The Shepherd's Center Used Book Sale

I love volunteering at The Sheperd's Center's annual used book sale. I'm around people who love books just as much as I do!

“Strive to be all good, but know that you are not,” I said. “Try to enjoy every day, but know that you will not. Try to forgive others and yourself. Forget the bad stuff, remember the good. Eat cookies, but not too many. Challenge yourself to do more, to see more. Make plans, celebrate when they pan out, persevere when they don’t. Laugh when things are good, laugh when things are bad. Love with abandon, love selflessly. Life is simple, life is complex, life is short. Your only real currency is time—use it wisely.” ~ Michelle Richmond

New Kicks

 

I've never owned a pair of Converse.

That changes tonight!

Is This Me?

 You are a fighter and a perfectionist.

How rare is your personality? Only 1% of the population has your strong mind, soul and spirit.

You most defining traits: You set high standards and you achieve them (yet you don't see it), you are a control freak and you are flawless in everything you do.

Birthday Shenanigans

We began Chad's Birthday Extravaganza with brunch at the River Birch Lodge. As always, it was delish.


Before Part Deux of his BE, we made a pitstop at Target. We couldn't stop laughing at the items in the dollar section that matched his shirt! Fedora and tie, cap and bowtie. We were laughing so hard I was afraid they were going to ask us to leave!

We then popped over to The Grand Theatre. We both love Disney movies, so The Beauty and The Beast was a perfect birthday gift. And watching it in reclining theater seats was awesome! (Except for the kid loudly eating popcorn beside me.)

The last part of Chad's Birthday Extravaganza was milkshakes at Cin Cin Burger Bar. Chad ordered the Butter Beer and I ordered a Chocolate Strawberry. Mine was very rich and almost undrinkable. Chad's drink was much better.



All in all, Chad's Birthday Extravaganza was a huge success! It was a great fun day and he had a ball!

A Book Report, "The Lost Daughter"

I bought this book a couple of years ago during the Bookmarks Festival. I was sucked in by the book's cover and by Wally Lamb's endorsement. That it's been sitting on my bookshelf since initial purchase was telling. I think I intuitively knew the story wouldn't live up to the pretty cover.

The premise was simple. Teenage lovers Brooke and Alex deal with an unplanned pregnancy. An early delivery and resulting actions haunt them both for 15 years. The truth of that night is something they both have difficulty believing.

I'm not sure when it happened, somewhere around the middle of the book perhaps, but at some point I no longer cared. At some point the characters changed from ones I could empathize to being laughable. Alex's arc was just so unbelievable. I found myself skimming the last half just to get through the book. I would have given it up, but I try to finish all books I start. After this one, I might rethink that. Life is too short to read crappy books.

A Message From Doug Parker - Profit Sharing

Special Jetwire
Dear Team Members,   Today marks the first profit sharing payout of our combined airline, and only the second profit sharing payment at American Airlines in the last 15 years! These payments are the result of a program we put in place in March 2016 without any contract negotiations or trade-offs. We did it because it was the right thing to do for our phenomenal team members. It is a great time to be at American and we have a wonderful future ahead. We have the youngest fleet of our U.S. peers, and are taking delivery of another 57 new mainline aircraft this year. We are investing billions of dollars in technology and facilities that will improve the experiences of our customers and team members for years to come. Premium Economy is rolling out now, offering international customers a new choice between Main Cabin and Business Class. We are adding high-speed, satellite-based Wi-Fi that will bring the living room video experience to our aircraft. And thanks to all of you, we are running a great airline, having just completed one of the best operating reliability months in the history of American. The most important work we have underway is validating the trust each of you place in American and our leadership team: a trust that you have leaders who care about you; a trust that you are respected and appreciated; and a trust that you can go home from work fulfilled, knowing that you made a difference in people’s lives. We know that work is just beginning and will take time. We are committed to making it happen and to working together to build a lasting company for the future. One way we can validate the trust of our team members is through regular and consistent profit sharing. While we cannot undo that many are receiving only their second profit sharing check in 15 years, we will continually work to earn your trust for the future. And for the thousands who began their careers at American in recent years, we need to validate that you have joined a new, transformed American. Let’s set a goal that all team members, no matter when you started, never again know a year without a profit sharing check. We’re off to a good start, thanks to you. Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement! It is an honor to work with and for you.

Our State, March

Getting away can bring you together.

Let the magic find you.

Ignite something.

Drink it in.

A Book Report, "The One That Got Away"

I bought this book, along with others, last year at the Bookmarks Festival. Once again I'm trying to read the books I already have before I add more to my bookshelves. I was also looking for some frivolous reading (chick lit!) so this fit the bill.



I have to say that I really enjoyed the book. The book cover is eye-catching. The characters had enough depth to them to keep my attention. The "appreciate what you have" theme was entertaining. I found myself chuckling and smiling as I inserted the bookmark and closed the book each night.

All Leadership Conference

In Dallas attend the ALC in with some peeps!

A Message from Doug Parker – Celebrating a Phenomenal 2016

Special Jetwire
Dear Team Members,   Today Air Transport World (ATW) – the leading magazine for global airlines and the air transport community – announced its selection of American Airlines as its 2017 Airline of the Year. American has won this prestigious award twice before, most recently almost 30 years ago in 1988. Congratulations! This recognition is a testament to the mission shared by 120,000 team members of our mainline and wholly owned regional airlines. The ATW editorial board described the American integration as “practically flawless, despite it being the largest, most complex airline merger in history.” And while it is satisfying to receive accolades for our integration work, it is even more energizing to receive recognition for the work being done for our future. ATW cited our operational and customer service improvements, as well as the more than $3 billion in new customer products and services, including greater onboard connectivity, new entertainment and dining choices, upgraded lounges and new destinations. Lastly, they note that all of this is being accomplished while delivering profitable returns to our shareholders. American is setting a new standard for service, and that's thanks to the work all of you do. It is a noble calling to play a role in transporting the people who entrust their travel needs to us, and it is gratifying to be recognized when we do that well.  To celebrate this prestigious recognition by ATW and your unique part in it, American employees – including team members at Envoy, Piedmont and PSA – will receive two positive space, round-trip Main Cabin tickets anywhere we fly. These tickets will be available for use beginning this summer through December 2018. American Airlines was selected as Airline of the Year for 2017 because of all of you and the jobs you do so well for our customers. I hope you enjoy a special trip, and the memories you’ll create with someone close to you, as appreciation for all you’ve done to set American on its path to greatness. Congratulations and here’s to another great year.

I got my hair trimmed and colored today!

The Eve of The Trip

It's almost midnight and I'm working on packing for a very well deserved 2 week vacation in Europe. It's a daunting task.

This time tomorrow Ken and I will be flying on an Airbus 333 heading to Rome, which is where our adventures will begin and end.

I'll try to keep you as updated as I can.

Stunning Aurora Borealis

Aurora Borealis, Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, Iceland (Joe Photo)

The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as 'Aurora borealis' and are clearly a stunning spectacle.

Hope Ahead

The 22nd annual American Airlines Celebrity Golf and Tennis Tournament took place last weekend in Carlsbad, California, raising more than $250,000 for the Susan G. Komen Young Investigators Grant Program, which funds research for metastatic breast cancer, an incurable form of the disease.

American honored 16 employee survivors and co-survivors at the event.

“It was such a memorable and beautiful weekend. I was so honored to participate and share my story,” said DFW-based flight attendant Lenard Blackwell.

(From left) American honored Lenard Blackwell, flight attendant,

DFW; Erin Frey, manager on duty, CLT; and Gabby Oviatt, flight

attendant, CLT.

Why?
Why do I bother?


What is it?
What is it about him that makes me hang on his words?


He told me to believe.
He asked me to believe.


I want to believe.

Ouch!

This is what happens when it's been years(!) since you've been on a motorcycle and you get (overly) excited when someone with one visits.

Ron stopped by to show us his new (to him) motorcycle. When he asked if I wanted to hop on, I didn't hesitate one second. Unfortunately, I completely forgot that the pipes would be hot. Allan tried to save me, but I'd already gotten burned.

Note to future self: Pants!

A Book Review, "Leave Me"

I can check one off my BookMarks goal list! I finished reading it last night.

I've been in Maribeth's shoes. No, I didn't have a heart attack, but due to perimenopause I'm experiencing anxiety bordering on panic attacks. There are those days when the weight of the world is such that I want to grab some cash and just keep on driving.

Unfortunately real life doesn't work out as neatly as Maribeth's story.

But that's exactly why I liked this book. I was swept away, but only on the surface. There wasn't any depth. I wasn't too immersed or bogged down in the deep and I didn't lose any sleep due to complicated characters or plots.

I enjoyed Leave Me for what it is. Simply, a good book.

‘Sully’ Flies High With $35.5 Million Opening

Sully made a much a bigger splash at the box office than was initially expected, touching down at an estimated $35.5 million for the No. 1 spot in its opening weekend.

Playing on 3,525 screens, the Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow drama made $12.2 million on Friday, boosting three-day estimates that were previously set at $24 million for the weekend. The Clint Eastwood-directed film stars Tom Hanks as hero pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger.

With an 84 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, reviews are solid for the movie about Sully's crucial call to glide an imperiled US Airways jet for a water landing on the Hudson River just minutes after it took off from Laguardia Airport, a decision that saved 155 lives on board in 2009.

CinemaScore polling said opening night moviegoers gave it an A grade on average.

What I'm Currently Reading