Back in the Big D

It's good to be home!

I haven't been a punctual poster while I was gone, but now that I'm back I promise to be more faithful! This month has been hectic, but fun. During my February travels, I've hit all four US time zones and a variety of climates.

It was 86 and sunny in Phoenix--I loved seeing my cousin and his kids, and I stayed at a really swanky hotel in Scottsdale: the hotel valley ho.

That weekend, it was off to Tyler for the PC Youth Group retreat. The weather was sunny, but COLD! I love those kids and we had a great time playing Power Uno and riding horses.

The next week, I was off to Seattle where it was 50 and rainy. My bag didn't make the double connection required of me (DAL-ABQ-OAK-SEA (darn wright amendment)) to get to Seattle on Sunday night, but it did make it in time for the Boeing Event. On Valentine's Day, SWA took delivery of the 5,000th 737 made by Boeing. They had a huge ceremony there at their production facility (did you know that they can take an empty fuselage (the metal shell of the plane), take it through their moving assembly line, and crank out a new 737 in 11 days? Pretty impressive! We were able to bring the plane back to Dallas non-stop since it was not a commercial flight. And since there were only Employees on board, the pilots flew with the cockpit door open! It's amazing to be able to see all those instruments while you're flying!

This past week, I went east to Orlando. Each year, our CEO, Gary Kelly does his "Message to the Field" (kinda like the State of the Union for Southwest folks. Our Department splits up the six messages and sends a representative to each one. The Orlando Message was great--Gary did an awesome job, and the venue was unbeatable--SeaWorld Orlando. We saw the dolphins, sea lions, and had a great time! Of course, I left the camera at home, but oh well.

So now I'm back! Whew, my suitcase is worn out! March will be a little less hectic I think.

It was good to get back in touch this weekend. Friday I flew in from Orlando, and then that night, I met my old roommates and their husbands/boyfriends/babies for dinner at On the Border in Frisco (a 45 minute drive from Love Field on a rainy evening) but totally worth it! It was great to catch up with them!

Saturday, it rained all day! I went shopping and ran errands, then went to the 25th Anniversary Gala for the Dallas Ronald McDonald House at the Belo Mansion. They were honoring Herb and Colleen, so Southwest had a few tables. The event was black tie, and totally over the top! They had a great jazz orchestra from new york (who, I found out later, did several Kennedy weddings along with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's wedding). They were great and the dinner and dancing was wonderful! I love that we work so closely with the Ronald McDonald Houses all across the country. It's such a joy to be able to serve these families with seriously ill children and know that somehow we can help them in even a small way.

Today was nice and sunny. I went to church, had lunch at Mi Cocina (yeah for the modern enchiladas) then came home and pulled weeds from my flower beds. I would have rather napped, but the ground was soft and it was so nice outside, so I didn't mind too much. I had a nice conversation with my next door neighbor, then went to a wedding shower for my friends Jason and Leigh Ann.

So now you're caught up on my life. I can't wait to get out there and catch up on the rest of the blog world!