Good luck to you, Marty

This past Saturday night, myself and several other co-workers gathered at the Ameristar Casino and Sports Bar for a surprise farewell to one of Southwest Airlines long time employees. Now, before you think it's something terrible like a death, it's not. Here is the story.....

A fellow ramp agent, Marty, has resigned. All airport employees wear ID badges that permit us to be in certain areas of the airfield. Some of our jobs require driving on the ramp. Marty happens to have certain restrictions on his driver's license; for instance, no driving at night. When he was getting his airport ID renewed, the airport police noticed the restrictions regarding driving. Obviously, driving at night on airport property is required. Thus the airport police wouldn't renew the driving portion of his airport badge. With those limitations, he can't do the job in full. 98% of the job is driving....

• baggage tugs
• belt loaders
• push back tractors used to push/pull aircraft
• company pickup
• deicing trucks

If you knew Marty, you would also understand why he can't just transfer into another department or other position. He isn't exactly a "customer service" kind of guy. He is a very intelligent individual who wants nothing but what is right for people. If you asked him a question from the daily crossword puzzle, more often than not, he knew the answer. He would give someone the shirt off his back if asked to do so. But he does have a very short fuse if you know what I mean! His wife, Lacey, works at the ticket counter. So they aren't completely without a paycheck. He has become a stay-at-home Dad taking care of their two girls, Lili and Maggie.

Lacey and Cari, another girl that works in Operations (these people handle the weight and balance paperwork for the airplane as well as board the flights), decided to have a party for him. So we got together Saturday night and he was definitely surprised! He was given a gift as well. It consisted of a t-shirt from his own uniform stash (provided by Lacey!) that was signed by his fellow co-workers in permanent marker, and a very large model of one of our own Boeing 737-700 aircraft. I'm not talking about your run-of-the-mill window sill models that you could put together with a friend or a parent. It's big.....I'm guessing maybe 2 feet wing-tip to wing-tip by 3 feet nose-to-tail. We also had a plaque engraved with his name and years of service put on the base of the model. 1992-2006. He was shocked. We all updated him on what's been going on without him. Everyone had some cocktails and enjoyed the atmosphere of the Ameristar Sports Bar and Grill while munching on goodies. Some even walked over to the casino to try their luck at gambling after chatting with each other and Marty. I worked with Marty since my first day at Southwest Airlines. He is missed by all his fellow co-workers. He misses all of us as well. Especially "adult" conversations as he put it! His children are under the age of 3!

But we will still get to see Marty at other company functions as his wife Lacey, will, of course, bring him with her as her date! So he is not going to be forgotten!

Cheers to you Martin (or Mart, as I call him) on a job well done and many years of service to Southwest Airlines and your fellow employees.

All there is to it!!!

Ever wonder what it's like to be plane side of the airplanes that are parked at the gates of an airport? Well, I'm about to show you. I get to see it every day on every flight. And I've had the privilege of this fun job for over 18 years! The pictures don't show all the detailed jobs that happen after each plane arrives, but it's the general idea of what we do. In addition to unloading/reloading the bags, we also have to provision the aircraft, dump/refill the lavatories, and sometimes refill the potable water. That's what is used on board for washing hands, making coffee, etc. We also have to plug some very large heater/air conditioning hoses and electrical power cords into the aircraft while the planes sit at the gate.
I wish I had a photo of the rear cargo bin but the person I had taking pictures didn't get back there for that shot. Oh well, maybe another time. It's a much larger and l o n g e r bin than the one I'm working in from the photo. We have someone working each bin at the same time. And because we have so many bags all day long, we switch off people from bin to bin, flight to flight. That way no one person is doing all the heavy lifting on every single flight. There isn't a lot of room and generally people have to work on their knees. Very physical! (Can you say, "And one and two and one and two and .....!) I hope you find this interesting......


Getting ready for the plane to arrive at the gate.
Aircraft pulling into the gate....agent directing it into the gate.
Aircraft is almost parked next to the jetway.

From front to back, bags coming off airplane.
Dave loading bags into cart that come off aircraft.
Unloading bags off airplane.

Me working in the front cargo bin of flight...unloading the Omaha bags.
Pushing the airplane back away for departure.

The flight is leaving Omaha
Eating lunch after working the flight.

St. Patrick's Day photos....more of them.

Ok........here are a few more pictures from St. Patrick's Day night. It was hard to choose just a few so I put all of them in. They all turned out so nice! Can you see, by chance, the looks of "I've been drinking a little bit tonight" on the adults? Look closely!! (Hee Hee!)


Gavin
The girls
The guys
The guys again
Gavin, Dillon, Logan

Lisa, Madison, Scott and Logan
Trisa, Gavin and Jamie
Dee and Dillon
Lisa and Logan
Lisa holding Madison

Top 'O the Morning! (or in our case ev'nin'!)

So, who didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year? I haven't talked to too many people that didn't. I for one, did! And the pictures below will show that! My friends all gathered at Tammy and Steve Champion's on Saturday night for food, drink, sports on TV, more food and of course, Reuben sandwiches! YUM!! Everyone that was there brought a dish or maybe two, to share. Steve and Greg cooked the Reubens, I made mac and cheese for the youngsters, Tammy cooked the sour kraut, Greg cooked a potato/corned beef casserole, others brought chips and veggie trays. Over all, we ate well! Oh yea, there were some very tasty cookies made from cake batter! Who'd have thunk? And each party (or guest as some call it) brought their beverage's of choice! A good time was had by all. Here are a few photos of several that were taken.

Check out this site....http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm
Trisa, Tammy, Lisa(with baby Madison) and Dee
Back row: Penny, Cleo, Trisa and Lisa
Front: Dee, Tammy and Me

Back row: Cleo and Penny's hubby's(sorry-forgot names here),Scott, Greg

Front: Mike, Marcus, Jamie, Steve
Dillon, Logan, Gavin
Gavin, Dillon and Logan

Only Nebraska!

Ok, so 2 weeks ago yesterday we had a large, yucky snowstorm that made lots of people miss work, made me get stuck numerous times just trying to be nice by helping others whom were stuck, and left behind plenty of snow! Get it? Here's a gentle reminder of just what I had at home!

By this past Monday and Tuesday, all the snow had melted, I was seeing clean, shiny cars after having driven in salt and sand messes on the roads and on Tuesday we had a record temperature high for that day of 80*! It blew right past the old record of 74*!

And now today, we have clouds, temps in the 40's and the forecast is for possibly an inch of snow in the morning. Geez. It's hard to know just how to dress for my outdoor job when the temperatures go up and down like a teeter totter!

Only Nebraska......

My Residence-currently!

I just realized that I haven't taken any pictures of my townhouse! So guess what I've done? Yep, you're right. First, I straightened a few things and THEN I took some photos. I'll give you more detail after the photos. Here you go......


My garage and entry into my townhouse.
My townhouse and garage.
Small hall, 1/4 bath on right, furnace closet next, and closet straight ahead, entry door with small window towards the back of picture.

Coming in from the entry, facing north. Stairs go up to bedrooms and baths.
My "small" kitchen looking south into living room.
Living room looking west/northwest, towards small hall.
Living room looking south to patio.
Living room looking north through kitchen, towards garage.

My bedroom facing east, 1/2 bath and second closet.
My bedroom looking south, desk on right.
Hall from my bedroom, facing north, full bath on right, linen closet(door showing) and 2ND bedroom past that.
2ND bedroom, used for storage, facing north.
Dining room, hot water heater closet, and hall (that isn't visible) that goes to living room.

There you have it. It just gives you an idea how little space I have. My 2ND bedroom mainly has Christmas decor and plastic tubs full of things for the craft store. Seasonal for the most part. It also has an east window for the morning sun. My bedroom and living room face south and I just love the sun streaming in each day! So do the cats! My patio is in a nice secluded area. There is quite a bit of wildlife and occasionally I see neighbors walking their pets. Otherwise it's just the trees, hills and mother nature.

You may have spotted my cat, Yoda, in on some of the shots. He wanted to be available to show off the toys and hideouts that he and Trouble play with each day. And did you notice any particular theme (or themes) going on in the living room? It's pretty much music or cats for me right now. Trouble, incidentally, was napping this whole time.

It's almost nice enough outside these days for me to take out the patio table and chairs. The spring, and almost summer weather is upon us! Around the end of April, I will start looking for a home to call my own. So if you aren't busy mid to the end of July, plan on a trip to Omaha! I will be moving right about that time. Right, like nothing is happening that month! But feel free to visit before that time if you wish. The two cats and I would love to have you!

My humble little abode.....out there for all to view! YIKES!!!

"Humane" Society

Yesterday I paid a visit to the Humane Society (www.hsus.org) here in Omaha. It is only approximately 1 mile from where I live. I needed to go there in order to renew pet licenses for my cats for the year. It's always a very bittersweet trip into that building. I have very mixed emotions when I see animals in each their own kennel without homes. Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful that there are institutions that will house and feed and take very good care of helpless cats and dogs... through no fault of their own. And in case you were not aware, most times these facilities are run purely on donation and volunteers who take time from their own lives to help take care of these homeless pets. But on the other side of the fence, it's sad to see them with such wanting in their faces. They're just waiting for someone to come over and pet them or talk to them. Even an occasional scratch behind the ears or a simple pat on the head. And if you look closely enough, you'll see genuine sadness deep in their eyes....more so as you walk away from them again.
Attached to each cage door or window is a sign. On the signs you'll find information for each respective animal. It has their name (if known), age, breed and what kind of home would be best suited for that particular animal. It also states the reason the animal was brought to the facility and just exactly how long the Humane Society has been their home. I saw some pets that were taken there because the former owners had health issues and could no longer take care of them. Or another instance would be that they were found injured by some nice soul and brought there for healing. And of course, there is always a handful of cases where the animals have been mistreated by the owners. And humans are often referred to as the "Humane Race." It amazes me how people can treat others, including animals. Regardless of whether that animal has a good self-defense system or not. UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!
I encourage anyone that reads this post to browse the humane society web site. It's very interesting to say the least. Even if you don't have pets, or can't have pets, donations are always welcome there. These facilities are what keeps the animals from roaming the streets. It also gives our "Humane Society" an opportunity to get acquainted with an animal that they may have in interest in adopting. And if you, as an individual, decide to actually adopt a particular pet, that animal will never let you forget just how much your love for them is appreciated! I for one, as a future home-owner, plan on adopting a dog! I can't wait for that beloved day!

Birthday get-together

DeeAnn, Me, Tammy, Trisa and Lisa
Tammy and Scott cooking
Chris(Dee's boyfriend), Lisa and Trisa
Scott(Lisa's husband) and Daughter Madison
Strawberry cake
Gavin(Trisa and Jamie's son) helping to clean up!

Saturday night my friends and I got together at my girlfriend Trisa's house to celebrate my birthday from the 26th and also my friend Lisa's birthday. Hers is March 12th. We combined our party. I received several gifts from them and gave one to Lisa as well. We ate chicken, porkchops, a macaroni/corn/cheese casserole, potatoes, garlic bread, stir-fried vegetables, chicken quesadilla roll-ups(TGIF brand), chocolate cake and a strawberry cake with cool whip (I know, they don't know how to make the good home-made kind of frosting!) that had white chocolate chips melted in, and fresh strawberries on top. The little kids all had fun running around and playing. The noise reminded me of being at Grandpa and Grandma Moberg's house when all of the cousins were there at once! If that didn't make me feel old, nothing will! Before we all headed home, I had one of the guys take a picture of all of us girls. We try to have a photo taken a few times through out the year.
It was a very nice evening, however, we all ate too much, as usual.

Yep...It's still winter...

After having a busy day at work today (did I mention that I work for an airline?), I was fully expecting to have the snow cleaned off my driveway. After all, the complex I live in has contract people come in to do it for them. Once I drove down the small hill towards my driveway, I discovered to my dismay that only one small swipe had been made with a bobcat. I was ultimately able to drive into the garage, but nearly got myself stuck. So I shoveled the snow (minus the ice underneath)so that I can get out in the morning once again. Man, my forearms sure aren't happy with me right now!

Snowed "in" or "out"?

Photo 1...What I walked through to get into my townhouse. #2...between my garage and the neighbors garage...looking at the street.
#3...between my garage and my townhouse.

Ok. After a snowstorm, most people would say that they are snowed in, right? Well, why aren't they snowed out? I'll get to my point in a moment. When I left for work this morning at 4:00am, there was a thin layer of slush on the ground. However, the forecast was calling for a pretty major snowstorm to move in and bring us significant amounts of snow. At 5:00am-as I was just starting work, freezing rain started to fall. And in less than 30 minutes, it was a full-blown (pardon the pun) snowstorm. The wind was howling from the north and blowing the snow horizontally in a southerly direction. I'm not even sure that conveys just how strong the wind was.

Anyway, I wish that I had my camera at work to show you just how miserable it was. Our 4 airplanes that overnight each night in Omaha were literally covered by the slush layer, snow layer and finally ice to top them off! We had a hard time getting around with our bag tugs because of the slush under the snow. Not to mention the weight we were trying to pull around behind us--meaning all the bags in carts that we tow. Thank goodness it wasn't very cold. In fact, I was sweating under my rain gear from working in the bag room until it was time to take the bags out to each flight. They all ultimately cancelled because of the conditions.

That was my job for the day. Working in the bag room sorting bags for each flight into bag carts as people checked in. THEN.....as flights cancelled, we (the other guy helping me) ended up carrying most of the bags back to the ticket counter as people came back to re-claim their bags. We even had our own "customer service line" as ramp agents-just helping reunite the them with their own luggage. Quite the workout going back and forth between the counter and our bag room with luggage in hand.

Before I left work at 1:30pm, our dispatch department had cancelled the rest of our flights for the entire day due to airport conditions. The plows couldn't keep the runways cleared off to keep up with the drifting.

My drive home was another story. I tried to help people that were stuck and happened to be in front of me but it was to no avail. I was able to get past one car thanks to my front wheel drive. But as soon as I got to my own driveway....I was doomed. After rocking my van back and forth for several minutes, I decided that I would have to go back up the hill and park there for the night. Once I walked back down and realized just how deep it was, I decided that shoveling was out of the question. My complex has a bobcat to remove snow from our driveways. So guess what.....I'll let them!!!! It was almost to my knees because of how it drifted into my driveway. No wonder my van couldn't go through! And there were numerous other folks stuck on the road into and out of my complex. So I feel fortunate to at least be able to drive my vehicle! Now, back to my point of being snowed out. I believe that on my drive home, someone had me almost snowed "out" of my own home!

Last thought...the photos just don't show that we had approximately 7-10 inches fall in some areas. Other places right in our metro got 12 inches. Sheesh!