Blake Reilly, Frontier Ramper *12/12/05-4/24/12*...Farewell and Thank You

"And now the end is here, and I've reached the final curtain."

At about 8:30 this morning I put in my notice. This is a big deal for me. As of tomorrow around 9, I will no longer be a Frontier Airlines employee.

It's weird because it's a journey that started so long ago. It was December 12, 2005 when I got hired by Skyway Airlines. Soon to be a Midwest ramper. I was young. It was just three months after I moved to WI. I was very unsure of myself. It was a new world as it was and now I was taking a job in a universe that seemed like it already exsisted.

Fresh out of training, I was confused. To this day I don't think we were ever truly fully trained. Even after 2 1/2 weeks. After a while I started to get the hang of things. The fact is without 6 months we already done to four people left from our training class. It didn't help that we got brought in in the dead of winter. If you aren't used to it, it can get the better of you.

Then the years started going by. Work became a 2nd home. I was seeing coworkers more than my family, but I guess that's how it is when you work full time. This where I will say a few things.

Alot of people look at the rampers, and even the airport employees, like they are nuts, especially lately. The fact is that we have turned into a family.

Are there fights? Hell yeah!

Do we all like each other? Hell no!

But being a ramper has taught me alot about growing up. It got through the rough patches in my marraige. It helped me go from a child trying to act like an adult to a grown up. Someone who is ready to let go of the training wheels and look into the future.

If there is one thing I was to say to the people from the ramp over the last six years, especially those few who have been there as long, or longer than me, thank you.

I'd be lying if I said I'd be the person I am today without all of you. This ride has not been easy, not by a long shot.

Every person I met along the way, from day 1 to now has showed me and taught me something about myself.

I'll be the first to admit that tomorrow is going to be strange. The ramp has been such a HUGE part of my life for so long that it's going to be so weird to move on. To walk away.

The one thing I can say I did though was leave on my own terms.

That being say. Tomorrow is my goodbye, my farewell.

Tomorrow I will retire my vest, turn in my badges and turn back into an airport guest instead of an employee. It's going to be weird but it's also going to be a HUGE weight off my shoulders.

That being said, here's my tribute video one last time for all my fellow rampers, past and present. Thank you again. I will miss you.

Road to 30: Last Day of My 20s...

"There's change comin', once and for all..."

Tomorrow is my birthday. A crazy thought to be honest. When I started this blog series it was going to mainly be pictures and video packages. I had an idea yesterday for a video I was going to post up today and I even started it. Then I woke up this morning.

I decided instead of doing another video, let me just type and talk and clear my head. Honestly I didn't expect this week to be so emotional.

First off I want to address some people who have been giving me crap for this whole "Road to 30" blog series. I've been asked why I've been doing this and living in the past. It hasn't been about that for me. Ever since I moved here when I was a young 23 year old, I have had a hard time saying goodbye to my past. I've had a difficult time stepping away from my past life and starting over. I figured I'd just grow out of it when I turned 25. Well that didn't happen. The problem I realized is that I never talked about it fully, addressed things fully. Sure I've ranted and raved over the years but I never actually put my feelings out there about people, situations and even tied up all the loose ends of my life. I decided late last year that my turning point would be when I turn 30. I would finally tie up the loose ends, say goodbye to my old issues and move on with my life.

In doing that I've found out a few things about myself.

1. Some people are just not going to like me. And I'm finally okay with that. I don't need the world to like me to live. I'm a-okay with a few people liking me.
2. Respect is not given at all, it's truly earned. This has come to light with all the changes are work (more on that later). I've spent alot of my life trying to get people to like, when all I want is respect from the people I associate myself with and work with. You don't have to like me, but after a long time I expect that I've earned your respect.
3. I've taken alot of pictures and videos over the years. Then again that's something EVERYONE knows.

But today it's simple. I'm actually a little emontional.

I know it's corny, trust me.

For years I would be like "I'm terrified to get to 30". Now I don't know why I was so worried. I'm going to be 30 and honestly I have EVERYTHING I've ever wanted.

My life is good. There's always the goals of stuff to do before I turn 30. Who knew I would achieve all the big ones.

Marriage, two families, great friends pretty much all the way to the eastern seaboard, have held a job in one way shape or form for close to ten years. I'm even starting a new employment adventure soon. The fact is what do I have to complain about???

So tomorrow I plan on celebrating. All day, in every way shape or form. Lots of pictures will be taken. It's almost like a new life will begin tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who has guided me and been by my side. I wouldn't be who I am without you. Life is good. It's only going to get better.

Change is Good

Well today everything changed. I left work today. The ramp room was being changed over. We were trying to figure out as a team how to work out all these changes in the flight schedule. Well I left early today to goto a job interview.

After a drive downtown nervous as hell, I got in there and got offered a position in South Milwaukee with Securitas Security Services USA, Inc. Full time work. Workable hours on the day shift. Orentation next Tuesday morning and start training on May 1st.

So soon I will no longer be a Frontier Airlines employee.

This was unexpected turn of events and a shocking conclusion to a wild six plus year ride.

Over the next two weeks I will be tying up all my loose ends and will be able to process everything.

Saying goodbye won't be easy, but hey I guess it's finally my turn to move on.

The Road to 30: The Evolution of Friendship

So I was trying to find a way to show my friends, especially the long time ones, how much they mean to me. So I remembered a photo album I kept on MySpace called "The Evolution of Friendship" and as you go through it you can see how we all grew up and who came in and out of our lives. In trying to figure out how to convey that story I kept hearing a song called Remember The Magic by Brian McKnight in my head. It's a song that I could have sworn I used for a video years ago, but alas I did not so now almost 16 years after hearing the song for the first time, I finally used it. Enjoy:

"Go Where The Puck's Gonna Be"

I have this tendency to sit here and write the same blog post over again. I think alot of people do that. Some are on purpose (themed blogs where you have to find a tie in no matter the topic) but those are usually the big time ones where even though it ends the same way, the story is so good that it never matters. I've never been that good.

For me my blog has become a countdown to my 30th birthday. Nothing wrong with that. I have some awesome blog ideas coming soon in the next week or two. But a few things in the last 48 hours have become totally clear.

(The next couple of things are in here despite Mandy getting sick of my obsessions lately. Just saying.)

First of all, there's a phrase that I've really been trying to get to the true meaning of. "Keep your head up and never chase the puck; go where the puck’s gonna be." Kevin Smith got that from Walter Gretsky and turned it into his mantra. That quote is on my facebook page at the end of a paragraph about the greatness of hockey compared to real life. But to honest I never really looked into the words. Till I actually heard it fully explained by Kevin himself last night.

Now it makes sense. It's not about hockey. It's about life. The way to truly enjoy life. Not just looking at what you've done, look at what you CAN do. Don't sit and say "I don't know if I should do this" and just doing it. Instead of saying, "I want to be" something, just being that person.

Honestly my dreams and what I wanted to be got really shuffled over the years. Over the last six years all my personal dreams came true. I am a husband, a loving one. Do I make mistakes? Yes. Are the perfect couple in other people's eyes? Not really. But for me, she is perfect for me. I am a father, and while we have tempers that clash, I know I'm doing something right. I actually have TWO families that love me and I love them.

But whenever I am what I want to be as far as a career, I don't have an answer anymore. I have been an airport employee for so long, that when that comes to an end, I'm not sure where to go. I have a degree yes but the issue is I don't have the dreams anymore like, "I want to be a web designer" or "I want to be an editor". I kinda just want to make a living and have time for my family.

Maybe at the end of the day, I just want to be a family man. I want to be involved, I want to be there, as often as possible. I actually like this side of the world. I like the fact that I have time for my family.

My other thing lately has been the words "Seize The Day". That song has been a personal favorite for twenty years. Three simple words that when you say them they are very cliche. You are absolutely right.

But think about it this way. What would life be like if you don't strive for those goals? Seize every moment that you have.

I'm going to be 30 and for the last five years I've been trying to tie all the loose ends of my life together. I don't want regrets and issues to haunt me anymore.

So then I could look ahead and seize every oppurnity that is in front of me. Maybe a new job, maybe yet another hockey game, maybe just going out on a date with the most beautiful woman in the world.

The moments might since small and insuffient to everyone else but to me they are HUGE.

That brings to one other thing. Something I'm still learning, especially dealing with CJ's tantrums. If something is small to you, it may not be to someone else.

Even if you are so sick of hearing about it, talking about it, seeing pictures of it or even seeing tweets about it. Sometimes it's little things that helps get through the day.

For me today, Disney made me day by announcing the Newsies Broadway soundtrack is available for preorder. In addition I've been able to listen to two songs in full from the show. That kind of obsession sounds crazy to just about everyone, I'm aware of that. I'm actually surprised I haven't got more harrassed for all my Newsies stuff on fb lately. But it makes me happy at the end of the day and that's all that matters to me.

Where was I going with all this?

Oh yeah now I remember.

Life is short, enjoy it. Seize every moment you have in front of you. Never let anyone put you down, even if they want to. Always do what your heart tells you, esepcially when you have someone who inspires you by your side.

Oh one more thing.

Life happens. When you start concentrating on your current life and doing something with it, people start to get ignored, or it seems like they are just completely out of your life. Well even in the internet era, this happpens. I have alot of friends in Jersey who I barely talk to anymore. As a matter of fact, one just got married over the weekend (Congrats Cira!). Lately I've come to conclusion that it's all part of this thing called life. If you have true friends, they don't go away. If you have true friends, they are there when you are in town to offer a ride, or take a couple of hours out of their lives to go out to dinner. Those are the people that matter. At the end of the day those are the people who never go away. I'm lucky I've got a bunch of those. Most aren't as lucky as me. That being said, when they need me, I'll be here for them as well. We don't have to talk every day, every week, or even every month. But what matters is those times I did talk to them, catch up on life, see how things are. As much as knowing everything about everyone on fb is great, sometimes, most times, those long friend talks are BY FAR the best things in the world.

I think I'm done now.

"Minute by minute, that's how you win it. We will find our way. But let us seize the day."-Newsies (Broadway)

The Road to 30: A Drinking Salute

Well here's a new video presentation. This one doesn't need a massive background or long intro. It's simple enough as it is.

Enjoy!

Being Sentimental

Call me sentimental but as I get to my 30th birthday I'm always thinking back to the past.

Well my mom gave me a project to move our old family videos to DVD. No problem, I'm not doing much right now except looking for work. So to kill the afternoon and keep me from napping, I'm working on this.

Well that being said no be shocked if I share some snapshot and videos from this.

It's one month till my birthday so why not have some fun and put some stuff up so people can celebrate with me.

So those on fb, enjoy the ride and feel free to comment along. It's going to be a crazy next month.