Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Beginning of Transition--March 13, 2010

Woke up sometime way early in the morning...to a fire alarm.  The hotel's alarms blared for several minutes until the fire department arrived.  I wasn't much too happy about that.  I just lay there in bed not moving...thinking that if it were an actual fire, then I could just break out of the window if necessary.  I was in NO hurry to do anything.  I literally just lay there the entire time.  Never moved.

Stupid fire alarms.  They ended up going off again sometime later.  Grrr.

I later found out that the first one was around 6:00 A.M.  So dumb.

I woke up at 9:30 after I went back to bed.  We already knew the clouds were crazy low, and we had rain forecast for today, too.  Sure enough, the clouds were only at 1000 feet...and overcast.  We might not even be able to do a scouting flight!

I did a lot of reading all day.  I'm enthralled with this Howard Hughes biography.  What a crazy, crazy man.  And what a crazy, crazy life.  Wow.  I walked down to that bar/grill from yesterday for lunch.  In the rain again.  I watched the Illini get beat by Ohio State in double-overtime.  Stupid team.  I walked back in the rain.  I was kind of mad, too, that no one offered a ride.  Stinkin' independent, fearful Americans.  Unbelievable.  So much for payin' it forward.

When I got back to the hotel, the guys were in the lobby getting ready to go to the airport.  Was I going to be called?!?!  I wondered.  Anyway, I grabbed my stuff and went with them.  And I called Trisha, too.  I had already talked to her this morning, and we pretty much said that we would not be seeing each other.  But I just HAD to let her know that I was going flying...we had originally planned on going today!

And much to my surprise, she dropped everything and came out to fly with me!!!  I was so excited.  Because the clouds were so low, we had to get a special VFR clearance.  I just stayed in the pattern, but it was still fun with her.  She is so cute!  I think I only scared her just a little bit.  ha!  Seriously, though, I was sure happy to have had the opportunity to take her up.  We were both really bummed when we thought it wasn't going to happen.

So I said ANOTHER good-bye to her.  Sad day.  But really it WAS a happy day because I got to see her again.  AND fly with her!!!

I should also mention a very interesting story, too.  We four pilots went to the airport to do our pattern flights today.  Well, we all four walked out to our planes.  However, I came back in to wait for Trisha.  I hopped on the computer to print something off.  Well, while there, I overheard the line guys talking in the food room.  They were completely bashing us.

[mockingly] "Listen to that, a SPECIAL VFR clearance.  I can't believe they asked for that.  9 hours just isn't enough for these guys.  They HAVE to go out for 1 more."

I gave them the benefit of the doubt.  Whatever.  Several line guys hate us.  I know...Matt (a former line guy) has told me!

Two of our planes took off.  "Look at those bastards go."

I broke.  I got up from my computer, walked directly into their room where they were eating and let 'em have it.

"I'm sorry you are receiving your business.  I'm sorry you have to fill up our planes.  I'm sorry you have to pull us out, put us away.  I know that is your job and that we are giving you business, but I can see that you really don't like that."

I paused.

"Who are you"?

"You would REALLY like to know that, wouldn't you"?

"Are you one of those pilots"?

"Yes, I am.  And the fact that you call us 'bastards'?  Completely unbelievable.  I will NOT stand for that."

The three guys vehemently denied everything.  I wouldn't let them talk that crap.  I sat there and repeated WORD FOR WORD the comments that they had just made.  EVEN THEN, they didn't have the balls to take the responsibility.  So I called them out on just that:  their manhood.  "Listen, man to man, just own up to what you said.  We all know the conversation that just took place.  You can deny it if you want, but we all know what you just said.  These words that I just repeated are from ONE of your mouths.  Be a man and own up to it."  They just sat there knowing they had been caught.

Finally one of the men spoke up.  "Well, if I spoke those words that you say I said, then I am sorry."

I wouldn't let him get off so easily.  "No, no, no.  Just because I say something does not mean that it happened.  You either agree that you said them or you disagree.  Which is it?  Do not agree with me just to agree.  You don't apologize for something you didn't do."

And then he did all he could muster.  "I'm sorry," he said.  That was the best he could do.  The oldest of the men still denied everything.  The young boy rarely spoke...but he said he didn't recognize the words, either.  I was simply appalled at their lack of integrity.  It was really a poor showing.  They had been caught, and they were all trying to guard each others' backs.  Schmucks.

So I asked for their boss.  The guy that apologized said he was the supervisor.  Great, I said.  Who's YOUR supervisor?  I don't think he wanted to give out the name, but he did.  He knew that his job could be at stake.  The fact of the matter is I don't want to take ANYONE'S job.  Not at all.  But in the same breath, I am not going to sit back and be called a bastard, either.

As I was leaving, they offered me the wings they were eating.  A peace treaty?  Who knows.

Agh.  Out of the whole story, though, the thing that gets me the most is the lack of integrity.  Yeah, so I was called a bastard.  I'm sure it's not the first time.  But I just sat there and watched three men WILLINGLY lie to me and to each other in order to save face.  What a crock.  It really saddened me.  How easy it was to trade in integrity for convenience.  To trade in truth for safety.  That's the part that really, really ticked me off.  Actually, it just saddened me.  There is NOTHING manly about not owning up to your actions.  I had no respect for any of them.

End of story.

We guys went up and picked up the new hire from St. Louis International.  He's a pretty crazy guy.  Very loud and friendly!  He's certainly guy friendly, too.  Very guy friendly...a self-proclaimed homosexual.  We'll see how this all turns out.  I got a text message from Trisha while I was at the airport, too.  She had come by the hotel to see me!!!  I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo stinkin' frustrated.  I wasn't even supposed to be on this trip anyway...but it just happened that they let me tag along.  They were supposed to drop me off at the bar/grill.  So when she told me she was at the hotel, my heart sank.  I was devastated!  She had come by just to surprise me.

Man, that really sucks.  It really does.

<sigh>

We guys all went out to eat with the new-hire.  He seems friendly enough...definitely a character.  The boss called and said it looks like I'll be doing some pattern work with him tomorrow (due to the low clouds) and then some more work on Monday.  But as of tonight, they are wanting me out of here on Monday.  MONDAY!!!  That is so close!!!

I'm so excited!  My career is changing pretty quickly!

I went to bed at 1:00 A.M.  Way too late.  The clouds are forecast to be 700 feet overcast tomorrow morning.  No flying there...

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