Breakfast with Dad

One of my favorite things to do when I'm at home...

Mmmm... breakfast at Ruby's on the pier in Seal BeachThe surfers were out... but there wasn't much surf

I am alive! Yay! =)

I know, it has been awhile since I wrote... I have had some people ask what's been going on! Just travel as usual! At the beginning of the month, I got to go to Kansas City, Missouri with my roomie Melissa! She said that her family was going to do an early Thanksgiving, and invited Amelia (another friend from our FA training, who is based in Milwaukee) and I to come home with her. It was fun... except for the COLD!


Oakland seems to be my place to go this month... every time I've had a trip with overnights, I've gone to Oakland. I have even gotten the same room at the hotel each time, so it feels like home! (Not quite... but some familiarity!) ;-) That's where I was on Thanksgiving... and in San Jose the night before that. No turkey for me! Although one of our Captains did have Melissa and I over for a late Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday. YUMMY!

One of the funnest nights we had in Tucson this month was our Nintendo night! Our neighbours, Kyle and Dennis (brothers) have an old school Nintendo (NES), so Morgan, Melissa and I went over to their place and played. SO FUN. =)

Look! It's Arizona!

On a flight from Oakland to Salt Lake City last week, I had some passengers who were truly an encouragement to me. I was talking with a Tongan man sitting in the last row, and we were talking about the South Pacific and Papua New Guinea. When I told the man I had lived in PNG, I saw the woman in the row in front of him kinda perk up. When I started to come back up the aisle, she said that she had overheard me say that and asked what I was doing there. I saw she had a Bible open on her tray table, and I started to ask if they were Christians... That's when her husband spoke up and said, "We're Christ followers." I thought that was awesome! I knew what context I could talk to them in, knowing that they were Believers, and told them that my parents were there working with Wycliffe Bible Translators. (Let me digress for a moment, and just say that I hate saying that my parents were missionaries. You say the word "missionary" and all of a sudden all these preconceived ideas come with it... usually negative. Judgmental, 'holier than thou' mentality, trying to change culture and make everyone wear white to church, weird, etc etc etc. So usually, unless I know the people are Believers and are going to have a better understanding of what really goes on with missions, I say that my parents were with a linguistic organization, which is completely true. And sometimes people think that's a little weird, but usually they think it's cool too.) Ok, so when I told this couple my parents were with Wycliffe, they said they knew a family who worked with Wycliffe in Africa. The husband asked me some pretty pointed questions about my work and where I was getting teaching and fellowship... That has been one of the hard parts about this job, with traveling so much and working on Sundays as well. So I was honest with them and shared that it has been a struggle. I was also encouraged by the wife, as she told me she could see a different attitude and presence in me, from when they walked on the plane to watching me come down the aisle with the beverage service. I told them that when I had started this job, I prayed that the people I came in contact with would be able to see Christ in me... She said she could. What a compliment. A little while later when I returned to do a trash run, they handed me a small hardcover book, a devotional. They wrote a long, encouraging note on the first page along with their card. They said they would be praying for me. Wow!!! I was amazed at how much God blessed and encouraged me through them.

I was on call Saturday and Sunday... and just hung out in Tucson. Tried out a new church and liked it a lot. Simple, but solid. If I'm in town next week, I'm gonna go back and try them out again. I flew on Express Jet, my new heroes =) from Tucson to Ontario last night after I was off call. All of our flights into LAX were oversold, so I thought I'd try Express Jet. I met the Captain of the flight when I was at the gate seeing if I was going to make it, and he said he'd make sure I got on. They took care of me, and it was awesome!

Mom took today off work so we could hang out, and it's been great!!! I love being at home. =) Can't wait till next time.

Bogey has been cracking us up all day!!!

Who are better listeners: 1st graders or passengers?

One of the things I really like about my job is being able to talk and connect with my passengers. Some of them are cool. Some of them are... not. In talking to one of them this week, after I told him that I used to teach 1st grade, he asked me, "So who are better listeners? 1st graders, or your passengers?" I answered that it was definitely the 1st graders... apart from a handful of them, who were just that, a handful =), they listened. They were usually respectful. But they knew that had to be. Passengers just decide they don't need to listen, for the most part (although I did have one woman who was so cute this week!! She listened and watched intently as I made each announcement, told me I was adorable, and gave me a big hug as she got off the plane).

So can I vent for a minute? There is a flow to our flight... towards the end, when we are beginning to descend, we get some chimes that tell us how much time we have left and that we need to make our descent announcement and then check to make sure people have listened and followed crewmember instructions, AS STATED BY FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS!!! Sooo many times, people still have their tray tables down, or their carryons out in their laps, and then get pissy at me when I ask them to put their tray tables up or stow their carryons, as I've just asked them to in my announcement. But this is what really gets me. The Captain turns off the seatbelt sign during the flight, right? Then the good ones, like the one I flew with today, will give the passengers a head's up when he's going to turn the sign back on... so get off your butt and go to the bathroom now... or forever hold your pee!!! So today, the landing gear is already down, which means we're about 5 mins from landing, and I have to be in my seat in the brace position. Well, guess what? The man in 2A decides that's the perfect time for him to get up and use the lav... WHY?????!?!?!?! We've made a million stupid announcements saying "stay in your seat with your seatbelt fastened until the sign is off at the gate." So then, the next flight, I've made the announcement to remain seated until we've landed, etc. I've done my walk through to make sure everyone is doing what I've just asked. So then I look back and see a woman standing in the doorway of the lav. I walk back to see if she is alright, and yeah, she's just standing there putting on her makeup. What the !!!!!!!! Why people, why??!?!

Ok, that's enough venting for tonight... I really do like my job, I promise. =)