Cleaning out the fridge

I was in the midst of working on another blog post for this blog, when duty called and today became 'errand day'. Paying cell phone bills, credit card bills, returning things at the mall, going to the Apple store so they could fix my iPhone 4 (a story for another time) and of course groceries! I love the idea of doing groceries, but actually getting them home and unpacking, putting away, and the inevitable... cleaning out the fridge does my head in. I can't be the only one, right? So I put the other blog on hold whilst I bang out this little rant about groceries and being a flight attendant.

In our line of work, when you prepare ahead of time for certain meals  and buy all your groceries, if you have to leave for a trip and haven't used everything, by the time you come back from your trip most of your food has gone bad! It's so discouraging, and I HATE  cleaning out the fridge. I have such a weak stomach for foods that have fuzz all over them! I stand there making audible gaging noises while trying to make space for the new groceries. After years of being a flight attendant and having worked in the restaurant business, I still can't get it right! In the restaurant business, it's all about Rotation, Rotation, Rotation! Making sure you put old stock ahead of any new or surplus stock so that the old gets used up first, simple enough, right?! But at home it seems no matter how much I rotate my old and new groceries, they still go bad on me before I have a chance to use them.

When I was a new flight attendant living in Toronto, I lived with 3 other girls and when one of my roommates (who is my best friend) was home we would always do our grocery shopping together. Sometimes, we would do orders of $150 and up. Just for ourselves! Until we realized that there was no point buying so much fresh food at one time, when we could either sit reserve at home for 5 days or be away from home for 5 days, and most of it ended up going bad anyway. That's when we started to do groceries day of! Like the Parisians! They only buy what they need for dinner the same day, most of the time on their way home from work. Of course, they have the basic staples at home but meat, cheese, bread, and produce are bought same day. That system was perfect for my bestie and I, seeing as we lived 5 minutes away from a 24hr grocery store! You could find us there in our pj's (or one in uniform the other tagging along in pj's) at all hours of the night. It was so peaceful. 

But gone are the days of 24hr grocery stores (sniff sniff- we don't have any in Montreal I believe...) and doing groceries for a day or a day and a half with my bestie! :( Instead now, I do groceries with my new bestie... my husband, and we usually like to stock up the fridge! So now that i've had my rant, I'm going to go open my wine I bought earlier today while doing my errands and try to think of a way to best organize my flying life and my groceries... Any tips??

BRUSSELS

Again, I've been very bad at blogging. Here I am wanting to upload pictures from my recent trip to Belgium and I see that I have at least 10 posts that are in my draft folder- actually... I have about 10 unfinished blogs in my draft folder, for each of 3 blogs pleasethankyoustewardess , flightattdntjenn , 350f !

MUST GET BETTER AT BLOGGING! Hopefully, I will catch up on some blogs in the next 2 weeks while I'm off work.

So, on to the main attraction, my trip to Brussels!!! I was so excited to go to Brussels for the 1st time. After 6 years of flying, and being based at a small base with limited flying, it doesn't happen often that I go somewhere I've never been before. It's been so long since I got that 'butterflies' feeling in my stomach when  scheduling called me to tell me they were changing my flight. I actually can't even remember the last time I had that feeling....
After getting the call, I started researching the city. All the touristy things to do, printed maps, checked out our crew hotel and it's proximity to the city and of course MUSEUMS! My FAV!!
Then when I got to the airport and printed my schedule- I was even MORE excited! I was going to get to fly on Lufthansa! Maybe not a big deal to some, but I was stoked because even though I'm a flight attendant- I don't travel a whole hell of a lot outside work... And here's a big secret about me: I've NEVER flown on an airline other then my own! I know, I know- Quel Horreur! So, this trip was FULL of new experiences!

So here are the pictures!

Operated the flight from to Frankfurt, THEN traveled as a passenger on LUFTHANSA from Frankfurt to Brussels!!
First time on another airline!

I was Stoked, looked like a total keener in my uniform taking pictures of the plane I was about to get on. I think my crew thought I was a dumb! All around, good times!!

So, I tried to take pictures inside the Lufthansa 737 I was on- when the psycho flight attendant started freaking out and screaming at me "Achtung, HALT, SHtop- you mustn't take pictures onboard the aircraft, it is strictly forbidden bc it is a security violation!!" WHAT??
So, for retribution- I did what any other self respecting 27 yr old would do... I took about 40 of the free postcards! Lmao! Ok, I never said it was badass- I said it was retribution

My colleague felt bad that I got screamed at and that I never got any interior pics- so once we got off... he gave me this... yup he swiped me a safety card! Lmao

Anyway, the inside of the plane was nothing special anyway- dull grey leather seats (business & economy), no tv's, no leg room, and no class! :/

Brussels Airport
(Blurry unfortunately)

Brussels Airport

On the drive to the hotel
(That's not bird poop on the window)

... Still driving

D R I V I N G

My Little Hotel room
( It was actually really yucky!)

If you can see through the curtains- This was my lovely view from  my hotel room! Fire Escape

Walking around

Walking down the main shopping street- Now what was this streets name?

City 2, Is like the underground mall here in Montreal.

Saw this statue down a side street, had to stop and take her picture.

'Belgaufra' more popular then Tim hortons in Canada. They have one of these about every 5 feet in every direction, selling hot belgian waffles!!

OOoohh! Sooo close Brussels- but if you name a store after me, it's Jenn-i-fer!! ;P

Thought this was a cool boutique, exactly the same kinda clothes as H&M

Cool English (Brit) tea house/ pub, apparently REALLY good mussels there! (Very typical dish in Brussels)

On my way to 'Le Grande Place"

Entrance into "Le Grande Place"

It really sucked that I had crappy weather that day. However, I didn't let the on/off drizzle slow me down

It's not a really HIGH quality video- but it gives you the point :)

Right Hand side of "the Grande Place

L'Hotel De Ville

L'Hotel De Ville

To the right of "La Maison des Ducs de Brabant"

La Maison des Ducs de Brabant

The name comes from the 19 Dukes bust lining the base of the first floor

Left hand side of 'the Grande Place'

La Maison du Roi

Standing on an old bread market- no king ever lived here- but in th 16th century the building was used by tax collectors

'The Guildhalls'

The buildings from left to right: The Fox, The Horn, The She-wolf, The Bag, The wheelbarrow, Le Roi d'Espagne

(Im not making this stuff up, I promise!)

Closer view of L'Hotel de Ville

Little Parisian style cookie & Chocolate shop

Manneken Pis!! This Little pervert stole my heart!! <3'Famous' statue in Brussels
He is made of Bronze and 60cm tall

The Legend that is -Manneken Pis:
According to legend he is supposed to have extinguished a fire saving all of Brussels from disaster!
He has 740 different outfits for different times of the year. All displayed in 'La Maison de Roi'

 Again, not a HIGH quality video- but it shows all the people who gather to see

MANNEKEN PIS

Manneken Pis, Chocolate style!!To think, someone had to do the intricate detailing of his penis, huh, some job description

Walking around...

... Still walking- actually walked for about 6 1/2 hours

Candy Shop- Try not to get the 50Cent song in your head;)

This candy shop went on forever inside-it was cRaZy big!

Indoor mall

Inside Café De L'Opéra (Restaurant)

Had some 'Pommes Frites' ... they were... OK

My souvenir- Manneken Pis coin!!!!!

The stuff I bought to take home to friends & family
Waffles/ Chocolate covered waffles, lots of Belgium Chocolate, and Kriek Beer

On our way to the restaurant in the evening- Brussels is Soooo beautiful at night

I <3 Brussels

Godiva shop, there's one on every corner just about

Cute Café

The restaurant I ate in. This is the outdoor courtyard, hard to see at night- but it was gorgeous.
It also took an hour and 30 mins to walk here from the hotel

L'Estrille De Bruxelles

In the Petit Sablon district

The Courtyard

Inside L'Estrille De Bruxelles
Had a hard time believing it had been around since 1579

It was so gorgeously romantic inside

The table we sat at

Back At the airport the next day.

That's right Belgium- Make security FUN for everyone- make them BUY their clear security bags from a gumball machine!

"1€ Please!"

Dumb video that I had to watch OVER & Over  & Over,  showing people how 'fun' it is to go through security.

Trips like these really reinforce why I do this job... I am Soo lucky! I have so much fun doing what I do. I am so lucky to work with a hilarious, supportive team of awesome Stews, get to travel to the coolest places, and all of it is a 'job' !! WoW! I feel very blessed, and can even understand why so many people are jealous of this career!!( I would be to if I wasn't working here!)

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!