My thoughts on the US Airways Crash in the Hudson

The 'Twitter' photo which made it around the world before the media got their shots!

Many people have asked me about my thoughts on the US Airways crash landing in the Hudson River last week. This has truly been an amazing story and it is a testament to the incredible skill and training of a very professional Captain. Capt. 'Sully' is a REAL hero and he deserves all the affirmation he has received.

How wonderful to have such positive news in the Media for a change, especially during such turbulent times (no pun intended!!)

However, it is fairly typical after these incidents that the media fails to make any mention of the other Crew members on board. Where was the First Officer during all of this? What about the Flight Attendants? The BBC was particularly bad in one of their stories. One would almost conclude that there WEREN'T any Flight Attendants on board! They reported that the Captain did a wonderful job of not only landing the plane but getting all the people out! In one paragraph they said that there was chaos on board until some passengers took charge and organised people!

If you would like to read an article which is probably a little more accurate, I was pleased to recieve a link to this and so I pass it on to you!

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090120/plane20_st.art.htm

So next time you fly, PLEASE remember to pay very close attention to the Safety Demonstration of the Flight Attendants. It really IS important and it COULD save your life. Most of us have chosen this profession because we really DO love to serve our passengers, but the MAIN reason that we are on the plane is for the safety of all on board. We are trained and frequently retrained in a wide range of emergency procedures, including ditching and evacuation in water.

Happy Flying!

Christmas 2008

I am enjoying an almost 2-week break from work and I spent 4 days at my sister's house at Christmas. Here are a few family photos. As you can see, we did a lot of eating, sleeping, reading and walking! We all had a great family time!

Christmas Eve in Windsor

On Christmas Eve I had some spare time on my hands (!!) so I took the train to Windsor which is only 3 stops on the train from me. It was beautiful with the Christmas lights and I enjoyed looking around the shops and taking some pictures without really having anything yet to buy. I stumbled across a Christmas Eve service about to start at 6pm and decided to go in and enjoy some music and reading to help me focus on the celebration of our Saviour's birth.

There's an interesting story about the Guildhall, which I show in my pictures. (This is where Charles and Camilla had their Civil Wedding ceremony)...

"...The erection of the present guildhall was begun in 1687, under the direction of Sir Thomas Fitz (or Fiddes) but, on his death in 1689, the task was taken over by Sir Christopher Wren, whose childhood home was in Windsor.

The story is widely told that the borough Council demanded that Wren should insert additional columns within the covered area, in order to support the weight of the heavy building above; Wren, however, was adamant that these were not necessary. Eventually the council insisted and, in due course, the extra supporting columns were built, but Wren made them slightly short, so that they do not quite touch the ceiling, hence proving his claim that they are not necessary! Whatever the truth of this story, it is undeniable that, to this day, there is a small gap between the columns and the ceiling."

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Chilly December Morning

Dolly and I went on a fantastic walk yesterday morning, about a mile from our house. We like to do this walk in warmer weather but normally this time of year the mud is too deep for Dolly. But on a frosty morning, not only is it incredibly beautiful, but the ground is frozen enough that she doesn't sink in the mud!

The frost is so thick, that it almost looks like snow! It made me feel in the Christmas mood, so when I got home I put up my tree and listened to a Christmas Album from my childhood. Oh the nostalgia!

Thanksgiving Reflections

After a year-long sabbatical from my Blog, I am back!

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US and although I am living in the UK and am not really celebrating as I would be if I was in the US, I do find myself reflecting on the many things in my life which I have to be thankful for. I am blessed to realise how long my list is!

So I decided to share with you the thoughts from MY Thanksgiving Day, 2008! Hopefully, this will be a bit of a synopsis of my year as well. Those of you who have been wondering where I have been will have a glimpse into what I have been doing these last few months. If you want to know more, you can scroll back to earlier posts.

For those of you who are not American and may not know much about our Thanksgiving Holiday, check this out...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

10 Reasons I am thankful this Thanksgiving 2008
(in no particular order)

1. Good Health
After an extended medical leave from work from 2005-2007, I am back at United Airlines, now flying very high hours most months. Many friends wondered whether I would ever be able to manage airline work again. While my preference would be to fly a quite a bit less each month, I am coping well with the physical side of work, and for that I am very grateful.

2. Work
These last few years have been very tough in the airline industry. Many have lost their jobs and those of us still around, are working under very different conditions. Even earlier this year, many wondered if United would still be around by the end of this year. The whole financial crisis has now spread much wider than my own industry. During this insecure time I am very thankful that I not only have a job to go to, but that I am actually really enjoying work! That in itself is a real blessing!

3. Denver
A big part of me enjoying work so much is that after 23 years with United Airlines, in March they FINALLY started non-stop flights between London and Denver. I have waited a VERY long time for a flight between my two most important cities! You might remember that I spent 9 years living in Denver in the 80s and early 90s, and that is where I was first hired by United. Denver is our second largest hub, and so it was a huge achievement for United to finally gain approval to fly the route to London. (International flights are not deregulated, and so there were all sorts of hurdles that had previously prohibited United flying the route).

So, I made sure that I worked the Inaugural flight, and I flew the trip every week after that. It was such a delight to be able to spend time in Denver every week. I even decided to invest in a rental property there, and bought a condo downtown on a layover! I spent most of my summer layovers involved in arrangements for remodeling, so it was exhausting. I am renting it out on Corporate leases, so it is fully furnished and equipped. My hope is that I can occasionally stay there in between rentals, but I am told that this is a very popular building, so that may seldom happen!




The building where my condo is - 19th floor - and views from the balcony


Sadly, due to the uncertainty of the airline business, United decided to suspend the flight at the end of October. We have all been very sad about that, but I decided not to give up hope and have been very optimistic that we would eventually start it up again. I am glad to say that just last week, United announced that we will again start the flight in March, for another 6months! There was much celebrating in my house! I am hopeful that one day, when things really have improved in the industry (and I do believe they will), that we will eventually fly this route year round. But for now, I am very much enjoying flying to LA each week during the winter (sunshine!), and will fly Denver in the summer. It sounds like a perfect career to me!


4. My Home
In August 2007, I moved into my new home in the UK. Earlier that year I had sold my own home to my renters, and a friend had bought my mother’s home. Selling them privately sure made life a lot easier for me! I then bought a house in a village I had always wanted to live in, just outside of the larger town where I had lived for the last 15yrs. Not only was it the location I wanted, but also the house was one that family friends used to live in. I felt that it was a real provision from God! I am not far from the Drug Rehab center that my parents started in the 70s. We lived there for awhile in my late teens and it was a very happy time in my life, so I am thrilled to be back in the same area. Being gone with work for several days a month, its great to come home to my own place once again.

(For more pictures click here...
http://uatrollydolly.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-home-for-heidi-and-dolly.html)


5. Travel
While coming home always feels good, I do have wonderful opportunities to travel. Not only do I enjoy (?) a trip to the US each week with work, but I have had several other trips this year. In February, I enjoyed a few days in Austria. While most in the group were skiing, I was enjoying scenery, quiet times with my nose in a book, a day of sightseeing in Salzburg, and day of snowshoeing – which I love a whole lot more than skiing! I also enjoyed two short breaks in Colorado in the Summer and Autumn, two weddings this year in Minnesota and Georgia, seeing both family and long lost friends, and a few days in Athens in November. I was too busy for a really long vacation, but I am thankful for the few short breaks that I got to enjoy.

Snowshoeing in Austria with my friend Ronna and others in February

Lake Dillon in Colorado in August

At the Parthenon in Athens in November

6. Family
I am so thankful for my family, both my sister’s family in the UK and also my extended family in Michigan and Georgia. My move last year means that I am not quite as close to my sister as I was, and we are both really busy, but we try to make time to see each other regularly. Tina is very involved in music, studying and taking exams in both theory and piano, and she also has recently started a Community Choir in her area, which she is conducting. Phil is busy building houses, and the three kids are all grown and all in College. Emily is in Med school in London, and John is finishing up a degree at Bath University and already has a job offer in London when he graduates next summer. He was doing a placement in Kenya last year. Tim has just started an Architecture degree in Cardiff. I am feeling very set for my old age – I think that Jon will take care of my finances, Emily will make sure I am healthy, Tim will design my dream house, and Phil can build it. Tina will undoubtedly sing and play the piano and so keep me entertained!

I only made one visit to my family in the US this year, but I was able to attend the wedding of my cousin’s son in Georgia, and everyone from Michigan was also there, so it was a great reunion. I’m hoping that 2009 will allow me a few more visits, as I really love being with them!

7. Friends
I am blessed with many many friends in my life. A few have visited me this year. I have been able to visit a few on my travels. Some I had not seen in over 20yrs. Its great to be able to pick up with friends even after all that time and still feel like we have a connection. I so wish I had more free time to travel and see many more. The world is becoming a very small place but it still takes time to get to all the places I would like to go! I am also blessed with friends close by, and have enjoyed getting to know my new neighbours. I am truly rich!

8. Dolly
I would be remiss if I did not mention my very best friend, Dolly! She is an absolute delight to have and brings me much joy! Dolly was my mother’s dog, and the only way that I am able to keep her is because I have some wonderful friends who look after her every week when I am off flying. They are a huge blessing to me too!


9. Ministry
I am thankful that I have still been able to be involved in the Community Bible Study in my area. Our group now has over 30 members. As Class leader of that group, I am also involved in the 3 other classes we are linked to. I am very grateful for being able to arrange my work schedule around my commitment there. And I am thankful that the leadership team is stronger this year, so that they can run things well if I am occasionally not there. It may be a ministry for me, but I gain much more than I give and it’s a huge blessing in my life!

10. God
I should say, last but certainly not least! He is the source of all the blessings in my life and I am always dependant on him and all his good gifts. The only truly satisfying blessing in my life is God himself. All the others are just icing on the cake. I believe that my identity is in him, not what I do, or where I live or whom I am related to. We live in a world filled with turmoil, and we sometimes experience great personal sadness. Its overwhelmingly comforting to know that God IS in control and that we can trust him, even when the circumstances of life are not of our choosing.

I pray that this Thanksgiving (whether you celebrate it or not), that we will be filled with gratitude and JOY as we celebrate the GIVER.

Birthday Treats

I had a real treat last week. My friend Ronna, who lives in Hawaii came for a brief visit. Ronna is also a Flight Attendant with United and I met her about 17yrs ago at a Singles conference with FCAP (Fellowship of Christian Airline Personnel). We were both based in San Francisco at the time. Since then Ronna has moved to Boise, Denver, Sacramento, and then Hawaii. I'm not even sure if I got that order right. Since then I did a stint in Tokyo and then transferred to London.

So....Ronna was flying on her Birthday and decided that she wanted to spend it with me, so she changed her Shanghai trip to a London trip. I delayed my normal Monday trip to Tuesday so that I would be home when she got here! THEN.....Ronna was able to change her return to the later flight the next day so that we were actually able to work the same flight back to San Francisco! Although we have known each other a very long time, we have never actually worked together, so that was a real treat! It had been almost 3 years since we had seen each other and Ronna has even got married since then!

Ronna and I enjoyed a Thai meal in one of my local restaurants.

Afterwards, we had a little Birthday party back at home. Dolly was glad that we chose to include her in that. Dolly really loved Ronna and even chose to sleep with her instead of me that night!

Ronna and I on the airplane together the next day, on our way to San Francisco.

Morality Offsets

We hear a lot these days about the environment and the need to change our lifestyle. I am a passionate recycler, and ardent about doing what we can to care for the world that God created and left us in charge of. I know I could probably do more. However, I am rather sceptical to say the least about 'Human-caused' Climate change. So this article which I found a couple of months ago amused me.

Offset away our guilt
If we can buy ‘carbon offsets’ for our environmental missteps, why not for our other sins?..........

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/09/offset-away-our.html