My job can also be a place that is very lonely. I spend many hours locked in a small space with a person whose name I can't remember without looking down at the paperwork. Often times, my entire month can be spent with one person. This can be good or bad. I try not to subject anyone (professionally) to my antics for an entire month. You see, spending a month with a person (other than a spouse) can be exhausting. You end up either loving or loathing the person. Loving the person almost always entails dinners on the road, drinks and weight gain (at least for me - thanks for 10 lbs to JC and JW). Loathing leads to long months, too. Tad prefers that I love the person. He says I am miserable when I don't like who I am working with. Wouldn't you be? Confined in a small space with a person who tells you they don't like how you spin a knob or flip a switch? Seriously. Have been told both.
Enter Chris Jamison. I was supposed to fly with him all month. Seniority is everything in this game and he is #5. Could go either way. I do what is best for everyone, trade half the month away. Upon first introduction, I ask him how he's doing, to which his retort is "MAG-NIFICANT". Wow. Great first impression. And handle bar mustache. When we step into the cockpit and begin all the niceties, I am unsure. Career Navy. Those dudes generally hate young people and girls. So, I have that going for me. Then, he begins talking about his family, which he clearly adores. I have great regard for this guy. Then, he drops it on me "I have a vineyard in Northern Virginia". To which my retort is "and a new president of your fan club!". And we are off.
First trip: Great. Nice man. Easy to work with. Bought me dinner. He laughs. Both with me and at me. He is complimentary. He is nice to EVERYONE. I find myself looking forward to our next trip together.
Fast forward.
Trip #2 - I climb in the cockpit. He is there waiting for me and has all my work done. When I greet him, he says "look in your pubs bag" (the bag that holds all my important stuff). And when I open it, this is what I see:
Is this what I think it is?!
Chris goes on to tell me that he just bottled this. I carry it with me for 4 DAYS! I can't wait to open it! I am in heaven! We are going to have another great 4 days!!!
So, we have a fabulous trip, with great layovers and when we are parking the airplane for the final time of the week, he looks at me and says "if all trips were like this and all First Officers were like you then every day would be payday and every night New Years Eve". That just might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me in an airplane.
So, meet Chris. If you see him, thank him for me and wish him a MAG-NIFICANT day!
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