Out with the old and in with the new

Well I feel a little stressed today.   It may be self imposed stress though, but I have a big list of things to get done before I leave for work tomorrow.  I cleaned the house yesterday and really focused on getting things like cleaning the stove and scrubbing off all the hard water marks in the showers.   I want it to be a little easier to clean when we move out to your new home next month.    One of the things that I have been worried about was getting rid of our old couches and glider chair that we have had in our sun room for a while not knowing what to do with.  As I was cleaning the house I had a idea of what to do with them, I vacuumed them and spayed some Fabreze on then and moved them out to the front yard with a sign that said FREE.   We live on a major road so there are a lot of people driving by all the time.  In the first 15 minutes someone had picked up the glider rocker.  It took a few hours and someone took the sofa and loveseat.  I’m happy that they went to someone’s house and will get some more use.    We still have a refrigerator and a ping pong table to sell and 2 window air conditioners to sell before we move yet.  I think that I will try to sell them on Craig’s list.

We have moved countless times across country, so our family is not new to the stresses of moving.  It still doesn’t make it any easier though.   This move we have really involved everyone much more than in the past moves.  In the house hunting everyone has been involved in choosing our place to live.  For me the real stress is to come though.  The packing and moving part doesn’t really bother me too much.  I think the most stressful part is getting adjusted to the new town.  Finding a new church, making new friends, finding new doctors, making new friends is what bothers me the most in moves.  It is also a great opportunity to look at areas in our life that we want to improve on, and make those changes.

I am very excited for the fresh start for our family.  

The hunt is over finally

In my last post I was pretty positive that we have found the right home for us.  I was pretty excited but in the end it didn’t end up working out for us.  I was really bummed because I seemed to fit all of our needs except it turned out that they didn't like cats.  Brenna has had her cat for 10 years, and we just were not going to give her up.

This week was stressful once again in that I felt like I was starting from scratch looking for a place to live.   Brenna and I started to take trips up to Rock Hill and started looking again, between Craig’s list and local rental companies.  Each time we go up there it is such a long day, it is a 2 ½ hour drive each way and after the week before taking 3 trips up there I really was not interested in doing a trip on Monday in any way.  Monday we didn’t find much that interested us, Wednesday we found 2 houses that interested us but we couldn’t look at the inside but I called and made appointments to look at them on Friday. 

Brenna and I drove up Friday and got to the 1^st house to look at and as we were looking in the windows waiting for the person to come and show us the house I got a email from her that she was sorry for the short notice but she had rented it this morning.   We went and got the new listings from the few local rental companies and sat and had lunch feeling pretty low that we were having such a hard time finding home.   After lunch we took a drive by a few homes on the lists killing time before seeing the last house at 6pm.  We met the person at the house just before 6pm, she seemed like such a nice lady.  She opened up the house and we took a walk around it.  The last renter had just moved out and had left it so clean.   We had seen this house from outside and really like it, and the inside was just as nice.  So we decide to rent this one.  It is funny it really doesn’t fit all our needs like some of the other houses that we have looked out.  It is  not close to Brenna’s school, and is not in the school that we thought we wanted for Christa.  But it works for the animals and is in a great area to live and really quiet.  It sits on 7 acres of land.  It yard makes our current yard tiny, I’m so glad we have a riding mower! I will be putting it to a good use now.   It turns out that this house is really opposite of what we were looking for but it turned out to be perfect match for our needs.  Our struggle for find the right place to live is finally over, now the next struggle of getting packed and moved is yet to come.

                                                            

Change is in the air.

With fall coming change seems to be in the air.  Working for a commercial cargo airline I am used to change in my life.  Currently we are looking for a new place to live in Rock Hill, SC our oldest will be attending college at Winthrop.  It sure adds a unique stress in trying to find a place that meets everyone’s needs.    Between having pets, trying to be within walking distance of the college and being close to a good middle school we sure have a tall order for a house to rent J   In the past when we have moved it has always been because of my job changing.  With my current job it is nice that we have the option of living almost anywhere we want.  That sure makes it nice for our family at the current time.

 Brenna and I looked at several houses yesterday and think we finally have a handle on 2 houses that would fit our families need. Here is our favorite one.

Change is also in the air for my job as well.  For the last year I have been traveling and working at the McGuire AFB.  I really enjoy the areas and it really has become my home away from home.  I stay in New Hope, PA and is such a great town.  I have met some great friends there and have made it my  2nd Home for sure.  I am so looking forward to getting back there.  It looks like for the next couple of months I may not be spending as much time in my 2^nd home though.  I will be helping cover JFK base and working on getting my airport badge for Anchorage, AK and Chicago, IL as well.    I do have fond memories of the Anchorage airport, and when we lived there we really did enjoy the area!  When we lived there I really did work way too much, I always had 2 or 3 jobs at once.  Because of this I was not home much and we didn’t get to enjoy the area as much as we should have though L.      I am hoping that I can get back to my routine of staying 18 days a month at my 2^nd home though.  I really like having a constant in my life, so now having the job changing and home house changing it does add a bit of stress in life for sure.

I know that in the past change has always been good for myself and our family so I am really looking forward to what the new changes will bring. 

Butterfly

One of my favorite things to do is go for a walk.  I find it relaxing and it is always a good time to reflect on the day’s events.   I love the New Hope / Lambertville area for walking.  They both have the tow paths that go along the Delaware River.  I really like the Lambertville side because the canal is running with water and there is more places to access the river.    A few days ago I had worked a night shift playing airplane and had most of the day to just relax so I thought I would just take a long walk and just explore areas I have not been before.  I decided to walk along the Lambertville tow path because I thought I would walk on the wing dam that I have seen so many people on before but never done myself.   Along the way I decided to stop and see this old abandoned rail car. 

I have not ever really been interested in it because it is all sprayed up with graffiti and figure what it can offer me.   Little did I know that it was going to be probably the highlight of my week.   As I get closer to it you can see that people have been putting their marks on it for a real long time.  It is a real shame that this rail car has given a long service of carrying people around and is in such bad shape, it really does deserve better.  As it make my way to the end of the car to climb up the stairs not really knowing what to expect other then thinking it is a shame that people are tagging it though.   As I get to the top of the stairs I see a half open door and the empty inside.

 I wonder how many people this car has carried.  What kind of trials in life have people had as they have ridden this car?  I start to walk through the car reading some of the interesting things people have written on the walls.   There is a really weird calmness that car seems to be giving off, not really sure how to describe it at all.  I finally get to the back of the car and walk through the door and was looking at the markings.  This is where my eyes lead me to a small area with this saying.

WOW this saying hit home with me. It made some tears come out; I am kind of sappy that way though. It has so much reference in my life in so many ways especially over the last few years though.  As I look back on my life for the last few years I have really been like a butterfly just emerging out of the cocoon.

Eagle Scouts

I have been pondering the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay membership and leadership.   Being part of the LGBT community I take it to heart that they are discriminating against a selected class of people. 

I have been watching the movement on how more and more Eagle Scouts are renouncing there Eagle Scout Awards.   This is a very powerful statement I think, and I am hoping that BSA is not taking this lightly.  I think that currently only 5% of the boys will obtain an Eagle Scout award.   For these boys it involves a lot of time and dedication and huge amount of work.  The boys must have been in some form of leadership, earn 21 different merit badges,  plan and work a service project for the award, and make it through a board of review.    This is why I say that renouncing ones Eagle Scout Award is a big deal.

As an Eagle Scout I personally don’t know where I sit on renouncing the Eagle Scout Award.   I have 2 differing views on the situation.

My first view is that by renouncing my Eagle Scout I am making a onetime statement to the BSA.  I am not sure at this point how effective it is to the organization.

My second though is to not renounce it and try to become more actively involved in the organization and groups to try to make positive changes in the BSA policies.

Being an Eagle Scout has given me the strength and courage and skills, to drive through so many of life’s though roads.   

Being a trans women I don’t talk that much about my scouting experiences now, but it has given my great usable life skills that I have used throughout my adult life and continue to use to this day.   I think that every boy should have that chance regardless of their sexuality or gender.

Traveling Home

I made it home early am yesterday.   My inter kid self keep saying “Are we there yet?  ARE WE THERE YET?” 

My day started out as I got up Friday at 6am to get showered and make it for a breakfast at the hotel at 7am as the open up.  I always stay at hotels that have free breakfast, because our $30 a day for per diem just doesn’t really go too far when you are trying to eat healthy.  The night before I had talked with corporate office and they said that I was going to get home so I was really excited because I have been out traveling from the 19^th of last month.  I figured I was going to have to stay because I still didn’t have travel and I was originally thinking that I was going to have a 1120am dept.  I made a few calls and got my travel so I really didn’t have much time to pack and get my rental car gassed and returned.  After breakfast I rushed back to my room and packed all my stuff and it made my suitcase bulge for sure.  It take 2 trip to the car to get everything down.  I had to laugh, I tried to stuff my suitcase in the trunk and it just wouldn’t go so I had to put it in the front seat.  Darn Camaro, but it was fun to drive, just not practical.

I returned the car in will out any issue and made my way to the airport, SEATAC’s rental car return is about a mile from the airport.  The facility was being built when we were moving to Charleston area.  It is a nice and gives the rental companies the room they so desperately needed to grow. 

I am really out of practice traveling my commercial airlines because most of the time I drive or fly on our own planes.  I get to the counter and put my bag down the the scales and check in.  It bugs me that as a customer you should have to pay for checking in a bag.  That’s why people try to take so much on as a carry on and hit you with their bags as they walk down the aisles.  So I pay for the bag and get my boarding pass that the CSR freaks because my bag weighs 58 pounds.  I looked at him in this questioning look.  Airlines are such hogs, that 8lbs cost an additional $90.  When I was a customer service agent I would have just let it slip by, but back then it was 75lbs that was overweight not 50lbs.

I was glad that I made it to the airport 2 hours before my flight because the line for security took me a hour to get through.  I feel so much safer with the gentleman looking at my ID with a magnifying glass.  He was giving off the vibe of “I’m the gate keeper and maybe I will let you in or maybe not”.   I got past the gate keeper and now confronted the agent yelling orders to pull your liquids computer out and take off your shoes and such.  And yes I called him a “ agent”  not a officer as they would prefer,  they are not law enforcement so they don’t deserve being called a officer.   I make it out feeling like I’m a criminal, our government can do so much better than this! 

I can’t help but wonder as I am waiting in line who I will be sitting next to on the plane.  My bad side is like I hope they don’t spill out of their seat into mine because I have a window seat and don’t want to be squished into the wall like in the past.  I get seated and the couple sits next to me with a child that is one big lap child.  I was glad I had brought my ear plugs because that kid could scream.  So for 2 ½ hours I enjoyed reading my book in peace and quiet.  My next flight was nice because I didn’t have anyone sitting next to me, however I had these 2 younger ladies that got way goofy drinking.  I once again had to put in the ear plugs to quiet them.  I almost finished my book on that flight.  I am not a big book reader at all, but I have fell in love the this series of Fifty Shades of Grey. 

I arrive at JFK at 1130pm and get my bag.  I’m pretty tired, weird how flying makes you tired because is was sitting all day.  I get my bag and make my way on the train to Federal Way circle stop.  I was hoping that someone was in our office that lake because I really didn’t want to walk the couple of blocks to our office carrying my bags.  The last time I flew commercially they broke one of my wheels on my 58 pound bag and I really didn’t want to carry it a few blocks.  I was thankful that Pleasant answered the phone and he came and got me and dropped me off at my car.  He is such a sweet and nice person.   I drove a hour and made it to my 2^nd home.  It was such a nice feeling to pull in the driveway, just like coming home.  I got my key they left for me and went to my favorite room J  The Captain Brynne’s room as I call it when I’m there.  Its real name is called the Capt Reeder room.   By now it is 2am so I am pretty tired and ready for sleep.  The next day I had a wonderful breakfast and got myself together and headed out for my drive home.   It really was a uneventful drive home.  Halfway into the 12 hour drive I stopped for lunch/dinner.  I usually don’t stop but I thought I would try something new, I always feel like it is slowing the process up when I do that, but it was nice today to do it.  My next stop was at the border on NC and SC rest stop.  I really hate stopping at South Carolina rest areas because they usually are not clean.  As usual I was not disappointed it was way dirty, and this is a rest area that has a welcoming facility for South Carolina.  Not a very good way of welcoming people to our state for sure.  What bothered me the most is as I pull in there was so many stray cats.  The parking stall I was pulling into had these 2 scared cats cuddling up with each other.  They were so scared and pathetic, I just wanted to scoop them up and take them home.  The poor things, what kind of person would let poor helpless animals off at a rest stop.  I’m really not a huge animal lover, but I do have a heart and would never do that; but as a state why don’t they take then to a shelter so they can be adapted to a family that would care for them too.  Shame on you South Carolina!

I finally made it home at 130am on Saturday morning.  I was so glad to be home and my family warmly met me at the door, even though I was trying to sneak in quietly.

Seattle trip so far :)

I have had a packed few weeks here in Seattle.  I have done so many wonderful things plus work I almost don’t know where to start.   I started my trip here on the 19^th driving to JFK and flew out the 20^th.   I rode in on our aircraft N490EV, it is the most uncomfortable plane we have in our fleet.   The upper deck is cramped in nice terms.  The 3 seats don’t recline so it was a long ride for sure.  We land in SEATAC and unload some pallets and the ramp crew loads the plane.  Then I finally get to the hotel way early am and pretty tired.

It was really cool that for the 1^st few days here I was able to work with Krystie a fellow loadmaster as well.  We really have a great time together; she is so fun to be around.   About the 3^rd day into the trip we didn’t have a airplane so we drove up to the Canadian border.  She has never been to Canada so she wanted her passport stamped.  The border guard was full of question of why we wanted to come to Canada, and I think he was shocked that we just wanted dinner and a stamp in the passport.  

 He said that they normally don’t stamp the passports but with a little flirting we managed a stamp and off we went to a Starbucks to get a Canadian mug for her collection.   After getting the 2 things we need we were off to Seattle again.  We stopped at the Tulalip Casino on the way back for some gaming and dinner.  As usual I lost but Krystie did well only losing $5. 

 Krystie had to leave me in Seattle but she left me her rental car the “Beast” a 2012 Camaro.  It is real fun to drive J

On the 24^th I really had a cool experience.  My friend Violet was going out to see a horse rescue called Serenity Equine Resuce.  She wanted to look and talk to them because she wants to volunteer for them.  It was a cool place, one of the volunteers gave us a tour and I fell in love with it.  If I was here I would work out there any day for sure.  I have not had much experience with horses but they are just beautiful animals.

The 28^th I had a canceled plane so I headed to the Oregon coast.  Our family has a beach house there and I have not been in 5 ½ years.  It felt so good to be back, I only got to spend a day there but I so enjoyed it. I had a great night of food, then some wine and reading a book in front of the fireplace with a nice fire. 

I am hoping I can go back once more before I leave back to the East Coast.  On the way honme on Sunday I got to stop in Portland and see my friend that I have not seen in about 22 years.  He is a Baptist pastor now Lincoln Street Baptist Church.  We went for some coffee and talked for a few hours and then went to meet his wife and family.  I am going to take the trip down this Sunday to catch one of his worship services.  I am excited to attend his churches service.

The 31^st Violet and I and her grand baby went to take a ride in the Farris Wheel on the pier downtown Seattle.  That is a cool thing to do.  The line was not long to wait in and it was such a nice day with so much blue sky.   Today we went to the King County fair in Enumclaw.  It was a perfect day to go, it was the 1^st day and the weather was just right.  We had a great time taking in all the animals and exhibits.  I am so enjoying the great cool weather it is such a change from the hot east coast for sure.

I  did work several planes in-between thing though.  I do feel spoiled with the commercial side of the air cargo though.  The rampers are so sweet and load the plane for you, that doesn’t happen when I deal with the military flight that I usually work.  I think that I am getting spoiled J