Michele

I do remember 6, 10, 26, 32, and 35. Do not remember 11 and 22. But I've heard stories. Of course, I might be a slight bit older than you, seeing as my 38th b'day is a week from today. Know what? My grandmother saw: 1. 2 world wars 2. Lights come on in her house 3. Flight begin, and continue to the moon 4. Horsedrawn buggies become Ferraris 5. Ice boxes become SubZero fridges 6. Financial desitution and subsequent personal wealth. 7. The death of two children who would not die if they were born now. 8. Movies, radio and television become commonplace 9. Pot-bellied stoves to microwaves 10. Societal changes from an ankle being provocative to micro mesh bikinis... This has been a most incredible century. She was 98 when she passed away in the mid '90s. To hear her stories, to hear her history, was an amazing thing for a child growing up; it gave a sense of perspective of the accomplishments (good and bad) which is unmatched in current times. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I am looking forward to; 1. Going to the bank - I have a deposit I need to make, just in time to see some first of the month bills get paid... 2. Going to the office and getting a little work done...so I can make another deposit in a few more weeks... 3. Getting the correct video card for my 'puter so I can finally play Emporor: Battle For Dune and actually see what I'm doing. If that fails, I've got a Zelda adventure I haven't played yet, so that may be this evening's adventure... 4. Going to play at my nephew's 4th birthday party. He has instructed me that I cannot come to his party unless I bring a yellow and blue yo-yo...and a pink dinosaur cake with purple rocks and green hair (his mom is handling that one, thank goodness). So, loaded with packages brightly wrapped, I shall venture into a 4 y/o's birthday party. I expect to get tackled, tickled, tormented and tripped, and since there's a pink dinosaur pinata, I also expect to get thumped and thwacked....and you thought skydiving was dangerous? And then, there's next week. May 1st will be most excellent, and then my birthday on May 3rd....it's going to be a great week! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

(pardon me for butting in here, but I will be there 5/3 with about 5 other dz.comers (at least)...it also happens to be my birthday...make sure you look me up! I'd love to say hi!) ('Kay, I'll butt out now...) Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Dunno how it ranks, but I adore my '96 Jetta. Stick shift, handles very well, looks good, has a lot of room, and a good cd player. Maintenence wise, it is very undemanding (which is really good)...I've put nearly 50K miles on it, and changed the oil regularly (well, regularly for me), and that has been all. Not even a brake job or any hoses/belts replaced...and I bought it used just about 3 years ago...it now has something like 85K miles on it...mileage is great, and interior comfort is great. I love it, simply love it. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

YAYAYAYAYAYAY for you, Viking! You rawk! Hugs right back atcha! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Happy birthday, Lew, and many more! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Muj, I was looking for you at Elsinore on Wednesday, but never saw you. Have fun at Perris! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

So you've been denied as well? Should we rail against the unfairness of the universe? Shall we scream out our discontent? Should we, uh, I dunno...let's have a beer. At least I'm not alone. My insecurities got the better of me there for a moment....I thought I was being singled out from all the posters and punished for not doing something....but I wasn't sure just what it was I was supposed to do... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Kirils Fair enough. Couple of questions, though, if you don't mind. 1. Did you ever have any canopy coaching prior to, or since? 2. What jump numbers did you take the class at? 3. Would you consider taking a canopy class from a different teacher? It's all good, just curious on those aspects. Thanks! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

The suicide bombing thread in Talk? I clicked it, looking to see what hooraw had been gotten up to, and...... What did I do? I didn't even post on that thread....besides, I have one free personal attack coming, don't I? Not even a warning PM? Nothing? Cut off just like that? Sheeeeeshhhh...() (I know it's a glitch...I can click into other threads, but just not that one. It is a glitch, isn't it?) Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

yeah, me too. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Um, who was sitting on your lap last summer, huh? Who? What, I'm chopped liver here? I got first dibs, dammit! Geeshhhhhhhhh..... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Soon.......... Seeing as my first jump was May 6, 2001, and I got my own main (and have been jumping it since October 2002), I suspect that I might have gotten everything together by the end of summer - sooner if God keeps sending me angels... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

LOL, Payback, I think you do have me beat....Amazon, I too am a smart ass..... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VIBESVIBESVIBESVIBESVIBES!!!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ohhhhh, yeah! You rawk! You sooooooooo rawk! You are wonderful! Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

SO there I was, waiting to learn to pack, with the instructor's canopy in front of me. While waiting for him, I was examining the canopy...and I noticed all these holes! Panicking, I made mention of these holes to him; after laughing at me for a while, he pointed out just how much I have to learn about canopies and their construction...and then proceeded to teach me how to pack. This was jump number 11, I think...I don't have my log book handy. I tried to click on your profile, just to get an idea, but cannot find your profile. You're right, it's a free country...and sometimes, freedom of speech includes ignoring someone who is not willing to listen to others who're just trying to assist. It also includes ignoring someone who is trying to yank your chain... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Oh, Alli, that gave me an idea... You could get a remote controlled car and zip it around under people's feet at the water cooler! That would be funny! Or - - make a bunch of paper airplanes, stand on your desk, launch them all, and scream "INCOMING!!!!!" Oh, gawd, people at my office are in for something today... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Tabasco sauce in the coffee usually livens things up - at least, here at my office... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

So do you think that a read only (once cleared by HH or one of the mod's) forum would be appropriate? I get annoyed, too, but I also think that in the midst of some rampant positioning there can be some things learned. I'm thinking of the claim that Holly had epilepsy - since put to rest as speculation by family and friends - and I ran a search on epilepsy here in the forums. I found exactly 1 thread, maybe 6 post long, in something like 450,000 posts...but there is only 1 thread, and I would venture to say that there is more than one person whom this condition affects, not to mention the many who jump with someone who has it. Perhaps there is an immediacy which is present in those Incidents threads which, even if it's "white noise", can teach someone something. The conversation about gloves getting trapped is really good - and although there have been many threads about that, the fact that it is tied directly into a fatality thread brings it far closer home - even if it didn't apply - than reading a discussion in a different forum. First hand information is not always correct, either. Witnesses are notorious for describing the elephant differently. Other reports do not get released, and sometimes, if they are released, are redacted to facilitate certain privacy laws and concerns for liability. There is a great discussion going on right now over in S/T (I think) which discusses the "sanitization" of reports before they are released to the general public (which we are, to all extents and purposes). If the report is so sanitized, then it becomes worthless in educational arenas, and all ability to learn from it becomes lost. We again go back to "don't turn low"...and we already know that. (does that make sense? I am not sure it's articulated clearly...sorry). For another example, it's nearly 6 months since a student went in, but I still haven't seen any "official" reports. Maybe I just don't know where to look...but it hasn't been brought here. I honestly don't want to see the threads fill up with "oh, they were drunk last night, so they must've been drunk when they had the accident", but if that's an honest possibility, maybe some commentary about how long it takes for alcohol to actually no longer have any effect on decisions and the body is important, too? What we are discussing, I think, is the tact which some people miss, or people who are looking to instigate things. That's not cool...but that's also human nature. I value the incidents forum the way it is - white noise and all - because there is something I can learn from every incident - and lots of that learning has had nothing to do directly with the actual incident, but because of introspective and responsible speculation. If the thread and discussion is bifurcated, I don't see the value in it as much as having it all together... That's my opinion, and I post it knowing it disagrees with lots of people. But I also respect and understand the other positions... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Yep. It's been discussed many times here and elsewhere...and if someone isn't willing to look at the situation from another perspective, then there is nothing I can do except make it plain to those who are willing to see it from other perspectives that appearances aren't everything. Agreed. As noted in my post, instructors need to determine if someone is a danger to themselves/the instructors, but flippantly and arbitrarily stating what was said is what I object to. It's just my opinion, but covers and books and things oft times get people into trouble.... As to the blackbelt comments, I didn't mean to hijack the thread, or allow it to go flippant...it was made to demonstrate the concept that looks are deceiving, and individual assessment should be made... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

There are two things you should know.... 1. Tournement record: 22 fights, 1 second, 20 firsts, and one where no-one was willing to fight me, including the men's division...(and yes, I did all this chubby)... 2. I never hit first, and I always hit back. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

There are problems with the way things are reported, imo. For example, I know there was one instance where a jumper survived, but the accident was caused by a medical issue rather than a gear problem or whatnot. But the jumper didn't want the medical issue to be known...and he has the right to make sure that doesn't come out. Another incident there was a similar thing, except it was a fatality, rather than a serious injury. There was a medical condition speculated, but the family didn't want that brought out, and so it wasn't. BOTH examples could've taught people something very significant...but because of privacy laws, the fact did not emerge.... I don't think we will ever get all the facts about things. In Holly's case, we may never know exactly what happened....and because of that, if we base learning on facts, we all already know not to turn low...and won't learn a damned thing from this. However, should resoned, introspective speculation be done, there may be things we can learn about it, even if NOT exactly applicable to Holly, that can save our asses. I have learned a few things from Holly's death which I will employ the next time I jump - and it was speculative rather than "factual"... And this is not keeping the argument alive, Sunnyone. It is me simply articulating a position which you may not agree with...rest assured I understand your (and other's) grief, and how hard it must be for you right now...but I think there is a place for cautious and responsible speculation in any incident.... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

How do you tell, though? I look like I'm "soft", but can easily (while smiling and laughing) lift your 200 pound self right off your feet (I've done it to someone who weighs that much about 3 weeks ago...). I am a black belt, and can easily kick someone's bottom from here to next week should the need ever arise (which it hasn't, thank god). I have thrown myself onto the ground innumerable times, and walked away (perhaps that's not something I should "brag" about). I have strength, and I have body fat. I am, according to one friend, "lush"...I have boobs, bottom, and I am decidedly rounder. It could easily be said that I am "fat bottomed"...I am nowhere near "heroin chic", and absolutely have never been. Not even close. Not even at 10 years old... So how do you tell? Really, is it simply what the scale says? If anyone is over 200 lbs, do you refuse to train them? If anyone is under 100 lbs, do you refuse to train them? When I lost my instructor during a dive, the school didn't refuse to continue to train me...they just made sure I got with someone who could keep up with a fat, flexible chick...and *I* learned how to do fall rate control. On my belly, I can go 146 (fastest ever), and also go 122 (slowest ever). I generally average about 126, because I was trained and taught how to handle it. And, my boobs are too big for me to actually see my handles, especially during an arch..but I know where the handles are. I'd venture to say that an inflexible man, 220, musclebound, is likely to get into far more trouble than I. If there is no hip flexibility, how does one arch very hard and very quickly to get stable? That's not about strength... And yet he demonstrates the muscle strength to save himself...yet, soft "overweight" me, during my cutaway, had absolutely NO problem getting handles out in the correct order (even though I couldn't see them)...so exactly where does muscle strength get assessed? I have no problem with an instructor checking things out, or refusing to teach someone who is a danger to themselves and/or to others. I do have a serious problem with someone looking at someone else, not knowing them in the least, and arbitrarily deciding that she is "bone density" "bowling material"... Your comment did, indeed, offend me. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

But it's o.k. for guys, right? Or do you tell them about bone density, as well? I'm curious... Ciels- Michele

Nah....at the rate I'm going, I'd have to enter about 60 times before I even got a polite rejection rather than just ignoring me...(that's the ratio I've gotten...and still no acceptances...so much for writing for gearmoney...sigh...) Still, a girl can hope...and then stand back and see her hopes dashed to the ground, splintering into tiny shiny bits... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~