Let me tell you about the Tribbett’s.

Ken was my immediate supervisor during the last year or so of my FAA career.

Considered ‘middle management,’ they are the go between controllers in the radar room and the higher ups sitting at cushy desks with banker hours.  You couldn’t pay me enough to be stuck in the middle of constant conflict.

I lost my ‘golden girl’ status at Denver Center.  Not sure how it happened or when, but the last years before retirement I was in constant hot water.  

For example, as part of the dress code, women had to have heals if they wore open toed shoes.  I was called into the front office to have the sole of my sandals measured.  For real.  The heal was 1/2 inch tall, score one for Rebecca.

The pettiness didn’t stop there.  All air traffic controllers are recorded, their voices, their computer entries, their break time, etc.  We were always under a microscope.

If you were a chosen target, management would nick pick you to death and make your work-life hell, eight hours a day.

Ken Tribbett, a man with balls, stood up for me, time after time after time.  

Do you want to know about Larry?  He was the cream of the crop.  In the FAA’s eyes, he could do NO WRONG.  He wasn’t just golden, he was untouchable.  

Ok, enough about Larry.

Ken and Larry

Controllers understand other controllers.  As such, we maintain friendships after our careers are over.  Ken and his beautiful (inside and out) wife Natalie are those friends.  

Taking a day off Larry’s bike tour to visit Ken and Natalie, they suggested camping next door to us and, AND preparing dinner for the two nights we’re together.  Can’t beat that, no siree!

Helping hubby read the small print.

Dinner selfie

Natalie cracks me up!

“You pumped them for their life story,” Larry noted as we retired for the first night. 

“Yup, I was curious and what a love story it is.”  I answered.

“And they’re good people,” he added.

“Yup, they are.  That’s why we like them.”

I got a haircut. I’m beautiful, once again.

Over wine with yummy dinners, and during a luncheon picnic, we talked about our life experiences, what we’ve learned and what we hope for ourselves and future generations. If nothing else, Covid had helped us realize the importance of our relationships with ourselves and others.

I take away these two Natalie phrases: “Sell the damn thing” with reference to their camper and “That’s not a queens job” reference my inability to back up the camper.

Sister from another mother.

In conclusion, if you meet us and bring dinner along the way, I’ll write a glowing blog about you too.