FlyingJ

Just be careful with any boot that is "a little uncomfortable" to start with. That becomes "completely unbearable" in a hurry when you are wearing them 16 hours a day two weeks at a time. If you don't have the money up front (trust me, I understand that) make sure to set aside a bit from your first detail or two to invest in something you can count on lasting comfort from. Be safe! jason. edit to quote original message... Killing threads since 2004.

One more boot suggestion... You might also check out La Sportiva. Their Glacier and Makalu (sp?) boots meet the requirements and tons of people are wearing them now. They are lightweight and waterproof and cheap in comparison to others at $200 or so. I have a pair that I love for flat land work, but for me they leave a little to be desired in regard to ankle support in steeper terrain. Piles and piles of folks are wearing them out west though and I have 3 friends on shot crews that swear by them. For me the most impressive thing about them is that they felt completely broken in within an hour or two of putting them on. You certainly aren't going to find that with more standard fire boots. Worth checking out. Zappos.com had the best price at the time I bought mine. Killing threads since 2004.

I've been on the job for 3 years now. For the last year I've been on a prescribed fire crew working for The Nature Conservancy. It's awesome being able to spend half the year starting fires and the other half a year putting them out. If you are really only going to be doing it now and then paying the price for Nicks or Whites is probably a little overboard. It's true that they will last and can be rebuilt, but it will be tough to get your money's worth if you don't ever use them enough to make it worth it. The federal requirement is 8", all leather with vibram/non slip soles. You can get all sorts of boots out there (Red Wings, Danners or any number of others) that will be comfortable. The main thing is to buy something that is right for you, not just what everyone else is getting. Folks are always happy to have an EMT around, and if you find that you really like it and want to put in some more time getting fire experience there are opportunities to go out with crews specifically as an EMT/Paramedic. Check out www.paramedicsunlimited.com. Check into what type of prescribed fire work is done locally also. You can get all sorts of great experience working with a crew on prescribed fire and do what you can to see about local suppression activities. It's possible (and often probable depending on what type of crew you go out on) to head out west and never actually see fire. Crews head out and dig all sorts of fire line or spend two weeks mopping up miles from the current flame front. Getting in on the prescribed fire will get you the chance for some up close and personal time to really start to understand fire effects, etc. Be sure to check out http://www.wildlandfire.com/. Lots of great info. There is a great post/article on there called "So you want to be a wildland firefighter..." It's worth finding it and reading through. If you won't be working for a federal agency make sure to make a connection with the closest agency and get to know them a bit. Someone will have to actually pick you up as an AD firefighter and it helps if you have someone "in the know" to help you through the process. Good luck, have fun, and mind your LCES!!! jason. Killing threads since 2004.

Good luck on hotels. Your better bet is to get on Craig's List and see what you can find on there. Lots of folks this time of year getting the heck out of the city and offering up swaps or short term apt. rentals. Killing threads since 2004.

I've been thinking the same thing as I read through this entire thread. "Be rude not to" and "While you're down there" are two phrases I picked up from Lee and make me think about him every time I use them. Brandy, I am so sorry for your loss. I was just thinking about you two on Friday during my drive from Texas to Georgia. I was going to be heading through the Florida panhandle and thought I'd give y'all a call to grab a drink but then changed my travel plans at the last minute. I've always appreciated the big smile and "what's up" from both of you when showing up for a visit at the Farm after being gone for a couple years. You will be in my thoughts. Love, jason/flyingj Killing threads since 2004.

Geez...first you "fall off your bike" and bust up your head, now you "have a landing accident" and mess up your hand. Brandy, there are people out there that can help you. You don't have to put up with this type of abuse at home! hehe...that picture doesn't look anywhere near as painful as the image I have in my head of them putting the finger back the way it belongs. Killing threads since 2004.

Are you eligible to use USAA? I freakin' love them as a bank (as well as insurance, etc.). If you have a scanner, you can go to their website and scan the check right in, and it is available immediately. Of course they take it at face value and it's your problem if it bounces after the fact, but a pretty freakin sweet deal. They don't charge you to use ATMs, and then even refund you what other banks charge you to use their ATMs. Not a bad deal if you ask me. www.usaa.com Killing threads since 2004.

Right there with you. I bought a handful of them to put in the lights I use most often, but I hated them. I left them for a week, but I got a headache sitting in and reading in that light. I even tried one or two other brands/types to see if there was one that was better to no avail. Now I have a pile of really expensive lightbulbs sitting in my cabinet not getting used. Killing threads since 2004.

Definitely plenty of fires down in Florida. Looks like the Deland Complex is probably the batch of fires causing problems for you. Airport Road – The Red Oak, Airport Road and Lee House Fires and multiple smaller fires have been combined into the Deland Complex. A Florida State IMT (Utley) is committed. The fire is burning in hardwood litter, palmetto and grass. Two new fires were reported in the complex on 5/9, with active spread, smoldering and open burning in the interior observed. Containment is estimated on 5/16. The fire is located 3 miles southwest of Ormand Beach Municipal Airport, FL. Info for all active fires in the southern area is available at: http://gacc.nifc.gov/sacc/predictive/intelligence/SACCMorningReport.pdf Killing threads since 2004.

Yeah, uh, but if you get in the habit of peeing while in a wetsuit, just try to remember to change the rules if you happen to be wearing a drysuit. Killing threads since 2004.

Me too. I have way more SCUBA experience than skydiving, but I still get the heebie jeebies a little heavier in the water than in the air. For me I think it has to do with putting my life in the event something goes wrong in my buddy's hands. I had a buddy almost breath a tank dry. We started full, but I think the excitement of getting some good video got to him and he must have been breathing much harder than normal. We had agreed to let each other know when we were down half a tank, and when I did so he noticed that he was just about dry. During our last deco stop and to the surface he buddy breathed off my octo, and it really hit me when it occurred to me how his not paying attention to his guages could have affected me if I'd had an equipment problem. Thankfully all was fine, and it was a good confidence booster to have been able to recognize a problem and deal with it. Killing threads since 2004.

You are breathing compressed air. As you ascend, the compressed air you have in your lungs will expand. By continuing to breathe normally (or at minimum continuing to blow bubbles) you allow the expanded air to escape. If you hold your breath the expanded air has nowhere to go and can cause an overexpansion injury, to the point of rupturing your lungs. Have fun, be safe, and find good dive buddies! They make all the difference in the world! Killing threads since 2004.

I would imagine that just about all of us have (or have had) this little phrase tagged on to the end of our job description. Pretty much the catch all for "...and any other damn thing I can think of for you to do." I'm knee deep in "other duties" at the moment, but this time it's actually pretty cool. There isn't much going on in the way of wildfires in Texas at the moment, so I've been detailed to one of our preserves. We are anxiously awaiting the hatching of 5 nests of Attwaters Prairie Chickens, of which there are only 50 to 60 remaining in the wild. There are some additional ones bred in captivity and kept in zoos, etc., but the whole wild bred population left in the world lives in a pretty small area of Texas. At the moment we're erecting fences around known nests to keep the nests from being disturbed, and once the eggs hatch we'll be collecting insects that will be fed to the chicks every two hours or so. I really don't know anything about this stuff, but I'll be learning a bunch over the next few days. For sure one of the more interesting "other duties" I've ever pulled down. How about you, what type of "other duties" do you find being added to your daily grind? Killing threads since 2004.

hehe...me too. Did a tandem via skyride but left with a bad taste in my mouth about paying extra "for the big plane" and got online to see if there were any other options for doing AFF around Atlanta. Found the forums, asked the question and got started with AFF soon thereafter just a few minutes down the road. Killing threads since 2004.

Well, just tried to sit down and see what Joost is all about and unfortunately my computer can't quite keep up. I just barely met the stated requirements for it to work, but my pc couldn't keep up with it and it just freezes shortly after opening the program. If your computer doesn't at least meet (if not exceed) the stated requirements I wouldn't bother continuing with the download. Killing threads since 2004.

Alright, well it turns out that it installs pretty quickly. I don't have the time to really check it out at the moment, but I'll report back when I do. I have invites now if anyone would like one. Don't know how many, but I'm happy to give 'em all away, however many I have. If you want it send me a pm with your first and last name, and an email address. It requires all three in order to send the invitation. edit: it will be later tonight or possibly even tomorrow morning before I'm back at my computer to actually send any requested invites. Killing threads since 2004.

Thanks so much! I left a comment last night to request it and had the invite this morning. I will post back when I have some more invites to share as well. Thanks for pointing me to that site! jason. Killing threads since 2004.

I'm looking for an invite for Joost. Anyone have one to spare? I saw a similar post last month with no replies but am hoping that some folks on here might have gotten signed up since then! If you haven't heard of it, it's a free internet tv service from the same folks that created Skype. http://www.trustedreviews.com/multimedia/news/2007/05/04/Kazaa-Skype-Founders-Next-Project-Is-Go/p1 www.joost.com Killing threads since 2004.

Yup, Georgia is hot and heavy right now. Below are the details of the two large files as reported in today's Southern Area Morning Report that is sent out to us each day. For anyone in the area following the progress, this link is updated each day with the current morning report. http://gacc.nifc.gov/sacc/predictive/intelligence/SACCMorningReport.pdf Sweat Farm Road – GA Type 2 IMT (Floyd) is assigned to the fire, which is burning in hardwood swamps and bays, pine straw, palmetto, gallberry and young pine plantations, mixed with areas of heavy timber fuels. Access to the area is limited and numerous residences are spread throughout these timbered areas. 125 residences are threatened in areas along US 1, including Racepond, Kingfisher Landing, Homeland and the City of Folkston. Additional threats are to the CSX rail line, communications structures, power lines, timber and wildlife habitat within the Dixon Memorial State Forest, multiple private timber landowners and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Smoke continues to affect numerous roads in the area during the morning hours; a section of US Hwy 1 remains closed. Voluntary evacuations due to health problems have occurred. Erratic winds and flame lengths to 10 feet are control problems and fire whorls and spotting have been observed. Crews continue to prepare contingency lines ahead of the main fire as well as keep the fire within the Swamp Edge Break. Containment and control will depend on significant rainfall. Five helicopters, 161 engines, 52 dozers and 276 overhead are assigned, for a total of 586 personnel committed. Containment is expected on 5/15. Located 10 miles SW of Waycross, GA. Big Turnaround Complex – Type 1 IMt (Ruggiero) and Type 2 IMT (Wilder) are assigned. The majority of the fire is burning in southern rough and pine plantations of various ages with a heavy component of gallberry. The threat of wildfire is having a significant effect on the Charlton County area due to current/imminent evacuations, school closings, and smoke impact. Okefenokee Swamp Park, private timber plantations, T&E species and habitat, and wilderness and mature timber are also threatened. Access to the area continues to be a control problem. The fire escaped control lines in the area west of Bearpen Island on 5/2. Control lines continue to be extended and improved on the southern edge of the fire and burnout operations are continuing as safety permits. Moderate rate of spread with 3,000 new acres reported on 5/2. No expected containment date is given. 3 helicopters, 36 engines, 26 dozers and 185 overhead are assigned, for a total of 338 personnel committed. Located 10 miles SE of Waycross, GA. Killing threads since 2004.

That one doesn't bother me that much. I give folks credit for having just dropped the "r" rather than thinking they really intended it that way. What gets me is when folks write "could of". Come on! When you hear "could of" what you should really be hearing is could've, or could have. I totally understand the mistake, since could've sounds just like could of, but just think the words through for a second. Killing threads since 2004.

Such a great cause. Thanks for doing it. Good luck with the run! jason. Killing threads since 2004.

Most definitely. Mmmm...now I want some ice cream. I don't use butter, and ketchup stays in the fridge because I too developed a taste for it cold, but I also don't use it often enough for it to stay good sitting out. Killing threads since 2004.

What about chocolate syrup, like Hershey's for ice cream? Growing up and for most of my adult life it stayed in a cabinet somewhere. Only happened to notice a year or two ago that it says "refrigerate after opening." I stopped eating ice cream about 6 months ago (because I'm not capable of moderation when it comes to ice cream) so it's not currently an issue, but it is one that perplexed me for some time. Killing threads since 2004.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've seen several of these on itunes and have downloaded an episode or two of most of them to check 'em out. The one I forgot to mention was This American Life from NPR. I haven't heard that show in years, and haven't actually listened to one of the podcasts yet, but I used to enjoy it when I lived in a place where NPR carried it. Killing threads since 2004.

Thanks everyone. I haven't downloaded anything yet, mainly because I'm afraid my P3/700 pc will just crash. In a few different forums online I've read about a lot of the dvd ripping taking hours upon hours on machines WAY better equipped than mine, so I'm a bit hesitant. Picking up a new Mac is definitely in the plan, but more of a long range plan at the moment. The Mac is on a wish list along with Lasik surgery and a motorcycle, so it's got some pretty stiff competition. Keep the suggestions coming if you use anything different than what has been mentioned. I'm sure I'll give it a try sometime soon, but at the moment I realized that I really don't have any use for watching a full length movie on my ipod! Now I've shifted gears over to trying to find good podcasts to subscribe too. Killing threads since 2004.