Dagny

[whispering] pssst....over here kid....we have a chat room...just throught you should know[/whispering] Look a bit up and to your right...see this: Donations | The Pub | Glossary | Users Come to the pub sometime...bring a beer and all the weak philosophical musing you can muster for a guaranteed good time! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

A ganglion, in your case, is just a benign cyst which forms on a tendon. They are relatively common in the area of the wrist and do not necessarily need to be surgically removed unless they create a complication. In your case, continual throbbing, discomfort, and limited range of motion necessitates intervention. The cyst forms when synovial fluid leaks through the tendinous sheath of a joint capsule. These are not uncommon. However, the actual reason it occurred in you...and say, not in me...remains an unknown. Good luck with the removal of your ganglion cyst! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

It surprise me, too...I put $30 on beer (all I could afford after jumping all day) and it bought...hmmm...12 beers. Restricted access beers, at that. But I paid my dues!! And I'm bringing a cooler to zhills!!! (and my camera...watch out, I'm prowling for blackmail photos!) Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Refer your questions about canopy time to your instructor before you jump. That's very important. Very. From my experience in AFF, I found it was not difficult to navigate to where I needed to be. Remember that you are in control and you need to make it go where you want it to go. You'll figure out just how much input you need to make your turns when you are in the sky. Know what your winds are doing...both the uppers and the ground winds. You will be deploying high so you will have ample time to deal with any possible problems and to arrive in your holding area. I almost landed out once, but it was after AFF and due to my forgetting to check the spot before I left. Your instructors will be sure that you are in the right area for your first jump. Follow the landing pattern your JM designates. Have him or her show you the area you should hold in and be in for landing on the aerial photo and on the ground. My advice....do what your JM instructs, be sure to enjoy the view, be smart under canopy, and remember to finish the flare. You'll be on radio, so that will be a big help. Most of all, have a good time! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

What the hell is that one on the far left? It looks like a hoof. See, yet another reason I avoid lite beer... Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

You know, it's funny. I only started skydiving in May, but the first thing I wanted to do when I started feeling maxed out on stress was get to a dz. For something that just recently became a part of my life, it has become an important part of who I am...and a powerful antidote for the blues. The things I like to do to cope with stress are skydiving, exercise, and sex. Basically anything that requires my mind to concentrate on something other than feeling bad and brings my body to the point of exhaustion so I can sleep. Can I just say that I am really glad to have friends here and at the dz? It makes all the difference knowing I don't have to be alone this holiday season!

The imports are $2.50 each! When I buy, we don't drink domestic! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Speaking of tequila... I just broke open my bottle of Don Julio Reposado. Now I'm just listening to some smooth music here in the dark admiring the color of the tequila in my glass and enjoying the way it burns going down. Anyone else feeling a little dangerous tonight? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Well, it looks like it happened. I have two friends here in Fort Lauderdale who are very important to me, but our relationship has become a little distant recently. It's partly skydiving related, partly life related. And, I returned from the DZ this weekend to find that they won't return my calls...three days running now. To avoid feeling stalker-esque, I'm going to stop calling and let them make the next move...if there is one. So, I've been feeling a bit down as of late and a bit lonely. I live far away from family and now that my closest friends aren't anymore and the holidays are coming up...Well, now, I'm curious...how do you cope when you feel like crying? How do you keep yourself sane when things look bleak? What's the key to your happiness? (On a side note, I'd just like to say when you're mad at me, I do much better if you tell me straight. Tell me to f*ck off and I understand....just don't disappear) Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Wow...if I bought a full case of beer at my dz, it would cost me $60. Last time, I put down $30...it was the best I could do! I like what my instructor told me just before I did my first hop n' pop. I'm nervous and he asks me what the most important thing to remember is. I start rattling off things...pin check, check handles, arch, get stable, pull, land....he says, "no....the most important thing to remember is that I drink Beck's!" Made me feel a lot better about the entire jump! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I hurt my knee during AFF on a crap landing in September and the MRI showed a complete tear of the ACL, tear of the medial meniscus, and bone contusions on my femur. I've been doing pretty well on the knee with some discomfort that usually gets worse when I hyperextend or rotate. So, I had the MRI follow up with my doctor this morning and she recommended two months of prolotherapy where they inject a dextrose solution into my knee once a week. It's supposed to help regenerate fibers of the acl and meniscus, but is a bit less succesful on a complete versus partial tear. And they're going to fit me for some brace with metal bars or something (I'll be likely to wear that next to never ). Anyway, the good news is...no surgery for now! They'll do another MRI in two months to see if the prolotherapy is working. If it isn't...well, then ...hmmm, actually...it'll work! It will, so I don't have to be grounded. I hope! Doing my little happy dance over here! Thanks for letting me share!

Nothing like the government to supply its citizens with a generous helping of ambiguity. Why even bother making a distinction between resolutions and resolve when they so clearly share meanings? The only explanation I can come up with is this: Perhaps resolutions meant an actual expression of desire to meet said dangers while resolve referred to a firm plan or decision to enable these resolutions. He'd have been better off just saying "we need to meet dangers...yada, yada, yada" and let us draw our own conclusions! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Let's see...nervous? Absolutely! I thought at least once to myself that I could always ride back down on every AFF level. And, yet I never did. Then I graduated AFF and was nervous on my first solo. After that, I was more excited than scared. My fear has evolved as I've been jumping. On my first pack job....Will it open? On my first two way...What if I screw up? Will I look stupid? On downsizing...Can I land this thing? Will I hurt myself? Accept the fear, just don't let it control you. That's my goal on every jump. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Thank you so much!!

Congratulations!! You two look great...

Well, let me just say that I feel sorry for you!!! Watch some skydiving videos or something... I'll let you know how the air is tomorrow when I get up there! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Well, I've had a bit to drink tonight, but I'm game for anything!!! Get to the airport already so your great weekend can begin!! Here in Florida, we make great weekends, they don't make us!!! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

What happened to the chicks only hotel room???? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Most important thing to remember with multiple personalities is make sure you are all friends! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Can't help you with cash, but there's space in my tent for two!!! That is, if I ever set it up... Even if I don't, hell....it's Florida and it's beautiful and there's gonna be some sick skydiving going on here in the morning!!! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

My suggestion....Fly to florida immediately, help me set up my tent tonight in the dark, jump as much as your body can handle, drink more than your liver can take, then fly back to wherever you come from! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Thanks, McDuck! And let me just say now...you're gf is a lucky chick!!!

zeemax keeps singing the bloody badger song! Make him stop...someone, anyone!

Me too! But only because the pizza is lost somewhere in Sebastian! It was supposed to be delivered like an hour ago! So now I'm just drinking some dz concoction and life is goooooood right now! Who else is in the drunk n' happy club tonight?? It's a good day to drink! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I know I'm a chick...but dayum! Your wife is hot! EDIT to say..oh, yea...and what a kick ass new fridge! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali