I had NO idea what an ordeal I was going to have to go through when I put myself on sick list for CQ Labor Day weekend while the Nichols Family was gathering to go to the Fort Collins Temple open house. I just figured I could call the service center after I got off sick list and reschedule the date. After all there were about five more CQ sessions in Denver for the month of September. But no. They told me all the slots were already filled for those times. But... I could call at 00:10 am the following week to see if the FA who had requested time off had been awarded it and therefore would NOT be in the scheduled class for the 19th of September.
Well, I set the alarm for midnight on the specified day and groggily called the Crew Desk. "Oh, so sorry. You are 24 hours too late. Those trades when through YESTERDAY at midnight, and someone else got that open slot. You will have to bid to attend CQ in October."
Bummed! So, I carefully read all the directions on how to bid as I had always automatically been assigned a time slot sometime during my reserve month every September. Several flight attendants told me to be sure to bid for at least one day of training that was during a scheduled trip. They would have to drop the trip, let me go to CQ and I could pick up a trip on the trade board to make up the deficient time. (I know you probably don't have the faintest clue what I am talking about, but bear with me.)
Instead, I was assigned to go October 28th and 29th--the last two days of October's work month--AND MY DAYS OFF! When I called to see WHY I had been assigned those days, they politely told me that they weren't going to drop a trip if Denver had a scheduled CQ session on days I wasn't scheduled with a trip. And, oh, by the way: This is your HAVE TO GO MONTH. So, you have to go or be denied flying on October 30th which is the first day of November's work month.
So, I had to wait nearly eight weeks before I went to CQ to get it over with. I did the computer work in August and filled out all the forms for September. Obviously, I had to do THAT all over again. The forms, I mean. And than wait it out. And with every passing day, CQ loomed darker and darker on the horizon until it was so out of proportion for me I haven't slept past 2am for the past two weeks. When I have slept, my dreams have all been frenzied stuff having to do with flying the wrong planes, not getting to briefing, etc. etc. etc. ALL bad!
Oh, the actual training and testing days WERE awful. And I am so glad I passed the tests once again. But, the emotional strain was horrible. So I will NEVER, EVER postpone going to CQ again. I have gone at other times when I have had a kidney infection. I have gone TWICE when it was assigned to me the very next day and I had to stay up all night doing the computer work and then paste a huge sheet on my dash board to help me study the evacuation commands and details I would need to know to pass the tests while I was driving to the training center the next morning. Those were bad, too, but in retrospect the eight week wait was probably worse.
Now I am releasing my seat belt and getting out--leaving everything behind in my memory until I have to do it all over again!
Sweet dreams and peaceful sleep tonight!
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