Snowpocalypse 2018

While it was very disappointing having to leave Sam and NYC sooner than we wanted, I am grateful Cade and I were able to make it back to NC. Had we not made the flight last night, we would have had to remain in NYC for several days! 

I've been watching the Weather Channel, and one of their reporters is in downtown Winston-Salem. According to reports, we got 14 inches of snow.

Mom and Bill haven't seen snow at their house in years. They are always in Florida during the winter season. She was a bit envious.

Braces, Before and After

Christmas Card

Do Crew Event

I'm working on another Flights for 50 award. Today I'm at the Dewey's Pop-up Store. All proceeds from this store will go toward the SECU Family House.

Awww

Yay, American Airlines

Apple, Amazon, Facebook and more than 50 other companies sign letter against Trump administration's proposed gender definition changes

• Companies spanning tech, financial services and consumer products are standing up for legal protections for transgender people.
• The companies represent over $2.4 trillion in annual revenue and have almost 4.8 million employees.
• The signed statement comes after a New York Times report that the Trump administration is considering limiting the definition of gender to birth anatomy.

Lauren Feiner | @lauren_feiner
Published 12:01 PM ET Thu, 1 Nov 2018 | Updated 12:08 PM ET Fri, 2 Nov 2018
CNBC.com



On July 26, 2017, after a series of tweets by President Donald Trump proposing to ban transgender people from military service, thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets in opposition.
Michael Nigro | Pacific Press | LightRocket | Getty Images

More than 50 companies representing over $2.4 trillion in annual revenue took a stand Thursday for legal protections for transgender people following a report that the Trump administration is considering limiting the definition of gender to birth anatomy.

Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google are among the companies spanning tech, consumer products and financial services that signed a statement supporting the protections.

The move is a response to an Oct. 21 New York Times report that the Trump administration is considering limiting the definition of gender to birth genitalia.

"Sex means a person's status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth," the Department of Health and Human Services proposed in a memo obtained by the Times.

If legislation were to move forward, it would jeopardize legal protections for an estimated 1.4 million Americans who identify as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth, the Times said.

The statement from the companies, which have nearly 4.8 million employees, said "diversity and inclusion are good for business."

"Transgender people are our beloved family members and friends, and our valued team members," the statement said. "What harms transgender people harms our companies."

Out Leadership and the Human Rights Campaign mobilized the 15 LGBTQ community organizations that sought signatures for the statement.

This is the full statement along with the list of signatories:

We, the undersigned businesses, stand with the millions of people in America who identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex, and call for all such people to be treated with the respect and dignity everyone deserves.

We oppose any administrative and legislative efforts to erase transgender protections through reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations. We also fundamentally oppose any policy or regulation that violates the privacy rights of those that identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex.

In the last two decades, dozens of federal courts have affirmed the rights and identities of transgender people. Cognizant of growing medical and scientific consensus, courts have recognized that policies that force people into a binary gender definition determined by birth anatomy fail to reflect the complex realities of gender identity and human biology.

Recognizing that diversity and inclusion are good for business, and that discrimination imposes enormous productivity costs (and exerts undue burdens), hundreds of companies, including the undersigned, have continued to expand inclusion for transgender people across corporate America. Currently more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 have clear gender identity protections; two-thirds have transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage; hundreds have LGBTQ+ and Allies business resource groups and internal training efforts.

Transgender people are our beloved family members and friends, and our valued team members. What harms transgender people harms our companies.

We call for respect and transparency in policy-making, and for equality under the law for transgender people.


Accenture

Adobe Systems Inc.

Airbnb

Altria Group

Amalgamated Bank

Amazon

American Airlines

Apple

Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP)

Bank of America

Ben & Jerry's Homemade

BNY Mellon

Cargill

Cisco Systems Inc.

Citi

Clifford Chance

Corning Incorporated

Corteva Agriscience™, the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont

Deutsche Bank

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

Facebook

Fastly, Inc.

Google

Hogan Lovells International LLP

HSBC

IBM Corporation

Intel Corporation

Intuit Inc.

Iron Mountain

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co.

LinkedIn

Lush Handmade Cosmetics

Lyft

Marriott International

MassMutual

MGM Resorts International

Microsoft Corp.

Nike Inc.

PepsiCo

Replacements, Ltd.

Ropes & Gray

Royal Bank of Canada

S&P Global

Salesforce

Sheppard Mullin

Sodexo Inc.

Splunk

State Street Corporation

The Coca-Cola Company

The Dow Chemical Company

TiVo Corporation

Trillium Asset Management

Twitter Inc.

Uber

Warby Parker

Halloween

I usually go all out for Halloween. This year, for some reason, I just wasn't feeling it. I really had no plans to dress any differently than I would for any other workday.

But, there were too many co-workers who were wondering what I'd be this year. So I caved in to the peer pressure, just a little bit.

I dressed as a Panther fan. (Deanna was also dressed as a fan!)

Some co-workers called me out on my costume telling me I was supposed to be dressed as someone else. I told them I was dressed as someone else since I'm a Patriot fan!

Out & Equal - Seattle, Day Four

American and Piedmont Airlines' Pride EBRG is all dressed up and ready for tonight's closing Gala. If you are looking for me in the picture, I'm not in this one. I was in the bathroom cleaning up the wine someone spilled on me during the pre-Gala reception. 

Anila, in her traditional sari, with all the handsome men. 

Here I am (finally!), with the other women, hamming it up!

Disney sponsored the Gala dinner. This was sitting in the middle of each of the tables.

These special "Gay Day" Mouse Ears were inside.

Out & Equal, Catching Fish

Of course I'm catching thrown fish. We're in Seattle!

Out & Equal, Seattle - Day One

We've all completed registration, received our badges and are ready for the Kickoff Luncheon!

 Oh my gosh! The stage looks amazing! 

So Excited!

First Mimosa

Brunch at O'Callahan's

“But better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie.”

That's a quote attributed to Khaled Hosseini and it is seriously resonating with me today.

Happy Pride Month

Pride flags hang in the American Airlines office!

Holy Guacamole!

For the first time in my life, I've made guacamole.



Y'all, this is huge! I always thought it was so difficult to make. Actually it was relatively easy.



And I have to say, it was pretty darn tasty!

Do Crew Event: Used Book Sale

The Shepherd's Center's annual book sale is one of my favorite Do Crew events. I am in absolute heaven walking down and around aisle after aisle of books.

 

Food Truck Friday

It is all about bacon. Lunch was delicious!

Sonday Brunch

A look or boredom or can't decide on what to order?

Do Crew: Kettle Counting

January 12, 2018 

Dear Volunteer,

I just wanted to take the time to thank you for all you did this Christmas season. The Salvation Army could have not assisted as many families - 2,295, children -- 5,425 and seniors -- 835, that we did this year without your help. Volunteers empower our organizations so that we may have the ability to serve our community; without your generosity of time and money this is not possible.
       
Whether you volunteered as a bell ringer, angel tree assistant, toy warehouse sorter or counted kettle money, your time means a family in our community was able to receive the assistance they needed this season.

One thing I can let you know is that The Salvation Army does have the best volunteers. When we put out the call for help, you are there! I cannot express my gratitude enough for what you did this Christmas season but I can tell you that it is with great pride that you have made a difference in someone’s life.  

I pray that you are blessed many times over this year; I do hope that you will return once again and let others know what you did this season bringing more volunteers just like you to assist us once again.


Thank you and many blessings
Robin R Pardella
Community Outreach Liaison
The Salvation Army