Michele

Miss ya. Love ya. Fuck ya! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Well done, Jess, and thanks to da Bytch as well.... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Lisa, can you post the addresses for the S & T committee? I'll be happy to contribute my .02...and that is all I've got - no experience in this sport, so I don't think my voice will carry much weight...but rather a squeak than silence, you know? Thanks! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Noni is his name for me. According to him, I am not an auntie, and not a mommy, so he calls me Noni...he calls his "thing" his "peeeeeeenish", usually in an incredibly loud voice at a restaurant. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

So. Kinda rough day, and one of the things I do when I'm not feeling so comfy in my skin is to count smiles. My daily smile count is: ~One at a red light with a child in the backseat of the car next to me ~One seriously cute hottie...pity we didn't get numbers ~One when my nephew shouted "I love you Noni!" ~One when I finally got a MOcha frappacino ~One when my broker watched the vid of me and Phree/Lisa...and said "you're not too good, but you're better than I'll ever be"... ~One when my broker decided the referral he sent my way was being totally assinine and basically told the referral to stop being a jackass...only in not so many words ~One when I realized I have 30 more minutes' work, and then I can go home How many smiles did you get to have today? Hope it was lots!!! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

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

cough...cough...bullsh$t...cough.. But there was no arm twisting. And you knew the camera was on.... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Um Phree....doesn't Lummy come up to the camera and geek and then goes and turns a cartwheel? I hadn't been drinking yet, and that's the recollection I have. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Um, especially after the phonecall the night before... "Hey, Michele, make Lummy do a cartwheel, o.k.? But get out of the way, he always falls down..." My recollection of it went something like this... Me: OHMIGOD, LUMMY!!!!! How are you? Do a cartwheel, and yes, the camera's on... You: O.K.... Bait and switch? Not bloody likely. Although it is a teeny camera... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Hee heeeeee.....I grabbed Eric's camera and told Lum to cartwheel...and he did! Hee hee.....and you weren't even drinking (yet...)

Hi, Canuck... I didn't say that the instructors gave me heat about it....matter of fact, Jim Slaton worked really hard because there was another, much higher jump number lady in the class with me. Jim held my hand and really taught me a ton of stuff in a way that I was able to comprehend it, as well as teaching her at her level, too. I know the instructors out there work hard to "speak into the listening" of the students...and are successful for the most part...and I very much appreciate them. The folks who gave me heat were people who were "peers". My point was simply that peer pressure keeps people from spending the $$ to take the class, and instead they learn by doing. And sometimes those lessons are at a high cost - limbs broken, lives lost... If I had one wish, it would be to incorporate a canopy control class before getting the A license...3 jumps on just canopy control or something...and then reassess the need for canopy wingload regulations. If one were to have the requirement of X on a canopy (and have it accountable...) before they got their A license, then perhaps some of this could be avoided. It would certainly take the peer pressure away from not taking the class early. (And yes, I know there already are requirements, but they are easily lied about, whereas something like water training is not...something along those lines is what I mean)... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I am no judge of canopy flight, and am very very new in this sport. However, I will say that I took a canopy control class at 40 jumps. Took some heat about it, too. Well, actually, took some major heat for it. Did it anyway, and have really improved my accuracy and landings (although I still crash...). And while I could never teach it to anyone, I am starting to understand how and why... I think that there is a ton of stress put on getting out and having fun in freefall....and that's great. But I sat back and thought about the major danger points (with the help of incidents like we talk about here), and few come from freefall collisions, whereas most come from landing. Therein is the primary danger point. So I addressed that first. And got told I was pretty dumb for wasting that kind of money on something I "couldn't use" - I guess people thought I was learning to swoop or something...LOL! I put up a poll in canopy control forum, which shows that about 25% of the folks out there have taken a class; that leaves 75% of the folks learning from friends (who may not know), watching others (who may be doing it wrong), or learning by the seat of their pants (literally). The question I have is simple: should only 25% of the people take AFF/SL, and just let the other 75% fall out of the plane on their own?? We take classes from those we perceive as experts on how to handle freefall, but don't take any instruction on how to land, what the canopy does, and why it does it for the part of the jump which will most likely kill you....and that, friends and fellow jumpers, makes zero sense to me. Rob has aggressively pursued canopy flight, and I frankly admire him for it. While I will probably never go much smaller than I am right now, I intend to follow his lead - more high HnP, more working the canopy, more learning, more practice...and maybe that will save my life someday. Just my .02 - Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahooooooooooooooooooo! Well, maybe not. Maybe, though, he can make me majikally lose about 50 pounds, make me waif thin, and 'shop all the bad form out???? LOL! Phree, I'll send you a pm, o.k.? All that jazz.... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Sending ~~~~~~~VIBES~~~~~~~ Right about now! You'll be fine. Breathe, relax, enjoy yourself, and you'll be surprised how easy it goes. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

That was funny... Thanks! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Hey, Joe, worry not...I'll ask Phree about it and see what he can do. I appreciate the effort! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

HI, quade. I really am not familiar with PBS's children's programs, except that they depend on private donations. If a family wants to send it's check to them, so be it....as it is privately funded, it would be dependent on generosity from people (not the government) to promulgate it and get it handled. And as a point of reference, there really aren't too many shows which stay on the air for 20 years, commercial or private. Kudos to them. As to the quality and/or success of the show I cannot speak, as I do not have children who have used/watched it. It's sound in it's premise, but again, I can't comment further about that. I would not be happy to see it off the air, as it seems to be helpful to children, but I also think it's mixing apples and oranges because of the private v. public funding. If you are asking about my early reading experiences, it came from severe limiting of television and lots of exposure to parents reading to me. I know the same occurred with my niece and nephew, as not only do their parents have a reading time with them, their babysitters do, as well...I know this, I am the primary babysitter (LOL)...and we read and play and count a lot! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Mike McG. got an hysterical photo where you and Eric are level, and still holding on to me (and I'm holding onto you!)....and I am very low, knees dropped, and I've got this expression on my face, a cross between "I am so gonna figure this out and get level with you two" and a grin...I've ordered it, and will frame it and hang it in my office - call it "Determination" or something....ROFL! It was a way fun jump, even though I ended up very low....both in the formation and at deployment time....we shall have to do it again (well, without the low deployment). Edit: That was very very funny...wow, am I stiff or what? Ms. Robotica....LOL!!!! Thanks, Eric! You made me look good!!! (well, sorta!) I miss you guys!! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

9 1/2 inches....and my toes take up 2 1/4 inches of that. Yes, I have monkey toes. Can grasp pencils, and various other things with them. Scary, actually. And I wear a size 8 in women's shoes...but I don't think that's abnormally large.... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Downloading right now. Hey, Phree? Thanks for the memories....(hey, it's Bob Hope's 100th birthday today...have to sing a little....) I will say this....it was a good exit! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Hey, Sunnyone... Did Lolie tell you I tried to call you when you were in the hospital and couldn't get through? LOL, for a whole hour...redial is a great feature! Glad to hear you're doing better and looking forward to meeting you someday! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Really? O.k., tell ya what. I have a bit of a busy day ahead, but there are some things I've been thinking about, and I will write it out and send it over to you hopefully by the end of the day. Really? How cool.....thanks. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Couple of observations. Like Ltdiver, I was privately schooled through 6th grade, and my brother was privately schooled through HS graduation. My parents paid their taxes, too. Not being a parent, I think that if the parents choose to spend the money on themselves - for once putting themselves first - as long as the children's needs are met, then who cares if it goes to jump money or a nice weekend for two away? I suspect that there are a lot of parents who work very hard and make sure their children's needs (and often "wants", like cel phones, pagers, and other non-essential "toys") are addressed prior to their own needs and wants. Further, Wendy makes a good point about a larger apartment, better car, etc. which is a "general family benefit" rather than a specific child benefit. Lastly, I was reading at 4, my brother was reading at 4, and my nephew is just starting to read - and he's just 4. My niece, 2 1/2, can count and uderstands numbers and groupings - it's not just recitation of a sequence - and can identify her alphabet letters and sing the song. There is a significant issue in effective parenting and time spent with primary teachers - parents - which is directly related to the ability of a child to learn higher information and logic skills. And the budget is in such turmoil with such lack of oversight and no accountability here in CA that there is a serious issue with giving it to the state for the state school funds, not to mention the local school boards' inability to fund the schools in a proper way - even when the till is flush. And lest anyone think I am bagging on teachers - I most certainly am not...it's the administration I have issues with. Why do you think home schooling has become so popular in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange Counties? Because the system is shot. Anyway, just my .02... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

No, I don't. And I need one for business, but just can't afford the design and cost right now. But someday! I will get one out there, and have it be the whizbang of sites...!!! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Thanks, BB. The pm is on the way. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~