RAVE: Continental Airlines

Today marks the beginning of another trip to New York City on business. It's not uncommon that I come to The Big Apple every month or two for client meetings or internal needs that require my presence in our Midtown office.

I do enjoy these visits, though sometimes the travel can be a hassle. Between the early morning flights I'm typically booked on, the cab ride from LaGuardia in traffic that has a tendency to make me queasy, and trekking to and from the hotel, travel itself can be exhausting.

Recently, these trips have had one rather large bright spot: Continental Airlines.

As much as I'm not a fan of commercial flying - after all, I prefer to jump out at altitude, rather than land with the plane - this is by far my choice airline when I must.

Flying out of Cleveland Hopkins, it's not uncommon to be placed on a CA flight as this airport is a hub. However, I've taken this trip on numerous other airlines and have been thoroughly disappointed.

Continental has some of the best customer service around. They are always friendly, always accommodating; unlike some other airlines. In fact, I once had to write a letter to American Airlines for the extremely rude service I received after being kicked off a flight due to fog. The flight still went, but I wasn't on it. But that's a story for another time.

In the last few months I've flown Continental on a number of trips, all of them fantastic. Even when we had weather delays the staff was always on top of updates for those of us waiting.

And I have to say, it's nice that on long flights like the one I recently took to LA and back, you still get dinner and a movie. The food is pretty decent, too!

So if you have a choice, in the coming weeks or months, choose to take your trip with Continental Airlines. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Cheers!

-A

Maybe I'm not cut out for this

Okay, so I'm going to dive into my personal life here a bit. I'm sure some of you nosey Nellys out there are dying to keep reading - I know I would be - but I wanted to give fair warning that I'm about to share more about me than usual. Here goes.

As some of you are aware, others may not be, the SO and I broke things off a few weeks back.

It was for the best, really. We had plans to move in together but it was for the wrong reasons. Luckily, a few moments of clarity saved us from jumping into something neither of us was ready for.

Since the break up, my life has taken some strange turns. 

You'd think with an event like this, things would slow down and even out a bit. Well, not with me. My life is always a whirlwind, and I couldn't love it more that way!

Here's a snapshot of what's been going on:

• I've been given numerous new opportunities at work.
  

     

• Without mindfully trying, I've lost five pounds since the break up. I've even been less stressed and eating more than usual. I know, I don't get it either.
  

• My travel schedule is packed, between business and skydiving, I might be home a total of 5 days in the month of September. Seriously.

• I'm heading to SkyVenture New Hampshire in October with some very experienced jumpers. I might be slightly intimidated, but feel lucky to have been invited along!

• I was recently told by a close friend that he is happy to see the "old Ashley" back and that "bitchy Ashley" is gone. It was pointed out that old Ashley came back a few weeks ago...um, wow.

Am I really that bad at being a part of a couple that I'm only at my ideal weight, personality, and level of opportunity when I'm unattached?

If so, what does that say about me?

I can't really imagine my life without the craziness and rapid change - that's just sort of how it's always been. Maybe a little tamer when committed relationships are involved, but still highly active none the less.

All I know right now is that I'm excited for what's coming. There are opportunities that lay before me that I never dreamed. Single or attached, I'm one lucky girl.

Cheers!

-A

Weekend demos and new commitments

This weekend was filled with driving and skydiving. But for anyone who's actually interested in that, you can head over here to SkydiveChick.com - my other blog - to read about those adventures.

I've even written a short review on Aerodyne and the Pilot canopy that I got to demo in their Icon rig. I'm a huge advocate, to say the least.

Anywhoosits, what I'd really like to talk about on this beautiful Monday (yes, I'm highly caffeinated, what of it?) is photography.

For those of you who have followed me for a while now, you may recall how I used to have a weekly column called Photography Friday. It was a fun little way for me to show off my latest shots and I've even sold y'all some prints that was!

But with this little skydiving hobby of mine, photography has taken an unfortunate backseat these past few months. Well guess what, I'm making it a point to bring that back - both to the blog and on Twitter.

If you follow me on Twitter - if you don't, what are you waiting for?? - you may have noticed a couple tweets for Photo of the Day. This is something I will be continuing to do daily. 

It's a nice little tribute to some of the amazing photographers who put themselves out there on Flickr. So when I see something I like, it becomes the photo of the day. Pretty nifty, eh?

Of course, I'll do my best to bring back Photography Friday as well. It'll keep me on my toes with my picture taking, too.

And yes, I did say new commitments. Plural.

I recently decided to re-commit myself to something that's slipped lately. I'm coming back to strict vegetarianism. 

The last few weekends I've cheated on this diet, and honestly, I've felt like complete crap after doing so. My body isn't used to this. It's time to reconnect with why I started this in the first place and stick with it. For good.

What are some of your recent commitments?

Cheers!

-A

Los Angeles Baby!

It's about time I finally got around to writing about my trip to Los Angeles...two weeks ago.

This was a trip that the old college crew had been anticipating for months. We were finally all going to be back together in the same place - it'd been since our senior year!

Wednesday I took an early flight and was met by my former roommate, her boyfriend and our friend Chris. After settling in we headed over to the La Brea tar pits, which were not that far from Chris' house. We didn't stay long, given how freaking hot it was, but it was a fun little touristy thing to do.

Chris and me in front of one of the tar pits. It smelled lovely!

That evening we trekked up Runyon Hill (which, is more than a hill, trust me) so we could get views like this.

apologize for the fuzziness, it's an iPhone pic.

Thursday it was off to Laguna Beach for some relaxing in the sun. I don't know about all the rest of yous young professionals out there, but laying on the beach for hours on end just screams perfect vacation to me.

Beautiful Laguna Beach!

Pretty standard position for us this week.

We walked along the shores of the Pacific before heading to our next destination: Newport Beach.

Why does this sound like some sort of MTv special?

First priority was to find a bar for happy hour. And boy was it happy. Just being back in a bar with the old crew was enough to make me happy. Though, the drinks didn't hurt either.

Take a look at the size of Brandye's drink!

Then we walked along the pier and took some more pictures.

The rest of the evening was spent out in Huntington Beach with the rest of our group. Our friend Jon also lives out in SoCal, so after swinging by his place in Irvine to clean up, we spent the evening together, catching up on the last few years.

We kept it calm, probably not as expected, but when Brandye asked me to ride the bull with her, I just couldn't resist.

Yes, I was sober. Yes, I should be embarrassed by this. No, I'm really not.

Friday included more beach time, relaxing in the sand at Venice Beach before going to the Dodgers Game.

Now, let me just say that we had 8 tickets to this game - 4 that were given to Chris by a vendor of his, and 4 that they purchased. Chris, being the nice guy he is, gave us out-of-towners the nicer seats.

We ended up in the Dugout Club which began with an all you can eat buffet of pretty phenomenal food, followed by seats 3 rows behind home plate.

(Talk about some pretty amazing seats, eh?)

Throughout the game there were a number of celebrity sightings, including a foul ball caught by Jermain Jackson and Ray Liota and his family sitting one row over. During the game we noticed on the big screen that Jerry O'Connel and Josh Duhamel were at the game. I looked around and noticed they were only a couple sections over, in the front row.

Ha, cool, right?

Well, it gets even better. So while we were inside retrieving drinks, we came across Jerry up at the bar. We decided to approach him, very gently, and ask if we could get a picture with him.

He seemed happy to do so, then mentioned that Josh is outside and we should get him in the shot too ... just as he walks in.

Can you say perfect timing?

Long story short, there I am with my arm around Josh Duhamel when my friend's camera is FULL and we can't get the shot. 

So, no proof. But I can tell you, my knees went a little weak having my arm around Josh's waist.

But enough about that.

Saturday was our last full day in L.A. and we lived it up, again, at the beach. But first, we walked Hollywood Boulevard for a bit. It was another one of those fun touristy things.

(Chinese Theatre)

After our walk in the heat I made everyone stop off at one of my frozen yogurt obsessions, Pinkberry for a refreshing treat before heading over to Hermosa Beach.

Our last night was spent on the town with the whole crew. We hit up a local bar for some great burgers - yes, I cheated - then went back to the house where the guys played a few rounds of beer pong before heading out.

The bar of choice was called Happy Endings. I know, right?

It was great to sit around and share drinks with the crew again. Most of us remained in control, others, did not. 

A few of us made the long walk back to Chris' house and headed to bed so we could catch our early flights.

It was a great five days of fun and relaxation with my favorites from the good old days as Spartans. 

The only remaining question is, where do we go for next year's reunion?

Cheers!

-A

RAVE: Dinner and a movie

Last night I headed out to Crocker Park in Westlake for a little dinner and a movie action.

I was craving the avocado egg rolls at the Cheesecake Factory so that's where the first stop took us. 

Naturally, I didn't finish my meal - seriously, if you've ever eaten there, you probably haven't finished anything either - but you can't leave there without having cheesecake, right?

I went with the standard here again, the Chocolate Oreo Mudslide...mmmm. But before we placed that order, our server discussed the current dessert specials. 

In discussing their newest cheesecake options, she asked me if I was a vegetarian.

Me: (a little shocked) Yes, I am!

Server: I thought so. You ordered a vegetarian appetizer and asked for your salad without chicken. So, you'll want to stay away from any of the cheesecakes that say "original," they're made with beef fat.

Something I didn't know before! I left there feeling pretty pleased with the service - a quick, hearty meal with a server that went above and beyond in my book.

Then it was on to see (500) Days of Summer. Now, I'm not usually one for sappy, romantic movies, but this looked pretty entertaining. As a Sundance Film I couldn't resist quirky factor. And I really do love Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

I did think it was going to be funnier, but it was a compelling story that had a similar back-and-forth effect to Memento. 

Highly recommended!

What are some good movies that you've seen lately?

Cheers!

-A

Summer to-dos

So as you're all probably aware I'm a huge fan of Susan over at Transient Travels. 

What? You haven't visited her site before. What the hell are you waiting for? Go now!

Oh, wait. WAIT! How about after you finish reading. Okay? Thanks.

Today's topic of discussion is inspired by her recent post on the things she'd like to accomplish by the end of the summer - which, if you hadn't noticed, is fast approaching.

In the spring I had come up with a few goals for the coming months, a summer bucket list, if you will, and it's about time I see where I've ended up and where I've yet to go. So, shall we?

#1 - Earn my skydiving license by the end of the season. CHECK! 

Two weeks ago I passed my check dive with flying colors and am the proud owner of this number: A-56008. Now, with A license in hand I'm debating on the ability to earn my B license by the end of the season. After all, there's still so much time left to jump.

#2 - See an outdoor concert. CHECK! 

The intent was to go to Blossom, but I never made it there. Though I did make it out to see O.A.R at The Nautica Pavilion a couple months ago. That'll likely be the only one I make it to this year.

(editor's note: for all those who refer to O.A.R as oar - yes, like the paddle - you're wrong. It's an acronym. It stands for Of A Revolution. Now you know.)

#3 - Vacation in LA with the college crew. CHECK! 

Yes, I still owe y'all a post on this. But honestly, I want to include pictures and I didn't take many. Once I get some from my friends I'll do a post. Promise.

#4 - Pack parachutes at my drop zone. FAIL! 

Yes, I learned to pack for my license. Yes, I'm still terrible at it. The intent was to be a packer to pay for jumps, but when I was given the opportunity to work ground crew at demos, take pictures and work manifest instead, well, I chose the latter options.

#5 - Start a professional blog. CHECK! 

Though this wasn't exactly the path I'd imagined. My professional blog is actually for skydiving rather than social media. But to my surprise, SkydiveChick has taken off in just a short time. I was actually recognized at a drop zone (no, not mine, thankyouverymuch) as The Skydive Chick. Crazy!

#6 - Run a 1/2 marathon. HUGE FAIL! 

I never even registered. And I certainly didn't train. In fact, I've pretty much given up my competitive running hobby. Between broken feet and sprained vertebrae over the years, my body has taken enough beatings from this sport. So I've moved on to jumping out of airplanes. What of it?

#7 - Get out of debt. MINOR FAIL. 

With all that I've been spending I really should be in deeper than I am. But really, aside from skydiving and traveling I haven't spent much money. I can't tell you the last time I went to the mall, or bought anything that wasn't related to skydiving for that matter.

#8 - Tone up for my brother's wedding. CHECK! 

The best part is that I haven't even been trying. Believe it or not, I've lost 10 pounds since I stopped working out. And the parachuting has really helped with muscle tone. Yes, it's more than just falling out of an airplane.

#9 - Go to Cedar Point. CHECK!

I in fact did make the yearly trip to Sandusky for a day of thrills. Though by 5:00 in the afternoon we were exhausted, so we called it a day earlier than usual. Still a great time!

So as I look into the late summer and fall, there are still some things I want to accomplish - above and beyond getting my B-license and getting out of debt.

>Be a better vegetarian. I've cheated on this more than I'd like to admit this summer. Each and every time I think a burger is a good idea I end up feeling terrible, too. I'd like these lessons to start sticking.

>Get some tunnel time. Luckily I was recently asked to take a trip to New Hampshire as part of a 4-way for some quality time in the wind tunnel. I'm pumped.

>Get back into yoga. This fell off the map after my cruise in the spring. But yoga is so good for your body and your mind...I need to make it back to Inner Bliss soon.

>Attend two tailgates. Whether or not I actually make it to an MSU football game this year, I definitely want to make it up to a tailgate or two. Last year was filled with tailgating fun. I certainly don't intend on missing out this year.

>Visit the cider mill. It's one of those fall things I look forward to every year. There's nothing like picking out a pumpkin, eating a donut and sipping on some cider to welcome fall with open arms.

(Uncle John's in my hometown)

>Take a trip to Wisconsin. Two of my best friends live there. It's the least I can do by going back again this year.

What do you want to accomplish before the end of the summer?

Cheers!

-A

RANT: Passive aggressiveness

Wow, it's been a while. 

I'm really sorry about that. 

Between my recent trip to LA with the ole college crew (post to come), jumping as much as possible to get my skydiving license (which I did earn...click here to see the video of my first licensed jump), and some other recent developments, life has seriously gotten in the way of blogging.

Anywhosits...I'm here to actually write something of worth today, believe it or not.

With all the things that have changed recently -- which I'll keep under wraps as 1) you don't need to hear the drama that is my life sometimes, and 2) it's really not relevant -- there have been some people who are rather unhappy with me.

Luckily for my sake, I adopted the "you can't please everyone" mentality long ago and am only slightly phased by this disapproval.

However, I find something intriguing that I'd like to share with y'all, as I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced this...

As I was working late last night to finish up a video project, I surfed over to Facebook for a quick gander at my news feed (gotta keep up somehow, right) while my movie was exporting.

To my surprise, I found a rather nasty status update that was clearly directed at me. Whoa!

It didn't use my name, or exactly what had happened to anger this person, but with the accompanying comments it was quite obvious where this disapproval was directed.

What'd I do about it, you might ask? I laughed out loud. Hard.

This is one of the most passive aggressive things I've ever witnessed - using social media to tell someone indirectly of your frustrations (read: hoping they'll see your status update and know you're mad at them).

I'm not entirely sure I get the purpose of this, especially considering that the decision that was disapproved of only affects a very small population (this person not included). So really, anyone reading this aside from me wouldn't have a damn clue what's going on.

Doesn't it just make the other person look silly?

Maybe that's just me.

Anyway - there's my rant for the day. Not so much of a "holy shit I'm pissed" sort of rant, but more of a "seriously, you're an idiot" rant.

Has anyone else experienced this social media passive aggressiveness? Did you find it just as ridiculous? 

Cheers!

-A

Weekend come and gone

Alright so - I don't have much to review today so I'm going to talk about my weekend. Then I'm going to talk about how I'm leaving for California tomorrow and won't be back till Monday, at which point there's likely to be another recap.

Sorry.

Anyway, as you may recall Friday night was the Frivolity event that was held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was fabulous! With lots of local officials and an amazing community supporting Cleveland to host the 2014 Gay Games, I don't know how the committee could pass us up as the obvious choice!

Saturday I was able to complete two skydives before it was time to head back to Cleveland to visit Voodoo Monkey. Pictures to come soon.

Then it was off to Canton Air Sports to hang out with the crew. We arrived after sunset but were able to hang out with everyone before getting some shut-eye. A very short couple hours, anyhow.

Sunday started with much cloud cover and a little rain. Perfect time to pack a parachute for someone else to jump. Believe it or not I had a volunteer to jump my first pack job.

Yes, he lived! I witnessed it from the ground.

Then I was able to get in a couple good jumps, including my check jump that allowed me to get my license!! Woohoo!

So the last jump of the day was at sunset, my first as a licensed skydiver (yes, that means I owe beer, I know).

The last two days have been back to reality, working hard to get everything done before I head to California for a college crew reunion of sorts.

So that's it. You get a break from me for the rest of the week. See y'all when I'm back from L.A.

Cheers!

-A