Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Book Review, 6 miles, Travel Diaries Part 2 of 2: Being Friendly in the Skies

Thanks you guys! It really was such a beautiful wedding and I was so happy to be a part of it and to spend time with some of my best friends!! As promised... Travel Diaries Part 2...
So... as you know I left my phone in my car - traumatic!! I get to the airport and barely make it on the plane. All is good. As i'm boarding a flight attendant tells me I have two personal items (a small laptop bag and a tiny coach purse). She's like put your purse in your other bag. I'm like okay I will.... trying to walk away (figure I can do it in the overhead bin). No go. She's like now. I'm like okay, I try to get off the plane to do it on the hallway-connect-to-the-airport-thingie. She's like no, do it here. I'm like here? (waving my hand in the 2'x2' area on the floor in front of first class) She's like YEAH, here. So, in a huff, I throw all my shiz down (coat, water bottle, rolling luggage), unzip my suitcase and put my purse in. And no, I can't get it zipped back up, yes, i'm sweating and of course, everyone is looking at me. I get up and she is staring at me and laughing with her co-worker. True story. I roll my eyes and go to my seat.

There I meet Rose, a nice lady, who's like what was that all about? I'm like oh, apparently a purse this size (indicated with hands) counts as a personal item and they wanted me to correct it right there on my hands and knees in front of everyone. We're chatting and that flight attendant comes back over and tells me to stop talking about it, it's federal law, etc. I'm like um, i'm talking to her, my new friend Rose, fellow passenger, NOT you, so you need to leave me alone now. She was like well you just need to let it go. I'm like again, I'm talking to her not you and she asked what happened and that was it. Did she let it go? No, she kept on going on about the law and I just stared her down until she left.

Okay, I knew she was being a bitch. I knew I was in no mood. But I saw her whispering, staring and pointing and was like shit, i'm going to get kicked off this flight. So about 10 minutes later I have to pee. I really do. In all of the stress I drank my entire camel bak. So I ask a different flight attendant if I can go, he says yes and i'm off. I'm about to close the door and there she is - DANG!

Her: "Mam, the fasten seatball sign is still lit, you're not to be about the cabin, it's federal law.
Me: "I'm sorry, I asked the guy and he said it was fine, I'm not trying to cause trouble... speaking of. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I offended you earlier. I was stressed out, I lost my phone, I was running late, but those aren't excuses for me to have behaved the way I did. I overreacted and was a bit bratty and I apologize."
Her: (her WHOLE FACE changed along with her voice) "Sweetie, I'm sorry too!"

Love it. I pee, I go back to my seat and she comes out of no where (again!).

Her: "Honey, would you like a cocktail?"
Me: "No thank you."
Her: "It's on me."
Me: "Chardonnay."

Yes, I got free wine and upgraded first-class snacks on her. I thanked her, and when we landed and I left the plane, tipsy, she told me to have a great day and thanked me again for saying I was sorry.

Lesson learned: throw a mini tantrum while boarding + honest apology = free alcohol.

Backing up to Monday - we got up, had a quick turkey/swiss muffin for breakfast and got on the road to the airport with Megan and Clint. We reminisced, chatted and laughed, then got some gummy bears and boarded the plane! I had a much less memorable return flight - just finished Karin Slaughter's Fractured. Book Review: I give this one a 4/5. It was part of the Will Trent series. The story started out with a bang - a suburban mother coming home to her daughter being murdered - murderer STILL in the home. From there, it took lots of turns and twists and surprises - I flew this one - couldn't wait to see what happened and the mystery didn't disappoint! The only reason it's a 4/5 rather than a 5/5 was because somewhere in the middle it slowed down too much for me and I was just kind of over it. But then it picked up and I loved it. I'd recommend it, but suggest you read the series in order!

After finishing my book we got in town, went straight home and I fell asleep from 4 - 8 p.m. No joke! Great nap. I took some more medicine (throat on fire; stuffy nose; cough), got ready for work and went to sleep! Pretty slow Monday for sure.

Tuesday was just catch up at work, 4-mile walk during lunch, more catch up and then a 2-mile walk after work and this chest, tricep, shoulder workout with Stacy.
After our work out I raced home and had a mini cooking marathon with Austin! We made 6 servings of veggie breakfast casserole, 4 servings of Red Thai Curry (i'm on a Thai kick), 4 servings of Chicken & Mushroom pesto and prepped a few other meals (i.e. diced chicken, cooked noodles, diced veggies, etc.) Then it was time for reading and bed - i'm now reading another Karin Slaughter book - Undone. SO good!

Q: Have you ever had a "dismal and/or degrading airport experience"?

Q: Have you ever read Karin Slaughter books?

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

that is such a great story!! haha love it!

Shelli said...

I would have punched her in the face!! I'm glad it all worked out and you got some drinks out of the whole ordeal!

Kate @ Daffodils said...

HIlarious about the flight attendant!

jamie@sweatyhugs said...

AWESOME Story! LOL I would have asked for Chardonnay too. ;)

Biz said...

That story is hilarious! I have to laugh at Shelli's comment about punching her in the face!

I don't fly that often, but so far, I've had nothing but good experiences!

Glad you got the free wine though!

Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun said...

I love how you handled that! Such class to have been the bigger person and let go of the emotions. Plus, free alcohol is never a bad thing. :D

Gabriela said...

Such a great story- proof that saying sorry can never cause you harm :) My mom was a flight attendant back in the early 70s, when you were basically supposed to be a talking Barbie, and whenever we travel she remarks on how flight attendants have become so much less personable since then...which is both a good and bad thing, I guess!

Hope you have a great week!

Anonymous said...

ummmm you're a much bigger person than I am! No way I could've apologized. I would've gone nuts on her. Good for you!!!!!!! Glad you got free wine + munchies!!!

Marisa @ Loser for Life said...

OMG, what a story!!! And a GREAT lesson! However, some people are just so NASTY that apologizing would cause them to gloat and be even more righteous and bitchy! Good for you for being the bigger person!

And YAY for free wine :)

Kacy said...

Wow she was being a bitch, but glad it all worked out! I once got free all I could drink beers on a flight because I was sitting next to two crazy kids and the male flight attendant felt bad for me. It was pretty enjoyable ;)

Genesis said...

oh gosh that sounds like a trip from hell, but at least it all smoothed out later.

Christina said...

oh my gosh i love your story. i have had many similar experiences where someone in customer service and i were just snapping at each other back and forth but as SOON as one person sincerely apologizes, it's like the whole thing never happens and everyone just feels wonderful and wants to make it better. my mom always told me to kill people with kindness, and damn it, it works.

Anonymous said...

I will definitely keep that trick in mind!!

Jenny said...

That was really nice of you to take the high road and apologize first. Otherwise, she might have taken two beers and jumped off the plane and then you would have really been late getting there on time :) Glad it all worked out ok and the flight attendant backed down off her power trip!

Mica said...

That is a crazy story about the flight attendant. I wanted to stay mad her for abusing her position to treat you like crap, but it sounds like she really had a bad day too. That's really, really impressive that you were so kind. I need to remember this story because I seriously get SO fed up with people and never imagine how they must feel. Props, lady!

Jenny said...

LMAO! Dang...note taken! I'm flying out tomorrow. ;-)

Together We Save said...

Great story... it must really pay to be nice!!

Regan Jones, RDN said...

This truly made me LOL!!!

(I'm SO envious of how much reading you seem to manage... where on Earth do you find the time?)

lee said...

Haha, I just laughed out loud at your lesson learned!

The worst thing that happened to me on a plane was when I was 13. For some reason there was a duffel bag in the aisle and I went to step over it and my foot got caught on the strap and I fell on my face in the middle of the aisle. And my mom couldn't stop laughing!

miss posy said...

Oh my goodness!

I would have been so annoyed if the FA had come up to me to tell me to stop talking about what had happened!

I'm glad it all worked out okay in the end.

Tami@NutmegNotebook said...

What a great story! You were a good person to own up to your part in all of that and apologize. Awesome!

Kelly Olexa said...

HAHAHA I love your in-flight story. And I will tell you, I think that flight-attendants are so used to the really really obnoxious jerks, that they are pre-disposed to being douchebags right away. When they know that you empathize with them as a human, I've found that they are VERY accommodating. ;-) Way to score girl. ;-) XOXO

haute.teapot said...

p.s. I totally LOVED this story, thank you for sharing it!!

haute.teapot said...

p.s. I totally LOVED this story, thank you for sharing it!!

Gabriela said...

Such a great story- proof that saying sorry can never cause you harm :) My mom was a flight attendant back in the early 70s, when you were basically supposed to be a talking Barbie, and whenever we travel she remarks on how flight attendants have become so much less personable since then...which is both a good and bad thing, I guess!

Hope you have a great week!

Kacy said...

Wow she was being a bitch, but glad it all worked out! I once got free all I could drink beers on a flight because I was sitting next to two crazy kids and the male flight attendant felt bad for me. It was pretty enjoyable ;)