Things That Make You Go Hmm...

Since I am pregnant I have all these crazy dreams. Last night I had the second dream that my Pug was sitting on the ocean floor. He can't swim and would sink like a brick. I rescued him, and he was fine.

I love the ocean so much I always dream about it, even when I am not pregnant. I am more comfortable in the water than I am on the land. In the water, swimming is like flying and you are weightless.

Last night after my dream, I couldn't fall back to sleep and I got to thinking about something that made me laugh. I thought I would share.

When I am in the water, I am not afraid as long as I am busy doing something. A lot of the time I like to just float around in the waves. While I am floating my mind wanders to sharks. I have a way around that so I never worry about a shark bite.

I always position myself in the water near some flailing swimmers. You know the ones, the ones that are splashing around and are not the most graceful swimmers. I perfect my strokes to swim like a graceful mermaid while the swimmers around me look like a dying fish! In all those Jaws movies the shark always attacked the unsuspecting flailing swimmers. I don't know that my theory would even work, but it does give me a little peace of mind.

I love sharks, and shark attacks are extremely rare but I still don't want to swim with them.

IMAGE

Well,Christmas was bittersweet. It started out to be the best Christmas ever. The whole family home and together.

I decided to blog my Christmas so I would always remember it. The good and the bad preserved on my blog forever.

Fredi and I decided we wouldn't be doing presents this year for each other because I am not working. I am off until June 2009, I am due to have our baby June 3, and then I will be taking a year to stay home with the baby after that.

Fredi went and tricked me and bought me a gorgeous Sony SLR camera. Exactly what I was wanting but better. He is the best husband ever! I felt bad I didn't have a gift for him though.

Then, we were getting ready to leave for my Aunties house for Christmas dinner and I accidently flushed my diamond "D" pendant down the toilet! It was one of the first gifts Fredi ever bought me. I heard a "ting" and thought "What on Earth was that?" Then as I pushed down the handle, I saw it in the bottom of the toilet and just like that it was gone. Fredi tried to dig around for it with a hanger but it was gone. I am so sad about it. It was all diamonds, and I was always afraid to wear it for fear of losing it. I only wore it on special occasions.

We got to my Aunties house an hour late, and then played Rock Band for hours. That game is so much fun. Me and my two cousins formed a band and went on tour. I played guitar, and sometimes did vocals. I am awful on the drums. Fredi jumped in sometimes and played drums. Haley just laughed at us and wouldn't play. We rocked it out for hours. As you can see from my picture, I am kind of wrecked from playing pregnant rock star.

All in all it was a great Christmas with the family together. I didn't have to work, Haley was with us the entire day, and we only had to drive five minutes to my Aunties house.

I just wish I didn't flush my pendant...

I was in the car with my ten year old niece Alexa yesterday. She is always completely hilarious but not on purpose. In fact when she tries to be funny it's annoying.

We were following my Sister in her Van and my Sister got so far ahead of us I didn't know where we were going. Alexa says, "She is turning that way!". I'm driving so I can't see which way she is pointing from the back seat, so I say "Left or Right?"

Alexa said, "I don't know my right from my left.". I said, "Well, which hand do you write with?" She holds up her right hand and goes, "This one." Then she holds up her left hand and goes, "No this one!" Then she goes, "I don't know, give me a pencil!"

Then the other kids are saying some other stuff, and Haley blurts out "You don't even know which side of the car you are sitting in." Alexa says triupmphantly, "Yes I do, I'm sitting on this side!" Then we all started laughing and figured out my sister was turning left.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Deanna

Geeze! Everybody is pregnant these days. I can't believe 16 year old Jamie Lynn Spears is having a baby.

Who am I to judge but poor thing is in for a rough road ahead. My ex neighbors 17 year old daughter was pregnant last year. The kids boyfriend was living with them and sleeping in the kids bed with her so what do you expect?

Supposedly Jamie Lynn was living with her boyfriend too. What is up with parents today? Are they in such a rush for their kids to grow up that they don't take the time to let them be kids?

I love babies, and I'm pregnant myself but I this was planned. Plus, I'm not a teenager. I spent my teenage years running around with my friends, having fun. The only diapers I changed were for the kids I was baby sitting.

I hope everything works out for the girls and their babies.

I've been to London before, just not for work. Let me tell you this International flying ain't no joke! The hours are crazy and they keep you working the entire time.

By the time I got to London, I was shattered. I had been awake for almost 24 hours. One of the girls on the crew told me if I show my airline badge, I wouldn't have to pay for a ticket on the train.

I took a little nap and then I got on the train to Victoria's Square. When the guy came to collect my ticket I flashed my badge, Hey! He was all, "What is that?" I'm like, I work for the airline, and I was told I just had to show my badge and I could ride for free. He said, "I never heard of that." and he let me go.

At that point, I realized, I needed to show my badge at the ticket counter in the airport. OOPS!

I went to the ticket counter at Victoria's Station, and it turned out, that they never heard of it either. I noticed a sign that said I could take the Gatwick Express, and pay on the train with no extra charges. I was bummed, I was planning on riding for free.

I went to Buckingham Palace, and hung out in Hyde Park for a few hours. On my walk back to the train station, I decided to change some dollars for pounds. To exchange the money for the train ride it cost me $33 US dollars. Our dollar is even more crap compared to the last time I had been to the UK. I wish I could make pounds and spend pesos, life would be good.

Anyway, I got on the train and when the girl came to take my ticket, I told her I needed to buy one. Well, at that moment, her machine broke, and I got to ride for free. I was so happy considering if I wasn't such an airhead earlier I would have gotten my tickets for free at the airport!

I have enjoyed dancing for most of my life, you know, ballet, jazz, hip hop, whatever I can find. Lately, I have been wanting to try the fitness pole dancing. I love gymnastics and dance, I think that would nicely combine the two and give me a not so boring work out.

Fredi doesn't want me to do it because he said it would send an inappropriate message to young girls. I am not interested in it in any other way except for the fitness aspect of it. But my husband is ultra conservative, and that is one of the reasons I married him. So I will wait for the right time to persuade him over to my side.

I was in Orlando the other day, in the airport there is a tram. Inside the tram there are poles. I was in uniform, but I wanted to give it a try so I jumped on and went for a spin. But, there was a little girl who saw me do it, and she immediately grabbed a pole and started spinning. Her parents were mortified, and pulled her off the pole. She was still smiling, and I know she was thinking, "that was fun!". Which it was.

I guess I see what Fredi was talking about, with the impression a pole can make on children. I'm no Paris Hilton, that is for sure, I don't want to be! For me it was almost the same thing as jumping on a trampoline, I wish climbing a pole wasn't so taboo.

It seems with fitness pole dancing classes popping up around the country, perhaps it will change into something less provocative and more about fitness, then I will take some classes. I guess my husband wouldn't mind me taking classes in private, but he has already said no to me installing a pole in the living room. He did buy me a trampoline for the back yard though...

I am stuck in bed and feeling guilty. That's probably what got me here in the first place. I am always wanting to do more, and if I rest, I feel guilty.

Saturday I ended up in the emergency room of the hospital. I had been feeling tired for about a week. I was having these dizzy spells. I would lose my balance, and almost fall down. I just thought it was that I wasn't eating enough. I had recently lost weight, partially because I was keeping myself so busy, partially because I have gone raw vegan.

Regardless, I wouldn't allow myself to rest, I kept pushing myself to work and exercise. I always think I am so invincible. I do feel like I am you know. I am always getting stronger and feeling better. I am learning how to listen to my body. I just messed up this time.

I laid in bed shaking for hours, I couldn't get warm and I couldn't get comfortable, everything hurt. My hair hurt. I didn't have a fever, but I felt as if I did. Fredi convinced me to go to the hospital. It turns out I have a viral infection and acute bronchitis.

ME? SICK? I never got sick until I started this job. I guess all the crazy hours and being locked in a tube with sick people while I jet set around the world is taking it's toll. I can barely lift the weight that is my body, but nothing hurts. I just feel tired.

Tomorrow it's back to work, and you better believe I will be paying more attention to my body!

Wow, I have not blogged in a long time. A lot has been going on for me, most of it really good.

I got married. I know, me, of all people. Fredi and I finally did it, we got married. I am incredibly happy about it, however, don't expect me to have that white picket fence any time soon.

I put in my transfer at work, I am transferring to our international base. It's only temporary, but since the company added another destination in China, and one in Athens to our routes I decided, why not? It's only for the summer, then I will go back to my trusty old domestic flying after that.

I have also been spending a lot of time figuring out how to afford our (I can say our now that I'm married) next purchase. We are planning on buying a rental property on Oahu. I don't know how long it will take until that dream materializes, but I'm having fun planning the way to make it happen.

I have been reading a lot about business. I think I am ready to start the planning stages of getting back into business again. I won't be quitting my job, EVER. But, it will be something fun to do in my spare time.

I met this incredible woman last night on my way back from Seattle. Her name is Barbara K. She invented tools for women. She is so inspirational. She was telling me her story about how she started in this what is now a multi million-business. What I really liked about her is she didn't get into the business to make money as much as she did it to help people.

She sought after a way to help women, and the money followed. She is so sweet, beautiful and fun. She was just as excited to talk to me as I was to talk to her. She was so happy to share her enthusiasm, and give me information on how to do well in business. I actually started taking notes. I can't help it, I just can't let priceless information go without documenting it!

Barbara K is now being represented by Joe Simpson. You know, Jessica and Ashley Simpson's manager Dad. Barbara K will be the next big thing, I just know it. She is now branching out into media. I love to meet people who are successful and humble. People willing to inspire others, and don't think too highly of themselves.

That's what has been going on while I've been gone. I added a wedding picture of me and Fredi just for fun. Our wedding day, that's another story I will have to blog. There was a huge snow storm, and the wedding almost didn't happen!

Until next time.

Deanna

Well, I just got back from another four day trip, and I see that I have to go to Tampa , Florida today. I'm only home for a few hours but I still wanted to blog anyway.

Sometimes I wonder, how people can be so excellent. I really would like to know. I have been meeting people that are so wonderful. They are young, have an amazing personality and excel at everything they do.

One of my friends, he was a television host on a Mexican Television station. Everyone who meets him falls in love with his personality. He is so smart, and sweed, and kind. Then another person I met on my last trip, is a makeup artist. He works in New York City and does high fashion shows. His Mother is a concert Pianist, and his sister who, like her brother is also in her 20's she is a surgeon.

What I wonder is, what causes some people to be so good, and so successful while some others want to be such miserable losers? You know the ones I mean. The ones that don't want to work, and leech off of the government and other people. Then they complain about the hand that they were dealt in life, when they actually chose it.

Now of course we reap what we sow. But what is it that makes people so different? What is it that motivates some people to be lazy? What it is that motivates some people to want to succeed?

There are plenty of people who rose out of poverty and abuse to become successful. Just look at Oprah Winfrey. She grew up in the ghetto and was sexually abused. Now she is the richest woman in America who helps millions of others.

We all have the same opportunity. We can choose to be successful or not. We are all responsible for our own future.

Of course there are some people in this world who do not have a choice. I am not talking about them. I am talking about the people who have opportunity but choose not to take it.

I don't get it, I guess I never will, but I do find it so interesting.

Today is my one year anniversary as a flight attendant. I've had my share of ups and downs, mostly ups though.

Surprisingly, almost half of my classmates from training have already quit. I guess the living out of your suitcase and being a slave isn't for everyone.

I can never say never, but I don't think I would ever quit this job, and if I did, I am sure I would be quite sorry.

Last week we had a snowstorm and I was cursing scheduling for sending me out on a trip. I had to drive 75 miles at 1:30 in the morning, only to spin out and end up in the grass in the middle of the freeway. My dearest Fredi was kind enough to drive me to work.

I couldn't believe we were still alive when the car stopped spinning. We were so thankful that a tractor trailer didn't hit us. We dredged on and I made it to work without a scratch.

Then a few hours later I was in the Dominican Republic with the sun shining on my face, in the 80 degree weather, and the morning stress disappeared.

I am so close to no longer being a slave. I am about two months away within the company that I no longer will be the property of scheduling. I am chomping at the bit to have a normal life, well as normal as it can be for a flight attendant.

No more being at the mercy of scheduling! I can go where I want when I want, and no one will decide my geograpic location except myself. I will no longer have to wait for the phone to ring in the middle of the night for my next assignment. Scheduling also controls how much money you can make. They level you after a certain number of hours so you cannot control your paycheck.

I know that may all sound like rambling, but I am very excited to be set free. I've had a beautiful year, and I am not bitter like many others. So here I will be soon, still a flight attendant, but in control of my own schedule. This is where I have my dream sequence. I'm picturing myself on the beach back in Mexico and getting paid to snorkel. Ahh...

d.hi mobile

Last night I cooked a dinner that got me another marriage proposal. I'm so excited! Not about the marriage proposal, but about the dinner.

Let me start from the beginning. I love to cook, and I really like to eat, but I have so many food allergies. I'm only allergic to crap that isn't good for me. If I eat sugar, I get a terrible headache. I know my limits, I can have some sugar, so I try and be careful.

I'm Italian and I can't eat bread, pasta, or pizza because if I do, for the next three to five days (depending on how much of it I ate) my arms will fall asleep, and my hands and feet itch like crazy. It takes me five minutes to get out of bed in the morning because I have to slap my arms until I have feeling in them again. You should see me try and turn off the alarm!

It's strange, I know, but, I don't go to the doctor about it, because I know it is my bodies way of telling me to eat healthy or it will go on strike. It keeps me accountable for my eating habits.

Yesterday, I finally found pasta that I can eat! I have found other pasta before, but none that tasted good. This is brown rice Thai pasta, it's shaped like linguine, and I think it tastes better than semolina pasta. I was so excited when I woke up this morning when I had complete feeling in my arms. Yay! Pasta that tasted good was good for me. It's a miracle.

I'm still not going to eat pasta too much, because my sauce has about 1000 calories in it, but when I do eat pasta, I won't have to suffer.

Now, if I can just find a way to make pizza that tastes good, my life would be complete.

Usually, I always like to see the positives in a situation. Usually. Lately I am seeing the negatives. I'm thinking I have to point them out, so I can move on to being positive again.

I've had more dreams of my death this month, than I've ever had in my life. I was hanged in my dreams just days after Saddam Hussein was hanged in real life.

Quite a few young boys are now dead throughout the world, after immitating his execution. They actually saw broadcasts of it, I only heard about it, and still had nightmares.

By the eighth day of 2007, both New Orleans, LA and Baltimore, MD already had nine murders.

I watched a guy stealing from a store Friday night, and I would have reported him, but he was too scary, and kept watching me. I didn't feel safe inside the store. I had to jump into my car and drive away. I'm pretty sure he wanted to rob me too. He tried hiding behind a pillar, while I was getting into my car. Now that I think of it, I should have called 911, but I couldn't think of it at the time. The way he was looking at me sent chills down my spine, all I could do was flee.

My neighbors allow their fourteen year old daughters boyfriend to spend the night. Every night. I think he lives there now. I know he beats her, I've heard her crying for help. I also know he beats her while the mother is home. I guess she feels like she doesn't have to beat the kid if the boyfriend does it. I feel helpless, like there is nothing I can do about it. There are two girls there, one fourteen and one seventeen, but neither of them go to school. The mom says they are home schooled. I don't believe it. The mother does not work, she just collects money from the government. A lot of people in this country do that, people who are completely able to work. Instead of working, they take take take.

I see these people who cannot contribute to society, and it's this hideous cycle. The worst part is, for them it is normal to act this way. I wish there was something I could do. It's so confusing for me, you know when you get involved and try to help someone it usually blows up in your face.

Last night, Fredi and I went out to dinner. While we were waiting for our table, two people who were morbidly obese people walked into the restaurant. A woman, on her way out started pointing and laughing. She was so loud and obnoxious. After she got out the door, I looked at Fredi and said, "She was really ugly and we didn't point and laugh. Some people are so rude." Maybe that wasn't the nicest thing to say, but I had to say something.

I check my schedule and I see Caracas, Venezuela. That would be cool and all to go there but, its a turn. My flight leaves at midnight and returns the next day at noon!

I will fly all night, drop off passengers, pick up more and fly back. Kind of rough, but I was well rested.

As I went outside to head to the airport, I noticed it was raining, HARD!

I'm thinking turbulence and delays. I had to stop for fuel on my way to work. I went into the mini market to buy some mints and BOOM! I fall flat on my face, bust open my lip, and my dress ends up around my waist. I was wearing three inch heels, one foot went one way, one foot went the other.

So I'm laying on the floor of a crowded mini market, bleeding as I struggle to cover my backside gracefully. I look up, and there is the bright yellow sign. Cuidado! Piso Mojado. Ah snap, I missed the warning of the wet floor.

People are staring, and asking if I'm OK. I rush into the ladies room and see blood running down my lip. I straighten my hair, smooth out my uniform, wipe the blood from my lip, and hold my head high to go buy those mints.

As I'm standing in line I'm trying not to make eye contact with any of the customers. It's bad enough being in a public place in uniform, let alone after everyone has seen what's underneath it!

The rest of the trip went pretty smooth, it was all uphill from there.

I haven't been able to blog because of my work schedule. I have been working so much! I cannot complain, because I will like my next paycheck.

However, I didn't even have time to put up my Christmas tree. I have collected Christmas ornaments from the 1920's to the 1960's, and now I have quite an extensive collection. Next year, I will put up a tree. This year, it just didn't happen.

What I did manage to do was, put a candle in each one of my windows. But, I was so tired I only had the energy to turn on one candle. I was thinking, was it even worth it to turn on one candle? My front porch had a flag with a Pumpkin on it leftover from Thanksgiving, and one lone ghetto candle in the window, laying on it's side, knocked over by the cat.

I did manage to hang a wreath on my door today. Better late than never right?

Being low on the seniority totem pole, I was stuck working Christmas. By having some seniority, I did get off most of Christmas Eve, and I didn't have to check in until 1445 on Christmas. Fredi and I made Christmas dinner real early and we got to eat our Christmas Brunch before I left for the airport.
It was just going to be a simple Fort Myers turn. Fly 118 people down there, pick up 47 and fly back. Sounds simple right?

Everything was smooth, until "SHE" got on the plane. This woman boarded the plane with an attitude. She was looking to pick a fight with someone. That someone turned out to be me. I was the one in the back galley closest to her seat. Lucky me.

The first thing that happened was she got irritated that I couldn't pick up her trash right away, because I was busy waiting on other customers. After that, she threw her trash in my galley and yelled at me. OK, now I'm thinking this woman is crazy. I just let it roll off my back. She must just have forgotten her Prozac.

The next thing, she stuck her foot out in the isle to trip me. I saw it, and asked her to move it politely three times, she ignored me. I climbed over her leg with a number of drinks in my hand. At this point I'm trying to think in my mind, how I can make this funny? I realize she is probably just jealous.

Then she came into my galley to ask for a spoon, when I told her I didn't have one, she mocked me. I told her maybe they have some in the front. Then this miserable human being ran up to first class to get a spoon, and came back to my galley shaking the spoon in my face yelling and contorting her face "WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS THIS?!" At first I thought, "I don't know, a lunatic shaking a spoon?" But I decided to say just "A spoon." She yelled "I want your name, you couldn't be bothered to get one for me." I said, "Lady, you need to get out of my galley right now and go sit down. You have been making trouble since you got on this aircraft, and I don't want to see your face again, shut your mouth and get out of here."

She stomped up to first class to tattle on me. The first class flight attendant let her know, if she had one more outburst, we would have security meet the flight.

The other two flight attendants in my galley just stood there open mouthed. One said, "You've got balls". I said, "I just told her like it is, I'm not afraid of her, and she needs to check herself, or security will meet this flight and she will be arrested. She's lucky I didn't handcuff her to her seat."

I know I always say this, but it just amazes me how important some people think they are. My dog acts better than she does. I'm not that important, I know that. I call it like I see it, smile, and continue to have a Merry Christmas.

I don't like confrontation, but that doesn't mean I'm a pushover. The look on her face when I laid it out to her was priceless. I finally found the humor in the situation.

When I count my Christmas Blessings, not having her as a relative, is right there on the top of my list.

Merry Christmas!

I am so surprised that it has been so long since I've updated my blog. It feels like it's only been one week, when in fact, it's been a few.

Because it is our busy season, I have been flying almost non stop. The best place I've been since I've last blogged is Jamaica. I always wanted to go there, and now I finally have.

It wasn't exactly what I pictured, but it was beautiful anyway. After we got to the airport, our driver came to pick us up and he was able to find us, which I was really thankful for, because that place was a zoo. The drive on the opposite side of the road, and it was just utter confusion with hundreds of people swarming trying to get a ride.

On the way to the resort, our driver was nice enough to stop and get us some jerk chicken. The place is called Scotchy's and it's just outside Montigo Bay. I don't think I saw a single sidewalk. It was stone everywhere. Scotchy's like the rest of the place is real primitive, but the chicken is the best. At thirteen US dollars for a whole chicken, it better have been the best.

All along the road there were shacks, and I was wondering what they were for. It was like sticks put together to make the shacks. They were restaurants and stores. They were primitive but cool.

The resort was nice, and it has it's own private little island for laying out in the sun. I managed a tan, and got to go kayaking which always makes me happy.

At the end of the trip, I exchanged one US dollar into Jamaican currency and ended up with sixty two Jamaican dollars. That was the most fun I've ever bought with a buck.

I wonder where they will send me for Christmas.

I was on this beautiful three day trip. It was awesome. My crew was cool. We were like The Mod Squad. One blonde girl, one Russian dude, and me. We bonded like glue and would walk through the airport terminals all in a line next to each other with our roller bags.

We were out at our West Coast base, which shall remain nameless. We are East Coast based, and the two bases think they're rappers and we often clash. As me and the mod squad are walking through the terminal as if we are on a mission, other West Coast crews are whispering and pointing. "They're from (East Coast Base which shall remain nameless.)"

Our uniforms are the same, but at our base we break all the rules. I wear big hoop earrings, Russian dude wasn't wearing his required jacket, and Blondie, had her hair blowing in the wind. I think our West Coast Base is more by the rules because that's where our corporate headquarters is located.

We roll down to a flight attendant break room, and we don't know the code to get inside. Russian dude knocks on the glass door to a male flight attendant who is on the computer. This flight attendant gets up, walks across the room, and then points to a sign that reads, "Same Code as Crew Room." He then walks back to the computer and sits down.

Russian dude bangs on the door, and says "You've got to be freaking kidding me! Let us in! We're not based here, we don't know the code!" The male flight attendant lets us in, then tells Russian dude, "Shut you're pie hole!" Then Russian dude says, "You want me to shut you up? Lets go right here!" The other flight attendant shrank back to his corner.

Never have I heard anyone older than ten say "Shut your Pie Hole". For the rest of the trip, anytime my fellow Mod Squadder said anything, I told him to shut his pie hole. Hilarious that East Coast, West Coast rivalry.

So I'm on my way to Phoenix last night, and the turbulence is out of control. A customer who refused to sit down after repeated announcements falls flat on her face on the way to the restroom. Don't say I didn't tell ya.

So here I am sick from turbulence, and we are in between services. I know in five minutes I have to take the beverage cart out again so I'm stuffing my face full of Chicken trying to feel better. We got a break in the bumps so me and Santa roll out the cart out to pour some drinks.

After the service I go into the restroom to wash my hands and reapply my lipstick. I look into the mirror and I've got mayonnaise all over my face. Cute, princess. Note to self, don't go into the isle without checking a mirror.

At first, I thought my crew was a bit dull, turns out they were just tired. Oh how wrong I was. The lead flight attend he looks just like Santa Clause. He dresses like him too to make the kids smile. He's got the glasses, the Santa hat, suspenders, and a Christmas tie. His card even has his picture with him as Santa on it. I'm going to scan it and post it here when I get home this weekend.

The first class flight attendant, she is a designer of gorgeous leather bags. I'm looking at hers drooling, because I'm a bag lady. I love them. The only thing I like more than bags is shoes.

Another flight attendant I met last time I went to Las Vegas. She is a jewelry designer. She flys all over the world scouting precious and semi-precious jewels for her jewelry. She designed a wrist cuff for Chris Angle at the request of his sylist. I'm starting a collection of her jewelry. She met me in Cleveland the day before to bring me a necklace I just had to have.

I have to keep reminding myself, there are some really fabulous people out there. I need to stop forming an impression before I know the facts.