lost and Found! =(

downgrading....

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Ever since I became a Regional Airline Pilot, I have succumb to a simple life. I didn't have one that was too extravagant I might say but of course, others have had a difference of opinion. I ended up selling my Mercedes C55 AMG because I no longer wanted to bear the responsibility of the monthly payment (not that I was making it either while in school) but I felt like it was time. I will also be transporting my car bar to my mom from Atlanta and driving once more the 1985 Turbo Diesel! I'm excited to be driving that car again, but getting it there is one thing. I'm too sure exactly how I might accomplish this car swap, but we'll see how it goes.

To date, I have been spending less and less and becoming a little more frugal with my cash flow as it has been restrained by the paychecks that the airline provides me. Even though I am as skilled as I feel I am (BS degree and professional airline piot training) I'm forced to be dealt the cards of a poverish wage. It'll be a while before I can ball it up again, but I will once more. It'll just be by slower and different means. I have been able to experience the good life and I am more than eager to get back there. I do feel a sigh of relief and look foward to just being simple. I hardly buy clothes anymore or things (although I want the new PS3 and no I didn't get an iPhone) but we'll see how things go in the next few years. It's going to be an interesting ride!

Supposedly August 7th is a good day to keep in mind for new and upcoming Apple products...we'll see what ALPA and ASA provides for the pilots in the next few weeks.

hanging out in San Diego

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Loving the clear skies down here. The weather is perfect but I forgot to bring my swim trunks for some beach action today. I might do it tomorrow but we'll see. I bought tickets to the Padres vs Mets game here at Petco Park and I'm going to try the Trolley from Fashion Valley. Should be different and this time I don't have to worry about any traffix driving down to the stadium or parking for that matter. The round trip is only $4.50!

Anyways, I'm going to try to get rid of my old car back here in San Diego so that I don't feel the burden anymore of having to have my mom take care of it. It definitely was a cool idea, but there's no need for anything like that anymore especially once I got over (temporarily due to cash flow restraints) the nice car gig. My car back in Atlanta has definitely humbled me more on the idea of, "a car's a car just to get your around," kind of deal. I'm going to try to bring over the old 1985 300D Turbo Diesel Mercedes to Atlanta and use that as my airport car. We'll see how long that lasts, but I have faith in it! Wish me luck guys!

Flying has been fun and still yet, I'm blessed with the company of good captains and a great flight attendant. I got my new tentative schedule for August and I'll post that once I find out that its set in stone. I got the first line that I bid for, but of course, it was just some random one that I really didn't look at. I do have a Flint, MI overnight and I hope that my friend is in town. That would be fun. Either than that, I don't think that I have anything else going for me in August. We've been offered 1.5 pay for any open time that we pick up which is cool, but ASA likes to block us so high that we can't pick anything up! It's ridiculous! Oh well, I'm just trying to get the hours anyways.

Yeah for San Diego!

Quick Trip

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Another trip to San Diego and back again. I got in Monday night and left on Wednesday morning. Tuesday included a trip to the bi-weekly haircut at the PQ Barber Shop followed by some PQ Donuts. Adelle and I then met up with my parents at Pat and Oscar's where we hung out for quite a while. Prior to heading to Pat and Oscar's, Adelle and I went to Edward's Cinemas thinking that we were going to watch Transformers or something else new but of course being that Harry Potter was playing that night at midnight, I thought that we might as well indulge in the mania. The line was long outside with full of people camping out in tents, sun bathing and it was just kind of nutty. It almost seemed as if it was even more of a hype than Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings. We went up to the ticket counter and to my surprise they were sold out for the four 11:59PM showings and the 3:15AM showings in the IMAX theater. Of course, we hung out for a bit and found out that there was a 6:15AM showing so of course after all the hype, we thought that it would be fun anyways to watch it then. The movie was sold out and when we finished, the line for the next film was long and the rest of the showings for today were sold out! It's crazy! The IMAX in 3D was pretty cool. I enjoyed the movie and cannot wait of course for the last two. I ended up watching Transformers online and it was okay. I wasn't necessarily all about it because of how confusing the transformation was in that it looked like a bunch of noisy graphics, but the action was great. I'm just glad that we watched Harry Potter instead.

I'm about to embark on my next trip that is basically a rinse and repeat each week. I can't wait to fly to the Bahamas, but it does stink that we don't have an overnight there. I haven't met my captain for this line yet, but I've already heard that he's a good guy. My flight attendant is awesome because at least, he and I get to hang out and grab some dinner / beers. Tulsa was fun and I'm sure that the next few overnights will be fun too!

On the way to San Diego, I met a newly promoted Captain at ASA who moved from Dallas to Salt Lake to LAX and now he's back in ATL flying the ATR. It's always nice to sit with another ASA guy when commuting. It's nice to make new friends who share a commonality and it'll be nice to actually hang out while were in San Diego. I also watched Premonition on the way to San Diego and it was alright. It's funny how many movies I'm actually watching now that I'm commuting. I should definitely be studying or something for the test that I want to take, but right now I can't fathom doing it right now. I need to prepare or something mentally, but the motivation isn't all there. Soon though...

DCA

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One word....FAST!!! The approach into KDCA doing the River Visual into 19 is awesome but damn it goes by so quickly. I wish that I had more time to sightsee a little bit rather than just diving in. It was a good approach but too bad that it wasn't my leg. Tomorrow might be my leg out of here, but we'll see. I definitely don't want any trouble executing it correctly with all the restrictions surrounding the entire airport!

My auntie is picking me up for a quick trip to her house. Should be fun!

also quick note: tonight was the first night that I had some pretty good turbulence. It wasn't too radical but definitely rougher than normal. It wasn't expected either. I also had a 3.27 minutes ground time in ATL which turned into a 4 hour being that we needed a Captain. Shortage is here folks. Start the negotiations!!!

Does the July Schedule link work for you guys at all?