Happy New Year! I fly Frontier because?

Well, I left Billings, Montana this morning. I was here for almost a week with temperatures under 40 degrees and 30 percent chance of snow flurries the entire visit. As soon as I was boarding the plane to Denver, the snow started. Can you believe that? I was waiting the entire week, and mother nature had to tease me like that. My departing plane arrived late into Billings, it started snowing, the staff incorrectly said we were overbooked, the flight attendant's watch was 10 minutes slow, and there was some sort of further delay with checked in carry on luggage (Some guy thought he could bring his guitar case on the plane, and that cost us another 5 minutes). Of course after the delay, due to all the snow that had fallen in the 15 minutes worth of waiting for nothing, the plane had to be de-iced. We finally took off around 11:50, 35 minutes later than scehduled. My connecting flight was at 1:20 to L.A.

Landed in Denver at 1:18.

Even though we had about 20 people on the Billings to Denver flight who were going to L.A. as well, good ole supposedly customer friendly Frontier didn't hold the plane for us, or even let us know there was no chance of connecting. It is not like Los Angeles is a connecting airport for the airline. IT IS A FINAL DESTINATION! However, another dude and I ran the entire length of the terminal from gate 62 to 26 (If you know the Denver airport, you know how far that is) only to find out the plane was LONG gone.

So rather than waiting another 15 minutes for us in the spirit of the holidays, the Customer Service department has to deal with over 20 upset, blameless customers. The actual blame went to an air traffic controller error, and not the weather, so for some reason we couldn't even get a food voucher. I am grateful believe it or not that I did get the next flight, a 5:10 departure with a scheduled arrival at 6:36, just in time to rest for the partys.

So, Happy New Year everybody!

More from the frozen north

My parents and I got the grandkids/niece and nephew a Radio Flyer wagon. They absolutely LOVE it!


Am having a great time with my fam up here in Billings. It was pretty cold today!
I ran outside to take some pictures tonight in front of my sister's family's house.
Thank God for thermals!
I guess you cant really see my breath here, but it was pretty cold out, as the following picture will attest.
Yep that is 19 degrees with a wind chill of around 7. I had to represent with my Fullerton gear! It actually didnt feel too bad. All I have on are thermals, jeans, a pullover shirt, and a scarf from momma. Oh yeah, and two pair of socks!

Christmas Time is Here Again

Merry Christmas Everyone from freezing Billings, Montana!

I have spent time at several different places this Christmas. Beginning with a gospel choir performance, to a school Christmas musical of a friend, to a Christmas party for foster children, to my dad's church choir Christmas production, to an open house/Christmas party, to a La Posada celebration, to Christmas Eve eve in Bakersfield with family, to two Christmas Eve services, to Christmas morning with my parents and then Julia, to a late morning at LAX/afternoon at Salt Lake City, and finally Christmas night with my sister's family here in Montana.

When you're down and out...

I am not the biggest fan of forwards, but every once in a while one comes along that actually inspires me.

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.
She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.
He asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift
Today before you say an unkind word -
Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today before you complain about life -
Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before you complain about your children -
Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep -
Think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive
Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job -
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another -
Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down -
Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you're alive and still around.

More Tales From Library Land

I have to post these right away because I forget them after a few minutes.
I was helping a customer make a 1 to 2 page reduced copy. The customer is browsing through some pretty deep scientific, astronomical stuff. However, he does not know how to use a copy machine. He reeks of smoke and some alcohol, and is just rambling on and on. The he tells me "you wouldn't believe it, but I really am a high school graduate. I tried to make the olympics but I couldnt do a 7 minute mile, but hey I'm in my forty's." Nevermind that the 4 minute mile has been around for over a generation. How can I respond to that? I told him he was looking good, and then proceeded to walk back to the reference desk.

Earlier in the day a dazed and confused customer comes to the reference day complaining that WE made her late for work the other day. She told us that she went to her car and it was 10am , but then came back and it was 10:15, and that she was 15 minutes late to work. It turns out our clocks on the public internet terminals were all messed up, but she kept shouting at us, bugging other customers, and came back to the desk to ask if any of us had watches. We turned around and pointed to the clock and told her what time it "really" was.
The irony of it all! I was helping a student later in that same hour with some plug-in issues, blackboard, and our terminals. I looked at the clock there and it said 9:50, and I told her i would be right back. I get back to the reference desk and it is actually 10:01, and I was late for my shift downstairs!