In November, I bid for my December schedule. I bid for trips that start on Sunday and end on Wednesday. I pretty much didn't care about anything else. I knew if I had trips during those days that I would at least be home for Christmas Eve. When the schedules came out I was disappointed that I didn't get one trip that I bid for. In the course of one day I ran into two guys junior to me in LAX that had the exact trips I had bid for. The computer bidding system is suppose to award trips in order of seniority. I was really upset. I immediately started looking into it. I even talked to the assistant chief pilot in LAX. I contacted he head computer bidding guy. He said that the trips I bid for didn't have enough hours...the company wanted me to work 90 and it was less than that. It got rid of all the trips that I wanted and put a bunch of stuff I didn't want to build me up to that total. I could understand that to a certain extent but why did it have to drop every single trip. I found 2 or 3 that would have worked with the other trips I was awarded. I told him that it didn't feel like my seniority was being honored since guys junior to me had the trips I wanted. He said that the company had to cover its flying. I was frustrated because I am not opposed to working and working really hard but I want the trips that I bid for. He said he would look into it and call me back the next week. I knew right then it wouldn't go anywhere because the schedules were coming out the next day. Sure enough, I had to call him the next week and he told me that the system did what it was suppose to do. He told me the system had to "optimize" and the later that it "globalized." Seriously?! I really didn't feel like a person at that point. I was upset and crying. I explained that I was several weeks pregnant, that i didn't have to be working, that I could have gone out weeks before, and that I still could. He told me that maybe I should look into going on leave. That made me even more frustrated. He said there was nothing he could do and I would have to talk to my chief pilot. I called the assistant chief. He called the chief. The chief (who is not known for ever helping a pilot) said that everyone wants Christmas off. THAT IS NOT THE POINT. I just wanted the trips I bid for. I was so mad that I decided I would take a medical leave of absence since no one seemed to care to help me.
I wanted to talk to my midwife about getting a note to be off work at my visit mid December. She was called into the hospital so I had to meet with Dr Knudsen instead. I had never met her before. I asked her about getting a note. She made me feel like an idiot. She said she could only give me a note restricting my work such as, only 3 days a week, or only 8 hours a day. I wanted to go home and print out for her the Aeronautical Information Manual. It says "Even a minor illness suffered in day‐to‐day living can seriously degrade performance of many piloting tasks vital to safe flight. Illness can produce fever and distracting symptoms that can impair judgment, memory, alertness, and the ability to make calculations. Although symptoms from an illness may be under adequate control with a medication, the medication itself may decrease pilot performance.
Stress from the pressures of everyday living can impair pilot performance, often in very subtle ways. Difficulties, particularly at work, can occupy thought processes enough to markedly decrease alertness. Distraction can so interfere with judgment that unwarranted risks are taken, such as flying into deteriorating weather conditions to keep on schedule. Stress and fatigue (see above) can be an extremely hazardous combination.
Certain emotionally upsetting events, including a serious argument, death of a family member, separation or divorce, loss of job, and financial catastrophe, can render a pilot unable to fly an aircraft safely. The emotions of anger, depression, and anxiety from such events not only decrease alertness but also may lead to taking risks that border on self‐destruction. Any pilot who experiences an emotionally upsetting event should not fly until satisfactorily recovered from it."
I really felt like it was in the best interest of my passengers and myself not to be flying during the holidays. I went to Costco right after my visit at the Dr and found Brandon. I totally started crying. I would have just worked my schedule at that point because I felt so defeated but Brandon would not have it. This added even more stress because I knew he would be really upset and disappointed if I worked that trip.
I talked to my midwife later. I totally started crying again. She told me that I was anemic so that probably wasn't helping with my emotions. She told me to call her that week of Christmas with any symptoms that I was having and she would write me a note. The AIM says "Other medical conditions may be temporarily disqualifying, such as acute infections, anemia, and peptic ulcer." So it looks like I had a good reason to take a week off after all.
I wish I could say that it got easier after that but with the paper work the company was requiring of me it was a mess. I was on the phone with the people department and my midwife's office a million times.
I also had a concern that by taking the week of Christmas off the Line Check Airmen Committee would not hire me for that position even though it was medically supported. I was pretty stressed.
In the end it was all worth it. I really needed that time at home. It was so enjoyable spending time with my family for the holidays. I think people take for granted the little things like celebrating with their families during the holidays as opposed to being alone in a hotel room.
This is the first time since Brandon and I have been married that we actually purchased and decorated a Christmas tree. We also put up a few more decorations. It wasn't anything fancy but I am proud that we actually had decorations this year.
The Friday night before Christmas all the adults went to Bonefish for dinner. I have never been their before. It was delicious. There was a classic Collin moment when the waiter asked him how he liked his meal. Collin told him that it was horrible. The waiter was trying to make it right. Collin just basically said that he would pay for it and he didn't need anything else to eat but that the waiter asked so he was telling him the truth. Total Collin move. After dinner we went to see Sherlock Holmes.
The Friday night before Christmas all the adults went to Bonefish for dinner. I have never been their before. It was delicious. There was a classic Collin moment when the waiter asked him how he liked his meal. Collin told him that it was horrible. The waiter was trying to make it right. Collin just basically said that he would pay for it and he didn't need anything else to eat but that the waiter asked so he was telling him the truth. Total Collin move. After dinner we went to see Sherlock Holmes.
Christmas Eve we all celebrated with a delicious prime rib dinner. Then the children did the nativity (plus my mom and Brandon.) Brandon didn't want to be in the production but he had long hair and a beard....a perfect Joseph. You can't show up on Christmas Eve with long hair and a beard and expect not to be in the production.
We attended church on Christmas. Then we opened gifts. Brandon had been asking me to open the gift he got me since the day he picked it up. I made him wait though. He got me some really cute kicks...comfortable Nike shoes. I purchased him some new shirts, socks, and underwear. Our real gift was a Vitamix. We decided to do a joint gift this year. Later, we had soup and sandwiches with everyone.
The time flew by and it was all over too quickly. I am so grateful for the Savior's birth, life, perfect example, his atonement, and resurrection. I am grateful to have had the ability to celebrate with my family during the holiday season this year.
1 comment:
your job sounds wayyyyy to stressful to me. Don't know how you did it pregnant. you rock.
glad you got to spend some down time with your family for the holidays. You deserved it.
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