December is the first month where I know my schedule in its entirety. I am now officially a line pilot. No more banging my head against the wall wondering whether or not the airline is going to call. My first day on the line found me making multiple trips to Iowa -- first to Des Moines, and then to Cedar Rapids. In fact, I was in Cedar Rapids two days in a row having the entire afternoon off in both cases. Upon arrival, the captain remarked that someone else had told him there was a good Mexican food place close to the hotel. As the shuttle van was pulling up, we noticed a Taco Bell across the street and the captain was certain he had been duped. He asked the driver if perhaps there was another Mexican place. In fact, there was. It was a place around the corner called Hot Harry's. Granted, this did not sound infinitely better. Hot José's? Maybe. Hot Horatio? It's a possibility. Not Hot Harry's. Nevertheless, against my better judgment, I ordered a burrito at Hot Harry's and prepared myself for Iowa Mexican food. It had fritos, chile, beans, mayo, and rice inside. It was . . . ok. It wasn't terrible and probably met my expectations which were not terribly high.
Cedar Rapids was larger than I expected it to be. It was a 20 minute shuttle ride from the airport. Oddly we passed through downtown to get to our hotel which was on the north end of town across the street from a shopping mall. Had we stayed downtown, I may have had more exciting things to post about, but as it was I only went to a couple strip malls, a Gordman's, and Hot Harry's.
On day two, I went for a run. At 50º in December, I felt I had to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. I ran through a neighborhood with very large mansions...not something one expects to see in Cedar Rapids. It was near a place called the Brucemore, which is some kind of historical site. I don't really know the significance of this place, but it is #2 on Tripadvisor's list of things to do. I didn't have my camera with me during my run, so enjoy this internet photo from above.
The higher than normal temperatures meant we didn't have to deice the aircraft before each flight which saves a lot of time. In fact, during one of my passenger announcements, I made some reference to the tropical temperatures in Iowa. I don't know if the folks in the back appreciate my humor. They're probably rolling their eyes--especially after that joke about taxiing the plane all the way to Des Moines when we we had a long taxi and were about number 14 for departure out of Minneapolis on day one. I'll have to work on my material during some of the long overnights. "How 'bout those overhead bins, am I right? I hope you were able to pack for your 2 week trip to Europe in your child's Dora the Explorer backpack. Because that's all that will fit up there, am I right? Thanks ladies and gentlemen. You've been terrific. I'll be here for the next 45 minutes."
