8-2 Weather Update

[jennys_mn]

I was a controller for 28 years, the first 5 at Fargo Hector Airport, then 23 years at Minneapolis Center. I was forced to retire in Oct 2008 due to my medical issues - primarily, my heart. Family's history, stress, burning too many candles at both ends - AND in the middle. Since then, I have been an instructor in OK on and off. I wasn't planning on going back, but when I stopped there to say hi on vacation a few weeks ago, I realized how much I missed it. It's enjoyable, the weather for the winter isn't bad, it gives me time to do some research on our environment, and it pays quite a bit better than the elevator job I had last fall. And I'm working with some very intelligent people, at a place that I fit in very, very well. The gal I worked with at the elevator last fall an I didn't really hit it off so well. She really disliked the fact the I caught on quicker than her and didn't make mistakes. My pet name for her was the Queen Bee, you know - after the song - someone who wanted to be a "Royal" - ("I want to be your Ruler, you can call me Queen Bee" as the lyrics goes - fit the situation perfectly)  and wanted me as one of her loyal subjects. It added a whole lot of stress in my life. Liked the job, hated the politics sorta thing. And, not to mention the grief on got on here for being the "scale girl".

Jen

[IllinoisSteve]

Okay, that is pretty cool.  High stress job for sure.  So are you a meteorologist too or do you just play one on Agrigulture.com?

[jennys_mn]

As a pilot and an Air Traffic Controller, weather plays a big part of your day, day after day, year after year. For 25 years I had multiple meteorologists at my beck and call at Minneapolis Center, so if I had a question about what I was seeing weather wise, and how it was going to affect my airplanes in my sector, and my farm, or the US, all I had to do was stop by the desk and ask "What's going on?" I learned a lot from those guys, and my personal observations over the years. I know how to read a raw weather map with only observations on it, and what it means. And, now and then, I've stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.

Jen