Dagny

The receptacles for containing small objects were placed by the pre-ordained central area of the residential dwelling of no particular shape and size with care, in hopes that the appropriate representative of the celebratory day soon would be there. This is hard! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

My family celebrates xmas on the 25th. I really don't care if I get anything this year. Seriously, it is gift enough for me to be here with my family. I had forgotten how much I missed them during the last year. It's so hard to be away sometimes... Although...I did get something special and unexpected in the mail today from a friend and that really made my day. Spending some much needed time with my family AND getting surprised all at the same time...well, Merry Christmas to me!! And to all of you...I hope you all have something to make you smile tomorrow.

Not to argue what you are saying diverdriver, but I'd like to throw this out there.... There are a LOT of jobs where people's lives are on the line requiring quick thought and faster action to save themselves and/or others. I worked as a paramedic for several years. In Alabama, I was paid $9.00 an hour. Didn't really make dodging bullets, fighting violent people, avoiding the sharp end of a knife, or avoiding car accidents worthwhile, really. And, yet, I did the job...and I complained about the low pay when I couldn't pay my bills, but I did it because I loved it. I think I'm just trying to say that danger doesn't necessarily mean great pay for every career. So, if pilots are paid better for hazardous duty...well, enjoy it because not all of us are that lucky. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Merry Christmas to you! Enjoy that meal... Oh, and stay safe and thanks!!!!

Well, I could certainly use a drink tonight!! I'm up to elbows in oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Making enough for about 12 people since I can't afford real xmas presents this year. I don't think I'll ever get finished baking tonight....and the strongest thing my parents have to drink here is chamomile tea. Oh, someone help!! Anyone in the New Orleans area? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Well, Macca, I may have said this once, but I think it's worth being said again... You know you aren't jumping right now...I'm envisioning grey skies, freezing cold, maybe even a little snow. How could you abuse that fine little woman of yours by keeping her grounded? Send her to me so I can show her a good time here in Florida. I'll treat her right....trust me! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Wow, that is such an awesome gift! If I ever cut my hair short, I'd like to do the same thing. Maybe if I do something honorable like donating to locks of love, I won't cry when my hair gets cut off. Who knew I'd feel so...heh...attached....to something so silly like my hair? It must feel a little strange to be 13 inches lighter. Good job Lew!

Finally! 350.4! Now, time to find something else to conquer tonight... Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

350.4? You are going down...damn this game is addictive! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

One small group of people tried like hell to ruin my good mood and they, essentially, succeeded. Please allow me to vent... I was on call for work today and had to check in by 10am to see if I was needed. Hoping that I would have the day to catch up on some much needed chores, I called just to find out I would have to work. That was frustrating, but as a poor person I can't really turn down money. So, off I went. I work as a waitress and there was steady business today. I got the standard tips...sometimes 20%, sometimes 10%, sometimes less than that. My last table of the day was comprised of three women. I was friendly and offered them prompt service. Their needs were attended to since I'm trying to make a little cash. I haven't even gone xmas shopping yet because I don't know if I can pay the bills. Anyway, they order steaks...well done. Now, anyone who knows meat knows that well done takes a little time. Their food took 19 minutes to get to their table. When I delivered it, they were pissed. Said it took 40 minutes to get the food, they were VERY dissatisfied with my service, they were ready to leave, and they wanted a manager. I informed them that they did order the food well done, but I would get the manager. He calms them with the offer of free dessert. Suddenly they aren't in such a hurry to leave. They were, however, perfectly content being really freakin' mean to me. They were demanding and rude, unfriendly and short with me. I, of course, had to smile and continue to provide the service I had offered in the beginning. I delivered their check, after their desserts had been comped and a discount taken off the meal. I even went so far as to wish them a happy holiday and a great day. I was even sincere, but it took every bit of willpower I had to do that. They tipped me....NOTHING. No real surprise there. Now, they SHOULD have tipped me just for the skill it took to be friendly even though I had no love for them anymore. At least a few dollars to acknowledge the restraint it took to keep me from speaking my mind would have been nice. So, here it is. Waitresses earn $2.13 an hour. I rely almost entirely on tips to pay my bills. I have to pay taxes on 10% of my sales, regardless of the tips I actually earn. I also have to tip out 2% of my sales to the bar and the hostess. In essence, I paid for the "privilege" of having served this table. That sucks. I've gotten stiffed on tips before, it happens. I've made mistakes on tables before and admitted my errors and tried to make it up to them. But, I have NEVER had to take shit from someone and be treated so poorly as I was today while maintaining a smile and friendly attitude. Grrrr. So, please remember that those people who serve you food and are friendly and nice are doing it because they need to work and because they care about doing a good job. Throw 'em a little extra if you can this holiday season. And, if the service is bad or the kitchen doesn't turn out the food fast enough, please remember that your server is human. Thanks, and thanks for letting me vent... I think I'll go turn up the music and take a long, hot shower...that always makes me feel better. Oh, and Happy Holidays! I mean that!

Nice suit, party wizard leader! Now get it up in the air where it belongs! And, it just occurred to me...this is your FIRST FF suit, is it not? Definitely a beer worth event. It's going to be a big tab in Eloy! Now be sure to save one for this southern gal who can't get out West for xmas this yeaar! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Oh, now you've done it. Temptation too strong to fight...must get back to Sebastian!!! And the special seat is MINE, I will fight for it! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I'd just like to take this moment to say: Like Knights of old, Let's fight to hold The glory of the Purple Gold. Let's carry through, Let's die or do To win the game for dear old LSU. Keep trying for that high score; Come on and fight, We want some more, some more. Come on you Tigers, Fight! Fight! Fight! for dear old L-S-U. RAH! Thank you, that is all. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

The one I keep getting on skydiving: How hard can it be? You're just falling. I never refute that statement. Let 'em think what they will. I don't know how they live without ever having known what it feels like to fly and without ever having seen the world from above the clouds as we do when we skydive. Their loss! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I'll have to remember that if I'm ever looking over your gear before we exit! Three rings..look good. Chest strap routed correctly...check. Weapon locked and loaded...check. I'm guessing you feel better carrying it always and wouldn't leave it on the ground or locked in your car? Otherwise, it's in case you encounter any rabid dogs on an out landing? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

This is about so much more than personal comfort level. It is about safety! Thorough ground preparation is a necessary and beneficial component of the skydive for people at every level. However, I do not believe a low jump number skydiver has the skill to engage in a group tracking dive. A skydiver with 25 jumps has just completed the requirements for the A license. Unless they paid for coach jumps on all their solos, that skydiver has no clue how to jump with other people yet. Most likely, they aren't even aware of their movement in the sky and may be sliding all over or have fall rate issues to work through. A group tracking dive is not an appropriate way for a new skydiver to learn body control. Consider what could happen if that skydiver tracks low, doesn't see anyone else, and deploys under the group. Or, they are in the middle of a group and the direction changes. Will they have the skill to change direction while maintaining altitude and body position? Will they be even be aware of a directional change or will they become a high-speed obstacle? I am happy to hear experienced freefliers took you under their wing and assisted your progression. That is how we learn. The important thing to realize, though, is that the dangerous component of a group skydive is the low jump number skydiver. On a tracking dive, the focus will not be on the newbie, the focus is on the actual jump. That is why I believe new jumpers should progress into 2way and 3 way RW jumps in the beginning. This allows a more experienced skydiver to challenge the newbie in the air and then give appropriate feedback after the skydive. As their abilities improve, the new jumper can begin moving into larger, more specialized skydives. New skydivers do not have enough experience to know the limits of their comfort level. Read the incidents page and you will see threads started by newbies looking to downsize too quickly, progress before they are ready, and jumping in winds too high. It results as a consequence of the new jumper being excited, eager, and motivated. While these are good things and a nice side effect of this sport, it is also enough to have a newbie getting in over their head without realizing it. Yes, but were you? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

In 14 short hours, I will take my cardiovascular physiology final. I am so freakin' scared!!! I mean, like hands shaking kind of afraid...or maybe it's just the caffeine I've been drinking. Monday, TOMORROW!, is like my own personal d-day. That sick professor with his crazy mind game of a test is gonna throw 100 multiple choice questions at me. Am I going to be ready? He's tricky...his questions are tricky. He has a track record of failing lots of students and I know he made a few cry last year. I won't cry, I won't, but maybe I"ll pack some kleenex just in case. I need to quiet my mind! That's why I'm taking this study break. I peeked at my notes again just now, they keep taunting me. I don't know this stuff as well as I could, maybe I'll fail. I hope I don't. I worked so hard to get to medical school and this test could bring my progression to a sudden halt. That's why I'm so bloody scared right now. What if I fail? What would I do with myself? How could I let down my family like that? They'd start introducing me to friends as "missy, my daughter [whispering] that failed out of med school [/whispering]". How embarassing! And depressing! So, fine. I'll pull an all-nighter. I can sleep tomorrow. I have a coffee pot and enough coffee to keep a small third-world country awake for a month. Oh, no....I don't have any snack food! What to do? The sky is grey and overcast tonight. The rain is falling hard, sideways. It mirrors my mood. Oh, I hate having test anxiety. My mind keeps wandering. Christmas is so close, I haven't bought anything yet! I want to see a movie. That Maeve Binchy book is just begging to be read. Maybe I could just skip tomorrow and go mountain biking. Ah, well. I've been through worse, I suppose. And, so what if I fail out of medical school. I mean, there's worse stuff in life, right? Hell, maybe I'll pass. It could happen. uh-oh. I forgot the difference between myogenic response and myogenic control. And what was that stuff about shear stress? (sigh) Back to the books, I suppose. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Awesome!! See, even kids know that the REAL Santa has REAL whiskers! Thanks for the smile... Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Hmmm. At my dz it was recommended by the S&TA as well as two female skydivers whose opinion I greatly value that I NOT do a group tracking dive just yet. That was when I had at least 30 jumps. Even if a skydiver with low jump numbers was able to flat track very well, they still have very little experience with being in close freefall with a number of other people. I think it would be better that they continue to work on RW skills and gradually increase the number of people they skydive with before taking on the challenge of a tracking dive. Things to consider are maintaining altitude relative to the rest of the group, being aware of everyone's position as the tracking direction changes to avoid collisions, and being aware of others at pull time. I don't believe someone with 25 jumps is ready for that, even with thorough ground preparation. I went through the planning and preparation for a 8-10 person tracking dive and we were climbing to altitude while those two female skydivers talked to me about it. They didn't tell me not to do it, but they didn't recommend it. I withdrew from the tracking dive and did a solo instead. I think that was for the best at that time. It is essential that the new skydiver learn to flat track well, but I believe they (WE) should start smaller. Just because we can, doesn't always mean we should. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

When I was little, my grampa would read The Night Before Christmas to my sister and I on Christmas eve. Every year, he did this. We always curled up on the couch next to him and he would use this theatrical goofy voice. He was so cool. I miss him. These days, not so many traditions. Although, I do love driving around looking at christmas lights on people's houses. Florida is kind of special because people put lights on their palm trees. It seems so strange! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Ah, half dome (drooling), I'm in love!!! And vernal falls...so beautiful and so worth the effort to view it. Your pics are absolutely stunning! And could so easily compete with any of the ones on my Yosemite calendar. Makes me want to be out there again, hiking those steep trails, heavy pack on my back, chocolate in my pocket, surrounded by beauty, listening to the sounds of silence and my boots on the ground. That would be soooo nice. Thanks for the daydream...

Happy birthday GALEN!!!! Y'all enjoy that ketel one, now, ya hear? And if you don't drink it all...bring the rest to zhills! We've got some partying to do by the bonfire! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

----------------------------------------------------------------------- In Reply To -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I dont see my name up there, Muenkel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yeah. What she said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorry, I gotta pipe in on here. YEAH, WHAT THEY SAID. Agreed! What gives, Muenkel!? You know this reminds me of that scene in finding Nemo....where the pelican says something like...get in my mouth, if you want to live....while all the seagulls are gathering....Mine! Mine! *observing a growing group of disgruntled skychicks* Muenkel, slowly...very slowly....turn...walk away....RUN! It's time to eject, son! Save yourself! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

NOW issues I support: They are currently fighting a marriage ammendment introduced by CO senator Wayne Allard which would affect civil marriages and the benefits that can result from them. Specifically, this would have a detrimental effect on same sex marriages and the ability of these partners to acquire legal benefits resulting from their union. They are also fighting the medicare changes which will incorporate a new drug benefit program. They believe it will be too expensive for seniors, particulary women, who apparently require more prescription meds than men and receive less retirement income. Go NOW. Hmm, I think I may have spoken to soon. Their issues are absolutely beneficial. That is why I considered joining and participating in the group. They concern themselves with global equality of women as well as: equal rights for women in the workplace, speaking out/reducing violent acts against women, establishing/maintaining constitutional rights, developing health standards to incorporate the needs of women. I think it is absolutely necessary to have better representation for women both in the US and globally. I would have to say that the issues I have a problem with come down to two: affirmative action and abortion rights. As for abortion rights, personally, I would NEVER be able to abort a pregnancy. I couldn't. That's just me. I do support other women's rights to abort, though, and the availability of RU486. But, that support has created a personal struggle in me that I've yet to overcome. So I don't feel comfortable supporting a group, putting their bumper sticker on my car, whatever...yet. Also, I'm a registered democrat...that fits well with NOW. But, I tend to vote conservative. And NOW does not support Bush or a republican government. Oh, and their FEMINISM NOW, ALWAYS motto kind of intimidates me, a little. This is something I've struggled with for a while...to support or participate in a group if you don't agree with everything? It's the very reason I don't always vote democrat. I was raised catholic, but don't attend church. Things like that... Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

NOW. National Organization for Women. I thought it would be cool to join the group, but I have a real problem with some of the issues they support. And, they're just a bit too....in your face, for me. Kind of like PETA. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali