The Faarewell Paarty

No these two are not kissing each other goodbye.
Schmoo and Steven seem to be on their way to create another AA baby. Thanks for sharing the foreplay with us folks!

Last night/early this morning was the farewell party for many many American Airlines employees (past and present), as the call center moves to sunnier climes (and cheaper non unionised labour : Cape Town and Fiji).
The owner in Scruffy Murphy's was supposed to be celebrating with us on the Client Side of the bar but ended up being too busy raking bank notes into the overflowing tills. The bar closed at 1am, and then reopened for an illegal half hour between 1.30am and 2am, on a whim (Aedan realised that that half hour would pay for his family trip to Fiji in the new year, not to take calls from irate AA customers but to soak in the rays).

It was really strange to meet all these people all at once, people not seen for many years and who we will not likely be meeting for many more years. If ever.
There were many shrieks of joyprise (female and gay population), and many manly pats on the back (male and gay population).
There were many familiar faces, and their associated familiar first names, and there was also unfortunately a lot of familiar faces with long forgotten first names (and a great mental exercise in lighthearted conversation and reminiscing without ever using one's first name - and then overusing it once a joining third party has just nonchalantly dropped the missing name in the conversation).
I adopted the following tactic: I addressed each girl whose name I was not sure of as Sonia and I think that I got it right 2 or 3 times.

I owe a lot the American Airlines. Not only did I meet a young Mrs Raheny there, but this job opened my eyes to the world. Quite literally.
I will remember each trip fondly. And there were many many trips.

I also learned more about the human nature while for working for AA than in university, or any other job.
Taking 50 calls a day from people of all ages, genders, nationalities and social backgrounds for about 5 years has thought me one invaluable skill: how to deal with people of all ages, genders, nationalities and social backgrounds.
No degree or Sick Sigma initiative has ever managed to cover that.

I could go on and on about AA but I am a touch too delicate and hungover to do so. And the wave of nostalgia that I feel rising is not just the Guinness blues. Last night was the end of an era. The closing chapter of a very happy part of my and Mrs Raheny's life. The last goodbye to a great bunch of people. Many of them overqualified for the job, but with a real hunger for fun, travel and discovery. A great multilingual multicultural group of adventurers, chancers, stand-by travelers and customer service heroes.

My thoughts are with all my mates who've been working at American Airlines until the bitter end. I left 10 years ago when strange considerations (like the necessity to actually earn money, not just flight benefits) got in the way. Wishing them the best of luck now that the boarding gate has closed and the silver bird and its grumpy middle aged Texan flight attendants have flown away to Fiji, via Cape Town.