On one of flights last week we had a very light load, less than half full. While in the aft galley I looked forward and smiled when I saw this guys foot out in the aisle. He was all stretched out and deserved a photograph.
Stretched Out
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Stretched Out -
It was Break Time
Clover Everyone likes taking a break, at least I do. The schedules for flight crew can seem strange to those who are accustomed to a straight 40 hour work week. It would take more time than I want to commit to try and explain these schedules. By FAA regulations we cannot have a duty day longer than 16 hours and I wholeheartedly agree with that. However, I just finished a trip where one of our duty days was almost 14 hours. So when we had a break, we took a break. After grabbing something to eat I went back on the airplane to just relax, away from the hustle of the airport. As I sat down I noticed the tail of the aircraft next to me and knew I wanted this framed image of the fawn. It’s always fun to watch children look out the windows of our aircraft to see what animals they can find on the airplanes tails. In the background you can see the main terminal of DIA, where the roof looks like a series of tents.
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The Bartender
The Bartender at the Gaylord Hotel I saw her sitting behind the bar all by herself and seemingly bored. I stopped, asked if I could take her photo and got her to smile. I’m off again today for another 4-day trip. Seems like I’m always gone since I moved out here to Colorado. When i finished my last 4-day trip I headed to Arizona and spent two days with my mother. She is doing good but still does not have all her strength back, hopefully that will come quickly. Hope everyone has a good week.
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Not Heading West
Parked and waiting out the storm … or anywhere today! In fact nobody is going anywhere as I70 is now closed. Blizzard conditions, blowing snow and cold temperatures, are the culprits. In the above image you can see some of the trucks parked at the TA. Some are camped in their trucks and some have wandered in to the cafe for food and conversation. The blizzard is roaring now as the freezing rain that left ice everywhere is now being covered in a beautiful layer of white snow. The worst of the snow fall is west of here so that gives me hope I can get out of here tomorrow.
I had a couple of neat things happen today. Someone I worked with years ago contacted me on Facebook to let me know she and her husband live close to where I’m at. As it’s too nasty to be out, we picked up the phone and had a wonderful conversation. I also received a response to my weekly email to family and friends back in Colorado and discovered Mike and his wife, Ing, are stranded at the St. Louis airport. So we picked up the phone and chatted a while. So close but yet unable to meetup.
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In The Clouds
In the Clouds Not every view from my office is spectacular. Some views are on the boring side; a dull gray. But we have miles and miles of gray with a bump thrown in here and there, for good measure. Should be back in Columbus tomorrow just in time for the snow. 🙁
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Warm Sunlight
Warm Sunlight I spend a lot of time in hotels and airplanes, about half the month, actually. I’ve had people tell me they could not do what I’m doing and at the age of 60, I’m surprised I am to. But the variety of people I encounter each day and the places and sights I get to experience have added immensely to my life. Sometimes they are the just the small insignificant things such as my hotel room. The views from hotel windows, both looking out and in, are awesome. The evening this image was taken was just before the sun dropped below the horizon. I just loved the color of the sunlight against my bed and pillow. So, I spot metered and added one extra stop of light then went back to reading my book in the warm sunlight.
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People Watching (while at the airport)
I just wanna go home!!! Working as a flight attendant offers a good study in personalities as we watch how people react to situations or we watch for body language and what that can tell us. Here are some of my observations working on an Embraer 170 and 175 Regional jet that seat 76 or 86 passengers.
It’s interesting, and sometimes entertaining, to observe passengers trying to place a 14 inch bag in the 11 inch overhead space. Oh, and the look of confusion, then frustration, and some embarrassment when we realize it will not fit, even if I’m told it fit before. I enjoy watching the elderly gentleman walk on board the aircraft, ticket stub in one hand reading glasses in the other and no baggage. 🙂
Weather delays or mechanical delays can mess up the best laid plans for travelers. It’s not unusual to have passengers hitting their call buttons to ask us about their connecting flights. We can feel helpless in these situations as we know very little about what is going to happen 1-2 hours from now. Time travel is what people want rather than being present to where they are, after all they are taking traveling. My response; turn you phone off and fasten your seatbelt. We go nowhere until they do. Just kidding. 🙂
Some passengers wear suits or a sport coat, nice dresses, casual slacks, and loafers. While some passengers wear pajamas, really short shorts/mini-skirts, or pants halfway down their butts (which requires one hand to always hold them up), flip-flops, and tank tops. The second group almost always asks for blankets and pillows then get frustrated because we do not carry them on our size of aircraft. Dress for the occasion: layer next time. 🙂
But, and there’s always a but, we do feel for those who have been traveling for the past 20 hours and sometimes with small children. Or those who are on their way to a funeral, or going say good-bye to a dying family member or friend, or carrying the ashes of a daughter killed in a war, or are afraid to fly, or have constant back pain, a bum knee. The list could go on but will say that a good flight attendant will observe body and facial language. When we see those signs we try our best to make the next hour or two a pleasant experience for them. More importantly we want to get them to their destination safely because maybe they are going to see their new grandbaby.
Not really a post about photography but what the heck, it was on my mind. Okay, I’m done ranting.