Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The difference a year or two can make.....
So I am going to try my best to post this exactly on April 11 but forgive me if I miss by a day or two since I'm traveling..... So now lets flashback two years
April 11, 2010 - Dh gets released from the hospital after having back surgery, still currently employed though obviously not flying for XJT.
April 11, 2011- Dh starts first day of class at AAY!
April 11, 2012- 2nd year pay.... Thank god!!!
Looking back who could have ever guessed in 2010 that he would be back at work much less working for a new company in a years time??? That was a wild, quick, and unexpected plunge into first year pay and qol. And of course the famous question; Was it worth good seniority, benefits, and pay to make the change?
As we start into the second year at AAY and our checkbook happily looks at second year pay, our health insurance does not, this is by far my biggest disappointment/complaint with changing jobs. When Dh first started at AAY we had a ppo it wasn't great but still it was ppo. Now we have some kind of hsa crap, in which all the gains of our second year pay will be eaten up with health insurance costs.
Of course our qol has taken a hit starting at the bottom of any company will do that, so by that standards it's "normal". Dh hasn't been home much but that was expected (even though I complain about it). And I would be unfair if I didn't mention our qol would be great if we lived in base since he is doing all day trips. He has been fairly lucky to get a line 5 months after completing training, and he also (so far, knock on wood) got hired at the right time as there are now about 40 people under him. This may not seem like such a big number but in a company of less than 400 it is a decent amount.
It's still far to early in the game to know if this was the right move, in fact one of our ex-twa neighbors correctly said "you won't know if you picked right until the day you retire." This is so true given how volatile the airline industry these days.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is probably the best quote I can use for right now. We knew what we were dealing with at XJT but we also knew its limits. Starting on second year pay this year Dh will be within $10 an hour of what he was making at XJT as a 10 year captain. Is it the highest in the industry? No. Is it better than what he was making? Well not second year but it will be, and in far less than ten years, try three. Is its good as it could be? No it could always be better. And maybe that sentiment is why we chose to take this "leap of faith" AAY has the potential to be better than XJT was.
Now that the first year is over I'd cant say for sure that the move was a good thing, but I also cant say it was bad, and I think in the airline industry thats as good as it gets.
Sent from my iPad
The difference a year or two can make
The difference year or two can make....
So I am going to try my best to post this exactly on April 11 but forgive me if I miss by a day or two since I'm traveling..... So now lets flashback two years
April 11, 2010 - Dh gets released from the hospital after having back surgery, still currently employed though obviously not flying for XJT.
April 11, 2011- Dh starts first day of class at AAY!
April 11, 2012- 2nd year pay.... Thank god!!!
Looking back who could have ever guessed in 2010 that he would be back at work much less working for a new company in a years time??? That was a wild, quick, and unexpected plunge into first year pay and qol. And of course the famous question; Was it worth good seniority, benefits, and pay to make the change?
As we start into the second year at AAY and our checkbook happily looks at second year pay, our health insurance does not, this is by far my biggest disappointment/complaint with changing jobs. When Dh first started at AAY we had a ppo it wasn't great but still it was ppo. Now we have some kind of hsa crap, in which all the gains of our second year pay will be eaten up with health insurance costs.
Of course our qol has taken a hit starting at the bottom of any company will do that, so by that standards it's "normal". Dh hasn't been home much but that was expected (even though I complain about it). And I would be unfair if I didn't mention our qol would be great if we lived in base since he is doing all day trips. He has been fairly lucky to get a line 5 months after completing training,and he also (so far, knock on wood) got hired at the right time as there are now about 40 people under him. This may not seem like such a big number but in a company of less than 400 it is a decent amount.
It's still far to early in the game to know if this was the right move, in fact one of our ex-twa neighbors correctly said "you won't know if you picked right until the day you retire." This is so true given how volatile the airline industry these days.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is probably the best quote I can use for right now. We knew what we were dealing with at XJT but we also knew its limits. Starting on second year pay this year Dh will be within $10 an hour of what he was making at XJT as a 10 year captain. Is it the highest in the industry? No. Is it better than what he was making? Well not second year but it will be, and in far less than ten years, try three. Is its good as it could be? No it could always be better. And maybe that sentiment is why we chose to take this "leap of faith" AAY has the potential to be better than XJT was.
Now that the first year is over I'd can't say for sure that the move was a good thing, but I also can't say it was bad, and I think in the airline industry that is as good as it gets.
So I am going to try my best to post this exactly on April 11 but forgive me if I miss by a day or two since I'm traveling..... So now lets flashback two years
April 11, 2010 - Dh gets released from the hospital after having back surgery, still currently employed though obviously not flying for XJT.
April 11, 2011- Dh starts first day of class at AAY!
April 11, 2012- 2nd year pay.... Thank god!!!
Looking back who could have ever guessed in 2010 that he would be back at work much less working for a new company in a years time??? That was a wild, quick, and unexpected plunge into first year pay and qol. And of course the famous question; Was it worth good seniority, benefits, and pay to make the change?
As we start into the second year at AAY and our checkbook happily looks at second year pay, our health insurance does not, this is by far my biggest disappointment/complaint with changing jobs. When Dh first started at AAY we had a ppo it wasn't great but still it was ppo. Now we have some kind of hsa crap, in which all the gains of our second year pay will be eaten up with health insurance costs.
Of course our qol has taken a hit starting at the bottom of any company will do that, so by that standards it's "normal". Dh hasn't been home much but that was expected (even though I complain about it). And I would be unfair if I didn't mention our qol would be great if we lived in base since he is doing all day trips. He has been fairly lucky to get a line 5 months after completing training,and he also (so far, knock on wood) got hired at the right time as there are now about 40 people under him. This may not seem like such a big number but in a company of less than 400 it is a decent amount.
It's still far to early in the game to know if this was the right move, in fact one of our ex-twa neighbors correctly said "you won't know if you picked right until the day you retire." This is so true given how volatile the airline industry these days.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is probably the best quote I can use for right now. We knew what we were dealing with at XJT but we also knew its limits. Starting on second year pay this year Dh will be within $10 an hour of what he was making at XJT as a 10 year captain. Is it the highest in the industry? No. Is it better than what he was making? Well not second year but it will be, and in far less than ten years, try three. Is its good as it could be? No it could always be better. And maybe that sentiment is why we chose to take this "leap of faith" AAY has the potential to be better than XJT was.
Now that the first year is over I'd can't say for sure that the move was a good thing, but I also can't say it was bad, and I think in the airline industry that is as good as it gets.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The difference a year or two can make........
The difference year or two can make....
So I am going to try my best to post this exactly on April 11th, but forgive me if I miss by a day or two since I'm traveling..... So now lets flashback two years
April 11, 2010 - Dh gets released from the hospital after having back surgery, still currently employed though obviously not flying for XJT.
April 11, 2011 - Dh starts first day of class at AAY!
April 11, 2012 - 2nd year pay.... Thank god!!!
Looking back who could have ever guessed in 2010 that he would be back at work much less working for a new company in a years time??? That was a wild, quick, and unexpected plunge into first year pay and qol. And of course the famous question; Was it worth good seniority, benefits, and pay to make the change?
As we start into the second year at AAY and our checkbook happily looks at second year pay, our health insurance does not, this is by far my biggest disappointment/complaint with changing jobs. When Dh first started at AAY we had a ppo it wasn't great but still it was ppo. Now we have some kind of hsa crap, in which all the gains of our second year pay will be eaten up with health insurance costs.
Of course our qol has taken a hit, starting at the bottom of any company will do that, so by that standards it's "normal". Dh hasn't been home much but that was expected (even though I complain about it). And I would be unfair if I didn't mention our qol would be great if we lived in base since he is doing all day trips. He has been fairly lucky to get a line 5 months after completing training,and he also (so far, knock on wood) got hired at the right time as there are now about 40 people under him. This may not seem like such a big number but in a company of less than 400 it is a decent amount.
It's still far to early in the game to know if this was the right move, in fact one of our ex-twa neighbors correctly said "you won't know if you picked right until the day you retire." This is so true given how volatile the airline industry these days.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is probably the best quote I can use for right now. We knew what we were dealing with at XJT but we also knew its limits. Starting on second year pay this year Dh will be within $10 an hour of what he was making at XJT as a 10 year captain. Is it the highest in the industry? No. Is it better than what he was making? Well not second year but it will be, and in far less than ten years, try three. Is it as good as it could be? No, it could always be better. And maybe that sentiment is why we chose to take this "leap of faith" AAY has the potential to be better than XJT was.
Now that the first year is over I'd can't say for sure that the move was a good thing, but I also can't say it was bad, and I think in the airline industry that is as good as it gets.
So I am going to try my best to post this exactly on April 11th, but forgive me if I miss by a day or two since I'm traveling..... So now lets flashback two years
April 11, 2010 - Dh gets released from the hospital after having back surgery, still currently employed though obviously not flying for XJT.
April 11, 2011 - Dh starts first day of class at AAY!
April 11, 2012 - 2nd year pay.... Thank god!!!
Looking back who could have ever guessed in 2010 that he would be back at work much less working for a new company in a years time??? That was a wild, quick, and unexpected plunge into first year pay and qol. And of course the famous question; Was it worth good seniority, benefits, and pay to make the change?
As we start into the second year at AAY and our checkbook happily looks at second year pay, our health insurance does not, this is by far my biggest disappointment/complaint with changing jobs. When Dh first started at AAY we had a ppo it wasn't great but still it was ppo. Now we have some kind of hsa crap, in which all the gains of our second year pay will be eaten up with health insurance costs.
Of course our qol has taken a hit, starting at the bottom of any company will do that, so by that standards it's "normal". Dh hasn't been home much but that was expected (even though I complain about it). And I would be unfair if I didn't mention our qol would be great if we lived in base since he is doing all day trips. He has been fairly lucky to get a line 5 months after completing training,and he also (so far, knock on wood) got hired at the right time as there are now about 40 people under him. This may not seem like such a big number but in a company of less than 400 it is a decent amount.
It's still far to early in the game to know if this was the right move, in fact one of our ex-twa neighbors correctly said "you won't know if you picked right until the day you retire." This is so true given how volatile the airline industry these days.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is probably the best quote I can use for right now. We knew what we were dealing with at XJT but we also knew its limits. Starting on second year pay this year Dh will be within $10 an hour of what he was making at XJT as a 10 year captain. Is it the highest in the industry? No. Is it better than what he was making? Well not second year but it will be, and in far less than ten years, try three. Is it as good as it could be? No, it could always be better. And maybe that sentiment is why we chose to take this "leap of faith" AAY has the potential to be better than XJT was.
Now that the first year is over I'd can't say for sure that the move was a good thing, but I also can't say it was bad, and I think in the airline industry that is as good as it gets.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
My Husband The Five Year Old
So normally when dh has anything less than 3 days off he stays in FL and plays golf with his dad and hangs out. We mutually agreed (because of the hellish commute) it was a complete PITA to get home for less than 3 days.....So flash forward to this week, he only had 2 days off, and I had something come up that if it happened I would Absolutely need him home for. This would have entailed him coming home Monday night, and leaving Wednesday at O-dark-thirty. So last week when I told him something came up and I *may* need him to come home for Tuesday the conversation went like this....
Me: "I might need you to come home for Tuesday to help me out, I'll let you know for sure in a day or two but I wanted to give you some warning."
Him: "What? But I'm playing golf with my dad those days, and we have things planned. If I have to come home and help out then YOU have to call my dad and tell him I won't be there."
Hmmm...Say What? For one thing it's not as if this is the ONLY time he'll have gotten to play golf with his dad...he does it once a week to once a month depending on his schedule, remember he doesn't come home unless he has more than 3 days off, so he's had plenty of time to play golf. And really? really? You are going to whine about coming home and helping me? Excuse me? And then you want ME to call your dad and talk to him (don't get me wrong I love his dad) but REALLY?
Well it turns out I didn't need him to come home and got everything figured out myself...because god forbid we inconvenience the pilot!
Me: "I might need you to come home for Tuesday to help me out, I'll let you know for sure in a day or two but I wanted to give you some warning."
Him: "What? But I'm playing golf with my dad those days, and we have things planned. If I have to come home and help out then YOU have to call my dad and tell him I won't be there."
Hmmm...Say What? For one thing it's not as if this is the ONLY time he'll have gotten to play golf with his dad...he does it once a week to once a month depending on his schedule, remember he doesn't come home unless he has more than 3 days off, so he's had plenty of time to play golf. And really? really? You are going to whine about coming home and helping me? Excuse me? And then you want ME to call your dad and talk to him (don't get me wrong I love his dad) but REALLY?
Well it turns out I didn't need him to come home and got everything figured out myself...because god forbid we inconvenience the pilot!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Do other people Get It?
Amazing how often dh and I will talk about something and it's the same (type) of conversation that is going on at one of the pilot wife websites I visit.
Most recently on one of the websites someone was talking about how their friends didn't understand when she said her husband was gone for 12 days (or so) that he was really GONE. Not just that he was working 12 days in a row, and coming home every night. It really is hard to explain to people who have a 9-5 job.
On the flip side it's hard for me to tolerate people who complain about their husbands/wives being gone for 4 days a month. Now I know that this is probably a dramatic event for them, but really don't complain to me about it and expect to get much sympathy. In the same respect I wouldn't go on a military spouse forum and complain about my husband being gone for 10 days, they'd laugh me out of there (as they should) their spouses are gone for WAY longer!
The consensus of the discussion was that unless people actually have to live it they don't really Get It. I would have to say that's mostly true, though I do have a great group of friends who know how much dh is gone and really understand that when he's gone for 10 days, he's Gone!
Most recently on one of the websites someone was talking about how their friends didn't understand when she said her husband was gone for 12 days (or so) that he was really GONE. Not just that he was working 12 days in a row, and coming home every night. It really is hard to explain to people who have a 9-5 job.
On the flip side it's hard for me to tolerate people who complain about their husbands/wives being gone for 4 days a month. Now I know that this is probably a dramatic event for them, but really don't complain to me about it and expect to get much sympathy. In the same respect I wouldn't go on a military spouse forum and complain about my husband being gone for 10 days, they'd laugh me out of there (as they should) their spouses are gone for WAY longer!
The consensus of the discussion was that unless people actually have to live it they don't really Get It. I would have to say that's mostly true, though I do have a great group of friends who know how much dh is gone and really understand that when he's gone for 10 days, he's Gone!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Endometriosis Awareness Month
I love this quote and how it was paired with the yellow awareness ribbon, I wish I knew how to do pictures like this! I snagged this one from somewhere on facebook.Since March is Endometriosis awareness month I thought it would be a nice idea to highlight some good Endo blogs throughout the month, starting with this one
Friday, March 9, 2012
No Internet or TV??
So I come home last Friday after having a fantastic dinner out with some friends, hop on the elliptical, turn on the TV so I can entertain myself on the elliptical and....NOTHING.....ummm.....
So my wonderful husband has a universal remote that sometimes (I admit) I screw up and hit the wrong button then spend the rest of the time he's gone switching between the TV remote, stereo remote, tivo remote...you get the picture. So I assume I have some how caused great distress to the universal remote again, grab the TV remote....Nothing....at this point it's almost crisis mode. While some of you may think I'm being a wimp about this, I've been working 6 days a week sometimes 9 hours a day until they hire someone else which can't come soon enough! But that being said I have about 2 hours a day at home that I watch TV and hop on the elliptical, sorry but I want to watch TV for that time.
Also and perhaps even worse at this point was that the Internet was down as well as having no TV (by no TV I mean I can't even watch DVD's). That actually qualified this AS a Crisis. So I call my happy husband at midnight his time (no, he didn't have to work the next day, unless you consider playing golf "work") much to his dismay. His first question was "did you look to see if everything is plugged in?" Well I did, but how would I know? The entire area behind the TV is a giant mess of wires and cords which is impossible for anyone but him to navigate. I didn't see anything clearly wrong and politely told him so.
His next solution is clearly the best "I don't know what's wrong with it from here, wait until Monday when I come home and I'll fix it."
WHAT? Sorry that's not an acceptable answer. No Internet or TV for 3 days?! I could do without one or the other but not both! So I again politely told him to shove it, and that if I couldn't fix it I'd call someone that could.....which of course he was unhappy about. I finally figured out (after much arguing) that one of our cats had decided to go crawling through the jungle of cords (in search of god knows what) and had stepped on the power cord and flipped the whole thing off! Problem Solved......AND I didn't have to wait until Monday!
So my wonderful husband has a universal remote that sometimes (I admit) I screw up and hit the wrong button then spend the rest of the time he's gone switching between the TV remote, stereo remote, tivo remote...you get the picture. So I assume I have some how caused great distress to the universal remote again, grab the TV remote....Nothing....at this point it's almost crisis mode. While some of you may think I'm being a wimp about this, I've been working 6 days a week sometimes 9 hours a day until they hire someone else which can't come soon enough! But that being said I have about 2 hours a day at home that I watch TV and hop on the elliptical, sorry but I want to watch TV for that time.
Also and perhaps even worse at this point was that the Internet was down as well as having no TV (by no TV I mean I can't even watch DVD's). That actually qualified this AS a Crisis. So I call my happy husband at midnight his time (no, he didn't have to work the next day, unless you consider playing golf "work") much to his dismay. His first question was "did you look to see if everything is plugged in?" Well I did, but how would I know? The entire area behind the TV is a giant mess of wires and cords which is impossible for anyone but him to navigate. I didn't see anything clearly wrong and politely told him so.
His next solution is clearly the best "I don't know what's wrong with it from here, wait until Monday when I come home and I'll fix it."
WHAT? Sorry that's not an acceptable answer. No Internet or TV for 3 days?! I could do without one or the other but not both! So I again politely told him to shove it, and that if I couldn't fix it I'd call someone that could.....which of course he was unhappy about. I finally figured out (after much arguing) that one of our cats had decided to go crawling through the jungle of cords (in search of god knows what) and had stepped on the power cord and flipped the whole thing off! Problem Solved......AND I didn't have to wait until Monday!
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