hanging in hamilton

Sometimes having a career in the aviation industry has wonderful perks.  My most recent trip took me to Hamilton, Ontario. Although the industrial city isn't too thrilling to most crew, I'm fortunate to have family there that without my job, I'd see far less often.   

A round trip ticket to Hamilton costs the average person at least $600, so to get to go for a quick visit and get paid to do it?  That is just plain awesome.  I've seen my grandparents more in the past 4 years than I normally would in a 10 year span.  

The day started in Edmonton, where we deadheaded to Calgary and then on to Hamilton.  I grabbed a coffee from Tim Horton's, because Hamilton is the birthplace of my beloved coffee shop and it just felt necessary... don't worry, it was decaf. This baby only gets caffeine when I have an overnight flight and can't possibly make it without the extra boost.  My disappointment over yet another losing Roll up the Rim cup soon faded, as I headed to the hotel, checked into my room, and then went to the lobby to meet up with my grandparents... including my great grandma, is 6 months away from becoming a great-great grandmother. How cool is that?! We headed to a restaurant nearby, where we met up with Sheri, who is basically my aunt minus the fact that my uncle and her are still not married... a fact that I like to bring up every single time, just to make things awkward.   

These days when I go to a restaurant, I go with an appetite that surpasses a grown man's. I ordered a beef dip to satisfy the hungry child growing in my belly. I've come to learn that being hungry brings on nausea, so I avoid it at all costs. I'm eating all day, every day.  I'll probably be 300 pounds by summer, but at least I won't feel sick! We all enjoyed our meals, catching up after nearly a year without seeing one another.  

We finished eating, and I took the mandatory generation photo with my grandma and great grandma. If only my mom had been there, it would have been 5 generations including the one that is yet to be born.

  

After dinner, they took me to a grocery store to stock up on snacks and food for the flight home the next day.  You can never rely on airplane food, especially when you are supposedly banned from deli meat and serve nothing but sandwiches.  

We went to my great grandma's house for a bit more visiting, before I returned to the hotel to call it a night.  It was a quick trip, but we were happy knowing that I'd return the very next week!

The next day it was a few easy flights and I was home by supper time! 

It's times like these that I  realize just how lucky I am to have my job!