Michele

Oh, I love Cathedrals. I am really just giving the guys grief is all. When I lived in Belgium, I got to go see a bunch of ancient churches and cathedrals in France and England as well. They were all glorious, and gentle. Graceful, powerful, and very spiritual...and I look forward to seeing Nashville's! This will be the first trip out of town in years, and if it weren't for good friends footing the bill, I wouldn't be able to do it. I am indeed a blessed lady. I do promise a ton of pictures. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

How high are you? You bringing that with you? Got any extra? Please? I want some. OTOH, midori in the treehouse would be a blast... Yeah, drop me off in the countryside. 'Sall right, I can forage. Besides, I told Lori I would be unhappy if I couldn't have tofu, sprouts, and sushi at every meal. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

We have separate rooms. He can "want" all he desires....but unless it's some badass piano playing, he shall want in vain. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Yes, Squeak, I do...something like 90 wpm. Cora's seen me, too. And Muenkel? You wish I had twelve fingers. For what, I dunno, but you wish. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Corapalooza has come and gone (but not for long - she's moving in a few weeks...!!!) MMMpalooza is about to begin.... Sinker, as a response to my thread about stress, decided that sticking me on a plane I can't jump out of, flying me to Tennessee in the middle of summer when the humidity is about 80 billion percent, and making me tour his "treehouse" would be "relaxing". As an additional relaxant, he is flying Muenkel down, as well. I made the mistake of telling Muenkel that I wanted a summer thunderstorm. He was incredulous, until I reminded him we get no summer thunderstorms here. As a matter of fact, if we are going to get 1/4 of an inch of rain in the next 72 hours, we go on "Stormwarning". If there is any sort of precipitation within 500 miles of us, we actually go on "Stormwatch". And gawd help us if there's one single solitary bolt of lightning, and anything that could be mistaken for thunder...that makes the front page in the paper and leads the newscasts. So yes, I want a good ol' real, honest storm or two, like I haven't seen since living in Belgium. Yes, I can see this will be an adventure. This california girl, raised by a New York Jew, hanging out with some seriously catholic guys in a country western town. Uh huh, relaxing. Yeppers. Sure. I began to worry when Sinker and Muenkel both made it a point to ask me if I'd be o.k going to some Cathedral or other. I told them sure, but if the holy water started to boil when I walked by, to not let me into confession. And I asked that no koolaid and crackers be handed to me. I don't like that for breakfast. There will be pictures. There will be a lot of pictures. They may be of Cathedrals, but there will be pictures! (All kidding aside, how blessed am I to have such good friends? How cool will this be?????) ROFLMAO! let MMMpalooza begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Clicky Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

It started at 8K... (Actually, you're prolly right...

Ahem. One armed hugging is definitely NOT allowed. I consider hugging good friends a full body contact sport. And if you're tiny, like Mouth, expect to get picked up and swung around. (Actually, I just liked hugging Keith. So I used the excuse of the one armed hug being unacceptable, and made him do it again, correctly and properly.) Yup. that about covers it. That is quite likely because there is no mind to read...... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

You really want me to tell about a friend who fell down the stairs with no help from any kind of chemical? That's a funny story..... Geesh, RippedCord hasn't even read this...Give a man a kiss at 7K, and oomph, the cold shoulder. (hee hee!) Art, if there is a way for me to fly with you ever, in the time it takes me to scream "yes" I will be there. how cool would that be - sharing the sky with my friend????? I am not good enough for that yet, though, so I will practice really hard so we can do this someday.... Thanks, you guys. It's really neat to see how far I've come, especially because of all the challenges. And I suspect Airweenie is gone - has not been around for the last 5 or so jumps - sure, nervous, but not horridly so. I wonder what changed? And I think I'm a fair "teacher"...at least, I didn't kill Keith, or anyone else for that matter... It's all good when that doesn't happen. It was such a great day!!!!!!! I wanna do it again!!!! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I tend to fling myself at people when I meet them, and they usually respond in a self defensive measure by wrapping their arms around me and hugging back. This is gonna be soooooooooooooooooooooo fun... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

RippedCord (Keith) just got his license, and today I'll get to take his airginity...first fun jump as a licensee...hehehe, this will be fun. I promise him nothing odd, nothing adventuresome, nothing surprising. Simple easy exit, simple easy dive...plan the dive, dive the plan. He gets gear from the school, and I bring mine over to the bench. I watch him go through a thorough gear check - and MJOSparky is there, watching me watch him. We encounter a cypres readout which I've never seen - '8888', and, since this is something I have no clue about, I stop the check, and go and get someone who does know. And Sparky gets the Master Rigger at Elsinore. After some discussion, the gear is returned to the school, and another rig is brought out. And we begin anew. No issues there, and Keith pronounces it good to go. I have him check my gear, and when that's done, as well, we go manifest. We have an hour's call, so we make it to the mock up to start walking the new to him exit. He and I work out what it will be like - he is floating, I am linked, and we walk it about 15 times. The jump will consist simply of us staying linked to arm grips, and handling fall rate and staying on heading. Cora and Clownburner will lurk, and they don't realize what a comfort they are to me..I am nervous, because if there's a problem, I feel like it will be my fault, and I want Keith to not be left alone in the sky should I not be able to handle this. But they don't know this, and Keith doesn't know this, either. It's my first airginity jump, and I just want it to go exceptionally smoothly and well for Keith...and I don't want to screw it up. 30 minute call, and we walk over to start gearing up. Manage to get everything together by the 20 minute call, so back to the mock-up for more walking through now with gear. Time to load. First on, last out. The ride is hot, brutally so...and when the door is opened, and the pilot opens his window, I can smell the dusty heat rising from the floor of the desert...Keith contains himself well, although I can see how nervous he's gotten. Not scared, not at all, but that nervous excitement which tingles the belly and stretches the senses to the breaking point. Ah, but now we have green light, geared up, to the door we go. Keith leans out, and spots - but he's so quick about it I know he hasn't really seen the "X"...which is fine, because I have, and we're good to go. Climb out, and Keith is doing well. I slap his legs, the signal to lower down a bit, and he does - all of an inch. I giggle, and reach blindly up and out for his arm grips. Shake once, shake twice, and there's the count... And we are out. He has done it perfectly, and I have managed to do my part well. We slide down the hill, and level out. And I can feel the spin start. Drift to my right. uh, no-way. No uncontrolled spins right now. I have flashes blinking through my head - spinning wildly, torn apart by centrifugal force, tossed about and flung wide...maybe into the lurkers. Uh, not bloody likely, but what do I do? I push with my right arm and drop my left knee...fall rate is easily worked out - I just need to be really flat...so I stick my leg down...and the spin slows but doesn't stop. Push my knee farther down...and there. Heading regained. Keith is watching the ground, so I shake him a little, trying to get his attention...and he looks up. The moment he does, he relaxes and his arch reappears...and now, because I had not anticipated that, we are spinning the other way! Quickly counter that one by switching knees, and now we are stable, not spinning, holding heading, so I start to relax myself. I make some faces at him - my best Harpo Marx imitation no less - but he's watching the ground again. So I shake him, and this time, when he looks up, I flatten my legs a bit and tug gently at him. And then... A chaste kiss pass, no tongue. And back off fairly quickly, to see his expression. His eyes fly wide and a huge grin splits his face. Sparks dance in his baby blues, and I know he was laughing out loud, and then he lets out a WHOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO...and he drops grips and emphatically thumbs up and shakes his hands around. He is bursting. And I laugh along with him. How great is this, 7K, dive going well, and he is loving it! Break off, he turns and tracks, and I watch him start to deploy. My turn to break off, track, deploy, and dance under canopy. I see the whole group's canopy, and just holler into the morning blue for sheer joy of friends in the sky, a wonderful jump, a most excellent memory...thanks, Keith. That will be with me for my entire life. Down we get, and debrief. I find out our descent rate is slow - 114 I think...for Keith and I, both big people, that is remarkable for me. I make a few comments, "arch more", "better alti checks", "eye contact", and you can see Keith soaking the information up like a thirsty man in the desert aching for water. Which is, of course, the truth. It's now about 100 degrees, winds are picking up, and we are all sweating like pigs. How great is this? We get some Gatorade and water, and come back. I manifest us on a 40 minute call, and this time, the plan is same exit, me and Keith as base, with Diablopilot, Cora and Clownburner coming in to dock to make a 5-way round. Keith expresses some trepidation, but with encouragement from me, he is willing to try it. I remind him that it likely won't build, JP has incredible experience, and that he and I will be fine...if he gets too concerned, I will call it off, but I think he can do this just fine. He looks at me, and I can see him take a breath, and then say "yeah, let's try it"... Walk it through, gear up, walk it through, and into the plane. The ride is very bumpy - first pocket at 200 feet, and bouncing all the way up to about 7K. I know the canopy ride will be tough - winds have picked up, and I am reconsidering the jump. I lean over to Keith, and let him know the canopy ride will be bouncy, and ask him if he wants to scratch - and offer to ride down with him if he wants. He thinks about it, as we lurch through the hot desert sky, and then says he will be fine. I ask him again in a bit, but the answer is the same...let's go play...and we speak briefly about how to alter his landing pattern in these winds. Jump run, power down, nervous energy sings through the plane. Groups begin to leave, and, as always, the plane seems to stretch as it empties. And as the plane rocks as groups leave, I see Keith's belly imitating the plane - he is anxious, but he's also just fine. I know that feeling well - and I know he will be fine in the sky... And into the door we go, JP climbing out to the camera step, and Cora's hand on my pack. Keith climbs out, and, as I take grips, I shake...and then stop. My feet are wrong...I readjust, and retake grips, and shake twice...and almost miss the count. But my head's in his belly, and I get the distance closed fast enough so that we don't go over. And now we are in the blue again, and he's got great eye contact, watching me, and out of the corner of my eye I see JP approach, and gently break our grips. And Keith's eyes are popping, and he's grinning - he is seeing a dock for a threeway for the first time, and he is literally vibrating from excitement. As the dock is successful, his grin widens, if possible, and he is now looking from me to JP, and he's just having a ball. I slide my right hand down to just above his alti, and now, Cora comes in. She is off his left arm, and Keith looks around. I shake his arm, and he gets his eyes back to the center. Cora comes in, gently breaking grips, and now we are four. And I think I am glad Keith has a helmet on, because he is just about to explode! Clownburner comes in to my left, between JP and I - he is there, but we are a little bit low, nearing Keith's breakoff point, and Clown makes the perfect decision that, even though he is right there, he will just hold back. I shake Keith's hand to remind him to watch his alti, and, as planned, 6k comes, we drop grips, and he and JP go off on a track...and as we watch them fly away, I am again struck by how wonderful this circle of friends in the sky is, how amazing, how very special, how glorious. And now we turn and track, and I end up down wind tracking. As I see the freeway beneath me, I realize I am wayyyy far out, and flare out of the track, clear airspace, and deploy. I immediately locate the dz, and riser turn towards it. Checking airspace for canopies, I am clear, so I decide to leave the breaks stowed for a bit...and try as hard as I can to shrink. I crab sideways towards the DZ, looking for outs, thinking about the motorcross area, and then pop the brakes because I need to start tacking towards something that doesn't have moving vehicles on it. Zig zagging, flat turns, and rear risers manage to bring me back close to where I want to be, but there is no discernable pattern for me. I figure there will be no downwind leg, no cross wind leg, just turn onto final and land...and I flatturn as low as I dare, and manage to make it somewhat close. I land, and gather up my monster chute, and embark on the Battan Death march through the desert... Once the group reforms, we all decide that the winds are far too funky to go play in, so we talk. Muj is there, PDS has made an appearance - what a sweetheart, just a wonderful guy - and so we sit, beneath a tree, discussing leg straps and philosophy, sipping water and cracking pistachios. And again, I am struck by the sense of family which pervades this group in particular - and in skydiving in general. How special and wonderful - a day spent with good friends, playing above the sere desert, tasting the wind, exploring ourselves and our world unlike most people. I loan my gear to PDS, and send him into the sky. He needs a moment with the blue, and finds it there, under my canopy. He is good enough to handle the winds, but is unused to such a large canopy, and has a bit of a struggle getting it back under control in these winds after he lands. It's humorous, watching him, and I realize how funny it must be to see a significantly shorter woman struggle with the same canopy. It's all good, though, he's had a good ride, played in the sky, and I see the relaxation in his face as he comes in. I smile, because I know that feeling well. As the day dwindles and the heat and the winds subside, Cora and Keith and I decide the perfect ending of this day would be a high alti pull and clear. We manifest very early, last load, and I walk Keith through a new exit. It is new for him, so the nerves are flying again. We discuss what to do if the canopies get too close to each other; how to follow; how to stagger the exit. He is going first, then me, then Cora... And we load up for the last jump of the day, and ride the golden light of sunset into the sparkling, gentle blue. We can feel the chill in the air as the day softens, and, as I peak down out of the window, the groundshadows loom large. I think about this, and knowing we will get extra alti, I ask Keith to look out the window and see if he's comfy with landing in the gloom of a valley at twilight. He nods, but I am not sure about it. We had taken off a tad bit late, and it is getting dark down there. I decide we will pull at 12K instead of out the door...inform the pilot of the decision. And about 4 minutes later, rethink that, and Cora is thinking the same, so we inform the pilot we are pulling at 10K... Green light, last out. Keith watches the jumpers before him away, and counts. He crouches in the door, takes a deep breath, and hops out. Perfect and beautiful; as he slides down the hill, I can see his expression, one of surprise and happiness. He is watching the plane, and he stays perfectly stable...and I crouch, and breathe, and out I go, and don't do nearly as well, and end up away from the plane. As I sink down through the day, I slowly circle, seeing the mountains darken, and the orange sun resting in their arms. I see the dusty blue in the east, the night edge, creeping into the world. And now it's deployment time, and I toss and watch my canopy open, and it is so quiet and special and otherworldly up here at 9K, alone in the sunset. Pop the brakes, canopy control check. WTF is going on with my left brake? It's catching on something. The canopy itself seems fine...I scan up the brakeline to see if it's frayed or anything, and note that my goggles are fuzzy, and my vision is not clear. I pull them down around my neck, and look again. It looks all right up top, clean, clear, straight, but there is something definitely wrong. But what? I turn right to see if it happens on that side...no. I flare, to see if it can, and that's alright, but that tugging hitch happens. So I put both toggles in my left hand, lean and reach with my right, and run my hand up from the bottom of the left brake... And there it is, a knot. And not a slipknot which can be pulled out by tension...an honest to god knot, over and under. About 8-10 inches above the toggle. As I feel it, I think about Holly, and about spinning into the ground should it get stuck; I think about cutting away. I am at 8K, and I will never see my canopy again; I love my canopy. And I think maybe I can land it. Is it frayed? No. Is there any crinkling or malformation above or below the knot? No. And I have 6K feet to decide...and so I yank the toggle down, and feel - with everything I am, I feel my canopy's response. I note where the hitch is, how low I have to pull to get it below the guide ring, and practice balancing it with the right toggle. And flaring from that point. And then do it again and again, over and over. And 720 it left, to see if it will do anything wonky. And while the hitch is there, the canopy is responding well without any surprises. As I stare into the gloom of the fading day, I think...planning how to handle it if it sticks low, and decide to do a very long, wide pattern on approach, and come in with it at about 1/4 brakes - which puts the knot under the guide ring. 1500 feet, no playing under that -long straight in approach. And as I decide to not cut, I look up at the mountains, and watch the orange ball melt behind it, reaching into the sky with it's purple and golden arms, and again my breath is taken away...and know I will be fine, whatever happens, I will be just fine. How content I am in the sky - how whole, how complete... And I do exactly as I plan, long straight approach, careful, 1/4 brakes, and end up landing out by the swoop pond...fine, even though I slide it out a bit, I am fine. I gather my stuff up and bring it in, and have it looked at by SonnyChiba (Leon, you're amazing!) and by Grasshopper, and then hear about Cora's slammer. And think, what imp was in the sky at sunset? What teasing, playful imp was there, and again think how lucky we are that it wasn't a hungry imp, just a playful one. And as we drive home, slowly because of Cora's pain, I again reflect on how wonderful this day has been, how special and how unique. And I realize how far I've progressed from when I started to where I am now...and I can't stop smiling. I can't help but feel pride, and my heart gets big in my chest because of the love that is here in this sport - the respect, the family, and the joy that is in the sky, and that I carry with me in my groundbound world. How glorious is this, our dancing in the sky together? How wonderful is this, really? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Do you have any clue how odd it is to be the one in the group who has the "best" accuracy (relatively speaking, and not including Diablopilot?)? Keeps making me laugh... And didn't the Egypt landing earn you an HDOD number?

Me too. Sigh...and I so wanted someone to think I knew what I was talking about! And I want one of those huge canopies...but I don't think I could flare it. OTOH, perhaps it is so large I wouldn't have to flare it... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Moning, darlin'... Somehow, those pix look worse than I remember... Hey, it's all about faith at this point, love. It will work out - and there are those two places I'll go look at for you. Soon, you will be in town, and we can get Starbucks and hugs all the time Great seeing you, and even better knowing soon you will be here... Many gentle hugs, and let us know what the rigger and Wings say. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Oh, man, this was a fun weekend... 0:3:2 Three wonderful jumps 2 case owed (story to follow - no cut, but nearly did) Funky winds, wonderful friends (new and old), excellent day at the dz, beautiful summer sunset ~ what more can a lady ask for?? (yes, I know, Godiva Chocolate, and a good man, but hey, even without those, it was glorious...). How was your weekend?? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Vibes coming from CA...and gentle hugs. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I'm not that nice. Really I'm not. Why, just last night coming home from dinner Cora and I saw this guy with one of those nose rings that makes you wonder where the bull was that he stole it from, and couldn't help cracking up. Looked like silver snot dangling from his nostrils, streetlights reflecting from it. But we'll have fun nonetheless. Let's learn how to make beer now, so we can carry that knowledge around with us while we are climbing that hill of happiness. I suspect we'll be thirsty! And then, when we get to heaven, we can have mead. Yum!! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Um, Purgatory for me... ~~You have escaped damnation and made it to Purgatory, a place where the dew of repentance washes off the stain of sin and girds the spirit with humility. Through contrition, confession, and satisfaction by works of righteousness, you must make your way up the mountain. As the sins are cleansed from your soul, you will be illuminated by the Sun of Divine Grace, and you will join other souls, smiling and happy, upon the summit of this mountain. Before long you will know the joys of Paradise as you ascend to the ethereal realm of Heaven.~~ And there doesn't seem to be any free beer here, either! LOL!! At least I get to be smiling and happy...it says so! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

It's so great to see someone happy. And yes, hugs are acceptable...and if I can sneakily sniff you when I hug you, well, then, all the better!!!

Wow, Jason. Considering I am a monitor pilot, I am also someone who's posted here for several years...and there are certain things the HH has asked us for...in pertinent part... Forum Rules Some things will make you popular: 1) Lurk. Spend some time before you storm in 2) Search before you ask 3) Punctuate and spell check 4) Help newbies 5) Be nice (Bold added - my emphasis). If you'd like to read all the forum rules, either follow the link...or simply look at your navbar for the clicky which states "Forum rules". This is in no way to slam MySky for asking a question. It is meant simply to point out to you, Jason, that the posters you were taking an off topic whack at were actually supporting the forum owner's request... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Congratulations, Mike! I suppose this will put the kibash on the smelling activities...sigh..... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

i'm thinking ow. Nothing much else. Just ow. or maybe ow-fuck-ow. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

JP, you rawk. McGowan, you rawk. But I'll bet McGowan smells better than JP... (Heck, you smell better than most men I've ever met!!) Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Me. And damned proud of my Spectre 210. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I so very much hope so. Mr. Tonnesen is grieving very badly right now, as are many of Rob's friends. A Celebration will be wonderful in a poignant sort of way. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~