Five Minutes Ahead Of My Time

The Alamo

2007-05-03T07:24:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile...hard to stay focused witht this traveling lifestyle... Just finished a trip in which I saw the Alamo for the first time. I didn't set out to find it but before I knew it, there it was, across the street. Small in comparison to the modern structures...It's next to a MALL!(Wheeeeeeeee!)...but SOLID. To think that such a small building is at the center of a swirl of mythic legend and folklore...Glad I got to see it...GaP

Cosmic Correspondence

2007-04-02T06:34:00.000-04:00

Salut, Russ... Ray and I were having this conversation about friendship. Usually in a friendship, there is an iniator and a recipient. After many years of writing letters, I discovered that I was generally the iniator. I am convinced that most of my friendships(or romantic notions thereof) would shrivel up on the vine without effort on my part. I am pleased that you're an exception to that rule. Everyone else appreciates and comes to EXPECT a regular note from you(the "general you")...and when you STOP, they have the balls to ask if you died or something. Or you get "haven't heard from you in awhile." After awhile, you just realize that it's not really WORTH effort for all of the diminishing returns... So how do friendships flourish or begin? I've given out my "bizcard" to colleagues I meet while on the road...extending the hand of friendship if they should ever be in New Hampshire...Most often, nothing comes of it... And I have to admit, I don't like to socialize on my time off...I DO like to send e-mails or letters...but once I falter, there is nothing coming from the other side... Ah well...whine, bitch, moan... Anyway, with all of the A320 flying I've been doing, it seems that you'd need a cosmic act of intervention for our OWN paths to cross. You know, heaven FORBID two good friends run into each other...the universe might implode or something. And speaking of writing letters, how's THIS for a paradox...I have about twelve people in my mailing list that could be considered serious Christians. While I'm ambivalent about religion in general, I AM looking forward to looking for the appropriate Easter Cards for these folks. I may not take their religion seriously but I take their FAITH and their FRIENDSHIP seriously. Does this make me a hypocrite? And should I even I bother since most of these folks aren't regular with their correspondence anyway? But it feels right and natural to do this...so that's the criteria I'm going with... Anyway, thanks for being a good friend, Captain...GaP _________________________________________________________________________________ GaP, You raise some good points. Life is like an extended cruise on a ship; you meet great people, promise to "stay in touch," exchange e-mail addresses and such and then ... poof. Gone. One of your gifts is that you care enough to actually keep the connections of friendship repaired. You're a bridge tender. And people really appreciate it. I know they do because I do. Think about it. Unless there is an overriding reason to stay in touch, chance of sex, chance of inheritance, your friend is rich or whatever, friendships are generally acts of convenience. No, I do not think you are a hypocrite because you are looking forward to the promise of an Easter card or two from your Christian friends. You do respect their faith. If everyone had that attitude (and didn't think that the person's faith was dead wrong ... what was I reading the other day ... "we do not look for truth because there are millionsof different truths about any one thing") there wouldn't be any religious wars. Why can't we get excited about a shared celebration (not by us) of Ramadan, Chunukah, Easter or the Winter Solstice (oh, right ... that's Christmas!)? About friendship where you're actually with them, spending actual time in others' company: I don't know how to do that. Right now my fragmented life does not lend itself to that pleasant experience. It's like the boat, I want one but now I don't even have the time to go *look* at any much less * own* one! What would it be like to have an integrated, not compartmentalized, life? That is a rhetorical question, I think. Speaking of fragmentation, I now have to crank up the software and get my finances squared away. Last week I went to the Virginia Festival of the Book. I loved it! But today I have 95 e-mails, the finances are a week undone and I've a ton of other work to do. And here I sit in Columbus, Ohio. My turn to whine. Take good care, brother. Russ ____________________________________________________________________________ RussMan... Here I sit in Edmonton. Day Four. Wheeeee... Actually, I've been doing lead and having a good time with it. If someone's starts treatiung me like a lackey, I'm training myself to distance myself from it. But I WILL let some passive/aggressive soothe my ego. Nothing bombastic. Something like "forgetting" to return their coat, for example... I have a CLT layover in April, if you can believe it. Let me check on it and get back to you? Could we actually be hanging out for the THIRD time in the tenure of our friendship? WAOW. Thanks for the kind words, Russ...and fuck Religion. It's stupid. I think we're in a post-human historical simulation or something. It would explain a lot... Catch you later...GaP ___________________________________________________________________________________ GaP, I live in Charlottesville, not Charlotte. CHO vs. CLT. Unless you fly the Saab you won't be laying over in C'ville! :) Screw religion? How so? It's a major deal. We can't ignore it as a reality. Best, Russ _________________________________________________________________________________ No...but I can ignore its bullshit. Whenever some Bible-thumper goes on about their pick of subjects...homosexuality being immoral, the smugness of their dogmatic thinking(we are the CHOSEN ones...yeah, isn't EVERYONE?), and just the sheer absurdity of it all...I can just get up and walk out. Thomas Harris has written that religion has gotten a blank check since it doesn't have to back belief with critical thinking and skepticism...Basically, we have people believing in First Century Superstitions...Tiresome. All of it. I choose not to play anymore... Too bad about the non-layover...Speak soon...GaP _________________________________________________________________________________ Hi GaP, I understand your point. I'm much the same way. Over the years I've learned that the myths the religion are build upon are true (inasmuch as myths inform our soul). But always the followers get wrapped up in the dogma, then they get wrapped up in control and then we have the Inquisition and Jerry Falwell. Much can be learned by going to the original sources however. Who cares if Noah really built a big barge or if Jesus really went bodily to heaven (or was born of a virgin for that matter). What matters, it seems to me, is what these stories have to tell us about living a human life on earth. When I accept the stories as fiction I can see the messages. We do have a big problem when modern man takes a set of 2,000 year old myths and tries to hammer them into his modern life. What you're doing makes more sense; taking modern myths (in the form of super heroes) and seeing how they inform your life. Do you think Batman is real? Hell, no! Do the Invisibles roam the earth? Who cares? But the stories about them sure can teach us a lot! Getting into the modern myths is quite a wise move, my friend. Take good care, Russ _________________________________________________________________________________ Russ... Stories... I do believe you've nailed it. I always used to wonder just WHY the hell people(including myself) were enamored with stories regardless of the genre...super-heroes, romance, Westerns, espionage, horror...what have you. The point IS, we need our stories to make sense of a world where the loose ends DON'T get tied up neatly, where there ARE no sub-plots, expositions, motivations, or any discernible REASONS for the things that happen to or around us. We need stories to make help us make sense of the world/the universe...and yes, lessons can be learned from the classic story-structures. Taking the idea even further, sometimes I believe that fiction exists as an antibody---a preventative to protect reality. For example, science-fiction concepts such as overpopulation and nuclear war have been played out in novels, movies, and television as cautionary fiction...but MORE than that, they present the stories so WE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH THEM. Almost like reality taking an antibiotic. The most current example I can give you are the scenarios on 24...First season, family kidnapping, presidential-candidate assasination attempts...Season 2...the threat of a nuke atomizing Los Angeles...Season 3, even more chilling, a terrorist threatening to release a super-virus into the U.S. population...all horrific situations that we've never REALLY had to deal with in reality...So fiction deals with it so WE won't have to? Your thoughts on this? GaP

2007-04-02T06:30:00.000-04:00

GaP, A friend gave me a beautiful book with a Buddhist quote for each day of the year (accompanied by extraordinary photographs). Here is the quote for April 1st: "Of the ten virtuous acts spoken of in Buddhism, four are verbal; not to lie, not to engage in divisive talk, not to speak harsh words and not to engage in frivolous conversation." What do you think? Russ _________________________________________________________________________________ Russ...All good advice...but that slacker-bitch part of my personality has to have a say...Divisive talk? Sometimes. I'll say some negative things about co-workers, passengers, or whomever if they piss me off. I think of this as steam-letting somewhat. It's something I try not to over-indulge in. Lying. Some lies are necessary, unfortunately. Sometimes to others(many couldn't handle the unvarnished truth unless it's positive...So I stick with that. "It was a pleasure to meet you." "You've lost weight, haven't you?") sometimes to ourselves. I think white lies spare us from social bruising. The Japanese consider it "saving face". Harsh words? You mean like, "Hey ASSHOLE! Didn't you hear me make the seatbelt sign announcement?" "You're changing your baby's diaper just as we're about to push back? What ARE you, a fucking retard?" Yeah, that's something I try to refrain from. Frivolous. I guess the definition of that depends on the person. Talking about sports, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, or opening the conversation with the weather...not to mention just about any public cellphone conversation...All that shit is frivolous to ME. But once again, frivolous talk is a societal lubricant. Hell, walk into any bar and any conversation between strangers begins with a nice safe topic...like sports, weather or some minor news event...Then they can build up to the big stuff. Some people have that gift of the blether, the Blarney touch...People can have a warm, engaging conversation about almost anything really. These are the people that love to chat with other people and love the company of others. They are the lubricant that makes society run better. They're the type of person you wish you could buy a beer and chat with on a regular basis...There's much to be said for someone with the gift of the patter. Amazingly, I find that I can turn it on when I'm in the Shaskeen Irish Pub. Something about the atmosphere, I guess... That's what I love about our discourse, Russ...I mean to write a simple reply and I end up writing a book...which is the nature of OUR friendship... House-sitting Bill's place today. I may watch myself a John Wayne flick...THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, anyone? Hope you're well, my good friend. Much love and warmth to you...GaP (hope that doesn't sound too granola, hippie, or homo...)

Dodged A Bullet

2007-03-19T05:24:00.000-04:00

Salut, Doc... Just got back from a five-day trip...and completely MISSED a whiteout snowstorm/freezing rain melange that botched up everyone's weekend in New England...(Would THIS be the main reason why you don't schedule your family visiting in New England in winter-time? Can't say I blame you...) Really enjoyed the warm weather of Alburquerque, New Mexico...Dry, WARM, sunny weather and the time to ENJOY it...Took a stroll to Old Town and stumbled upon an excellent independent, hole-in-the-wall record store. One of my favorite environments to be in... While I was in a bookstore in the old town searching for post-cards, I examined the music on offer and this old cowboy-gentleman type was talking about some of the local artists featured. He was the epitome of frontier-style gentility, answering, "Yes, sir," "No sir" to whatever questions I had. I should be the one addressing HIM as such...and I did. Really not used to courteous, respectful behavior, sad to say. Therefore, I don't expect ANY from anyone and I keep my emotional distance from my fellow humans. Head-shakingly sad, innit? Anyway, Doc...I hope you and your family are well. Stay British...GaP

Thinking Out Of The Bottle

2007-03-13T10:40:00.000-04:00

There are some magical little moments of humanity that make it all worth it…You get a glimpse of the wonderful absurdity behind reality’s curtain that holds us all together…This morning, this…well, I guess you could call her a street person…bag-lady…whatever. She was pacing around rapidly, spouting non-sequitors to whoever was nearby. She was ambling around as if she were on a mission but she was actually aimless… Meanwhile, across the street, near the bank, there was this street-sweeper singing what sounded like an old blues song. When she came into his range, she began providing him with a counter-point beat, a marching “ha-yup,ha-yup,ha-yup!” sort of rhythm…They worked off each other, their completely different perspectives melding together into a sort of jam-session…A complete surprise and delight…something you can’t pay for or commodify. This was a glimpse into a higher-reality…or at least the wilder shores of sanity…It was a clear view of our shared humanity, how messy and incongruous we can all be to each other…and our commonality. And when I got onto the bus, this older gent, a bit slow, maybe a bit medicated, was rambling on about his childhood in Manchester and the rough-looking lady “translating” for him to the bus-driver was telling this story about how she’d been raped…All of these people…whom society wouldn’t be comfortable with, were providing me with an understanding of humanity that no classroom could ever provide, no philosopher could ever summarize… I also came to a realization yesterday. I am not really meant to be a drinker…okay, I’ll say it…I am an alcoholic…do it in caps…ALCOHOLIC. I had this long talk with Bill about it and he agreed to be my watchdog over whether I’ve had too much. So we hunkered down to watch more of 24 Season 3…I had three beers over the course of the three hours…but the whole time it was a considerable effort to slow down…I wanted to get DRUNK…and it was an effort of will to pace myself. I woke up with a slight headache. I decided that it was not something that I wanted to really deal with…but the lure of alcohol and the romance of the ribald, boozy, comraderie is a strong one…So that means I have to think of what to do if I find myself in situations where I would be offered a drink…a glass of wine or whatever? Do I pass? Do I nurse? Am I just obsessing? With booze, I seem to know when to stop but I tend to drink too fast…because I’m in a hurry to get buzzed, to get DRUNK. Not good. And that has to be addressed. In addition to this, I think I’m undergoing an identity-shift…similar to when I lost all the weight when I was a teenager, comparable to when I had to come to grips with my sexuality…I’m ready to change. I seem to be drifting out of comics(which I’m trying to resist…that’s a HUGE part of my identity that I don’t want to leave behind…), becoming closer to another person who is VERY important to me…important enough not to botch up with nascent alcoholism…,and there also seems to be this need for clarity. Maybe it’s a manifestation of finally getting off my ass and doing something with my life…finding success and fulfillment in a way that works for ME… Let the adventure continue…GaP

Working For Sauron

2007-02-16T08:14:00.000-05:00

On 2/15/07, G@P wrote: Salut, Russ... The morale at work is so bad, that it leaves me bitchy and whiny about my lot in life and everyone around me is pretty damned tired of hearing it. What no one can seem to tell me is how the situation would improve if I jumped ship over to another WORLD IS FLAT/WAL-MART situation. At least HERE, I have a fair amount of time off...and at work, there seems to be more than ample time to catch up on reading. But make no mistake...change is needed. The big question mark is WHAT? Are you a NETFLIX person? Can't believe I didn't hop onto that sooner... In the middle of FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING...and while I'm FAR more ready to appreciate it now than I was in high school, topology-travel tales take some patience on my part to get through... How are you doing? GaP How am I doing? Well, GaP, I'm bitchy, angry and tired. Tomorrow I go to the schoolhouse in MSP for recurrent. My heart is not in it. I'm suffering from recurrent headaches, my blood pressure is pegged at max for the first time ever ... and something has to change. How can we create a new reality? What are we doing wrong? Are we living in Hell and don't know it? I did my books and found that I'd spent $5,000 more in January than I brought in. That kind of cash flow drain is unsustainable. Okay, all that said, today I realized that I must quit concentrating on the negatives. In reinforcement of that idea, the Universe gave me a message. I opened the mail, expecting a bill, and found a $700 refund check from my insurance company. Then I checked my stocks and found I'd made several thousand dollars over the last 24 hours. So it's not all bad. We need to stick together and fight the dragons. We haven't done all this study and reading about myths, heroes and personal paths for nothing! I have a hard time with Tokien, too. So much so that I've never gotten past the first couple of chapters. There's a lot in there but so far it's not accessible to me. You have my admiration! Well, brother, we've got to learn to "hold our mouths right," stick to an idea of a better version of reality and, one day, we'll be sitting on the boat having a single malt and good long talk. We ain't gonna fix it all, not even the smalles part of it, that's not what life on earth is about, but we can get our spirits and minds into a better place. I believe that. Now, how do we do it? Beating up on each other is not the way. Yep, the morale sucks! Big time! I've been saying to the flight attendants in the briefing, "We're going to take care of each other, close the door on the Dumpster Doug Show and the funky corporation and keep our passengers safe. Please know I do take your concerns seriously." Since I've started saying these simple things, I've noticed I've gotten a more "thank you's," some real smiles, and more en route calls from the back, "Do you need water? We don't have any food but I just wanted to check on you. Do you need anything else?" than before. Just knowing that I genuinely (I do not say these things to blow smoke up anybody's ass) care for their interests and concerns seems to have a positive, though temporary, effect on morale (It is just too bad the skipper continues to grind his teeth and crunches on pills to fend off the migraines!). Keep the faith! Russ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers--thieves planting flags, murderers carrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams." ---Peter S. Beagle, praising the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Slang Exchange

2007-02-14T06:40:00.000-05:00

Salut, Doc... You ever consider visiting the colonies during winter? Like, say, the Christmas break? Right now, you're missing out on what we New Englanders call a "nor'easter"...We're slated to get 24 hours of the white stuff covered with a nice icy glazing to top it all off... Candace harks from this area of the States, right? I'm sure she's familiar with the term. An observation of the mother-tongue crossing the great transAtlantic: The crew was waiting for a part to show up for insallation...It was being flown out from Detroit to Newark airport. "What a cock-up," I mumbled. "What did you say?" the Captain asked. "Are you from England?" "No," I replied. "But I like the vernacular." "What does that mean?" asked the First Officer. "A snafu," I fumbled. "A screw-up." "A cluster-f**k", the Captain offered. Doing my part to make sure that all the idiom exchange isn't ALL one way...GaP

Exhaustive Self-Loathing...

2007-02-13T13:58:00.000-05:00

I just did my first domestic trip after a long vacation...and while it was basically easier, it drove home the fact that I really don't want to be doing the jet-set thing anymore. I find that I'm putting up a wall around myself, blankly staring through people, scraping through with the bare minimum... I'm just so jaded with humanity. Everyone and everything seems so utterly pointless, trite, and absurd to me. I see people as sheep...a bunch of vapid zombies yakking into their cellphones, cheering on the latest mass-media sports event, or filling the air with inanities like the weather, what they do for a living, or what exotic location they just came from. A bunch of labels believing themselves to be individuals... I wish I could reach out, get to know people, engage in friendly small talk but I can't really see the point. It never leads to anything like friendships or meaningful conversation. I know it takes work to CHANGE, to cultivate positivity...but it's too exhausting. So I put up walls, make as little eye contact as possible, limit my conversation. I'm a robot keeping my distance... I blame the job but the real truth is the picture I included above. How do you find your path or passion when you think that everything is pointless and ineffectual? Most of all yourself? In a world where everything is commerce and commodity, how are you able to be anything more than a sellout or somebody's meal-ticket? Sorry. My thoughts aren't very well-organized...Let's hear it for the long, dark mid-winter afternoon of the soul...

Glad To Be Older

2007-02-08T16:41:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, I head back to work after a month off...I've had some time to reflect on some of the changes in my life over the past year... I notice myself sort of withdrawing from certain things. Ever since I met Bill, I've been gradually drifting away from my comic habit. Have I been sublimating all of these years? Am I growing out of them. They were my shelter for the longest time... I've also gotten lazier about keeping my written journal. Granted, from time to time, I post to his blog, print out this page and count it as an entry...(Like I'm going to do with this one.) Also, this past week, I've had every intention of going to the gym but the moment I heard that sub-zero arctic wind rattling the windows, I just turned over and dropped right back to sleep. I've also gotten less passionate about writing letters...I guess this is getting OLDER. And with THAT in mind, I have to say that I absolutely do not MIND the ageing process... I don't miss being insecure all the time, not knowing the answers to everyday problems, feeling out of step with all of the other kids who, of course, seemed normal. I don't miss being anxious and stressed about stupid things like brand-name clothing, zits on my face, whether my peers are laughing at the self-same insecurities...I don't miss my former lack of self-confidence, the pointless workaholism, the hyperactivity, the obssessive-compulsive way that my mind used to work...I like the way more things roll off my back, the calmer way that I take things in stride...issues that I never would have imagined dealing with before. Getting a oil-heater boiler fixed, having a cellar spayed for termites, and balancing the checkbook for all of these little home-owner improvement maintenance details. You might say that this is normal, everyday stuff...but there was a time when I never had the slightest clue about any of that. I've had good teachers. Feels good learning a bit of practicality.. I like the way that former fiery convictions have cooled to a reasonable temperature. I used to think rock and roll was the ONLY music and that the music had to be made with REAL instruments. No dance-crap, no synths, NO hip-hop, and godDAMN, country was for shitkickers only...If my fifteen-year old self could take a look at my music collection, he'd probably cringe and then make some sneery remark. But hey, when you know everything when you're younger... I look at my greying temples and I breathe a sigh of relief that I'm assuming a sage-like appearance... "Distinguished" is what it's called...(I could live without the bald-spot, though...sometimes, genetics suck.) I look forward to the day when I can sit back in the easy chair , light up a meerschaum(by that time, I won't be so concerned about the health-risks of smoking at that age) and just feel a whole lot more comfortable in my own skin. Maybe that's one of the purposes of the ageing process...helping one to be more at ease with one's self... All this with a teenage/slacker mentality...because age really DOES mean not giving a damn about what other people think. Could age be the REAL punk-rock? Two years shy of forty...GaP

If I'd ONLY Known About This Therapy...

2007-02-07T14:31:00.000-05:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Haggard Now "Completely Heterosexual" By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 9:59 a.m. ET DENVER (AP) — One of four ministers who oversaw three weeks of intensive counseling for the Rev. Ted Haggard said the disgraced minister emerged convinced that he is ‘’completely heterosexual.'’ Haggard also said his sexual contact with men was limited to the former male prostitute who came forward with sexual allegations, the Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur told The Denver Post for a story in Tuesday’s edition. ‘’He is completely heterosexual,'’ Ralph said. ‘’That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn’t a constant thing.'’ Ralph said the board spoke with people close to Haggard while investigating his claim that his only extramarital sexual contact happened with Mike Jones. The board found no evidence to the contrary. ‘’If we’re going to be proved wrong, somebody else is going to come forward, and that usually happens really quickly,'’ he said. ‘’We’re into this thing over 90 days and it hasn’t happened.'’ Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals last year after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. He was also forced out from the 14,000 New Life Church that he founded years ago in his basement after Jones alleged Haggard paid him for sex and sometimes used methamphetamine when they were together. Haggard, who is married, has publicly admitted to ‘’sexual immorality.'’ Haggard said in an e-mail Sunday, his first communication in three months to church members, that he and his wife, Gayle, plan to pursue master’s degrees in psychology. The e-mail said the family hasn’t decided where to move but that they were considering Missouri and Iowa. Another oversight board member, the Rev. Mike Ware of Westminster, said the group recommended the move out of town and the Haggards agreed. ‘’This is a good place for Ted,'’ Ware said. ‘’It’s hard to heal in Colorado Springs right now. It’s like an open wound. He needs to get somewhere he can get the wound healed.'’ It was also the oversight board that strongly urged Haggard to go into secular work. http://www.here-now.org/shows/2007/02/20070207_9.asp

Dumpster-Diving Barbie

2007-02-06T06:14:00.000-05:00

If the enclosed photo confuses you, check out the link below...GaP http://consumerist.com/consumer/airlines/northwest-airlines-dumpster-diving-booklet-revealed-194900.php

Here, Here!

2007-02-01T17:22:00.000-05:00

SFO FA Helps to Strengthen America's Middle Class On Wednesday, January 31, 2007, SFO FA Rosemary Miller represented working Americans at a Congressional hearing held by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor. Rosemary, a single mother of two, testified about her struggle to maintain a stable family life and provide for her children while NWA slashed her wages and benefits. Click here to watch her compelling and heartfelt testimony. TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR COMMITTEE HEARING ON STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S MIDDLE CLASS: EVALUATING THE ECONOMIC SQUEEZE ON AMERICA’S FAMILIES JANUARY 31, 2007 BY ROSEMARY MILLER FLIGHT ATTENDANT MEMBER, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS - CWA Thank you Chairman Miller for holding this important hearing on the many challenges facing the middle class in this country – the real backbone of the American economy. I especially want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today. I am honored and humbled to be a face and voice for so many women and men in this country who struggle to play and live by the rules, raise our families and hold on to the hope that the future holds a better life for us and our children. Unfortunately, that hope has grown dim for me and many others as we struggle to find a balance between working to provide for our families, spend quality time with our families, and plan for a stable future for ourselves and our children. My name is Rosemary Miller and I have worked as a flight attendant for the past 17 years. Unfortunately, my career in the airline industry qualifies me to speak on the topic of today’s hearing. Airline industry employees have suffered greatly over the past several years and have borne the burden of returning the industry, hopefully, to profitability. We have been at the forefront of a trend that is repeating itself all across our economy as we work longer and longer hours for reduced pay. We have seen our benefits slashed simply to keep the most basic of health care. We have had our pensions frozen or terminated and our employers have used this country’s bankruptcy laws to shred union contracts and set back decades of progress we have made in turning our jobs into decent, stable careers that have allowed us to raise and support our families. I would like to emphasize, however, that I am not really here to speak as an “I”: I am here as a “we”. In my remarks today, you should replace “I”, “me” and “my” with “we”, “us” and “our”. In fact, please feel free to insert any one of a number of careers in place of mine. Whenever I say “we”, I mean the workers of the middle class, your constituents. It could be a pilot sitting here today, or an airline mechanic, or an air traffic controller. It could be a nurse, or a firefighter, or a police officer. We are the people who install your cable TV, who drive your buses, who truck your groceries from farm to supermarket, who check you into your hotels, who teach your kids. We are the city and county civil servants who run your communities. The reason we’re here today is to tell you what it’s really, really like in this country’s current economy, and to impress upon you that our reality is not pretty. We have all heard and read the numbers coming from some economists and bureaucrats in Washington, DC, that suggest the economy is doing well. They tell us that the economy is growing, unemployment is low and things look rosy. I am here to tell you that things do not look rosy for middle class Americans. We are seeing our professions destroyed by corporate management policies. We are watching our wages plummet, our benefit packages shrink and our pensions disappear. We are working longer hours, for less pay. We are being forced to choose between dental work and the electrical bill, between required prescription medication and groceries, between braces for our kids and new brakes for the aging car. In my own case, I have tried to do everything right in order to balance the demands of working full time, being a single mother and raising my two wonderful daughters. I choose a career as a flight attendant because of a love for the profession and the flexibility it allowed to spend time with my daughters when they needed me to be home. But knowing that things can change, I prepared for the future in case the day would come when I might have to quit the career I love. I went back to school and have been able to obtain two bachelors degrees and a masters degree. I started saving early for my daughters’ college educations. I willingly joined a union and supported that union in order to have a voice on the job to preserve our wages and benefits. I’ve done everything within my power in to secure my job and my future. However, upon entering bankruptcy, my employer has forced on me and my colleagues drastic wage and benefit reductions. I am now working longer and longer days as well as having to spend more and more time away from home. I have had to miss some of my daughters’ school events that I vowed I would never miss because now I have to work longer in order to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. But not only am I working longer; I’m earning less. My pension has been frozen. My benefits have been reduced. It is harder for me now, even with three degrees, to re-enter the workforce. And it angers and saddens me that I am going to have to withdraw the small sum that I managed to carefully set aside for my children’s first semester of college in order to keep paying the mortgage and keep my house - our home - a little longer. Again, my plight is not unique and I consider myself fortunate in many ways. Consider me the voice for just a few of the people who can’t be here today. For the woman with cancer who says, “ the thought of the senior executives at my company getting bonuses, gutting labor contracts and defaulting on pension obligations at the same time they are demanding a 40% wage cut from me, while I am literally fighting for my life, makes me sicker than the cancer ever has.” Or the pilot with over 30 years of service who is outraged that when he began with his airline, there were four Senior VPs on the payroll, but at last count there were 37. The colleague of mine who, after 18 years on the job, says she has to decide some days if she’s going to buy a cup of coffee or a meal, or the woman whose husband lost his job of 28 years to outsourcing and had to start over for $7.75 an hour. I know that we could spend hours telling these and similar stories. Since we don’t have hours however, let me move on. What do we, the middle class, think has gone wrong? Among other things, we think executive compensation packages that are wildly disproportionate to the contribution those employees make to a company’s overall health are wrong. Why do we allow for an airline CEO to terminate all of the company employees’ pensions, while keeping his own $4.5 million pension? Why do we allow for these corporate robber barons to reward themselves compensation and management retention bonuses upon “successfully” bringing a company through bankruptcy? And I hate to use the word “successfully” because it is hard to use that term when so many employees’ lives are shattered by the process. Should these individuals that drove the company into bankruptcy in the first place be rewarded for that? The average worker in this country struggles for a modest cost of living increase today while the CEOs that made 20 times what a worker made in the 1960s, now makes 400 times as much. Bankruptcy laws that allow companies to evade pension funding obligations, and instead sanction degrading and unlivable employment contracts are wrong. The bankruptcy laws have become a smokescreen for union busting and a tool to destroy employee contracts that were originally bargained in good faith. The abuse of these laws has eliminated employees’ access to legal self-help when confronted with gross inequities in the sacrifices they have had to make during economic hard times. In fact, my employer has used the bankruptcy laws to enforce a contract on all the flight attendants without having to negotiate one in good faith. When we democratically rejected their proposed contracts as going too far, they instead threw up their hands and with the blessing of the bankruptcy courts imposed draconian working conditions and drastic wage cuts on us. Our union rights were destroyed. Using the bankruptcy laws and courts as a means to destroy union contracts must come to an end. As for our health care system, something has gone horribly wrong. So many workers in this country are making enormous sacrifices to just maintain basic health insurance. Those of us with employer provided health care are finding it harder and harder to save money as our copays, premiums and other out of pocket expenses increase drastically. And it’s increasingly harder for our employers to confer salary increases when they are paying so much more for our health care costs. Washington must act, sooner rather than later, in order to prevent the total collapse of our health care system. Higher education for years was the path to the middle class. Now it is a necessity to simply survive in our globalized economy. The problem is that saving and paying for a college education has become harder and harder for most families today. And those that are fortunate enough to receive student loans to cover their costs find themselves in debt for many, many years. More must be done in order to make sure that American families can afford a college education for their children. Saving for our retirement has grown harder as our wages have gone down, health costs have increased and college has become more difficult to afford. Many of us are losing, have lost or seen frozen our defined benefit pension plans. It is absolutely crucial that Congress act to protect and secure the present Social Security system to ensure that it is there for all of us, who have worked hard our entire lives, when we reach our retirement years. We’d also like to point out something else. We are people who live modest lifestyles. Notice that in our remarks today we are not asking for boats, or vacation homes in Aspen, or luxury cars. We are not lamenting the lack of a 30,000 sq. ft house or cosmetic surgery. We are asking for livable wages, a home that we own, affordable health care, comfortable retirement security, and reasonable means to provide for our children’s college costs. It is obscene that in this country, among all others, it is such a struggle to simply live decently. I know that there are many issues facing our government today. But when you, the members of Congress, walk onto an airplane, or check in to a hospital; when you send your kids to school, or go to the grocery store, or call the police, you expect us to be there to do our jobs. Now we are asking you, as legislators, as law- and policy-makers, to do yours. Which is, listen to us. Hear us. Be aware that it does not matter if we are Democrats, or Republicans, or Independents, or Green or Rainbow or pink with purple polka dots. We are the vast majority of Americans; we are your neighbors, your friends, your own family. We are the middle class, and we are having a hard time out here. I want to thank you again for giving me this opportunity to testify today. I will answer any questions that you may have.

THIS Is Why I Love My Capitalist Country...God Bless America!

2007-01-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

THIS one is worth a look-see...GaP (Not sure if the link worked...if not, just copy, paste, and pop it into your browser. It's worth it...GaP >http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/business/2007/01/23/b2.101.dumb.northwest.bofa.cnn.cnn<

Back From Kay-Bec

2007-01-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

Salut... A week ago, I rented a car for one-week sojourn. A visit to my dad in Marston, Quebec was LONG overdue. But for the first half of my vacation, I hemmed and hawed about how to get up there. Bus(economical but damned inconvenient...and LONG.) or car-rental?(Very convenient,VERY expensive.) I opted for the car rental...Got myself a good deal but it turns out that the insurance was more expensive than the rental. SO... I promised a recently relocated friend up in Milton, VT that I'd pay him a visit. For the definition of a wrong career-move, all you had to do was look at this cautionary tale. My friend went into debt moving up here to open a new store for a mattress and bed company. They didn't pay dime ONE for his moving expenses. He was promoted to manager of this place in Burlington...No promotion, no real back-up...Long story short: They're miserable and in the red up there. I wouldn't be surprised if they headed back home. Hey, it was a wrong turn. He doesn't know what to do next regarding job, career, LIFE...I know how he feels. His wife is stuck out on the tundra being mom to little Dom and J. when he's back from school. And they're not big fans of the Yankee Stepford Stinkeye that they get up there. I got a small taste of it in a drug-store. That impolite size-up. Luckily, my job has taught me to completely ignore asshole behavior completely... I said good-bye to them, crossed the border at 89 North and used the internet's Mapquest instructions to get to Marston...(I can't say enough good things about MQ. USE it...Better than getting lost...) I spent five days with my dad and his two dogs up in the wooded north. I took in an amazing amount of Westerns on the LoneStar channel, visited some relatives, drank a bit with the old man, did some reading...all of the things that make an ideal vacation... But by the last two days, I was wishing I was back home...rather than enjoying the very valuable time with my dad...(And let's face it, he's not getting any younger...none of us are...)my mind was dazed, envisioning my beloved living room, just being HOME and NOT traveling. And I was missing Bill...and he was bummed out at home without me. It's awful, isn't it, marking off time, wishing your life away? Only when the party kicked off in high gear at my uncle's camp did I get pulled back into the present. We had a dozen people in there, drinking beer, speaking French(and a some English), smoking, and just having a good time. I don't know...I guess I'm becoming more misanthropic? Anti-social? Anyway, it was good seeing my uncles again...and I really enjoyed that last tail end of it... I left Marston at 0800 this morning...I tried to put my mind in that timeless state as I crossed the border, made it onto Route 3, and then onto the highway...It was a smooth journey...And god, am I glad to be home...GaP

The Perfect Day With My Loved One

2007-01-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

Bill had an appointment to change the oil in his car. It was going to be a long wait so we decided to walk over to Barnes and Noble to browse around. We had to stop at Wal-Mart so he could buy a hat to cover his right ear. He has a recurring ear-infection problem. We did our thing(and made a killing on some DVD's...but one television season on DVD, get one free...I got myself THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO SEASONS 2 AND 3. And the complete original (British) version of THE OFFICE along with the complete FAWLTY TOWERS.) I know I'm trying to save some cash but that's a good DEAL! Anyway, on the way back to the car dealership, Bill started to have problems with his ear again. His equilibrium was being affected. So I held on to his arm as we slowly made our way down the hill. I was happy to be there for him... We've been hiding from the howling winter winds, watching SEASON 1 of 24. The heat of the woodstove was making us drowsy...We took a nap. We lay there in bed, enjoying the quiet, the warmth of each other's company. We lay side-by-side, our hands joined together. I never thought I would be the one to say that love IS worth it. Especially when it's REAL and when it's based on kindness and respect. There's only one Bill...and I'm very happy with him...GaP

Taking Stock...

2007-01-19T07:08:00.000-05:00

Salut, Danny... Many thanks for your phone call...Not to worry about the lack of a Christmas Card. Contrary to popular belief, they are not mandatory. And truth to tell, I would rather receive nothing than a card that was sent out with the air of obligation(which is NEVER the case with you. You put your heart and soul into everything that you do...) You know the type..A generic card from a bulk box-set with only a person or couples' signature at the bottom. Usually written by one person. You can almost picture them at a table, speed-writing through them all, assembly-line style. It's the afterthought that counts, apparently. So no worries there... Back at home, I'm trying to continue the futile task of getting my library in order. I come across books and magazines in an unruly pile(your highly organized manner would probaby have you commiting me to a sanatorium.) There's more than a little of my sister in me. (The one who rushes out and snaps up bargains and lets them pile up on the floor until her house looks like a junkyard.) Organizing all of the books/compact discs/and other minutaie is a daunting, depressing task...Especially when you look at the souvenirs of...not necessarily happier times but certainly times when I enjoyed my job, my profession a whole HELL of a lot MORE...Stuff I picked up in Glasgow and all around Scotland...England as well...Those memories seem like they belong to another person...one who enjoy life, adventure, and TRAVEL a hell of a lot more...I envy you your call to return to Scotland on a regular basis. I miss the culture, I miss the burr, the hospitality, the WARMTH...I also miss my PASSION for the place. I remember when I wanted to move there. I'm not saying I'm unhappy...I'm saying I've changed. Some things are for the better...(losing my fear of relationships...at least with Bill) other things NOT so...(I find it hard to even PRETEND to be friendly at work anymore...) Call it ageing... ... Hope you're well, my friend...Say hello to Margaret and Sara for me...GaP

Homage To La France!

2007-01-19T06:41:00.000-05:00

Salut, Charles... I'm laid up with a cold and I'm a "kept man" in Bill's house. I'm just keeping warm in his house while he goes to work. I feed the woodstove, take care of his cat, drink liquids, read, listen to music, and watch movies. The closest to Paradise that I could ever envision...He really is a sweetheart... It's better here because I don't have to deal with walking the dog. Cats are WAY easier to look after... I imagine you must be looking forward to visiting the land of your ancestors. France may be seen to be living in a dreamworld with it's affectations of social justice and equality...and the French's complete refusal to abandon their easygoing way of life..but I say GOOD FOR THEM! They realize that to be human means having some downtime and that not EVERYTHING is related to money...Unlike this Economic Concentration Camp known as The United States...The same culture that demanded that I take a 40 percent paycut so that upper management to keep their salaries and keep their cash-cow airline afloat...(Bitter? Moi?) Anwyay, winter is halfway over...we got off light with the first half...so the rest should be tolerable... Visiting mon pere on Monday if the weather cooperates...Wheeeee! More travel. But I look forward to spending time in the blazing warmth of his shack, watching westerns on the LONE STAR Channel, and hearing tales of his youth... Hope all is well with you, mon ami...A la prochaine...GaP

Last Son Of Middle-Earth

2007-01-18T10:55:00.000-05:00

Salut, Tonez... Laid up with a cold at Bill's house...Just finished reading TELEGRAPH DAYS By Larry McMurtry. I am no literary connoisseur but I dig his prose enough so that I'd read all of his books. We did a run of LORD OF THE RINGS films and while I know you have BIG issues with them, I was wondering about what aspects worked WELL with the whole project...what scenes/portrayals/approaches that enriched Tolkien's mythos rather than detracting from them. Let me give you a semi-analogy. As much as I like Superman, there are some aspects of his media portrayals that --->I<--- hate. Movies III and IV are the big ones. But even THEY had aspects that I think they nailed correctly. For example, the Smallville depiction/Superman and Clark fight in III, the very LITERAL dumbass comic-book aspect of IV.(It read just like one of those dumbass stories from the 1960's when every other issue had Lois trying to trick Clark/Supes into revealing his secret identity and/or into marriage. (Always the basis of a sound relationship, you know?) Also HATED LOIS & CLARK but there was an episode where Lois got busted for her abject stupidity of not being able to tell Clark from his caped alter-ego. ("How STUPID was she?", I believe the villain spouted. PLUS, I think Terri Hatcher made a FINE Lois Lane. (And sorry, YES, I did like SUPERMAN RETURNS. Let's make that official.) Anyway, the reason WHY I bring up Middle-Earth is that the films has whetted my urge to revisit the source material. I still have the original paperpacks that I read in high-school so it's only fitting that I read them again and appreciate some of the details that I missed the first time around. (There's no WAY I'm going sit there and try to translate an Elvish poem or some shit like that...You know, I like--even LOVE---Star Trek but I'm not going to devote any time to speaking Klingon, Vulcan or whatever...) Any thoughts you have on the above would be welcome...GaP

Telegraph Days

2007-01-18T10:16:00.000-05:00

Being laid up with a cold means that one has a ton of time to read. So racing against a library deadline, I tucked into Larry McMurty's TELEGRAPH DAYS. A relatively short book compared to LONESOME DOVE and it prequels/sequels but Mr. McMurtry is a master at packing a LIFE(or most of one) in just under a three- hundred pages or so. Being a failed aspiring writer, I can admire the craft and the effort that must require. I've only read a handful of his books but the death of the REAL West seems to be a recurrent theme. The bittersweet longing when history passes into myth...and this book centers on a lady who witnesses one of the most famous historical events(The gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona). She even sees the events of her own life turned into a Hollywood motion picture during Tinseltown's own golden age. I'm not a literary connoisseur but I know that I really like Larry McMurtry's books enough to eventually read them all. Next--Time for a re-reading of Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy. Of course, a marathon-viewing of Peter Jackson't movies has whetted my longing to visit Middle Earth again. My first and only visit was back in high school. To my young, impatient, impetuous mind, I found the saga slow-moving. Maybe I wasn't yet old or seasoned enough to appreciate it. And (contrary to the opinion of a couple of friends of mine,) Peter Jackson's rendering of the saga captured enough of it to make me return to the source material. Maybe even beyond...It's a big world to explore... GaP

NOW Winter Is Here...

2007-01-17T07:43:00.000-05:00

What a way to wake up. The dog is barking up the stairs, asking to relieve himself...which always good. But because of the glare ice outside, I wiped out TWICE with him pulling on the leash. What a way to wake up... Nursing a scratchy throat right now and quite honestly, I don't really have anywhere to go...so I'm going to stay in and continue my reading. Current book: TELEGRAPH DAYS By Larry McMurtry. He's fast becoming my one of my favorite writers. Loving my quiet life and NOT traveling...GaP

IS There An Answer?

2007-01-16T05:31:00.000-05:00

Russ___________ wrote: Hi GaP! I just opened the package with the Aimee Mann iTunes Originals. I will put them on the player tomorrow. Thank you. I particularly want to hear "I Hate To Hear People Cover Beatles Songs." She has a wry, wicked sense of humor. Kind of like mine. That's why I liked the Christmas card I sent. Yes, it looked classical, proper and all that. Until one gets to the caption. Yes, I do have possession of the familial high ground for the time being. This year, though, the place will be put up for sale and then we'll see what happens. The adventure continues. So does the drama. This past week has me wondering how much of the drama I'm creating. My friend in Oregon reminded me that I create my own reality. That's something I've preached to her over the past couple of years. It stings to hear one's own words directed at one's own ears. As I've mentioned before, it is the relationships with the women in my life that provide the challenge and mystery on my path. My spouse, the doctor's wife, the Norsk goddess and now my friend in Oregon. My God! When does a man find peace and comfort? Can a man ever find lasting peace and comfort? It's true that I am more physically comfortable being in the house with room to stretch out for first time in a year. Spending time with my boy is a good thing, too. (Yesterday we got back from a weekend skiing in W. Va.). But the emotional anguish of loving a woman continues. Sometimes I feel the current of several relationships coursing through, and the combination threatens to electrocute. But yes, this is a story that must wait for the draining of a bottle of single malt. There is a lot of stress in our lives. Too much. The job is a Faustian myth on its own. The hostile working conditions, the financial stress and the decay of the society provide more crap than any of us deserve (unless this world is some kind of a cosmic school like some of the New Agers preach). Add the personal element and, well, sometimes I wonder about exit strategies. We are characters in an Ibsen play. I hope your eschewing AMS provides some relief for you. Let's keep the faith, stick together and try to imagine it all is for a reason. Take care, brother. Russ. _____________________________________________________________________________ Salut, Russ... I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't look that closely at the card itself. (It has a place of honor on the desk so I just took it down for another look...) I thought it WAS all proper and reverent to the holiday. I was so in LOVE with the envelope and the written content of the card, I missed the punchline. I thought you were going all Christian on me for a minute there...But at the risk of sounding like I'm blowing smoke up your ass, you're a classy gent...so there'd be nothing wrong with a proper, classical card... That sounds like such a Northwest Pacific thing to say. I'm given to believe that the left coast produces that oh-so Ageing Hippie Worldview...But still, do you think she has a point? Relationships have a learning component...About the other person and especially one's self. It's a mirror to one's self if one cares to look. I don't know about the dynamic you have with the opposite sex but this is how I see it: You're a tall, handsome, romantic, introspective, PHILOSOPHICAL pilot...A CAPTAIN, at that. That's a heady, desirous mix for any self-respecting, intelligent female...But see, you like to examine...you like to analyze. You are SEEKING the answers to life and the universe's BIG questions. I would imagine that quiet, philosophical aspect is attractive. Maybe the lady in question thinks that her LOVE will be the answer. But this is the kind of quest that has no real definitive answers. LOVE, a life-companion helps with the journey...but it doesn't provide the answer. So when said lady finds that her love and understanding isn't enough...or heaven forbid! The end-all, be-all destination to life's journey, she may feel frustrated, she may feel betrayed...that she's just another question to be analyzed in this great cosmic riddle. So they back off... But what do I know? I could be just talking out the other side of my ass...Like I said, this is the conclusion I've gleaned from your past writings and observations...I could be way off. Apologies if I've overstepped my boundaries...but I care about you too, Russ. You are on of my best friends. I'd like to see you happy as well...but like I said, maybe happiness is a journey. I don't think it's a continual, achievable state. Life and all it's experiences are not linear... If you want the dark side of NOT finding happiness nor purpose in life, you should check out SAW. Bill and I recently absorbed the LORD OF THE RINGS in all of it's extended epic glory. It covers it all...Love, betrayal, redemption, friendship, loyalty, war, peace, death...Like all good stories... I'd rather be a character in a Kevin Smith movie... Many thanks for your friendship and your insights, my friend... Keep the faith and keep in touch...GaP

In The Bleak Midwinter

2007-01-15T17:10:00.000-05:00

1710...and it looks like midnight. It's the perfect example of mid-winter bleakness...Grey skies, perpetual dusk, and freezing rain have coated everything in a cold, crusty glaze of ice...I guess I should feel lucky that I have power. I remember this crippling ice-storm about ten years ago across New England and Canada that actually made world-headlines with the power-outages and damage done to trees and property. I was on a layover in India and their STAR TV had a piece on it... Had a bash at trying to organize the piles of books in what is to become my study some century or another. I came across the books on Britain and Scotland that I purchased when I was flying over there back about fifteen years ago. Remembering past journeys and past interests that feel like they belong to someone else is somehow appropriate to the mood described above. As I type this, I work by the light of the monitor and two candles while listening to a forlorn tune on an internet folk station. In the bleak midwinter, indeed... GaP

Some Friendly Advice

2007-01-15T05:01:00.000-05:00

Marc wrote: Hi GaP Hope you have an good vacation time off and enjoy and I would use this time off to find out more what you want to do with the rest of your life. OK to know what you not want ( brings you better to your goal ) but better to want what you want. How do you get there ? Reading some books ( personally I got some things out of Tony robbins books and seminars see http://www.tonyrobbins.com ) or going to an seminar could help One tip I could give you also do not throw out one job before you have some new goals and an job will miss you on the AMS - BOS route however you have to follow your dreams and if you feel more happy with domestic do it ! Had some good flights last weeks with Rachel and Heidi Greetings my friend and enjoy ! Marc D.---- _________________________________________________________________________ Marc... Many thanks for the advice...and make no mistake. I don't plan on leaving the airline in a huff without a plan. I think part of the reason for burnout is a need for change...even WITHIN the job. Hence, the switch to domestic. The USA routes may leave at ridiculous hours but there never seems to be enough time for some passenger to lose their mind on a 2-hour flight(or ME, for that matter...) Knowing what you want and how to get there...THAT's the question... I have to admit, I'm pretty skeptical on motivational business speakers...It always seems to be that they're always busy trying to teach business leaders new ways to brainwash their workers into being more productive. (The DILBERT cartoon and OFFICE SPACE make fun of this rather nicely...) But hey, any advice to better one's self can can come from the most unlikely sources... I have been looking for you recently...but I had a hunch I was always just missing you... I hope your holidays were excellent... Rest assured, mijn vriend...I will be in touch. Tot ziens...GaP

Getting A Clue?

2007-01-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

My vacation has begun. I won't have to see the inside of a plane or even be NEAR an airport for the rest of the month. Yesterday, I puttered around the house got a few little procrastination projects done...and then went to see my significant other. I made a quick stop into town to get an errand done and stopped in to see my lawyer friend. I reiterated the reasons why I was done with the international trip bullshit. So I got the fatherly(but friendly) advice speech about what my next step in life was going to be. Now that is the scary question that's been hovering in my mental periphery for a good long time now. This man, this lawyer, this ex-Ambassador(to Belize), this respectable pillar of society and extreme Democrat(Thank God)was challenging me to realizing some of my potential, to maybe even become GREAT. He's basically asking me to fan the embers of some of my talents and/or interests to begin the next chapter of my life. But change is frightening, isn't it? And then there's my sputtering motiviation factor...gung-ho one second, fuck-it-all the next. It's endemic to my Gemini stature. Two extremes in one personality, the yin/yang flipping over each other incessantly. Kind/Viciously Sarcastic, slacker/respectable citizen, can-do positive/nihilistically negative, laser-focused/lackadaisical... How am I going to start fresh if I don't even have a destination or game-plan? All I know is that I don't want to be breathing other peoples' air in a steel-tube on my way out to another hotel-room exile for the rest of my life. I stand at the path with many other directions branching out in front of me. Am I going to wait there forever for the giant hand of God or some other imaginary all-purpose spiritual deity/cosmic-force to show me the way? And then there's the money factor. I'm barely keeping my head above water as it is financially. I don't want to become yet another American buried in debt and spending month-to-month feverishly scrabbling and clawing my way out? What do I do? How do I evolve? GaP

Air Travel Follies

2007-01-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

You know...if I needed a more vivid symbolic sign and portent that I should kiss the AMSTERDAM trip good-bye, the sight of the absent-minded professor yakking into his puke-bag across from my jumpseat really couldn't be more appropriate. Earlier in the flight, I nearly ran over this woman who was lying on the floor toward the back of the plane. She wasn't feeling well...(people were getting sick right and left during the final approach. Wonder why? On second thought, who cares?) She didn't need oxygen so I prompted her to take herself out of the path of harm. After all, if her head was cracked open by a meal cart careening down the aisle, I'm sure she'd feel a lot worse... Oh and then there was the guy that threatened Miss Sheila up at door 2 that if he couldn't use the Executive Class bathroom he was going to "piss all over the fucking floor". Our purser had a nice, long talk with him. This shit is insane. At least on domestic flights, people don't generally have the time to create/experience this kind of absurdist drama. Air-travel is a special kind of hell...GaP