Nightingale

Is there an address at the hospital to send cards?

I have a 99 Jav and it does have the bridle pocket on the flap.

well, if your doc told you to stay on the ground this weekend, take the cash you save from not jumping and buy yourself a really sweet pair of sunglasses!

not from there... I'm a california girl. I was there for two weeks on vacation with a couple of people who'd been there a few times before, so we had a good source of info in them.

if your mom would like it, do the zodiac raft trip over the catamaran. the zodiacs are smaller and can actually go INSIDE the sea caves, while the catamaran doesn't fit. The catamaran would be fun too, though, and less bouncy than the zodiac.

Cheeseburger in Paradise is on Maui, in Lahaina and Wailea, on Oahu in Waikiki, and also in Vegas and Puerto Vallarta. I ate at the one in Lahaina. It was DAMN GOOD!

Yep. Dom Rocks. No question about it.

oooh... the helicopter. I'd pick the rafts over the copter, though, if you can only do one. I did both and preferred the rafts, but the copter was fun too!

Ok. 1. Take a Zodiac Raft through the Napali Cliffs. http://gohawaii.about.com/cs/kauaiactivities/a/zodiac_raft.htm http://www.sailing-hawaii.com/ 2. hike the NaPali trail if you have time http://www.hawaii-guide.net/Kauai_Guide/Pages/POI/Trails.htm http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/NaPali/na_pali.htm 3. Go to Gaylord's Sugar Plantation. Its an old historical plantation with a really yummy restaurant. Take the tour, and then have dinner. YUM! http://www.gaylordskauai.com

cool! Thanks!

Yep. I read them in the wrong order too. I wish I'd read Angels and Demons first, but they're good books no matter what order you read them in.

here's an article... tells how to avoid the headache: From the Discovery Health website. Spinal Tap By Linda Agnello, RN, BSN A spinal tap is a procedure where a special needle is inserted through the vertebrae in the lower back and into the space that surrounds the spinal cord. The space surrounding the brain and spinal cord is filled with cerebral spinal fluid or CSF. The cerebral spinal fluid works like a shock absorber and filter. Who is a candidate for the test? When a person is thought to have a disease or injury that affects the brain, spinal cord, or their protective membranes, a spinal tap may help determine the cause. A spinal tap is a very useful procedure. Healthcare providers use it to: · collect a small sample of a person's CSF · measure the pressure of someone's CSF · deliver medication to a person before and after surgery · inject dye into a person's body. This allows the doctor to take special x-rays of the area surrounding the brain and spinal cord to detect an injury. How is the test performed? A spinal tap can be performed with a person bending over while sitting in a chair, or lying down on his or her side with the knees drawn up close to the chest. These positions help to separate the vertebrae of the lower back. It gives the doctor a larger space to insert the spinal needle. The area where the needle is to be inserted is cleaned and medication is injected to providelocal anesthesia. A person may feel a burning sensation for a few seconds while the medication is administered. After the area has been prepared, a special spinal needle is inserted. A person may feel the insertion of the spinal needle as a pushing or tugging sensation. Once the needle is in the proper place, the pressure can be measured and a sample of CSF can be collected or drugs injected. The procedure generally lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Once the procedure is completed, a dressing over the puncture site is applied and the person is instructed to lie flat. Depending on the reason for the spinal tap, a person will be instructed to lie flat from 2 to 12 hours. This is done to avoid a post-procedure spinal headache. After the procedure is completed, the person is instructed to drink plenty of fluid. This will help the body replenish the cerebral spinal fluid which was removed for testing. Sometimes when a person is sent home following a spinal tap, he or she is required to lie flat for up to 12 hours. Increased fluids are still encouraged. A person is also instructed to report any numbness and tingling to the legs, bleeding or oozing from the puncture site, or headaches that fail to improve. Normal activity can usually resume once a person has had enough rest. Sometimes the area where the spinal needle was inserted remains sore for a day or two. No other special home care is required. The most common complication from a spinal tap is a post-procedure spinal headache. These headaches can usually be avoided if a person lies flat for several hours and drinks plenty of fluids. Spinal headaches occur due to a change in cerebral spinal fluid pressure as a result of removing a sample for testing. If a spinal headache does occur, it typically lasts only a few hours. Severe cases may require pain medication or another special procedure to repair the spinal tap site. What is involved in preparation for the test? A person should request specific instructions from his or her health care provider. What do the test results mean? Normally, spinal fluid will be clear and colorless, contain no blood, and contain no organisms. Protein levels are usually 15 to 45 mg/dl of CSF, although in the elderly and children the level may be 70 mg/dl. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) levels are usually less than 2.0 to 7.2 U/ml. Abnormal results may be caused by many different conditions: · Elevated protein, lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), and muddy or dense spinal fluid with malignant cells may indicate a brain tumor or cancer in the brain, spinal cord, or cancer that has spread to these areas. · CSF that looks muddy and may contain increased protein levels and increased LDH levels may indicate degenerative brain disease, automimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, or other diseases. · CSF that looks muddy instead of clear, has elevated protein and LDH levels, and tests positive for immunologic testing indicate possible neurosyphilis. · CSF that has high protein levels, muddy color, and red blood cells may indicate subarachnoid bleeding which is bleeding in the membranes surrounding the brain, cerebral bleeding, or a traumatic spinal tap. · Elevated glutamine levels in the CSF may indicate encephalitis, which is swelling in brain, myelitis, which is inflammation of the spinal cord, or hepatic coma. · Elevated white blood cells and protein in the CSF may indicate meningitis, which is a very serious inflammation of the spinal cord or brain, encephalitis, or a brain abscess.

My brother and I both had spinal taps when we were kids. Sure, it hurt a bit, enough to make a little kid cry, but nothing too extreme. Get it done on a thursday. That way, if you have any ill effects, you take friday off work, and then have a weekend. Neither my brother or I had any problems.

Angels and Demons The Da Vinci Code Both by Dan Brown. Angels and Demons is the prequil to DaVinci, and is an excellent read as well. DaVinci makes more sense if you've read Angels and Demons first, plus Angels and Demons is a paperback, while DaVinci is still in hardcover.

OMG, Deuce can tell a story! ROFLMAO!

When I was a student, I got stuck on the ground six or seven times due to rotten weather. I finished AFF in november, and was doing my solos through december/january. I never minded, though. The instructors were pretty much grounded too, since they couldn't take AFF or tandems up in high winds or rain, so they sat on the ground with the students and talked about safety, how canopies work, gave packing lessons, and stuff like that. I was encouraged to go to square1 and get a rig to pack up (rig rental was free, so long as you didn't jump it and were just using it to practice packing), and Jimmy and Doreen must have spent at least three days total with me on packing. Although I got weathered out a lot just because of the timing of my student status, I never felt like I was wasting time just sitting around, which was really cool.

ROFLMAO. I heard the post-turtle one about Bush instead of Kerry, with the reference to "helping him get down" meaning vote him out of office. I guess the joke works no matter what name you plug in, tho.

the most special gift you can give someone is your time. Take the day and spend it together, doing something you both enjoy.

yup. that is a sickening shade, isn't it?

Square 1 currently has XS, S, M, L, and XL demo Oxygn A3 helmets for demo, as well as Boomerangs in all the above sizes. Ah... perhaps those were checked out, since I was asking in the middle of a boogie.

I want a full face helmet. I'm doing enough RW that I think its warranted now. I went into square1, wanting to demo one... they didn't have one that fit. All their demos were larges/extra larges, and I need a medium or maybe small. So, people out there who wear contacts, what full face helmet works for you and why?

there's such an incredible amount of history in the DC area... take the time to visit the battlefields and monuments. Its well worth it.

I've asked for go-arounds at both perris and elsinore. both places, I've gotten them no problem. Both times, the plane was full of two-ways, and some took a while to exit.

I need to learn more canopy skills. I think I've finally figured out the landing thing (thanks, Jeanne and Lisa!), and I know there's so much more to learn. I don't know where to go. Perris or Elsinore? The canopy control courses cost a lot, and I want to make sure I get the most for my money. Has anyone taken the classes at either of these DZs? What was involved/included in the course?

X-Box, because it can be modified to play all the classic games (super mario, etc) along with the newer stuff. Its a really, really cool machine.