Yikes!
I am terrible at this blogging stuff. Was doing well for a while then just got soooooooooooooo lazy and forgetful. I see my DH's niece's blog once in a while and I am so impressed with hers that I want to keep up with mine. Then, I loose all ambition.
I decided to use this again cause of something I read on someones post on FB tonight. They were annoyed that they couldn't smoke on long flights (from Toronto to Ireland for example). Someone then replied that pilots do it why can't they. The original poster then started to say how (I'm paraphrasing here) not fair it is that pilots can smoke and they (passengers) can't. The pilots get paid lots hence why the tickets cost so much to fly. That response was what drove me over the bend to respond. The poster then said he always thought that pilots got paid crazy money. But wanted us to relax cause he was just stating a opinion. Which is true. I wasn't offended, just a pet peeve of mine that pilots make lots of good $$$$.
SO after this posting on FB I wanted to get out what I observed DH went through to get where he is today.(edited version :P) He started at the age of 12, signed up for Air Cadets. Started gliding when he was 14, then moved up to engines after that around 18 (?? don't know exact age:P) and has been working his ass off ever since. Not only did he have to pay for lessons, he had to have hours. The more hours the better. Missed birthdays, Easters (only been home for two of them for the past 7 yrs), Thanksgiving dinners. Hasn't missed a Xmas, but that is because he's been really lucky with his employers. Others are not that lucky.
He spent 10s of thousands of dollars, paying back bank loans on just to take flying lessons. He put in 8yrs of working nights and on call flying jobs. Kind of missed first 3 yrs of oldest DS's life cause he had to sleep all day and didn't get up till 4pm and maybe saw him for 4 hrs b4 DS had to go to bed. I know, I know you're going to say what do u expect. I signed up for it, but doesn't mean I had to like it. I don't mind it, some days. It can be the loneliest thing, but yet makes u feel independent too. He paid his dues, put up with shitty employers and shitty co-workers and crappy hours. The worst was the on call I think. We had to live 15mins away from the airport and once he got the page he had 15 mins to get to work. Middle of the night or 12 noon, once he got the call he had to go. Sucked even more when we didn't have two cars. SIGH.
I now am a stay at home mom. We have a house and one car. No debt other than the mortgage (thanks to DH and his $$ saving skills) and I am thankful of that. We could get a bigger house, but then I'd have to go back to work. Get another car, pay for more insurance, daycare costs, etc, etc.
Don't get me wrong, some pilots make good $$, but that doesn't mean that they didn't have to pay for it like other professions (like plumbers, electricians, teachers or bank managers). I think I just get annoyed when ppl don't ask questions, they just assume.
So that is my rant for now:P Let's see how long I can keep up with the blogging.
Best Wishes
