Recession is not = to Recess

I know I've already blogged about travel, but I spent the last week in planes, trains and automobiles and have more to say.

On my red-eye flight over to NYC there were 2 whole empty rows in the back and I went to go lay down. As I lay my tired head to rest on an awful paper pillow I get a very angry and flamboyant red-headed face lingering over mine, "excuse me, this row is for the crew".

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I paid to fly on this plane.

How moronic, this is YOUR JOB SIR, to serve the paying patrons of American Airlines and yet, you have the audacity to tell me - to my face - that these rows are for you and your lazy minions to REST?! Am I missing something here? No, no no, you do not get two whole rows to spread out and gossip about what pilot you went down on last week and how weird Jennifer Aniston looks in the most recent US Weekly - no - you get to push that little cart up and down the rows asking if I would like something to drink. And yes, I'll take a soda water with lime.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY!? Since when can we not take advantage of an empty row in coach? That's like showing a JAP a sale at Saks and then telling her it's for employees only - isn't that counterproductive? Just as I reach the age where I have to accept that I cannot afford first class on my own and that slumming it in coach is the new chic I am not even allowed to enjoy the most sacred move in economy travel?

These people should be grateful they are employed and yet they bitch and take advantage - you can bet I am writing a letter! And it's not just airlines.

I got into a cab in New York and as I swiped my credit card it wouldn't let me continue until I entered a tip - what if I don't want to tip?! What if this ass hole jerked me around the most gridlocked streets of Manhattan and almost had me puking all over his Curry-scented seats? It took me 2 tries to realize I could hit 0 for tip and when I did, the cabbie says "what about tip?"

WHAT ABOUT TIP?? Tips are meant to be earned, hence the whole concept. I worked for tips once for a summer, and yeah, it sucks, but you learn how to earn them, to entertain and fight for people's crumpled dollar bills - not flat out say, "hey, where's my tip?".

My job is to make people want to buy things from me, to make friends with strangers - I understand how to build a rapport with a stranger - that's when you get a tip from me. If you find a way to make good conversation, hit a nerve or just do a good job at your job you will get a tip.

Examples: On my way to NYC, before that horrid red-eye flight from hell I went to an airport bar for a drink. Yes I flashed my platinum amex for entrance into the Qantas lounge because typically these lounges have free booze. Not this one, because apparently the day of the free-bee in the airport is dead to America. But a married man was kind enough to buy my batting eyelashes a glass of wine and the bartender was beyond. She was amazing - arguably the best bartender I have ever come in contact with. Her name was Sherri and she was the most genuinely sweet woman. She filled me up to the brim, twice, and told me all about this new app that tells you when cops are around - like a radar detector.

She also called me pretty and made me feel special....and not in a creepy lezzy way.

Now I had no cash on me, not a dollar, and felt so guilty leaving Sherri high and dry that I called the lounge to praise her, called qantas and the fine people at Amex to thank them for hiring such a great bartender - yes, I'm that person, but it made me feel good to do something nice for Sherri.

If only there were more Sherri's in the world. I am sick of disgruntled, lazy employees expecting more out of me than they deserve - it's called a recession, not recess.

Creative Hiatus

Hello to the few of you (if any) who actually subscribed to this and said WTF, where did she go. I got a job! No excuse for leaving this high and dry but I promise I feel terrible about not making the time to at least update the blog. It's been 2 months and I have no good excuse. That being said in the last 8 weeks I have done a lot, learned a lot and been all over the place.

I am going to put in the effort to blog at least once a week.

Yesterday, I actually helped a friend paint her kitchen. I had never painted anything other than a canvas in art class and have to admit it was fun - even though I am a terrible painter. My friend had to constantly remind me to try and do straight strokes and avoid the knobs - which I of course was instantly drawn to and painted all over. Before we started we went out and bought the paint, there is so much that goes into that process!! Watching her put the little paint samples on the wall and decide which was the better 'off white' made me a little dizzy. I had no idea how involved that process actually is, "this one's too pink, this one's too grey etc."

It was overwhelming, but a great way for me to learn. I just found out I get to keep my sublet for a year and now have the freedom to alter the decor - this girl has the worst taste in paint ever. My living room actually has a 'red wall' a la sex and the city, a big bright red wall and it's awful. Now, instead of spending the hundreds it most likely would have cost me to have the room professionally painted, I am going to take a weekend to pick out paints and do it myself (maybe with my adorable aussie roommate!). I may have to bring in one of my more experienced painter friends to do the corners and 'hard to reach' spots, but I'm now dead set on doing this myself. Plus, as my friend said as she dipped her brush into a lovely pale green pot of paint, "when this is all done I will feel like I've really accomplished something".

It's just too easy to delegate these seemingly arbitrary tasks to others. Writing a check to a handyman is so much less rewarding than wiping dirt off the brow and taking in all the work I've just accomplished myself. In the last 2 months, I've pumped air into my own tires instead of going to a mechanic, I've been making my own lunches instead of eating out and I've been drinking hard cider instead of cocktails at bars to curb spending. Cider is actually delicious and makes you look more laid back at a bar! It's just a throw in, I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about drinking as this honeymoon with the new job wears off and I realize I will never have spring break or summer vacation again : (

I know it isn't much, but for me it's like I've become a completely different person and I love the way being even remotely self reliant has made me feel. Every time I bring up a new concept for this blog I find myself bursting with pride and I am dedicated to continue it now.

Until next time....