The Golden Summer

[Deuce 1]

I think this is it, for me, for skydiving.

Today was nothing but fun from the get-go. Got to work ( I have no other gainful employment, so the DZ is "work") Did a freefly jump with Q that kept my hope alive of having a head down that will play well with others, then did tandems and AFF all day.

First tandem was with Q on the load, and we were able to nearly bump end cells while the father and son we carried respectively, got to hoot and holler at each other at about 2 grand. The son is an 18 year old man who enlisted in the Navy and wants to be a SEAL. He's coming back to do AFF. It was the young man's birthday and they shared a cake with thier family who came to watch them.

Did the main side on a level 2 with ChopChop and a student who has great potential and passed the level. He's a really nervous guy, and I think I was able to inspire some confidence in him.

Had several pretty women as tandem students. Videoscooter had most of the camera work with the pretty ones

Had a guy who was about 45 who didn't think he could do a tandem because he had a foot crushed and has a partial prosthetic. I slid him in and made his day. He was jumping with his son, on his son's 18th birthday, and he was really glad he was able to share the plane ride. He gave me $20 and told me to buy myself a beer.

It was really hot, but nobody was bitching. People teased me about my pictures in the recent magazines. Kevin, who was on the 121 way with me, shared a hell of a belly laugh.

When the work was done, (and before the beer light came on!) I folded up my money and met my family for dinner at a fun family restaurant called Pee Wee Muldoon's in Brentwood (My Brentwood, not OJ's) Me and my Mrs. shared fajitas while the girls had a corndog and fries and spaghetti.

It was a great day. I got to use my ratings and I made a lot of people happy. A lot of people made me happy right back.

And Mattias gave me this picture he took last weekend.

Life is a bizarre stew of events and emotions. My skydiving community is the good stuff. The good stuff that you remember when you are chewing up something rancid and awful. The good stuff you look forward to eating next.

I wonder if it can get much better. This is the golden summer of skydiving for me.

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[xsynergist 0]

Nice post Deuce. I can really feel it.

[RevJim 0]

Awsome jp, just plain awsome. No other word can describe...

And that picture . . . it shows the passion behind the fun.

Good on you man, good on you!

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[Muenkel 0]

Damn JP,

We're the same age and I'm in the infancy of my skydiving and you're talking retirement.

Just promise me 2 things: 1) You don't leave dz.com. and 2) Should I ever get my license and meet up with you, you'll decide to come out of retirement and do a jump with me.

_________________________________________
Chris

[Deuce 1]

I've been retired from one career and fired from the other.

I plan on continuing skydiving until I'm the ridiculously old guy with the amazingly good gear.

-as opposed to the moderately old guy with the amazingly good gear I am today.

[AggieDave 6]

I wish and hope you don't hang up your rig, you're the kind of person that we need instructing and definately the kind of person that I like to see jumping.

However, if you feel you've done what you've wanted to do, I wish you luck and hope that you stay on DZ.com so I can keep in touch with you easily. We only got to jump together a couple times and we've only been around each other at one boogie, but you're definately a special person with a warm heart. I hope we get to jump together again someday.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Viking 0]

I'm hoping the rest of you are mistaken. I didn't get the idea that JP's is hanging it up. and if he is............can i have your helmet/camera's??

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin

[chaoskitty 0]

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I'm hoping the rest of you are mistaken. I didn't get the idea that JP's is hanging it up. and if he is............can i have your helmet/camera's??

Yah I didn't read it as if "this is it" = the end...
I read it as "this is *it* = this is the greatest..

Looks as if it is!

[wingnut 0]

duece,

will you be my hero?????.. glad you are lovin life and everything it has to offer...... i'm working twords that...... not so sure on the aff rating though..... everyone knows those aff instructors are nuts.... lol...j/k.......

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

[ccq 0]

Goddamn, JP. You da man. What a day, what a day! We had more fun than should be allowed. Hell, I'm still grinning ear to ear.

Those first two rocked, plain and simple. Next time, we get you to arch less on the first one and we've GOT to make the two stack for that second one. Add in a few AFF's, a couple more freefly jumps, and some suit and no-suit relative work, it made for a banner 10 jump day on this end. I hit for the cycle! No CRW, though. Will have to do some more Velocity CRW soon. You up for getting some stills??

See ya after the Playa.

--Q

-----
Chris "Q" Quaintance
ccqquaintance.com
D-23345

[Deuce 1]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Q has lowered the cloaking device and has posted.

This is very serious shit.

Please notice the Wings banner ads, and the fact that the Q is featured on DZ.com. He is also prominent on the print ads from Wings. That is because he is the best camera geek ever. Ever.

Yeah, I love this stuff. Today was a happy AFF and Tandem day too. Very hot, but very fun.

Thanks for posting, Lurker. And set that new record at burning man for you. And me.

I live vicariously via the Q.

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