skygazer

I have: MY BORDER COLLIE IS SMARTER THAN YOUR HONOR STUDENT Gets me the evil eye from the minivan Moms _______________________________________

Hopefully not a repost. For those of you, like me, stuck in front of a computer in a cube all day... 10. Being told to "think outside the box" when you're in a freakin' box all day long. 9. Not being able to check e-mail attachments without turning around to see who's behind you. 8. Cubicle walls do not offer much protection from any kind of gun fire. 7. That nagging feeling that if you press the right button, you'll get a piece of cheese. 6. Lack of roof rafters for the noose. 5. The walls are too close together for the hammock to work right. 4. 23 power cords - 1 outlet. 3. Prison cells are not only bigger, they also have beds. 2. The carpet has been there since 1976 and shows more signs of life than your coworkers. And the number 1 drawback to working in a cubicle is... 1. You can't walk out and slam the door when you quit. _______________________________________

I have LUVMYK9 (trained dogs for a few years) and MR GOGO on my Mustang. Both are fun! _______________________________________

WORDS TO LIVE BY Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker. Eat a live toad in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. Never buy a car you can't push. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you don't have a leg to stand on. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. The early worm gets eaten by the bird, so sleep late. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. Birthdays are good for you; the more you have, the longer you live. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened. We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors but they all have to learn to live in the same box. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour. Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open. _______________________________________

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, I was going to post this is the girl's forum but I thought it was worth sharing to all. I lost my Mom last year this really got it me. With Mom's Day coming, take a minute to remember your Mom!!!! _______________________________________________ The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said "Yes and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this." Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, "a little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather the storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world. Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all ...... unconditional love. And when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said,"This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children." And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence." Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street. She's the smell of certain foods you remember. Flowers you pick and perfume that she wore. She's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow, she is Christmas morning. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. A mother shows every emotion.......... Happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow..... And all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space...............not even death! _______________________________________

Make sure you have a bite to eat at the Ali Bear Cafe at SDC - the food is awesome and the beer is cold! See the folks at Skycam to get your video and pics - priceless! Have a blast on your jump - It will be the most fun you have ever had! Enjoy!!!!!! _______________________________________

What can I say...oldies are the goodies. _______________________________________

Subject: Hi Tech > THREE MEN -- ONE GERMAN, ONE JAPANESE AND A > HILLBILLY -- WERE SITTING > NAKED IN A SAUNA. > > SUDDENLY THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND. THE GERMAN > PRESSED HIS FOREARM AND > THE BEEP STOPPED. > THE OTHERS LOOKED AT HIM QUESTIONINGLY. THAT WAS > MY PAGER," HE SAID. " I > HAVE A MICROCHIP UNDER THE SKIN OF MY ARM." > > FEW MINUTES LATER, A PHONE RANG. THE JAPANESE > FELLOW LIFTED HIS PALM TO > HIS EAR. WHEN HE FINISHED, HE EXPLAINED, "THAT WAS > MY MOBILE PHONE. I > HAVE A MICROCHIP IN MY HAND." > > THE HILLBILLY FELT DECIDEDLY LOW TECH. NOT TO BE > OUTDONE; HE DECIDED HE > HAD TO DO SOMETHING JUST AS IMPRESSIVE. HE STEPPED > OUT OF THE SAUNA AND > WENT TO THE BATHROOM. HE RETURNED WITH A PIECE OF > TOILET PAPER HANGING > FROM HIS BEHIND. THE OTHERS RAISED THEIR EYEBROWS > AND STARED AT HIM. THE > HILLBILLY FINALLY SAID, "WELL, WILL YOU LOOK AT > THAT. I'M GETTING A > FAX." _______________________________________

Happy Monday! A psychiatrist was conducting a group therapy session with four young mothers and their small children... "You all have obsessions," he observed. To the first mother, he said, "You are obsessed with eating. You've even named your daughter Candy." He turned to the second mother, "Your obsession is with money. Again, it manifests itself in your child's name, Penny." He turns to the third mother. "Your obsession is alcohol. this manifests itself in your child's name, Brandy." At this point, the fourth mother gets up, takes her little boy by the hand and whispers. "Come on, Dick, we're leaving". _______________________________________

Wish there was something we could do here at home to help our soldiers. Any of our fellow dz.com folks out there in service: is there anything we can do? Care packages? Something from home? Your wish is our command! _______________________________________

First of all, this is not a political posting in any way. It's just this...I was watching the news this morning and taking in the loss of yet more Chicago area soldiers in Iraq, I just wanted to put out a God Bless and a thank you to you brave folks down there (and everywhere in our Armed Services). I bitched yesterday about having a lousy day at work and immediately felt very small hearing what a REALLY bad day is about while watching latest news reports. Thanks to all of you for making me appreciate once again the blessings I enjoy; home, work, loved ones and a cool hobby. Your in my prayers every single day. Stay safe! We love ya's. _______________________________________

Thanks for scanning the article, Andy! _______________________________________

I appreciate everyone's kind words...it is a big decision. It's so hard to keep balance today between home, work and the things that bring you joy. Yep, I need to dig into the motivation and go with the heart. Thanks to everyone, I appreciate your thoughts. Now...anybody for a beer? _______________________________________

Ya know, someone else told me something like that. I had about a month between jumps last year just due to committments I had going on but I never got the sky out of my head. Winter gave me too much time to think. _______________________________________

Best part...husband def a non-jumper, prefers fishing. My buddy is out of state. This is all about me. _______________________________________

Ok, I could use some friendly advice, folks. I have 3 tandems, have posted about those and the associated feelings on them several times. My plan was to start AFP as soon as the weather here in Chicago warms up. Well, spring is here and lo and behold, I am having second thoughts..not the normal apprehension is starting something new, but a deeper thought. After spending the winter here at this site, and reading the posts covering everything from the pure joy of flying to the more serious side, malfunctions and the like...I started to wonder is this for me? I loved the tandems and the high I got was incredible and I started to wonder if I should just do tandems for the fun of it and then I wouldn't have to be in so deep...does that make sense? My buddy tells me it's time to take off the training wheels and get serious...well, is just having a blast so bad? One day I am sure I want to devote the time, effort and the bucks to this, the next minute I am thinking hmmmm...are ya nuts? The money is not an issue (well, to a certain point) and the husband things AFP is the way to go but totally leaves it up to me. Has anyone else felt this way? Is it either you are "all in" to be serious or nothing? I'm glued to this site and out at the DZ almost every weekend. Maybe it's just the newbie jitters of the responsibility of yourself after the tandem "free rides". Is even the fact I have to think on this telling me to just have fun with tandems go thru AFP and be on my own? Oh, well, sorry for you all having to listen to me ask myself questions. Any feedback is much appreciated. _______________________________________

Warm puppy vibes _______________________________________

At least dogs can skydive. VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Animal lovers are howling over a skydiving Florida dog. The parachuting Dachshund — known as Brutus the Skydiving Dog — is to perform at this weekend's Air and Space Show at Vandenberg Air Force Base. "What we feel is this is cruelty to animals," said Shirley Cram, shelter director and treasurer for the Volunteers for Inter-valley Animals. "It's exploiting the dog. It certainly isn't fun for that dog to jump out of that plane." Brutus' skydiving partner disagrees. "He gets all excited when I'm getting my gear ready," said Ron Sirull of Delray Beach, Fla., contending Brutus enjoys his aerial activities. He added, "He's totally up for it." Sirull said his dog's veterinarian has signed off the activity being safe for Brutus. "There's always a misconception that Brutus jumps by himself," said Sirull, adding the dog is tucked into a special pouch affixed to his owner's chest. Brutus also dons custom-made goggles for what Sirull calls his "fleafall." While Sirull has 1,000 jumps, Brutus has logged 100. "That's equal to 700 jumps in dog years," said Sirull. _______________________________________

Bo Brian (indyz) Cudlo Diver Driver eeneR Kallend Mel Miranda Rainbo Skygazer Sunny Tomas Tim Vallerina Hoping to be there! _______________________________________

I love "Lookout Below" by Closure. It's the song on my video and it sends me right back to the door of the plane. _______________________________________

1. Whats your name? Peggy 2. How old are you? Gulp...just turned 47 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? After the loss of a family member decided it was time to do the things that I had always wanted to try. 4. Are you single or taken? Married? Married (to a whuffo) but I love him anyway..at least he comes out to watch 5. Do you have kids? No 6. What do you drive? 97 Taurs and 2000 Mustang Convertible 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? No 8. Where do you live? Chicago suburbs (Joliet) temp home of Jake and Elwood Blues 9. Do you have any pets? Eddie (Border Collie) 10. How any jumps do you have? 3 tandems, starting AFP as soon as it warms up. 11. What color eyes do you have? Brown 12. What is your nationality? Irish 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? No 14. Favorite Movie? Depends on the mood - Jaws, Vegas Vacation, The Day the Earth Stood Still 15. What do you do when you aren't skydiving? Gardening and boating 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? No 17. If not... do you want to? Yes 18. Do you have siblings? Only child 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? Alaska 20. What's your favorite color? Red with Green a very close second. 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? Toronto _______________________________________

The Debit Card (really great when you have money in your account) and pay at the gas pump and bacon in a box (the Oscar Meyer) bacon you nuke, Great stuff!!!! _______________________________________

Now here is a good one. Olaf and Sven were fishing one day when Sven pulled out a cigar. Finding he had no matches, he asked Olaf for a light. "Ya, shure, I tink I haff a lighter," he replied. Then reaching into his tackle box, he pulled out a BIC lighter 10 inches long. "Yiminy Cricket!" exclaimed Sven, taking the huge BIC lighter in his hands. "Vhere did yew git dat monster??" "Vell", replied Olaf, "I got it from me Genie." "You haff a genie in yor tackle box?" Sven asked. "Ya, shure. It's right here in my tackle box," says Olaf. "Could I see him?" So Olaf opens his tackle box and sure enough, out pops the genie. Addressing the genie, Sven says, "Hey dere! I'm a good friend of your master. Vill you grant me vun vish?" "Yes, I will," says the genie. So Sven asks the genie for a million bucks. The genie disappears back into the tackle box leaving Sven sitting there, waiting for his million bucks. Shortly, the sky darkens and is filled with the sound of a million ducks...flying overhead. Over the roar of the million ducks Sven yells at Olaf. "Yumpin' Yimmny, I asked for a million BUCKS, not a million DUCKS!" Olaf answers, "Ya, I forgot to tell yew that da genie is hard of hearing. Do yew really tink I asked for a 10 inch BIC? _______________________________________

There is no place like home. Way to go, I am sure it was a tough decision. Best wishes to you and your family. _______________________________________

My last tandem instructor told me just me to blow out like you are blowing out the candles on a birthday cake - did it once and never had a prob again. Yep, it's about remembering to breathe! Good luck!!! _______________________________________