Airlines Can Be Fun

I have mentioned before that I have Epilepsy and that I speak publicly to help end the stigma associated with Epilepsy and to help spread Awareness.  I flew to Reno on July 1 to address a group there.  I have several problems with flying.  First is the fact that I don’t mind the flying part.  The taking off and landing are a different story.  

Now thanks to 911 there is so much more security to deal with.  And have the rules changed since the last time I flew.  And airports and airplanes are not the most comfortable places in the world.  To top things off, my husband had his hip replacement earlier this year. 

Add to all that the difficulties that my husband and I had the last time we flew.  I won’t name the airline but just think about the letters associated with our great country.  We even turned in our frequent flyer miles from that airline because neither one of us will ever willingly set foot on their plane again. 

We anticipated a long, rough day trying to deal with the flight crew.  Was I ever in for a pleasant surprise.  I am from the South, but have not flown Southwest in several years. 

I want everyone to know that my flights to and from Reno on Southwest Airlines were 2 of the most pleasant things that I have done this year.  I am partial to the flightcrew we had going to Reno, maybe because one of the flight attendants was from my home state, Texas.  Maybe it was the way they sang the safety announcements.  Maybe it was the casual yet professional way that they interacted with all the passengers.  They acted as if we were friends at a social event.  OMG, the flight attendants treated us as if our comfort and pleasure were the reason that they were there.   That has not happened on an airplane in I don’t know how long.  We were treated to Customer Service with a smile and a song.  What better way to start your trip?

I did get their names, but I don’t feel comfortable putting that in my blog.  I will be notifying their home office. 

If you have to fly somewhere, and Southwest can get you there, you should care enough about your comfort to try to fly on Southwest Airlines.  I think that in the future I will fly Southwest as far as I can then walk the rest of the way.  Maybe not, but that’s how much I enjoyed myself.

Another Day

May 29, 2009 – Friday

Well they say “another day, another dollar”. You would think that inflation would have that up to a $20 bill.

One thing that is cool and not-cool about crafting and making things is that you are always ahead of the holiday schedule. It is already time to start working on Christmas Crafts. Wow, it’s kinda hard to think about Christmas when it is late May in Nevada. I have 4 months of the most intense heat to look forward to. How do you make things with PENGUINS, Santa, snowmen, silver bells, Nativity scenes and all that other cold stuff when it is difficult to walk outside because the heat takes your breath away.

I may even try to get on the ball for some 4th of July stuff. Although it is a little late to think about making it. Most people have already completed most of theirs.

At least I have 2 great trips in the near future. I get to go to Reno and speak on July 1st to support Epilepsy Awareness. And I have a good friend in Reno that I haven’t seen in about 9 years. We met when she lived in Kingsville. Boy we had a lot of fun. She worked in the bar where I spent all my time. She even got me a job bartending there. That’s where Larry and I met.

Then in September I get to leave the heat of Vegas to spend 3 days in Atlanta GA at a summit meeting. I will get to see alot of friends there that I usually only see once a year. And it will be 18 months since we got together. The only problem is that there are sooooooo many meetings and focus groups and other stuff that you can’t relax, much less socialize. It ends up being alot of stress.

But I love it. Going to the summit each year enables me to speak publicly to spread the word and support Epilepsy Awareness. It is also kind of reassuring to hang out with people who really understand what I have been through. They have all been through it to. Some to a lesser extent and some greater. But it helps us form a bond of kinship.