The sun isn't up yet...

...But I still am.

Hello from the lovely city of Boston Mass!

I should mention here that I am a flight attendant. I've been off for a year on a sabbatical that my company offered to some of the crewmembers. I began this blog whilst off, and can't remember if I've ever mentioned this fact before.

Anyway, I just flew all night. My trip started in Boston at 2:40 in the afternoon, and we went to San Jose CA and then back to Boston. It's 5:30 a.m. and I'm in my hotel room waiting for them to start serving breakfast in half an hour before going to bed for a few hours. Later this afternoon after I wake up, we fly to Florida.

During the flight to CA, and again on the return flight, we encountered the most turbulence I've flown in for many years. Just hours of sustained moderate chop, with moments of groovy bumping around. It doesn't phase me to fly through turbulence, I don't mind it in and of itself. It gets a little annoying to try and serve drinks etc., and I feel bad for the customers who are freaked out of their gord. But I figure it adds an element of spirituality to the flight...more people praying to their various gods than usual. So that's all good.

Being that this is my first trip back in the skies after a 12-month hiatus, it's almost like the first flights when I became a flight attendant back in 2000. There have been a number of changes in how we do things during the past year. Because of this, I intentionally bid for to be the #2 flight attendant for this trip, so that someone else would be in charge. I'm grateful I thought to do that. My crew consists of myself and two lovely women, and they've been really great about updating me on all the changes.

Last night we stayed in downtown Boston, at the historic Park Plaza Hotel. It's only a block from Boston Common, which is an amazing park. There is a grand piano in the lobby, and when we checked in at 1:00 a.m., someone was playing it. The woman at the desk told me that it was one of their security guards, and that sometimes late at night he played. I asked if anyone was allowed to play it, and she said yes. So I changed out of my uniform, and took my journal down and sat in a corner to listen. He was really good, but after a bit, his radio squawked, and he had to go do something for his work. So it was my turn! :-)

It was about 2:00 a.m., and pretty deserted. This is a good thing, because I love to play, but it's primarily just an outlet for personal rejuvenation. I don't really know how it works, but I just get something from playing that I've never gotten from anything else. I've never studied piano, and I lack the technical skills of the kind of musician you'd customarily hear performing. But I do a fair job on a few songs. Enough to pass muster at 2a.m. in a deserted hotel lobby at least.

Before I knew it, the security guard's task was completed, and he returned to find someone sitting on his bench! But he wasn't upset, rather, he asked if I'd mind playing the number I was making up when he came back, while he played around with it on the upper keys. I warned him that it wouldn't be the same, because I was just making it up as I went along, but he didn't care. So we ended up just jammin' on the piano in the lobby for over an hour, messing around with different melodies and improvising on themes. He was a far superior musician, but it was still a lot of fun. I could have played for a long time, but at last I had to catch a few winks. I don't know his name, but to all the piano men out there, thanks for the music!

And to my darling bunch, who will be awake in the next couple hours and who will get online like she does every morning and who will read this post: HI! I love you! I Hope your catapult project turned out great, and I can't wait to see the finished project. Have a great day, and give Daddy & Gator a hug from me. Keep one for yourself, too. I miss you sweetheart!

Time for breakfast!