VampireGirl

Looks like it may be a busy one this time, there are people around who haven't been around for a while and people who are leaving us.. So, who's coming? xx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

I have no idea! What is pap, anyway? Mielie-meal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In South Africa and other parts of Africa, a staple food made from either stamped or ground maize, corn (mielie or mealie), coarse cassava powder, millet or sorghum flour. It is traditionally made into many forms of dishes, such as Umngqusho, sour-milk porridge, pap, or even Umqombothi (a type of beer). Compare "samp". Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mielie-meal" www.sneale-create.com

Yeah, the pap is a funny one, esp as we used to get someone to make a batch up in the morning to feed to our dogs! Also, speaking of feeding dogs, in some places in the world (China I think) chicken head and feet are a delicacy, and this is what we fed our dogs for ages. We would buy "heads and feet" for them all the time! www.sneale-create.com

That's a really good menu, and yes, pretty much what you would find on a menu in a restaurant in SA. mmm fancy the calamari now... www.sneale-create.com

Don't get angry with yourself for being tense, it's a part of the process that most of us go through for the first 100 or so jumps. Find a good breathing technique to practise on the ride to altitude (maybe read some yoga or pilates stuff) and get used to using that to calm yourself down. You may want to read articles on "arousal levels" too, (although I don't know if this will be too much information for you at this stage, if so, then save it for later in your skydiving career when you will understand it better). Deep breathing is my secret to calming myself down and I use in away from skydiving too. Whenever I feel my body tensing up, I notice it and then take a deep breath and let it out, according to yoga and pilates, filling up your lungs to capacity and concentrating on expanding your diaphragm and then letting as much as you can out (releasing the residue air from your lungs) makes way for more oxygenated air, thereby relaxing your body and mind and making you more aware of your surroundings and able to react in a logical way, rather than an emotional way. Also, if you can get a copy of Brian Germain's "Transcending Fear" it's a very useful book about how to deal with this stuff. You WILL become more relaxed after you've done 100 or so jumps anyway, but then the challenge is to not become complacent. Being tense is your survival instinct, try to find a way to work with it. I hope this helps! xxx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

For achieving his CF1 this weekend at Hibblestow! Also for completing his first 4 stack and his first 8 stack. I am sure video will follow soon..... www.sneale-create.com

The one Zoter is talking about is in fact the Vertical Journey 2. www.sneale-create.com

Yep, I think you're right about that jump, (my memory is a bit sketchy, it was so long ago). I suppose they just want proof that you can do all the required skills (that is the level 7 jump, isn't it?). have fun! xx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

I'm glad you're ok! I think the main lesson here is to know when to say "no, I am not going to jump" It's difficult to do it when (for example) you've got team training going on and you have everything organised (back to backs, premanifesting etc) I used to feel like a wimp when I pulled myself off loads when I was a newbie to the sport. Now I admire people who can say "no" to a jump when it's not right for them. Well done to your very switched on team mates too! Quick question though... is it really a good idea to give blood if you are a skydiver? This to me would seem to be the worst culprit in this scenario. xx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

Hi James, I did my AFF in the states. The problem I had when I came back was that the BPA have a set amount of things you need to do on the AFF course and they do it in a certain order (regardless of how the student is progressing). The US instructors didn't make such a fuss about everything getting ticked off in a certain order, or to do a certain thing on a certain jump, just as long as I demonstrated the skills that I wassupposed to be learning. Now it may be that the DZ I went to to jump when I got back just did it to be a pain in the @rse, but I had to do a "check out" jump with one instructor (it cost me £80) before they would give me my "A", this was because they went through my log book and said that I needed to do a dive exit, and two 360 degree turns on one jump and I didn't have it in my log book (after 25 jumps, including warp coaching in the states). All I am saying here is be careful, get the AFF syllabus from the UK and make sure you make the instructors aware of what you need to do and why (the BPA are very "by the book") it may save you a bit of money! Just wanted to add (it was a couple of years ago now) that I had to do a hop n pop to get my A licence, but they called it a "low solo". After all 7 levels of AFF, I did a "high solo" and a "low solo", the low one being from 4500ft. I think it's a great idea to go to the states to do this! You will be spoilt! xx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

Yep, looking forward to seeing the screen shots! That's a cute memory too. XX Sarah www.sneale-create.com

Thanks Rob It's not going to be realistic and it's not going to be tribal, I am still trying to come up with a style for it and will probably end up doing the "less is more" type of thing with it, where you have a hint of something to show a flap of material etc (if you don't know what I mean I can clarify) and it will be a very small design at the end. This is definately a long labour, but I can't wait to see the result. Guaranteed I will keep you guys updated on progress. xx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

------------------------------------------------------- One of the things he loves most about his job (firefighter) is that they take the truck to a clubby part of town and watch all the skimpily clad women walk by. And then he calls me to tell me about them. He is so cute! ------------------------------------------------------- I think that really shows the sign of a healthy relationship! You're very lucky FallinWoman, hold onto him.

Thanks Adrian. Nice to hear from a Canvas, but I would like to hear from a tattoo artist too! I really need advice on this! I think it's going to be quite small as it is part of a much larger tattoo with various other skydiving scenes on it and I want to get the style right on one section before I start working on the rest of it! Any advice/feedback will be much appreciated! www.sneale-create.com

My Daddy died 3 and a half years ago very suddenly and very young (60). We were never close while I was an adult, but he made me (and a lot of other people) laugh a lot, he is remembered for his jokes and his smile. I try and smile more and make people laugh more since he died as I feel his work wasn't done when he died. www.sneale-create.com

Yes you can! Keep at it, but make sure you set a date and stick to it. Even if it is a while in advance. I set my date 6 weeks ahead and started cutting down, by the end of the 6 weeks, I was actually LOOKING FORWARD to stopping! I was lying in bed last night thinking about how many thousands of cigarettes I must have smoked in my lifetime as a smoker ( 20+ yearrs ) and how nice it is not to be a slave anymore. Ok, granted it's only been a month, but I believe I can crack this! xxx ((((Lots of encouragement)))) www.sneale-create.com

Hi All I am designing a tattoo for skypimp, but have never had a tattoo, or designed one before. I have got the overall design more or less, as agreed with skypimp, but now need to figure out how to do the details. Can a tattoo artist please pm me to discuss how to go about this? Many thanks! PS, skypimp's original tattoo designer request is at this link. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2010146;#2010146 ta xx Sarah Ok, maybe it will make it more interesting if I add a picture of where I am at the moment... www.sneale-create.com

Happy Happy Girl, wishing you many many more! :-) www.sneale-create.com

I've been a non smoker for almost a month now and I am really enjoying it. I cut down gradually for 6 weeks before my stop date and then the withdrawal symptoms weren't that bad (I had been going through them for 6 weeks already, so it was a relief to get rid of them completely after two weeks of giving up) now I just want something to do with my hands and my mouth. Believe me, there are MUCH MORE fun and interesting things to do than smoke! Lollipops rock! xxx www.sneale-create.com

No photoshop, all natural cloud formations! :-) www.sneale-create.com

So.. here are some from this weekend at Netheravon in the UK. How many faces can you see in the cloud picture? :-) xxx www.sneale-create.com

Very nice pics! www.sneale-create.com

YES YES YES.... This for me is what makes me excited, when wuffos ask: what's the best part? I always say, getting out of the plane! It's like going into another dimension! www.sneale-create.com

I have to say that my favourite movies are the Mad Dog Productions ones on Skydiving Movies. Hey, I AM little biased, I must admit, 'cos I have a bit of a soft spot for the editor.. I am ALSO in a lot of them, but, he did win the skydive radio video contest ((( http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2065215;search_string=skydive%20radio;#2065215))) so his movies are pretty much well liked by others too! This one that won the competition, is pretty much my favourite at the moment as it's really funny! xxx Sarah www.sneale-create.com

Right! I am coming up for my D Day this Monday 15th March, I am stopping smoking (I am very very scared) but I was wondering if anyone would like to play a game of finding the most graphic pictures on the internet of what smoking does to you! Anyone care to join in the fun? (PS, I dont want to piss anyone off, am merely looking for motivation to stop) If you can't deal with it, then don't look. www.sneale-create.com