Nuts About Southwest

Yup, 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.  Of 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, assigned 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.  Those 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!