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Southwest Airlines Community

Our First Birthday

blusk
Aviator C
blog-party-one.JPGYup, that's right--Nuts About Southwest just turned one year old.  It has been a wonderful and exciting first year for all of us associated with the blog, and we hope that you have enjoyed the past year just as much as we have.  Angela Vargo and I can still remember waiting around for our first comment.  When it finally came, you never saw it.  We were crestfallen because it consisted of a two-word expletive.  Fortunately, it didn't take long for the first "real" comment to come along, and it came from Elly Mixsell at wiredcommunications.com.  In case you missed it, here is her comment: So glad to see Southwest Airlines soaring into the blogosphere! I've been nuts for SWA since you all started service into Burbank, California many moons ago. I live here in Dallas now and would like nothing more than to be able to fly home to California on my favorite airline without worrying about the Wright Amendment. Glad you're still nutty after all these years! Thanks, Elly, and we are still nutty one year, 263 posts, and 6,257 comments later.  blog-party-two.JPGOf course, you only have to look at her mention of the Wright Amendment to know how quickly things change in the airline industry, and Elly, you and thousands of others are flying Southwest from Dallas to California.  This blog has changed too.  We've added more Employee bloggers; you've heard from Gary and Colleen from time to time; and we've covered a list of topics as varied as this Company from bees, blog-party-gordons-award.JPGassigned seats, schedules, the Kentucky Derby, colons, mannequins, college football, baseball, smells, takeoffs, landings, layovers, to food with candy corn (Brach's owes me some royalties!), wine, crabs, chili, and chilies.  We've had jokes (even some funny ones), contests, caption writing, and guessing airplane parts.  We've celebrated American Heroes like the Tuskegee Airmen; followed Francisco at sea: and remembered 9/11.  We've laughed; we've cried; and we've reached out to each other. Reaching out to each other is the most rewarding memory of the past year.  blog-party-five-jeff-lamb-and-carole-adams.JPGThose of us on the "Internal" Blog Team have got to know you, our "External" Blog Team.  Leah, External Blog Boy, Ding Boy, West Texas Blog Boy, USS Blog Boy, Eric, Erin, Raphael, Jeramy, Kelli, Phil, and everyone of you (I know I left some names out, please forgive) who have joined our online family have made this a wonderful year.  This is really your blog, and we are so grateful for your participation.  Last night (April 26), we threw a one-year birthday party, and although y'all couldn't be here in person, we wanted to share some pictures with you because it is your party.  Here's to many more!blog-party-six-james-and-mary.JPG blog-party-seven-bill-and-susie.JPG
33 Comments
drew
Adventurer B
Great stuff! Here's to another enjoyable year.
chuchoteur
Adventurer B
Gosh, a year already? Time flies when you're having fun! :o) BTW, congratulations to all the blog team, one of the really positive things about Nuts about Southwest is that you have great quality posts, refreshed almost every day! It is a momentum that is not easy to keep, but the Southwest boys 'n girls have kept it going! :o)
Francisco_Delga1
Adventurer A
Its been a pleasure getting to know everyone on this blog. i look forward to another year of laughing, sharing stories and of course eating candy corn. i miss you guys.. USS BLOG BOY
Megan1
Explorer B
Happy Birthday to the Best Blog out there. Keep it going. I LUV it!
FriendofBlogBoy
Frequent Flyer B
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! What a wonderful way to celebrate such a great "place"! Even though the Blog only exists in the electronic world, it still feels like a place where those of us who share a LUV for Southwest Airlines can get together. Here, friends hang out, share their ups and downs, laugh a bit, cry a bit and make new friends. This incredible forum couldn't exist without the blessing of Colleen, but it couldn't be what it is without the awesome work done by Brian and Shelley and Sunny and Angela and others within the EO, the contributions of Employees like James and Kelli and Carole and bunches more scattered throughout the SWA system, and the affection from outside the SWA system as shown by folks like Leah and most certainly Francisco. Thank you very much to Colleen and EVERYONE at Southwest Airlines for allowing us to all share in being a part of the best blog in the world! Yes, we ARE all NUTS ABOUT SOUTHWEST! With LUV, Kim :) Proud to be 'External Blog Boy'
joe-mdw-plane-d
Frequent Flyer C
Happy birthday to the blog! I injured my endoplasmic reticulum today! ;-) Ding! boy Joe
Phil_Willman
Adventurer C
WOW! Time really does fly when you're having FUN! The blog is something I look forward to every day, and something I encourage everyone I know to check out! Here's to another year of eating candy co......um......I mean..... Here's to another year in the FUN-filled blogosphere!!! (honestly though Brian, you could have told somebody you were having a party, I would have GLADLY gotten up from my desk and come down for the festivities.....) 🙂
GNA
Explorer C
Happy Birthday Nuts About Southwest! Keep up the great work!
Erin7
Explorer B
Wow!! its been one year already...well rock on It has been a blessing getting to know everyone on this blog and reading the great stories and responses from both employees and our great passengers. Erin Duck Girl
Matthew_Skok
Explorer A
One year already? Boy, time sure does fly (my apologies for the obvious pun) when you're spreading LUV!
Anna_M_Leuenber
Explorer C
I just found the site, only took me a year. Better late than never-now is that a good travel slogan? I don't mind waiting if I get where I'm going, however, I never have to wait in El Paso's airport-luv it.
Leah4
Frequent Flyer B
Happy Birthday! I LUV this blog! *Throws confetti.*
Leah4
Frequent Flyer B
I noticed a picture of Susie. Is that Susie Boersema (I'm sorry if I misspelled the last name) from Airline? It looks like her, & if it is, I saw her hair is darker. 🙂
Not applicable
[...] is celebrating its one-year anniversary as members of the blogosphere. Their corporate blog Nuts About Southwest has pretty much set the standard for corporate blogging (much like everything else Southwest does [...]
pcerda
Adventurer B
My time in HQ spent with ALL of you was absolutely incredible. At first, I felt like an outsider since I don't live or work in Dallas and I was a tad bit out of my element, but I have a LOT of things to share with you all: 1: I pretty much have detailed my whole experience in my head from the time I got off work to the time I arrived in PHX today. I shall blog about the whole surreal experience from the PHX ticket counter, the DAL ticket counter, and the overall experience in HQ. I also used about a roll of film (I didn't get the DAL cops on the Segway though!). 2: The party ROCKED. I seriously can't stress to you how much FUN it was! It was an experience I shall never, EVER forget! 3: I WILL be relocating to Dallas. This is NOT a want. This is my goal that I WILL achieve. I don't know where, when, how, or what it takes to be in HQ but darnit, that is where I will be in a few years. I can't think of anywhere I've ever wanted to be more than Southwest headquarters. When you walk into that building, you know you are somewhere special. The vibe there is unlike anything else. The employees who don't know you from Adam treat you like you are someone important and they give you genuine respect and want to know all about you. Maybe it's a Texas thing......................................... 4. The stories I heard were absolutely incredible. You are truly an amazing group of people and I'm proud to call each and everyone of you my co-workers. From the bottom of Jedi Blog Masters heart..............................
blusk
Aviator C
That's Susie, Leah. She is part of our original Blog Team, and we hope her busy duties will allow her to start blogging again. Blog Boy
Leah4
Frequent Flyer B
I figured it was Susie. Yes, I remember reading a post of hers last year. 🙂
Leah4
Frequent Flyer B
I think it would be neat if all of us bloggers (including Carol, Brian, Captain Ray, & all the other employees who post, too, of course!) could meet in person! I'd LUV that; I wish we could. It would be fun. 🙂 External Blog Boy is the only one I've met in person.
Micah1
Explorer A
I love this blog, too. I read it every day. It really gives me valuable insight into an industry that I could never receive otherwise.
John_Visser
Explorer C
How about an email address instead of just a set of phone numbers and a snail mail address on your "Contact us" page on the company website? It IS the 21st century, after all. Your banner ads on eBay are really, really annoying, the way they consume resources and prevent me scrolling until they are done. Please cut it out!
FriendofBlogBoy
Frequent Flyer B
Leah, Consider yourself lucky to have met me first; everyone else after that will be an improvement! Brian is a lot more fun and the Culture Chicks are all better looking than me. Good ole EBB 🙂
Jim13
Adventurer C
Wow - a whole year has gone by since my favorite blog started. Doesn't seem possible. Thanks to Brian and every member of the "internal" blog team for your work. And thanks to all the regular contributors, it's the loyal and fanatical regulars here that really make this community what it is. I think you should invite all the Nuts About Southwest fans to next year's party. April 26, 2008 is a Saturday, I'll bet more than a few would be willing to fly into Love Field that day. West Texas Blog Boy
joe-mdw-plane-d
Frequent Flyer C
West Texas Blog boy, Make it non stop, I'll be there! !@#$#@! wright amendment. Higher standards, lower prices. Ding! boy Joe
Leah4
Frequent Flyer B
Ah, Kim! Don't say that! Everyone's fun. 🙂
pcerda
Adventurer B
Kim, You're darn right.........I'd take the Culture Chicks over you!!! LOL! Jedi Blog Master
Sakaki_O_
Explorer C
Congrats on one year in the Blogosphere. As a blogger myself, it's a great feeling to know when you've hit the takeoff mark of 1 year. Keep up the good work on the blog, and keep up the good work in making endroads into the hubs. If y'all can attempt a shoehorn/hostile move into Minneapolis-St. Paul...it'd be a major coup, and it would be a help for those in the Pacific Northwest (like myself.) -Sakaki O.
Francisco_Delga1
Adventurer A
John, This was a happy birthday story not a why doesn't Southwest e-mail kind of story. It is the 21st century, however i must say i enjoy getting a personal letter from Southwest than some system wide apology letter. Not that they owe me an apology for anything... We should all be grateful that they do things different.. mmm like putting their employees and customers first. as far as e-bay goes... the ad must stay... it serves as a reminder that we are free to move about the country... USS BLOG BOY
blusk
Aviator C
John, We are working on e-mail, but we don't have a solid timeframe yet--we have software and staffing issues to work out first--but we will eventually get there. As to the banner ads, I have asked our Marketing folks to look into it. Brian
Cindy9
Adventurer C
Happy Birthday!! Belated of course.. :o( Sorry I'm late.. I can't believe its been a whole year, thats amazing!! I agree that all of you are the best and I love coming to this blog and reading both informative info and all the silly stuff.. I'm hoping that we will still be celebrating this occasion year after year.. Keep up the good work.. Luv Ya, Cindy
Francisco_Delga1
Adventurer A
John, accept my apologies..... i was reading my post and i sounded a bit on the rude side. forgive me.... i am working on two hours of sleep....:( USS BLOG BOY 🙂
FriendofBlogBoy
Frequent Flyer B
John, Don't believe Brian's lame excuses about the delays in setting up an e-mail system. The truth behind the problem is that they had it set up some time ago, but it wasn't working. The technicians investigating the problem found the computer mainframe was compromised by unexplained stickiness. Experts were called in, and it was determined that the hardware had incredible amounts of melted Candy Corn throughout. Brian took the entire system down to a local "25-cent-you-do-it-car-wash" place and tried to wash all of it out, but that seemed to make things worse. So, now they are deducting the cost of a new mainframe from Brian's paycheck, and they will hopefully have a new system in place around 2014, which coincidentally, is also when the final restrictions from the Wright Amendment will disappear. DNA and fingerprint analysis as to who might have dropped the Candy Corn into the computer was inconclusive, although the CSI folks said they would have been able to identify the culprit if a high pressure power wash had not been used before they gathered their samples. Hmmmmm.... Kim 🙂
Cygnus
Adventurer C
Congrats on your first year! I've enjoyed catching these past few months, still being something of a blogosphere n00b myself. And I think you should mail letters written on candy corn before you start using e-mail! Why deal with all the trolls? (Sorry, John.)
V__Allen
Explorer C
When will Southwest be adding flights to Minneapolis? I heard a rumor over a year ago that Southwest had some gates in Minneapolis and would be opening soon, but have seen no action yet!