Commuting...

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So, as I might have blogged a while ago (August 15th), I'm once again on AirTran Business class instead of riding Delta. This is only because I called AirTran and found out that most of the cabin was completely wide open. It's shameful that I am going to be forced to get use to flying on AirTran and rely on their aircraft and crew because Delta and SkyWest/ASA just signed some "awesome" agreement that is going to force Non-Revs (non revenue passengers) to pay for $5.00 per leg and .01 cents a mile. That means, that if I want my seniority to mean anything on the Non-Rev list, it will end up costing me $40.00 each way. Jump seating is still a viable option, but it'll mean that every buddy pass and everyone else junior to my employee date of hire will be able to get on the plane ahead of mean lessening my chances of getting a "comfortable" seat in the back. I really don't mind riding up in front, but it's just going to be that much more uncomfortable. Thanks guys for looking out for the commuters.

After going to Canada for a quick and awesome weekend trip, I got to see how Salt Lake is with SkyWest and that operation seems a lot more fluid in terms of happiness, on time, and just overall pilot moral. It's nothing like what I go through in Atlanta. I'm still contemplating going there, but there is just so much that I've been thinking of doing in terms of furthering y career. I don't know whether or not to go for the Air Force right away, or to just apply overseas to Cathay or Emirates. It's just all up in the air right now. I just need a sign of some sorts to finally just be able to sit down and make a decision. I'm going to be upgrading in about 1.5 years or so here and I'll be able to build my time rather easily with the flying that they are giving me here so it's really not that bad of a gig. I just wished that we got the LAX flying. Maybe we'll get something soon with all the contract negotiations coming / going. I really hope that something happens soon.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was awesome! I hung out with some of the cousins that I haven't seen in about 13 years and just had a good time walking around the city. I didn't get to do too much when I was there last, but I definitely have to make my way up there again. It was good to see my aunt doing well with her bouts of Cancer and just to see everyone all grown up and doing well for themselves. I wish that I could have been up there more often. Here's a small pic of the extended family. We missed a couple of people in there so email me the photos ASAP!

September Schedule!

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I just posted it above under Flight Schedules...if you care too look at my work calendar for the month of September. It is the first time that I bid for a 'Relief' Line which is basically where the company gives you what is left that didn't make it onto a regular line. You ask for certain days off and what you rather fly, and they just do whatever they can with it. Sometimes they help you out and give you what you want, and the other times, it just doesn't work out. This upcoming month, two of my Roommates and myself bid for the same days off so that we could head to Northport, NY for a 10K. I fall behind them in seniority so they should have gotten the days off, but I was the only one that got the 16th off. I got the 15th-18th and they got the 13th-15th. Of course, the run is on the 16th so I'm not too sure how its going to work out. It really sucks the way that this turned out. I'm also blocked for only 65 hours or so which is a lot lower than usual. It'll be a fun month but the pay will definitely be a lot less which sucks. Oh well...we'll see how it all goes down!

It's over...HP

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Well, I finally finished Harry Potter this past week. I definitely believe that it’ll make a great movie. I can’t wait either. It was the first book that I read on “e-book” (PDF on my Treo 650) format and I have to say that it kept me busy enough to where I’m definitely looking forward to reading another book via the same method. I saw the Sony E-Book reader at Fry’s the other day and was impressed by it, but it’ll be a while until that whole thing catches up with the market. I liked it a lot and but who knows when more people will be reading their books that way. Seems like we are still a long ways off.

I'm back in Wildomar this week for a short visit. I decided not to come right after my trip on Sunday and boy, I don't think that I've ever been that tired before after 4 days of flying. It's was just exhausting. I hit the pillow and didn't wake up for about 10 hours. Probably the best that I've gotten in quite a while. It's quite difficult to keep moving from bed to bed but the one that I got in the Farm House is definitely one that I'm loving. My mom has this heating rock bed pad thingy in the Wildomar house and it's great too. I've been sleeping well there too. The only thing that I disklike about going home is that the dogs are just always pissing and barking and just annoying! The house is finally getting organized a little bit, but we'll see how it turns out before the end of the year. I know that I want to live in San Diego, but the more and more I commute, the more and more I realize that I'm wasting about 8 hours a week on just flying for free. Not to mention the time that I spend trying to get a flight home and walking and waiting in the terminal in the Atlanta, Ontario or San Diego Airports. It's still definitely worth it, but we'll see how the next few months turn out.

airTran Business!

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I'm currently riding on AirTran Business Class this afternoon on my way back to Atlanta. It ended up working out where Delta Flight 1460 was full, an S2 wouldn't work and the jumpseat was occupied by a fellow pilot whom I could have kicked off, but I wouldn't want that to happen to me. So, once again, on this roundtrip, I have done my part in the continuing effort to help out people. It's a good deal. I of course ended up riding on AirTran. I'm almost willing to continue doing it this way because the business seat is that much better. I'm loving it. There isn't a movie or TV's, but the friendliness of the Flight Crew, XM and variety of whatever really is just a good change.

I enjoyed hanging out with the parents and the cousins once again. It tried to upgrade my mother's computer but the RAM that her computer uses isn't available anymore even at Fry's! It sucks! Now, I have to order it from newegg and somehow then pick it up etc. It's just a little bit of trouble, but should work out. I also ended up fixing up my cousins computer and ordered up the internet for them. I have to fixed it up for them next Tuesday and take my mom and sister to LAX to fly to the Philippines. I wish that I could have gone, but oh well. My job is just too demanding.

I'm getting really close to my 2nd year mark where I'll actually be able to afford a somewhat minor upgrade in lifestyle. It's getting a little harder here and there especially now that I have a day line. I notice that I am actually spending a lot more on food these days as I've neglected to pack a lunch. It's become a little cumbersome, but I might do something about it this time around. The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are an awesome snack to have and I might end up bringing some slimfasts with me as well and just throw them in the ice drawer. Tomorrow is setup to be a really long day blocked to a long 7 hours and 52 minutes! That means that I'm basically maxed out according to the FARs. The overnight in Greensboro though isn't bad as I remembered that there is a rib dinner special available. I'm definitely going to try to hook that up!

a renewal...

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I flew into Ontario, CA last night and it was a great ride riding shot again. Got to meet the Delta pilot who rode my jump seat a couple of months ago and now I finished riding his. Coincidence really. Adelle and I then ventured off to Sizzler where I got my fix on. I think that I'm set for another 10 years now. I can't believe how familiar the taste was. It's identical, but I guess that's a good thing from time to time to try something you once had a lot of.

Anyways, after talking to one of my friends tonight of a little bit, he got me thinking about my real estate licence and I noticed that mine just expired. I have of course 2 years to get it back up to date but I think that I'm just going to get it over with right now and do what I have to do. It's a simple 15 hour course really and should be fun. I get to learn something else besides flying.

I have my first LOFT coming up on the 27th of this month and I'm actually a little scared of it. I still haven't had my line check yet and I'm still anticipating someone riding along with me soon. My landings have gotten better but its not the butter glide I want. I was landing flat for a while and that's not fun.

I had a chance to catch up on Entourage and it was damn funny! You have to keep up. Chargers apparently were rather sloppy but I guess that's how the looked in the pre-season last year. I'm sure that it'll wake them up a bit...hopefully!

Quote...

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." -Robert Frost

I just felt like I wanted to start this entry off his way...here's the entry that should have been placed here yesterday afternoon or something.

August 8th, 2007
Today was definitely a good day to wake up to. Besides the small note of being pretty burned from hanging out at the beach all day yesterday with the cousins, it was good. I felt like I had yet another good time in San Diego relaxing after a gruesome 4 day trip. I was also still in San Diego just feeling good to be home in a city that I love and where I am surrounded by so many friends and family.

I'm actually starting to feel like I need a place of my own. It would be nice to be able to come "home" to something each time I'm done with a flight and just relax. I dislike imposing on my girlfriend and her roommates and I definitely don't necessarily feel like the Farm House (a.k.a. Loxford Lounge Crashpad) is like my own place at all. The house in Palm Coast, Florida was the last place where I felt like home. I plan on going back ASAP to take care of the grass and various home owner things that I need to look over, but I guess I really wouldn't mind "living" there. The last time I was there in December, I really felt like I could find peace there. Besides the heat and humidity, I was getting use to it. Next to the house that I grew up in, it was the 2nd longest place that I lived at. We'll see how things go in the next few weeks. See how the commute is and stuff after my next visit there. I don't have a car there tough so renting would just be more of a hassle and yet another expense to my already so little regional pilot wage. I'm also thinking of driving back down there on a Sunday only to drive back on Wednesday so at least I could "move" more stuff out of there. To where, I haven't a clue. I don't even remember what I have left there. Maybe I'll see how much it costs to rent a car and move it from Daytona to Atlanta. I have no idea on how to ship things back home or of course to where the heck home would be. I just have a lot of books and clutter really. I also thought that leaving some clothes there would be beneficial if I needed them in some distant future. One thing is for sure that I need to get my motorcycle gear back to ATL or SAN so that I could get back into it. I don't have a bike or anything, but I just want to be prepared.

I'm gearing up for another 4 day trip. Make sure to click on my calendar above. If you'll take notice, I'm going to have some early duty-ins again such as 5:30AM, 6:30AM...I can't hardly wait again. I like getting in early to the hotel so that I could rest but I definitely don't want a repeat of my 3 hours afternoon nap. That messed me up so bad to where I wasn't able to get back to bed till around 3:00AM with a duty in of 5:30AM. Oh well...here goes to my overnight in Greensboro, Alexandria, and Montreal for the upcoming week. Of course, I rinse and repeat the following week. =)