Captain!

As many of you probably know, Josh and I have been anxiously awaiting the announcement of whether he would be awarded a Captain position.  I guess I’ll cut straight to the chase and say, YES! HE GOT IT!!! Woo Hoo!!!! I couldn’t be more excited & happy for him!

But let me just tell you...it’s been a loooong month!  We should have found out about 3 weeks ago...but due to many, many technical difficulties with their system, they continually delayed the final award list.  FINALLY, they released a statement saying it would be posted at 10:00pm on Friday, October 28^th.  So of course, when Friday night came around, Josh and I anxiously sat in front of the computer and watched the clock tick to 10 o’clock.  The clock finally struck 10, we loaded the webpage, and of course – there was no list to be found.

So we literally sat in front of the computer and hit refresh...refresh...refresh....for about an hour.  By 11, I was just pissed.  We figured there was yet ANOTHER “delay,” so we decided to just go to bed.

Well, I then proceeded to dream about this whole situation all freaking night!  I dreamt we never found out, I dreamt that we did find out, but he didn’t get it, and I dreamt we found out that he DID get it.  By the time I woke up, I had no clue what was really happening!   Once I pulled myself back into reality, I reached for my iPhone on my nightstand and loaded the webpage.  (This was at like 7:00am mind you and my eyes were barely working.)  Once I was able to focus, I realized they had posted the list around 2:00am... 

But I couldn’t just look at it!?!??  This was Josh’s job....not mine.  I couldn’t find out before him!  So I laid there, stared at the ceiling, and decided if I should wake Josh up or just let him sleep.  Take a wild guess what I did....

“JOSH...THE LIST IS OUT!  GET UP! WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT!!!” 

Of course his eyes shot open, he grabbed my phone and we loaded the list while laying in bed, haha!  He scrolled down and it said Captain beside his name!

We were sooo excited all weekend long...it was great J  We went out to Chili’s that night & celebrated and then came home & sat in front our fireplace.  Ahhhhh....it was such a nice weekend.  I want to re-wind the days! 

Anyways...that’s the story.  I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to update on this!  I’ll be posting more info soon...

XOXO,

No Update...

Yesterday evening, Josh was supposed to find out if there was a possibility of him upgrading to Captain.  Well....yesterday came and went...and no list was released.  

So dumb AND typical!  Ugh!!

I seriously predicted this would happen.  I really don't want to bash his company especially since they haven't ever screwed Josh over (and sometimes that's normal for an airline to do) and his job is pretty stable (something to be cherished when working for an airline).....

BUT

His company is always late with everything!  Putting lines (AKA: schedules) out, seniority lists, the new contract, and now I can add this to the list...  which of course is the one that we're most on edge about.  Apparently the system that was supposed to compute the entire realignment just didn't work.  Wonderful.  You would have thought they'd do a trail run first??  Hopefully they get it figured out soon!

  Ohhh well, time will tell.  Enough of my complaining!  Until then, I'm sure Josh will be compulsively checking his crew account to see if they've released anything.  

Keep keeping your fingers crossed!!! :-)

XOXO,

Captain Spot?

So this should be quite an interesting week...

This post may get a little complicated and piloty...so if it bores you, I won't be offended.  But after all, this is a blog of a pilot's wife!

A few weeks ago, Josh's airline announced a "Realignment" notice which basically gives the pilot's the opportunity to "bid" to fly other planes.  Since his company recently merged with 2 other companies, there are now a total of 4 different types of planes.

Contrary to what many people think, pilot's just don't wake up each morning and fly whatever plane is lined up for them.  They are assigned to and trained for a specific aircraft and that's what they stick to unless they bid to fly something else or they are hired by another airline.

  So because of this realignment and there being new planes to bid for, Captains might choose to fly something different.  In turn, that may create a few open Captain spots.  If things work out just right, Josh could maybe, just possibly be awarded a Captain.  ...which would be crazy/so exciting!

But honestly, there are just too many things that have to work out perfectly.  At first we were quite hopeful, but the more Josh ran the numbers, the more doubtful we became.  We just keep telling ourselves that if it doesn't work out this time around, it's for a reason and his time will come when it's right.  On the bright side, if some people upgrade to Captain (but not enough for him to be reached), he'll soar in seniority and hopefully get better schedules.  

Ughh...who knows.  This pilot business is just too complex. 

One thing I don't like about the airlines is the fact that everything is based on seniority.  Although it makes everything "fair", it's not based on merit.  In other words, Josh could be THE BEST pilot in the entire world, but he wouldn't be awarded a captain spot until everyone hired before him got it too.  I don't like it!!  I like my job where if you do really well...you are given a promotion or somehow rewarded.     

Anywho...the list showing if anyone was awarded a Captain spot comes out Tuesday evening.  However, we can't even get our hopes up because that's just the "Initial" award.  If anyone wants to make changes or decline anything, they can.  For example, if a Captain changes his mind about going to a different aircraft, they can decline and then that open spot goes away.  The "Final" list comes out Thursday night and that's the important one.  If his name is on there, then we're off to celebrate!

So if you all could just cross your fingers for him, that would be wonderful.  I'm really not expecting him to actually get it...but we can at least hope, right?!?

Whatever happens, happens.  But I'll definitely keep you all posted!!  Think happy thoughts! :-)

Weekend Routines

The weekend started with our guilty pleasure... eating at Chili's. Josh and I are borderline obsessed! The chips & salsa are just sooo tasty, along with almost every other dish we've ever ordered. It's slowly becoming a fun Friday night routine! However, I think we're over-doing it because the waitress totally guessed our orders this time...like exactly. She knew Josh wanted a wheat bun for his burger, avocado slices, and no bacon. I was slightly embarrassed to say the least!

Saturday morning we got up bright & early for yet another weekend tradition. However, this one is so much cooler because we've actually given it a name. Pancake Saturday. Every Saturday morning we make a nice big batch of Pancakes, a pot of coffee, and spend time discussing our plans for the day. So much fun!


After the conclusion of Pancake Saturday, we actually raced to get everything set up for our garage sale that day. Every summer our neighborhood puts together a community garage sale and this year, they must have advertised it really well because there were so. many. people! The big items we sold were 2 old TV's, table & chairs, and my grandmothers organ (I was shocked that actually sold!). We sold lots of other miscellaneous items as well...so overall, I think it was pretty successful.

Now it's already Sunday evening and we're about to do Josh's usual pre-trip packing routine. This includes laundry, ironing uniform, packing clothes, and cooking food for him to take/eat for the week. But this Sunday is a little different since I actually get to pack for myself as well! I'm leaving for DC tomorrow afternoon to take a training class for work. The title of the course is "Federal Pay Setting." Sounds exciting, huh? I already know how to set Federal pay...but I'm assuming this will involve more complicated situations. I'm sure I'll learn something new =)

I'm taking my lap-top with me this week, so I'm sure you'll hear from me soon! Enjoy your Sunday!

My Pilot

I’d like to introduce you all to my hunky husband, Josh.

We’ve been together for almost 6 years now! We met freshman year of college and have been inseparable ever since. One of the very first things he ever told me about himself was that he could fly planes. I remember very distinctly saying, “Wait what?! YOU’RE a PILOT and can fly a plane?…like by yourself?!”

He received his Private Pilot’s license when he was 18 and then went to college to double major in Aviation and Business Administration. Throughout college, he was constantly at the nearby flight school gaining hours and going to ground schools (flight lessons not in an airplane). He worked his butt off and by our junior year, he received his CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) certificate. He was then hired by the flight school and began teaching students how to fly. Cue our celebration #1

He worked as a flight instructor until the beginning of 2010 when he was offered a First Officer position with a regional airline. Before he even left for the interview, I knew he’d get the job. His talent and love for flying is just so apparent. Sure enough, he out-shined his competition. Aviation celebration #2.

I’m hoping celebration #3 is right around the corner, which will be when he upgrades to Captain. Although this will mean getting worse schedules for awhile and me being an especially lonely girl –his salary will double and he’ll gain vital experience. His ultimate goal as a Pilot is to get into the major airlines. This will happen – the real question is whether he’ll be offered a job where he actually wants to go. (AKA: Delta or Southwest)

Throughout his entire journey, I have been so impressed with his hard work and determination. He actually followed his dream…something not many people do.

So Josh, if you’re ever reading this – I love you and am so PROUD to call you my husband. You’ve achieved so much already and it’s only the beginning!

He’ll be home from his trip in less than an hour…woo hoo!! Thanks for stopping by =)

wilw

I'm linking up with Jamie @ This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday. I've always wanted to do this one!

I'm loving...that tomorrow is Thursday which means Josh comes home from his trip! And by trip, I mean job. He's gone each week for about 3-5 days depending on his schedule that month. I've actually been quite fortunate as a pilot wife because he's been getting weekends off consistently for about a year now. Unfortunately, that will probably go down the drain once he upgrades to Captain.

I'm loving...my ELF foundation brush. Have any of you heard of this make-up company? The products are extremely cheap, like really cheap ($1-$3 per item). The make-up is okay, but wow, I am totally impressed with using this brush to apply my liquid foundation. For only 3 bucks, you should try it out!

I'm loving...that it's my mom's birthday & we went out to celebrate tonight! Happy Birthday, Mom

I'm loving...my blog design! Brea over at Utterly Chaotic Designs designed it for me and I LOVE it. If you're interested in a blog make-over, she does excellent work and her prices are fantastic. Thanks again Brea! I couldn't have asked for anything better =)



I'm loving...that I get to travel next week for work. I'll be going to DC with a co-worker for some training. I love going on work trips...we always have so much fun. Perhaps the whole sleeping in an extra 2 hours each morning might have something to do with it, too.

I'm loving...the cooler temperatures. I absolutely love summer, but surprisingly, I am so excited for fall. Apple cider, leather boots, sweaters, carving pumpkins...yes, please!!

And finally, I'm loving...the blogging world! I've only just started, but its so fun & I'm already making friends! Kelly over at Kelly Lately gave me a shout-out today on her blog. I was so shocked to see my name written on the screen, I had to do a double take.

Hope you guys are having a wonderful Wednesday!
With love,