peregrinerose

First, I have a shitload of respect for your post... I'd love to meet you in person and jump with you just based on that! I just asked questions... didn't tell you the answers to them... I don't know anything about you... your instructors do. What I forgot to add before was to read this article: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=47 When I went from my 170 Sabre to my 150 Spectre, I was actually going to just follow the advice of one rigger and get a Sabre2. Until someone else made me re-think that. He asked me what my skydiving goals would be in the next several hundred jumps. Specifically, why did I want a smaller size? What kind of jumping did I want to be getting into? What canopy would meet those goals? I bought the Spectre instead because my goals were CRW and video... better served with the Spectre than Sabre 2. I have almost 300 jumps on that canopy now. Friends are downsizing, my husband is downsizing. Honestly, the thought of downsizing myself crossed my mind since everyone else is too. But then I tried to come up with one good reason why I needed a smaller canopy. I couldn't come up with a single reason. Given that I have no reason to go smaller and although I fly my canopy well, I still have a lot to learn, especially as I'm starting both video and CRW soon. I'll learn more by flying the hell out of this canopy than by constantly moving down in size before being truly proficient with the canopy I have. When I read your post, you have 100 jumps and have tried 7 canopies, thinking about moving down to an 8th. I just wondered what your reasoning was behind it, what do you want to gain from going smaller yet? Have you maxed out your learning potential on your present canopy? That's between you and your instructors, not me! I'm an eye doc... I think it's impossible to diagnose and treat disease on the internet, only give people some questions to ask of themselves or their docs. Skydiving isn't much different to me... it's impossible to coach or really be specific on here, and with 380 jumps, I'm not qualified to be specific even in person I just wanted to arm you with the same questions that other people asked of me... it wasn't meant to freak you out! Jen Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Ummmm, yeah, you kinda do. Exactly what are you hoping on achieving by moving down again at 100 jumps? What can you get out of a smaller canopy that you can't get from your present one? Can you land your canopy in every wind condition that you would jump in someone's back yard? Have you exhausted the possibilities of learning the flight characteristics of your current canopy? Ask yourself those questions, talk with instructors, take a canopy control course, and figure out your game plan from there. Personally, I have 380+ jumps, the first 100 on a Sabre 170, now on a Spectre 150 for the rest of them at a 1.1/1 I can land it on a dime in any condition, and have put a couple of jumps on a Pilot 132, but still have a lot to learn from my Spectre before thinking about downsizing. It'll happen... but the sky isn't going anywhere, so why hurry? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Talk to your favorite packer. Most of us are quite happy to watch you pack and reassure you that there's no reason not to jump the pack job. Then you put the rig on, and go jump it! Who cares how long it takes you? I'm a packer now, but when I started, it took a good 1.5 hours to pack my rig. It took several hundered pack jobs before I was at 10mins or less. If time is a factor, pay for the pack jobs during the day, but ALWAYS pack your last jump of the day... preferrably with one of the packers watching to help your confidence. If you have your own gear, pack it every night at home once.... that will help with both speed and confidence. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Not all inlaws are bad. I'm at mine right now, and, we have 4 days here. I love my in-laws... would rather spend time with them than my blood family!!!! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Have you considered calling animal control? These are now dogs with an established history of attacking and killing. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

The crate is definitely your friend. All three of my dogs have been crate trained (and 2 were adults when I got them). Just make sure that the crate is where the dog eats, sleeps, has toys, blanket, etc, so that the crate becomes a 'den' and not punishment for them. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

That's so sad If it's a good dog that just isn't good with kids, you'd think it wouldn't be too tough to find a home without small children in it. Personally, I can't imagine letting any dog that close to an 8 month old... most dogs are just so big and strong comparitively, and could do a lot of damage whether intending to or not. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Couldn't they take the dog to a humane league, pet rescue, or find a home for him? It sounds cruel that a dog is put down because owners didn't keep a dog away from a child too young to interact well with a dog. Glad your nephew is doing well though! Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

What is the difference, if any, between 'I reject God' of the athiests, and the 'I just don't know either way' of the agnostics? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Oh, like REAL jobs are an excuse Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

So what's the point of a scam report if nothing is done about it? Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I also caved to peer pressure www.myspace.com/peregrinerose Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=42401&d=1 The above is also a scam. I hit the scam button and reported it, offered to forward all corresponding emails regarding the transaction, but it was never listed as a scam in the classifieds. This was on ebay using a hijacked ebay user name (confirmed both with ebay and the actual user), then tried to get me to pay via western union through a bogus 'ebay' site (confirmed as a fraud by ebay). The user said it was custom made for him in Italy, Mirage, however, told me that it was made for a US buyer. I have since bought a complete rig through the classifieds for my husband from a hell of a great guy who I'd do business with again in a heartbeat. Mostly because he sent me pictures of the rig modelled by a scantilly clothed attractive man Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Kyle, you need to trim your nose hair Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Actually a TRUE Christian... one who follows the word of Christ is humble, doesn't judge. The problem is that there are so many 'Christians' that have warped the original teachings and give the rest of them a bad name. The predominance of 'Christians' is why I completely left organized religion. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Yep, me too. I hate having to say it, but typically the patients I have to say it too are just to cocky and arrogant for me to feel all that bad about it. It's always the AV wearers who keep the lenses in until they hurt and have no backup glasses, and it's been clearly documented in the chart that I educated them regarding contact lens abuse and getting backup glasses. People can be so stupid Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I've never had a patient that could not be fitted with contacts based on prescription. You could have a solution allergy... use a hydrogen peroxide system like Clear Care. Since it sounds like a dry eye component... treat the dry eye by taking Omega 3 2-3 times a day and clean the eyelids well with a hot washcloth and baby shampoo at least 2x a day. If you use rewetting drops, make sure they are preservative free. Make sure your lenses are not inside out... it amazes me how many people have no idea how to tell which way to put a lens in their eyes. Partly, your eyes need to get used to a lens and a toric lens can take a good 20 minutes to settle down, so you have to give them a fair shot. Some docs get stuck in a rut regarding brands rather than trying everything, so you may not have gone through a lot of different brands. There are new/better toric lenses out now than there were even a year ago. The other option is RGP lenses. If you have a tendency for dry eye or have certain corneal shapes, an RGP would work better for you. The trick is be patient... you may require many visits back to the doc. Find an eye doc that is willing to work with you until you find a solution that makes you both happy. Every pair of eyes is different. Once you find a lens and parameters that work from a vision, health, and comfort standpoint, refitting you in subsequent years is much easier. No, you are not a freak. Well, maybe you are, but not from a contact lens standpoint Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

AUGHGHGHGH this makes me cringe to hear. Of all the CL related eye problems, Acuvues are by a very large margin the biggest problem. Not because they are bad lenses, but because they are so frequently abused. They are very very high water content, so they absorb stuff fast. The more stuff that is absorbed, the less oxygen gets to your eye. When your cornea starves of oxygen, it can either rot in your head, or it can provide itself with oxygen by growing in new blood vessels. Blood vessels are not transparent. When those new blood vessels cross your pupils, you never see 20/20 again, no matter what glasses you wear. These blood vessels don't hurt, they have no symptoms. Lack of oxygen also makes your eyes less sensitive, so harder to tell when something is going wrong. It makes it more difficult for your eye to fight off infections since it is a less than ideally healthy cornea. If you are waiting until they start getting uncomfortable or the vision is off, you have already damaged your eyes with small abrasions or swelling from hypoxia. The idea is to get rid of the lenses long before problems start happening. If the 2 week thing is tough to remember... either toss them the 1st and 15th of the month, or if you get paid every 2 weeks, do it with paychecks. Most docs don't take the time to explain WHY lenses are to be thrown out at whatever frequency.... I always try to. If I didn't care, I wouldn't waste my breath (or keystrokes) trying to prevent long term problems like this. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

It's why I like my job so much.... it changes every day. I don't fit the same lenses now that I did even 2 years ago. I like the challenge of keeping up with all the new technology. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

I can't wait til Oasys is in toric as well :-) The coating doesn't build up as quickly and they are MUCH more comfortable for dryness and the end of the day. Still a 2 week lens though... very high water content, so buildsup crud in the matix of the lens quickly, which means by the end of 2 weeks, not much oxygen getting to the eyes. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Usually in the +15-20ish range. Depends on pre-op Rx, axial length, etc. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Do a search, it has been discussed ad nauseam on here. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

So who's going to still be around Jan 6-7? That's when 2 friends and I may be there. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Oh, about the floaters, sorry, you're screwed With time, they do tend to drop out of the line of sight and fade a bit, but they'll always be there. New floaters need to be checked out to be sure it's not a retinal tear/detachment though. Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

Someone who sees 20/200 still has a lot of vision there. They come in with a list of things that they can't do (or do any more) due to their vision, and a list of things they want to be able to accomplish, I teach them how to do whatever they want to do. Sometimes with low vision aids, sometimes by teaching how to use side vision better, sometimes prism helps, sometimes different tints, sometimes non visual aids (like computer software that enlarges print or talks), sometimes by ditching vision entirely and learning a new way to accomplish the same task without the eyes. Everyone's a bit different in approach. I can't make vision better... no one can. These people have diseased retinas, optic nerves, or brains. I can teach them how to meet their goals though (ie power tool use, identify people from a distance, drive/transportation, etc) Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda