So excited that Teresa is coming to visit on Tuesday

Went to Austin City Limits Festival with Jody and Roy. Met some incredible people in Ausitin. Took me 29 hours to get home after getting stuck in SLC and finally flying to PDX and renting a car and driving back home. During that 29 hours, came down with miserable cold........

Still...........

So stinkin' worth every minute.

Thanks Austin gang. I needed that.

Just successfully finished 3 extremely difficult weeks of training with Delta. Watch out world. I am trained and ready to enjoy the journey.

All of my Great Nieces and Nephews

Shannon, Ireland tomorrow. I need a leprechaun.

Tomorrow New York. Thursday...Barcelona, baby!

Recovering from renewing my unexplainable passion for Italy. Milan was incredible. The people are so incredibly beautiful. The styles are entertaining. Do I even need to mention the food and wine?

Just returned from an incredible trip to NYC where, before my work trip, I met my cousins for dinner, an amazing off Broadway play and just incredible fun. Totally was enamored with my little cousin Lena and her wife Emma. Hope 2 see more of them in the future. Can't stop smiling about how much I enjoyed cousin Ray and his wife Lisa. Missed my Mikey but had a time I will always remember.

Me and the bull fighter in Madrid. Great City but the animal lover in me has a problem with anything that revolves around bull fighting.

Ladies  Celebration of Life.... I am the luckiest woman in the world to have such amazing women friends.You guys rock!

Almost exactly 20 yrs ago Tricia & I moved into the bluff. The rest is history! Loved seeing everyone! Thanks for all the laughs! @Tricia- you r awesome!! Thanks for planning. 

Moscow was an education. I had never been to an eastern block, police state country before. I could feel the fear and anger in the air. No one smiles or expresses themself. Everyone looks as if their very will has been broken. We complain about our government all the time but we are so very lucky to be in the United States.

Headed for Atlanta today to ride the pink airplane. Delta painted one airplane pink for the fight against Breast Cancer. 144 Flight Attendants who have had Breast Cancer have been chosen to ride on the pink plane with our CEO, Richard Anderson and our head of In Flight Service. Not quite worth going through Breast Cancer but still an honor. :-)

Absolutely loved London. The history is so fascinating. But the security guard at LHR gave me a random pat down darn near worthy of a porno flick and she wouldn't even buy me dinner.

Mannekin Pis- Most famous statue in Brussels.

Rented Mopeds in Oahu to tool around the island. "I don't need no stinking helmet." Fun Fun Fun...CRASH! Scuffed knee, elbow, foot. Big bump on head. "OOOwww! " Tricia's Down!!! "Okay, I'll wear the helmet." "Let's do it agagin."

Recovering nicely. The twins are just right. I am so amazed at the support from my family and friends. Thanks to everyone. I met a wise Native American Healer in Kona, Hawaii who said that she didn't understand the message but she was told that my cancer was a gift. My first thought was to slap her but she made me start thinking about it. My cancer absolutely sucked but it truly was a gift. I have the ability to love and appreciate life and relationships so much more now. I am happier now than I have ever been and feel as though I have more to give to others than I ever have also. Thank you all for the gifts you have given me.

Pre-surgery...Back home for a while. Get my reconstruction this Friday the 13th. Suggestions and or jokes on size are welcome. Have to make final decision by Wednesday. A sense of humor has gotten me through this so why stop now? Before anyone goes there, no, I do not think my IQ will go down;-)

"Wow ... you go girl ...... just the other day I was telling someone the story of your first time back at Water X and you started to giggle .... it appeared that you had brought your own floatation devise inside the bra of your swimsuit :))"

Hey got your MSG the other day... Doing pretty well... Thinking about your BIG...(excuse the pun) day... Hey I say GO BIG or GO HOME!!! Lol. Ok not Dolly Parton Big but a plus size handful.... Lol.... If they stand up... Why the hell not.. Big and saggy not good but big and saluting the sun GOOD!!!!"

"I have a suggestion...put them on the back of your thighs. That way you can still say that the floatation devices can be found under your seat."

Snowshoeing adventure with the Bettys. 12 feet of snow.

Introducing the newest member of the Calhoon pack . All Hail Maya! The cutest and sweetest puppy to have been gifted to us since Fletcher. Fletcher and Chewy are as of yet unimpressed.

It was great to get to spend time with the Bettys for my birthday

I'm thrilled to have another birthday. I'm not finished with this life yet! Still lots of fun to be had, love to be given, and adventures to explore.

I loved Venice. So beautiful. I love my job!

Just got a call from my Oncologist (Dr. Jack Keech- love him) and my blood tests came back. I am CANCER FREE, baby. Yahooo. I love you all for supporting me, praying for me and sending me positive energy. Extra thanks and love to my hubby for going thru all of this with me twice. Mike, you are wonderful. All of you please celebrate life today for me.

On my way home from my Mom's 80th birthday party. I'm still on such a high from enjoying seeing friends and family members that I haven't seen in way too long. Thanks so very much to all of you who helped and showed up for Mom. She is an amazing woman . She cried most of the day tears of happiness. I miss you all already.

Hey Cincinnati Friends, Many of you remember Mark Schraffenberger, my first love. He ended up marrying an amazing woman and had 3 young boys. Yesterday, Mark lost his battle with cancer. His family could really use some help. There is a fund raiser on Oct. 20 to raise money for his family. More info. at http://schraffnews.wordpress.com/schraff-bash-fundraiser/

I have far too much to be thankful for to possibly list here. My life, my family, my friends, my dogs, love, wine, Thanksgiving dinner, my job, music, vacations and so very much more.

Heading out to Hawaii tomorrow for vacation with Mike Calhoon. We have had another rough year and so need to get out of the rain and just relax. Looking forward to seeing some family in Kona at the end of the week. 2013 is going to be a much better year for us. It is just the balance of life. Hope it is better for all of you too.

To my Cincinnati friends and family. For the first time in about 20 years, I'll be in Cincy for Christmas. I will get in probably the 20th and will be there most of the week after. I want to see everybody. Can't Wait.

Happy New Year from Guyana, South America! From Tricia, Sheba and Ricardo the Rhasta:-)

I guess I wasn't meant to go to Dublin yet. We were taxiing out of JFK on the way to Dublin when a DGS van passed so close in front of the airplane that the Captain had no choice but to slam on the brakes. Calamity Trish here, who was faithfully doing the demo in the aisle, went flying through the air and half way through first class and hit my head and elbow both of which swelled up like baseballs. We went back to the gate and I was taken off the flight by paramedics. Delta was great. They put me up in a hotel and got me on the first flight back to Seattle which is where I am now, licking my wounds and wishing I was in Ireland. I'm fine, just sore all over.

Finally made it to Dublin and it was worth everything I went thru to get there. I have been to many places in this world but have never met friendlier people than in Ireland. I went to dinner by myself (had amazing Irish stew) but within a short time I was welcomed, had friends, was bought drinks, exchanged emails, and invited to stay in the Irish countryside by people who wanted nothing from me but my friendship. I so want to go back.

My lovely wife Tricia Calhoon was briefly airborne last night... during taxi for takeoff from JFK to Dublin. Capt had to hit the brakes hard to avoid collision with an errant ground vehicle. Unfortunately the F/A's were on their feet at the time performing the safety demo. She hit the floor hard, head first. Instead of enjoying a nice 48-hr layover in Ireland, she's now home recovering with a moderate concussion, contusions, and sprained neck. Delta staff in JFK were wonderful in their handling of the situation, getting her medical attention, as well as hotel & flight home, which was no small feat considering all the pre-storm flight cancellations. Fellow crew members, as well as the Dublin passengers treated her wonderfully! Thanks to all for the kind thoughts & words. She will be back in the air in no time doing what she loves!

I'm in Bogota, Colombia today. Just went out for a "walk-about". Surprisingly for the capital city very few people speak English. My Spanish is very rusty but all of the people that I asked for directions or tried to converse with (which was quite a few since I got very lost) were so patient and really tried to help me. There are security guards with guns all over this area but they are very sweet young men. Two different guards actually walked me to where I needed to be. It looks like I may get to see a real South American thunder storm this afternoon. That would be so exciting. Have I mentioned that I love this job?

Every time I go on a trip I change a little bit. I am still spiritually me but I learn a little more, experience a little more, meet more amazing people, and realize a little more how little I know about the world. I still stand by my belief that 98% of people are inherently good and that they believe what they do is for the best.

London Tower and London Bridge.

The history at the London Tower was so fascinating.

I am home from Africa and have gotten some rest and tried to put what I have seen into some sort of perspective. Last month I said that every trip changes me a little. This trip changed me a lot.

In short, what I experienced: Beauty, ugliness, love, hate, filth, anger, laughing, crying, a plethora of smells both lovely and hideous, Ignorance, Ingenuity, fear, begging, extreme giving, extreme sweating, indifference, religious intolerance, sickness, hard workers, laziness and I could go on and on but you get the picture. I almost started a riot when I tried to take a picture. The people wanted to be paid to be photographed. 

I was called "movie star" and "sistah from anadah madah" by the people who wanted to sell me things. I was looked at with deep hatred by a few.

In short: I don't recommend Ghana as a vacation spot. With that said, I am so glad I did this trip.

The Bettys had a boating adventure yesterday which included fun, laughter, a lovely picnic lunch on the boat, assorted beverages, and ended up with a tow from an extremely nice group of people after the boat broke down. New laughs and memories made.

Okay, so we are temporarily stuck in Atlanta. Had a nice dinner and a nap. Hope to get home tomorrow. We had such an amazing time with my family at the wedding of my second cuz Nick Graff and his beautiful bride Stephanie Funicello. We got to spend some happy, quality time with Ray and Lisa J. Graff and Linda Graff and her cool guy Fred. It was all so worth the trip. My family is so very important to me and they are so fun. I love all of them so much. I want to point out that we missed Lena Graff and Emma Phillips but got Lena's beautiful message to her brother during the wedding. To all of my family I want to say " Love will keep us together". OMG I just quoted Captain and Tenille...LOL By the way we absolutely loved the hilly terrain and atmosphere of Asheville, NC and the Sherrill House. What an amazing blend of history, natural beauty and great kinfolk.

So yesterday I had one of those "thank God my Mom taught me to always wear clean underwear" moments. After a very difficult commute to JFK (very long story short- I had to take a small plane from Minneapolis to JFK) I was walking down the stairs of the aircraft when the wind caught my skirt and blew it up to my waist. Yipes!!!!. The man behind me very kindly called it a Marilyn Monroe moment. I was just glad nobody was blinded or ran screaming from the area. Could have been a real security issue. LOL

On my trip to Tel Aviv, I took a tour to Jerusalem. I could go on and on about what I saw and what I learned; what I felt and disappointingly didn't feel, but the thing I want to share with all of my friends is what I learned from a very sweet 32 year old man who helped me to change buses in an area where I could not even read the street signs. He told me that 90% of the people in that hot spot of the world just want peace. It is the 10 % of religious fanatics that keep the middle east at war. Now when I hear of a bombing in the middle east I will feel completely different. I will hope that none of the amazing people that I met were hurt. Doda (thank you) Israel for yet another education on humanity, culture, and love.

I know you have all heard that one of my true heroes, Nelson Mandela, has gone on to the next adventure. To Sir Mandela, I say "may your next journey be easier than this one has been".

To my South African brothers and sisters I say " I'm sorry for your loss. May we all come together in a celebration of Nelson Mandela's life and message."

To me he is similar to the Buddha in the fact that he suffered much before he came to amazing wisdom.

I was walking thru the outdoor market in Amsterdam on a Saturday afternoon; smells of fish, fresh fruit, schnitzel, and cheap materials "made in China" in the air. The market had a nice crowd, not wall to wall people but enough so that I was very aware that no one was speaking English. I could feel the January chill on my cheeks as I walked by a booth that was rocking some great dance music. I met eyes with an elderly lady in a motorized wheelchair. Somehow we both knew that our energies were totally connected. We both just broke out in to dance; her wiggling on her scooter and me full on dancing. The beat of this music was in us and we were in it. Then we simply stopped and walked away never to see each other again. There was no language barrier because no other communication was made other than that dance. The whole scenario lasted about 10 seconds. I felt so amazing.

Our 15 yr. old Chesapeake Bay Retriever got in to the mushrooms in the back yard again. She is so stoned. They must keep her young. Maybe I should try them. LOL

Yahoooooooo. As of May 2 I am officially transferred to Seattle. No more commuting to New York to stay in cheap, dirty hotels with questionable safety. No more waiting 7 hours to get my flight home. No more being away from my family an extra day or two.

But then the balance; I will miss my conversations with the cab drivers and van drivers. Truly they have taught me so much about other cultures. New York really is a melting pot of the world. I will miss the crazy New York crew members. I will miss going to the amazing destinations Delta goes to out of New York. There is something special about the energy in NYC.

But on to new adventures. I will be doing a lot more Asia flights, going back to the beautiful Alaska (where I met my hubby) and of course where my spirit seems to soar, Hawaii. I am very excited

So proud of my amazing husband for passing the "Professional Engineering" exam. He studied so long and accomplished it. I love you Mike.

"Lost in Seoul"-sounds like a name of a book or movie but it it was me 2 days ago. I had a layover in Seoul and went out on my usual walk-about. I was enthralled with the idea that maybe my Father had walked these streets during the Korean war. The streets in Seoul wind in an odd mixture of sky scrapers, underground shopping centers and shabby marketplaces. Hand made, spicy Korean food permeates the air. Some how I lost my bearings and could not find my hotel. No problem- I'll just ask for directions. Trying to find someone who spoke English proved to be a disappointingly difficult task. Finally I found a store owner who spoke a sparse amount of English. He spoke to a little string bean of a man who then motioned for me to follow him. Hesitatingly I did and he silently but very kindly walked me 3 blocks to the bus station. Apparently I had walked several miles in the wrong direction looking for the hotel. Not feeling comfortable figuring out which bus to take (because everything is written, of course, in Korean) I luckily saw another man in a suit who looked possibly half American. I asked him if he spoke English. He answered with no accent but perfect, understandable English. I nearly wept at the relief I felt. Bless this man's heart; he hailed a cab for me and told the driver where to go. I thanked him profusely, hopped in the cab and off I went back to the hotel in time for a nap before the flight home. I find that people are kind all over the world if you are respectful to them. "Gomapseumnida" Formal "thank you" to South Korea for a wild day and the kindness shown to me.

Back in my spiritual spot with Mike Calhoon. Life is so good.

2014 was a brutal year for the canines in the Calhoon family. Last month we lost Dad's dog, Sugar and then on Dec. 30 we lost our beloved, Chewy, our Chesapeake Bay Retriever. We rescued her from a shelter in Utah about 14 1/2 years ago. The old girl was around 16 when she passed. She was a stubborn one who stole and ate an entire large Domino's pizza once, several whole cakes and many bags of candy. She also grabbed a bag of flour off the counter once and put a hole in it. All we had to do was follow the trail of flour circling around the family room through the doggie door, in to the garage, out the other doggie door and in to the kennel. There she sat with a white face, an empty flour bag at her feet, and a look on her face that said "what? I didn't do it."

She was absolutely in love with Mike and just mooned over him. He in turn spoiled her rotten (it wasn't my fault at all ;-) )

Chewy was part of our family and we loved her so much. She will be greatly missed.

Here's to a better year in 2015 for you and yours from us and ours.

The Airline business is a huge family and therefore we all mourn when something tragic happens to a plane. I so wish that the First Officer had reached out to our family well before it came to such a heart breaking conclusion.

Sending love and light from the world's Airline family to the families of those lost on Germanwings 9525. I also want to reach out to our Germanwings colleagues to let you all know that the rest of your family colleagues are here for you. May this be the hardest thing that you ever go through.

Largest city by population in the world; 24 million people, 3 times the size of New York City; Crowded; crazy drivers; high rise buildings as far as the eye can see; violations of personal space (Just a different culture); no Facebook, Twitter, Google etc., Internet hit and miss; Multinational companies from all over the world; Shopping…Freakin’ Incredible; people… polite,very friendly but shop workers very pushy, short- several looked up at me like I was the snow beast from Rudolph; food…interesting, thank you but no bull frog for me; Air... polluted but thankfully it had rained the day before I got there so not awful; Flight…LONG;

I have found that all over the world, people are still people and deal with life the best they can. XIE XIE - Thank you, Shanghai for a fascinating cultural experience.

Whitewater rafting the New River in West Virginia with some friends. We were listening hard for Banjo music but thankfully heard none

Dad always dreamed that the Golden Girls would fight over him.

Okay so it has been a few months since my last shared adventure so here goes. I got to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams today and that was sitting at a little street cafe, watching people and having wine and crepes in Paris. What an incredible city. At first I was overwhelmed at the history and beauty of this city’s art, buildings, religions, graves, etc., etc., but I realized that I would need at least a couple of months to explore that and I only had 27 hours.

So as usual I set off with a couple of crew members who had been here many times so I had to break out on my own to get maximum experience and absorption.

I decided to go to the local supermarket to get wine and cheese to take home and share with friends and family. While in that store I decided to try to find some of the wonderful perfumes of Paris. I successfully sprayed in the air and sniffed 5 or 6 luxurious scents. It must have been the 7th perfume that was accidentally pointed right at my right shoulder when I pressed the trigger. It just happened to be the stinkiest flower bomb of all. People were literally stopping and smelling the air with their noses crinkled in horror as I walked by them. A very sweet Japanese man that admitted he spoke english (as most Parisians would not) was behind me in the check out line looked strangely at me . I said, “I am so sorry I smell so bad. I was testing perfumes and one was pointed the wrong way.” He looked very amused and said “That’s you?’’ Then he began laughing like a hyena. I was a bit mortified but I could see the humor in the matter.

Again, I got a little lost, but slid back to my hotel with aching feet and body as if I had just yet again dodged the curfew police back in college.

I got in the elevator and just before the doors closed this short statured jolly man jumped on to the elevator with a big grin, pointed at himself and said “Bangladesh”. I pointed at myself and said “United States”…He had no clue what I was saying. So I said “America”. He started making North and South gestures so I said “Barrack Obama”. Little Mr. Bangladesh started jumping up and down and saying “oh yes, great man.”

Have I mentioned that I love my job?

Happy 16th Anniversary to my amazing husband. We have been through so much in that time. I think it is time to have some fun. I love you.