JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    I spent 3 months, an entire summer, without my Cypres when it went in for a 4 year check. When it "died" at 12 years, I held a Vigil for it.
  2. JohnMitchell
    No perfect way to make your gear theft proof but locked in the car trunk at night is pretty good. When you get back to the motel, take your gear inside your room.
  3. JohnMitchell
    dude, I have a stacks of boxes of condoms at home all because of these boogies. I'm sure they're all unopened.. .
  4. JohnMitchell
    Zombie Alert!
  5. JohnMitchell
    Ooo, I like that. Very, very Zen. I remember being a very new instructor and learning so much by watching my students' mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I rewrote my syllabus after teaching a class. Thank you, all of you, for the thoughtful and intelligent responses. Pchapman, you perfectly describe the pressures that can be felt at large commercial DZ's. I'm lucky to work at what I feel is a very professional school, yet there's always the pressure of the 20 minute call and back log of students waiting to go. May all of us continue to use our best judgement and make the calls that are the best for the student's safety.
  6. JohnMitchell
    Oh yeah, I remember you telling me that at LP.
  7. JohnMitchell
    Mountaineering. Looks like masochism on the installment plan to me.
  8. JohnMitchell
    I can pretty much agree with that. If you have the time, work the problem, but remain altitude aware.
  9. JohnMitchell
    I admire your research into all this. I lived thru the era when much of this was brand new and we were figuring it out as we went. Make sure to consult with some of the more experienced instructors at your DZ though, please.
  10. JohnMitchell
    Another one for "rock lyrics heard wrong." There's a bathroom on the right Scuze me while I kiss this guy.
  11. JohnMitchell
    I was trained from day 1 to not waste time cutting away from a total. At 65 jumps I transitioned to a piggy back rig with a square and had to retrain my EP's. Proper preplanning and training can make a decision tree seem instinctual. I've had one friend bounce on a total with the cutaway pulled and the reserve in the pocket.
  12. JohnMitchell
    I hope that's of some help. Many an angry debate has erupted over some of those questions.
  13. JohnMitchell
    Talking to an instructor the other day and they told me of a level I AFF student that was a total soup sandwich from the moment they got in the door. Bad exit, back flip, no pull, the works. I asked "Well, how did he do during ground practice?" The reply was "Oh, totally screwed it up." My question is this: Would you actually go up in the plane with a student like this? My rule: If they can't do it right on the ground, I don't take them up in the air, period. I don't care how long I have to retrain or how many loads they miss. Any thoughts from my distinguished colleagues out there?
  14. JohnMitchell
    Get a good briefing on landing areas, patterns, etc. Check your gear, take your time and keep your jumps simple until you feel more at home. And try not to be too hungover in the morning.
  15. JohnMitchell
    Now THAT'S funny! Love it. As for me, throw me in the shallow water before I get too deep.
  16. JohnMitchell
  17. JohnMitchell
    I love chilies too. Much of my cooking includes jalapenos and/or chili powders, etc. these days.
  18. JohnMitchell
    Hmm, I still carry term life insurance (V's gonna be rich if I go in) that doesn't exclude skydiving. But now I think I may have to recheck the super fine print. . . Anyone got an electron microscope?
  19. JohnMitchell
    . . . you better hope the toilet splashes you back!
  20. JohnMitchell
    I've never minded it.
  21. JohnMitchell
    I love feeling good.
  22. JohnMitchell
    True that. I don't move plumbing much, but I will turn that in for money. There's a place I take wiring, old appliances, metal, etc. that doesn't give money for it, but does sort and sell for recycling. Then small change I would get doesn't matter much to me. I just want to keep it out of the landfill. Good appliances, etc. I give to Habitat for Humanity. Recently I tried to drop off some "brass and glass" lighting fixtures, popular 20 years ago. The guy said they don't take any shiny brass anything anymore. Darn, off to the landfill . . .
  23. JohnMitchell
    Put on your aluminum hat. Their after you I never take off my tin foil fedora, buddy.
  24. JohnMitchell
    Dz hangar has all the carpet it needs. Also, some was pretty worn and much was in small chunks. Then there's the pad too. I've heard a large percentage of what goes into our land fills is construction debris and I believe it. V and I don't produce much garbage, it seems, except when we do a remodel job.
  25. JohnMitchell
    That's pretty cool. I've skied double but never 4 at a time.