You're Taking Off in 25 Minutes - Run!!

OK, Crew Scheduling didn't really say that, but it amounts to the same thing! This past Sunday I got the 6 am to noon shift on the couch. I didn't mind. I got a bonus day on Saturday when I was on call but didn't hear from them, and got to run all over creation with my family doing those Saturday type erranss familes with kids so often have to do. It was a great day full of Crop Walking and volleyball, for sure.

Anyway, I arrived early for my couch shift, feeling well rested and kind of looking forward to the good day. And it was good: Classmate Crystal was sitting the couch with me and we had lots of fun visiting with other classmates and friends who wandered through. Long about 11:55 am I started packing up my stuff, assuming I was going home in 5 minutes, when the crew lounge phone rang: "Kelly Karas!" someone called. Uh-oh. Michael from Crew Scheduling was on the other end. "We've got a 3-day trip for you, tonight in Portland, tomorrow night in LaGuardia, leaving out of gate 34 at 12:25." Yep - LEAVING at 12:25. I quickly printed out my brand new schedule, grabbed my things and hightailed it down to my gate. Gotta stay flexible in this job!

I was happy to be the one to go. If I'm going to get all dressed up and drive all the way down to DIA, then "Put Me To Work" is my motto. Although I would have been happy to go home to my family, I was equally happy to have my 6 hours on the couch become non-taxable per diem, and then to use up the rest of my RSV days with only one car trip down. To me, that's an efficient use of my own personal resources.

The trip was nice, by the way, but unremarkable. Crew was ok and I had a very nice dinner both nights in the hotel with the other 2 FAs. Nice ladies, and in LGA we had a great discussion about ghosts, one of my passions. And the best part of all? No victory lap at the end. We were home by 11:00 am Tuesday and I got released to my days off. I am loving this less busy season, and storing up energies for the holidays!