RedBull

Good idea. I've never had Red Bull without vodka in it, though. Maybe it's good.

Thanks a lot for the responses! Now, ... any advice on surviving a 17 hour drive? pml A-38712

As it turns out, I have the time and $$ to go to Quincy this year, but as a low-timer (77 jumps), I'm know I'm going to have to be even more safety aware in an unfamiliar and crowded environment. So, do any of you experienced skydivers and Quincy non-virgins have any advice for me? I suppose I'm most concerned about canopy traffic and being overwhelmed by the hugeness of it all. I'm sure there's more I should be concerned about, which is why I'm asking... And non-safety-related: does anyone have any experience w/ the low-timer load organizing (tent 3). Have you found that the jumps from specialty aircraft are worth the expense? Any experiences that I absolutely shouldn't miss? I'll be going w/ some experienced folks from my DZ, but I thought I'd also like some perspective from the DZ.com'ers. thanks pml A-38712

A man walks in to bar. He sees a sign behind the bar that reads, "Ask about our 'Free Beer for Life' contest." So he does. The bartender explains: "Well, buddy, in order to get free beer for life, you gotta do three things." "The first thing", the bartender explains while he picks up a 1/2 gallon bottle of really nasty tequila "is you gotta drink down this whole bottle of tequila in one go, without taking it from your mouth or grimacing". "The second thing is this: we have a pond out back that has the meanest alligator you ever saw in it. Why's he so mean? Well, he's got a toothache. You gotta go out there and pull out that critter's bad tooth." "Thirdly: We have an old prostitute upstairs who's never had an orgasm. For the last thing, you gotta go up there and pleasure her." "Sheesh!", the man says. "Thanks anyway." He sits down to drink with his buddies, forgetting about the contest. Around last call, the man, now thoroughly tanked, stumbles up to the bar. "Gimme that bottle of tequila!", he says. He drinks down the entire bottle, as instructed. Tears stream from his eyes as he gulps down this revolting stuff. He then looks up at the bartender, who motions out back toward the pond. The drunk man stumbles out. The bar inhabitants then hear a great commotion. Screams and splashing continue for quite a while. The man returns, his clothes are torn and bloody. He then asks, "Where's the old whore with the sore tooth?"

Well, my first canopy was a used Sabre with about 400 jumps on it. It was certainly a chore to pack in the beginning, but so long as you have experienced folks around to give you tips, you should be fine. You'll have to learn to pack those slippery monsters sooner or later. I find that swearing helps.

Many creatures have a special name for their congregations. For example: A pod of whales, a parliament of owls, a murder of crows, an unkindness of ravens, a band of gorillas. a pride of lions, a smack of jellyfish, a crash of rhinoceros, a business of ferrets, etc. What do you think is a good name for a group of skydivers? A "coolness"? A "formation"? A "meeker"? A "fall"? Or should they be referred to as their beer equivalent would be, e.g. "I was sitting in a bar when a six-pack or skydivers walked in", or "We crammed a case of skydivers onto our Otter"? I'm bored. Just making conversation. -me

My name is Paul Lucente. My business card says "Programmer/Analyst" -- whatever that means.

Hey Kimmer! After I failed level 4 twice, my confidence had taken a beating, too. On my third attempt, I got a new JM I had never seen before. He told me two things: 1) You have plenty of time to do what you need to do during the dive, so don't rush, just relax, and [BR] 2) (this may sound goofy) Play the theme song from "Rocky" on your head as approach the door and exit. I listened to him finally got my spinning problem under control. During the last ten seconds of freefall, we just fell about three feet from each other, looking at each other and smiling. It was the first time I had any real control of my heading. So, long story short, don't rush it, relax, and inspire yourself, even if you need silly things to do it. Chronistin is right about tension in your body. Don't fight the air, let it shape you body. Michele was right on, too. You did a lot of things great. good luck on Sunday -- I know you'll do well -me

Hey, Divadiver, try this: http://babelfish.altavista.com/ You may have to translate in small chucks or individual words. -me