“I flew with Steve Lantz a lot!” said Catherine as we sat in our spacious hotel suite rehashing the actual event of the day—the thirty-first Trans International Airlines reunion held in Livermore, California. “Lancelot!” I swooned. Yes, Captain Lantz still has it! And, damn! He’s still married. I ask every … Continue reading
When I moved to Costa Rica several years ago, I adopted the “less is more” philosophy and divested myself of most of my worldly possessions. There is something liberating about not being bogged down by stuff. Even now, living back in California, I have strict rules about stuff. It has to be … Continue reading
I’ve been traveling to Costa Rica on a regular basis since 1991 when my mom bought a little vacation home in Nosara. The kids were little and we enjoyed our annual trip to the jungle-beach town on the Pacific side of the Nicoya peninsula. The rule of thumb was to get the … Continue reading
I slept alone last night—in my own luxurious queen-size bed. The bunk beds at the Pigeon Point Hostel are twin-size except for the one in the room that housed our retreat leaders. Of the three rooms in the Whale House cabin, two had three sets of bunk beds and one … Continue reading
I signed up for a retreat at Pigeon Point. There’s a defunct lighthouse there that I’ve driven by hundreds of times. Hundreds! Starting in 1970 on the way to the Shadowbrook restaurant in Capitola. Driving the coast of Northern California is always a treat. I loved it as a tourist … Continue reading
A new friend came to visit. He walked in the door and was immediately drawn to a painting that hangs above my sofa. He didn’t say a word. After several minutes, he took a step back and kept staring at it. “It’s from Cuba!” I blurted. I could take the silence no … Continue reading
The “Fasten Seat Belt” sign was still on. We seemed to be flying at altitude in a smooth and level fashion and I wondered if the flight crew simply forgot to turn it off. It happens. A lot. Having been a flight attendant, I didn’t want to be one of those people. I … Continue reading
“Hurry, we’re closing the door behind you!” the gate agent shouted as she saw me panting and red-faced pulling my roll-aboard (for years I thought it was roller board, but it turns out that’s a skateboard), in my red stilettos. She reached out to grab my extended boarding pass and we completed … Continue reading
One of my readers playfully suggested that the “Lucas and the girls” trip was not actually camping. How could she say such a thing?! I mean, we pitched a tent and everything. Okay, it was a brand new, state-of-the-art tent with luxury airbeds to go inside, but still, we did have to … Continue reading
Three of the Hong Kong four were happy to be together at the thirtieth airline reunion of TIA (Transamerica). We flew during an era that was wild and woolly.We did things that cannot be repeated in today’s restrictive world. We are still an amazing bunch! Our pilots, ground crews, and flight attendants are a cut above. … Continue reading
Carole Jean's Capers 