SkydiveNFlorida

I got some ketchup in my fridge we can test this hypothesis out on.... Leave it you you, eh? -A

did anyone else find this funny!? Fish Sauce is a common ingredient in many Thai dishes. Makes curry oh so yummy:) It is basically Anchovy extract and salt. Which salt, as we know, IS a preservative! I wonder if salt prevents any bacterial growth. Maybe that is why ketchup seems to never go bad. -A

Unfortunately, I highly doubt I will learn this in first semester organic. I think that this is more a food science question, but I hesitate to spend the 60+$ on a good food science book. -A

I guess. I just find it odd. Many things such as peanut butter, ketchup, mustard, even butter were not refrigerated at my house as a kid. I find myself following these remarks blindly, refrigerating almost every product I buy, including those that my mother never refrigerated and we never had a problem with. I guess I am just looking for where the line is. Why is it important to refrigerate so many things. Hell, soy sauce is fermented soybeans FAIK, so why would you refrigerate something that was fermented? Are they just covering their asses, or is this really such a necessity? And, is it more a necessity for certain items than others? I found this cool website, which of course mentions the bacteria thing, but it is just too brief for my liking. I would like to get a good explanation of what and why here. But, cool quick answers to a buncha stuff here http://www.drgreene.com/21_442.html Thanks! :) -A

How do they determine which items are susceptible to bacterial growth, and which are not (ie, what needs refrigeration after opening?) thx -A

Any chemists out there care to explain? If the item did not need refrigeration before opening, why does it need refrigeration after opening? Is there some oxidation going on that spoils some food, or renders it less potent? For instance, soy sauce recommends refrigeration after opening, but, I never used to do so and never had a problem. Fish Sauce says refrigerate after opening... if it didn't need it before opening, why does it need it afterward? Recommended reading is always appreciated:) thx! -A

keep an eye on the classifieds... used dytters and protracks pop up all the time. Be the first to e-mail and you'll get one:) I got my pro-dytter for 100$ in the classifieds. It is in great conditions, looks new, works great! I got my protrack for 170$ in the classifieds. It looks worn but it works perfectly:D -A

Cool!! -A

Couldn't you just put in the ad that it needs a reline, or will need one soon? Is legal paperwork really necessary? -A

Pleasure Island, huh? Is that the Disney place in Orlando? Or, maybe that's Treasure Island. ? Sorry you were winded out. We'll see what the forecast for tomorrow says. It looks like Saturday may have some jump spots, but likely not a full day of jumping or any good swoops due to wind. But, if my man is up for it and it looks like a few jumps can be made then we'll make the trip. If it is completely unjumpable (ie, 25-30mph wind, thunderstorms, whatnot) then it would be hard to make the 2hr drive. I would like to meet you, tho. I'll let you know tomorrow when we see the forecast. :) Have you actually found things to do in Sebastian? I commend you for that! -A

I'm really worried for little Derick... Has anyone had this?? How long does it last? Derick has not been 'diagnosed' yet, the first culture comes back tomorrow...until tomorrow evening, we have to stay in our house. Never had it, the below sight explains about the infection, prevention by vaccine which it says is routine, and treatment. It sounds pretty serious. Wish you the best of luck. I suppose your kids didn't get the vaccine they spoke of. It's a shame if doctors aren't making parents aware of what vaccines should be done:( Take care, wish you the best. http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/whooping_cough.html

Sorry if I miss ya on Saturday. Like you said, though, it may be bad weather in which case no one will be jumping. :( Funny, showers are forecasted but wind says 9mph, that is pretty low for showers. Maybe they will be localized showers:) Hope to see you back even when your skills do improve! Glad you're having fun in Sebastian. I guess my rep as the best AFF student is out the window since you came along Tandems are probably loading more than you:D -A

Yeah, it's hard when you can't flare completely. You should be able to stall in brakes, if you can't the brake lines are too long. Taking wraps like you've done may be the best move in this case (rental gear). What are you flying? I was barely able to pull the front risers on student gear as I recall, we're talking mere inches here. They generally don't worry about it and sign off. Has anyone suggested to you what might be keeping you from standing up? Are you flaring unevenly, or not enough? Too high, too low? Be sure to ask for people to critique you before you go up to jump. If a few people are watching you might get some good input. :) good luck, and don't discount the canopy course if you continue to have trouble (or, even if you don't!) It really is a good course, I went though Scott's course when I had about 25 jumps. I had been standing up my landings, but after a crosswinder that I slid in on my belly I had gotten a little apprehensive when it came time to land and so I screwed up several landings following that event. Then, I took the course, and video revealed I was flaring but letting up a little soon (not finishing!) Once that got fixed, my slide-ins stopped:) And, even though I had a runway landing the next day despite the patterns I was supposed to have learned.... I stood it up! See you Saturday I hope! Lets keep our fingers crossed for good weather! You can hope for wind, and i'll hope for no wind. -A

That says it all Sunny. Rest assured whatever you said I was thinking. __ That said, I tighten my chest strap first. Like others, I do it because it makes the rig sit nicely up on my back before I tighten up the leg straps. -A

Awesome, Jen! How are you doing on A license requirements? Did you tell them you need to complete them by the end of the week?! Too bad you can't take a trip up to Deland to take Scott Miller's beginner's course. I know you'd feel WAY more confident after that! Keep at it! :) -A

Did you leave already, Mar? I thought you were down here, too. I will probably be out at Sebastian on Saturday. These are things I need to tell myself now and again, too. It is great to have goals in the sport, swooping and freeflying are a couple of mine. But, I need to be reminded now and then about why I started skydiving. I certainly didn't know who the PD Factory Team was, or the Sugar Gliders. I got into it because I thought it would be fun. Sometimes I forget that and I get all disappointed in my performance. So, if you could just remind me to have fun now and then that'd be great!

ech, packing You need to pack and jump your own in order to get the A, so sounds like a good plan! Hey, never believe the forecast in Florida,... some of the nicest days are supposed to be rainy Have fun! -A

I know how you feel. Some people get headdown in their first 100 jumps.... 300+ and I still can't manage it. :( Try to have fun, ok? You sound a lot like me (perfectionist) and you have to stop yourself now and then and remember why your are there... to have fun! Sure, bigways, freefly, etc are all fun... but NOT when it is frusterating you. So, remember to make some ME jumps, and just enjoy the feeling and the view! :D Everyone will get things in their own time. Look how good you did through AFF, hell, you skipped many levels and graduated in a couple of days. Some people repeat level after level for freefall problems. The canopy stuff will come, too, but for now, don't forget all of the accomplishments you have made in the past week or so! Rock on! :D -A

Runway landings are never fun! If your butt still hurts real bad tomorrow, just chill and watch landings, that can be pretty helpful, too! Watch how others flare. Don't get discouraged, and although it is difficult, you are going to have to at least TRY to get over the perfectionist thing for a while. Landings take time to get right, don't be dissappointed if you slide one in now and again. Just keep working on them, no one expects you to be great at first, guys will rag on you just so they can talk to you (shameless). Take care and congrads on your AFF! Sounds like you have done a killer job! -A

Awe, man, that was probably much more fun! Rory and I got lazy and it was a windy crappy day out so we decided to get drunk here. We'll probably be out tomorrow, hopefully the wind will die down some. I'm jealous, a bouncy house, that must have been SO cool!! ! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! -A

What is the expected span? I wasn't told they needed replacing at any # of jumps, I figured just check for wear. -A

Where doesn't it fit? Just curious where you went wrong. My boyfriend measured me and my rig fits ever so nicely:) The instructions are very explicit so it would seem if a mistake was made it would be on the mfg part since they tell you exactly where to measure. Like, right below belly button, or largest part of leg, etc. -A

Yeah, I put my boyfriend's rig on and lifted it enough that the legstraps would fit right, and they not only felt bulky to me, but they looked funny on my, too. I'm big on asthetics, and I felt that the narrow would feel fine in the air and look and feel more comfy on the ground for me:) It's all a matter of preference. I am 5'5" 130 (sometimes;), my boyfriend is much larger and the wider leg straps seem to suit him better:) -A

Ouch, that would hurt (in pic!) I don't see any leg pads at all there, and that would be mad uncomfortable under canopy! Best getcha a tiny Velo so you can get the hell down quick! fwiw, I ordered a Voodoo and one of the options is Wide leg straps which are supposed to be mad comfy. My boyfriend has them and they looked (and felt when I put on his rig) entirely too big for me... so I ordered mine with the regular leg pads and they are perfectly fine for me:) -A

Nice, Thanks!