I fell in love with an American (Texan) in Paris (was working for American company in the city) first date at the top of the Eiffel Tower (BEFORE it was cool, worst food in Paris at that time, only the tourists, who didn’t know any better ever ate there!!), however, he soon overcame that false start and after 9 months we were engaged – as my mother said when I called her and told her I met someone … “ …. Please tell me he is NOT French!!, no, I said, he’s a Texan!” We married in native England, honeymoon in the Bahamas and then arrived in Houston!!! was soooo homesick – brother in law bought me a puppy to help ease my pain – I fell in love all over again… Shortly, after puppy arrived, just 8 weeks, Dick was out fishing with his father, I didn’t have a driver’s license at that time, puppy fell off the bed, thought he had broken his leg, cried like a baby (which he was) called mother in law who raced over, it was a Sunday (before Gulf Coast Vet. Emergency clinic) we eventually found a vet that was open – waited and waited for him to finish with another emergency, all the time trying to calculate whether I had enough money to pay him (VERY poor from funding aforementioned wedding and glam honeymoon!!) when we finally got to see him, he was sooo wonderful, told me good news, nothing wrong with puppy, he was crying like a baby because he was a baby…. I thought oh great, now I have to tell Dick I took puppy to vet and paid many $$$$ for no reason… Vet then asked me ‘ … how did you get to Texas?” told him story, met a Texan in Paris, fell in love, ya da, ya, da, ya da … also told him my boss in Paris was an Aggie – noticed he too was a graduate of the Texas A&M school of vet. Medicine – so mentioned how kind my Aggie had been, had given me a wonderful surprise bon voyage party when I left Paris for England … he listened, was kind and gentle the way all vets seem to be (perhaps this is the answer to the healthcare situation in America, let’s swop out doctors for vets) … when I went to check out, holding my breath that I had enough money to pay the bill, his receptionist told me “ …. This one is on us, welcome to Texas!!!” It was such unexpected kindness, that it still makes me pause … that’s when I fell in love with Houston… to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a wonderfull American who made her home in Paris, “ … England is my country, but Houston is my hometown!”
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SWA departs IAH
Southwest Airlines departs Houston's George Bush airport amid financial struggles
DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines will limit hiring and stop flying to four airports as it copes with weak financial results and delays in getting new planes from Boeing.
Both Southwest and American Airlines reported first-quarter losses Thursday. Demand for travel remains strong, including among business flyers, but airlines are dealing with higher labor costs, and delays in aircraft deliveries are limiting their ability to add more flights.
Southwest said it lost $231 million. CEO Robert Jordan said the airline was reacting quickly “to address our financial underperformance," including by slowing down hiring and asking employees to take time off.
The Dallas-based carrier said it expects to end this year with 2,000 fewer employees than it had at the start of the year.
Southwest will also stop flying to four airports: Cozumel, Mexico; Syracuse, New York; Bellingham, Washington; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where the airline’s major operation is at smaller Hobby Airport.
The closures will help the airline focus on more profitable locations and deploy a fleet of planes that will be smaller than it had planned. Southwest said it expects to get only 20 new 737 Max 8 jets from Boeing this year, down from the 46 it expected just a few weeks ago. It will offset some of the shortage by retiring fewer planes.
Boeing is struggling with slower production since a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 in January, and that is frustrating its airline customers.
Dallas-based Southwest said that its loss, after excluding special items, was 36 cents per share. That was slightly worse than the loss of 34 cents per share that Wall Street expected.
Revenue rose to $6.33 billion, below analysts' forecast of $6.42 billion.
American said it lost $312 million as labor costs rose 18%, or nearly $600 million. The airline said it expects to return to profitability in the second quarter — a busier time for travel — and post earnings between $1.15 and $1.45 per share. Analysts expect $1.15 per share, according to a FactSet survey.
The first-quarter loss amounted to 34 cents per share excluding special items, which was worse than the loss of 27 cents per share forecast by analysts. Revenue was $12.57 billion.
CEO Robert Isom said American is less impacted by Boeing's problems because the airline had already received hundreds of new planes in recent years. American has ordered Boeing Max 10s, a larger model that has not yet been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, but those planes are not due to start showing up until 2028.
“If they don't get it together, we have also made sure that we're protected,” Isom told CNBC. He stopped short of saying American would switch Boeing orders to rival Airbus, saying only, “We'll take care of it.”
In premarket trading, Southwest shares were down 9% while American shares were up 3%.