NWFlyer

If that's your attitude, you're not going to "find" happy anytime soon. You have two choices: accept where you are and work hard to make the best of it, or accept that your current situation is pure misery and there's nothing you can do to improve it. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yep, what he said. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4027546 "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I can't comment on Deland because I've only been there for a canopy course (and thus wasn't looking for anyone to jump with), but ZHills has organizers who will put together jumps for all skill levels. All you need to do there is look for someone with an organizer t-shirt or ask at manifest - there may be several organizers working with folks of different skill/experience levels, but they're great about finding you a group that fits. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Two types of tomatoes, two types of lettuce, habaneros, jalapenos, basil, mint, and cilantro. Photo. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Inconceivable! There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/1005/buttercup-reese-s-buttercup-westley-princess-bride-demotivational-poster-1274870823.jpg God that girl was SO FREAKING HOT! Was? This is a photo from her this past January. At 45 (44 in the photo) she's still gorgeous. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Inconceivable! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yep, agree with all who are reminding you to get natural Vitamin D as much as you can, even if it just means going outside for 15 minutes at lunch and exposing as much skin as possible (I don't mean you have to strip down and run around naked, but if you can roll up your shirt sleeves at least, it'll help with absorption). But in more northern climates it's still tough to get enough from the sun, especially in winter months. Coming off winter (and the way Shah's described his lifestyle) I'd be willing to bet he needs to make up some ground. Sarah posted the typical reference ranges - I've heard that though 32 to 100 might be "normal" something in the 60s or 70s is considered optimal; even at the low end of the normal range, most people can benefit from supplementation. And Shah, don't expect any supplements to be a magic bullet to snap you out of depression, but they can be tools that can help to address anything physical that might be a contributing factor. You've still got to do the work to get out of your head. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

About 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D/day. Should be a liquid or gelcap form. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Just turned 40, and I've got the telltale scar. Like Karen, I also had chicken pox - I was 5 and I remember it causing extra stress in our household because both my brother and I got it just before our family was set to move to Greece and there was some fear that if we were still contagious (or appeared to be) that we wouldn't have been able to travel. But it all worked out.

I'm covered through my employer, and my plan does not exclude skydiving. I'm a lousy liar, so I'm not convinced that even if I were in a position to make up a story that I could do very well at keeping my story straight through all of the treatment (especially if it was extensive). Then of course, there's the scenario where I'm not able to 'splain myself but still very much need treatment and need that treatment to be paid for. Ambulance driver (or pilot) picks me up at a dropzone and notes the mechanism of injury ... and now I'm supposed to say I "fell off a ladder"? I've also purchased travel medical insurance to cover me at the Belize Boogie last year (that covered international evac among many other things) and made sure to find a company that didn't exclude skydiving or scuba (since I was going to be doing both and they were the most likely to cause me to need to use the coverage). Same with buying trip cancellation insurance for a Grand Canyon rafting trip I'm taking this year - it's an expensive, non-refundable trip (and one that I won't be able to do if I'm injured), so I bought insurance and read all the fine print to make sure that it would cover the cancellation if I were injured skydiving (turns out that I had to purchase an extra bit of coverage, but it was available). Again, since skydiving is the most likely way that I'll hurt myself between now and the trip, it made sense to get coverage that would actually cover skydiving. TL;DR version - read the fine print. Even if it is TL. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm thinking it was the second part of her sentence that caused the need to repeat: "Did the rolls no backflip although I tried, I ended up head down and spinning. " That indicates difficulty regaining belly orientation. Either way, none of us was on the skydive so we have to trust the instructor's decision to ask the OP to repeat that part of the jump (which, as everyone has indicated, is not the end of the world). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Amen. There's a reason I chose my current sig line - it fits well with how I deal with challenging situations in my own life. Find the humor in the situation, no matter how dark, and run with it. When I was being taken by ALS to the local trauma center after I got hit by a car, I loved the fact that during the short drive the medic asked if I wanted a song or dance or a comedy routine to keep me entertained. Of course, when helping others through their challenges, you've got to be able to read their reaction; some will welcome humor, others will find it uncomfortable. But figuring that out is just basic empathy. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

This. Plus, supplement Vitamin D. Not the measly 400 IUs that you get in a multi-vitamin, but 2000-5000 IUs per day. It's done amazing things for my overall well-being (during CA winters and almost year-round when I was living farther north). http://www.livestrong.com/article/357793-the-dosage-of-vitamin-d-for-depression/ http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/depression.shtml "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Seconded. LOVED this one. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Volunteer. Kills multiple birds with one stone. Gets you out of the house. Helps you meet people. Reminds you of how fortunate you really are. Helps the community. Depending on what you're doing, might be good outdoor/physical activity, which can help your energy/psyche. Start here to find opportunities. http://www.handsonnetwork.org/ "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Finishing up Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life by Hal Needham. The man's entire career is a "no shit, there I was" story. Also really looking forward to reading There's a Spy In My Soup because a) it looks like a fun story and b) the author and her family are long-time family friends - her daughter and I were BFFs back when we were young'ns and still stay in touch today.

Skyrider Inn, while fairly nice (I hear) is far from cheap lodging. You want cheap lodgin at Eloy, bring a tent, or stay in the bunkhouse or rent a team room, both of which will get you a bed indoors at a much cheaper rate than the Skyrider. As for ZHills, there's also camping, and there are some trailer rentals on the DZ (though they fill up quickly). The cheapest hotel seems to be the Microtel Inn in Zephyrhills. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Concur on Andy Garcia (especially in Will & Grace ), but also with your friends on Costner. I was crazy 'bout Costner in elementary/middle school--mostly from Dances with Wolves (still have not seen the part where Two Socks is shot--cannot do it). Tin Cup is definitely in my "top ten" favorite movies; Costner reminds me of my hunny and Russo, me. To be fair, I have at least 20 movies I count in my "top ten" depending on when we are talking and what we are talking about. Couldn't get into Dances With Wolves, didn't even try watching Tin Cup. Of course, I'm one of about 10 people who didn't like Field of Dreams, either. If I had to go with fave Costner flicks I'd have to include Fandango, Bull Durham and No Way Out. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Hey now, chill out on the defensiveness. I responded to exactly what you wrote. One time is different from "I have made mistakes with altitude awareness myself." Mistakes = plural, so I interpreted that as a recurring problem. So far, no, I've not ever completely lost altitude awareness. Have I opened lower than I would like/planned? Yes, but always with the awareness that I was lower than I planned to be (traffic at some point during the breakoff/tracking process is generally the cause of that). I'm not saying it'll never happen - I'm human and I do make mistakes, which is why I shared my point about what I do with my audible and why I've made that choice. But since you seem to have some hostility about my sharing that (based on your response), perhaps I ought not to have bothered. Okay, here's an answer. I have thought about what I'd do at 1,600 feet without a parachute, and in various scenarios. The general rule is I would like to think I'm going to go for my reserve. If I'm in an aircraft at 1,600 and the pilot says "Get out" in that time between "Get out" and getting to the door I should have enough time to look at my alti and decide which handle to pull (and at 1,600 feet it would be the silver one since that's right at the borderline and unless I'm 100% sure that plane's still flying straight and level, there's a good chance I'll be even lower by the time I leave). If I'm at 1,600 feet under a malfunctioning main that I'm not confident I can land safely, I'm getting rid of it. Hopefully by that point I'm already executing my EPs since my hard deck is at 1,800. If I'm at 1,600 feet in freefall, I would hope that I would go for my reserve, but there's a good chance that I, like most everyone else, would go for my main. My main opens fairly fast, but that's right at the "spook the AAD" altitude, so I might end up with two out. But since I'd rather end up with two out than none out, I figure I'm still better off going instinctively for my main than wasting time trying to decide. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So let me ask why you're spending so much energy thinking about what to do at 1,600 feet without a parachute over your head rather than thinking about ways to avoid finding yourself at 1,600 feet without a parachute over your head? Seems like your energy could be better spent on figuring out what it is that's causing you to (in your own words) "make mistakes with altitude awareness." If you're still having challenges with altitude awareness in general, why do you feel comfortable adding additional complexity to your skydives (like wingsuits and, based on your profile and other posts, a camera)? Altitude awareness is pretty much the number one thing we're taught in this sport from Day 1. If you're regularly having trouble with that, maybe it's time to refocus on the basics. And to (sort of) address your original question, though I think it's the wrong question to be asking - there's a reason I keep my audible's final warning at 2,000. If I ever, ever hear that noise in freefall before I've taken any action, I still have time to do the "instinctive" move of throwing out my main in enough time to avoid spooking my AAD. It means that occasionally I hear the 2,000 foot warning at line stretch (usually only on a bigger-way jump), but I have yet to hear it in freefall. I plan to keep it that way. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I've just started going to a place that teaches parkour, aerials and capoeira and all that kind of stuff ... and the owners of the place I go fully admit they have gym envy of the Tempest Freerunning Academy. Of course, I'm still trying not to hurt myself or look like a total idiot in the most basic classes ... but it's fun and it sure as hell beats an hour on the fuckin' elliptical trainer. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Was scrolling through my Netflix instant queue tonight and decided to watch this. Fun movie. And yes, Mr. Strait is easy on the eyes. But I will always have a thing for Andy Garcia - I have ever since seeing The Untouchables in high school and all my friends said "Who was that guy?" about Kevin Costner and I said "No, who was that other guy?" re: Andy Garcia. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Interesting idea; I know I've mentioned earlier that I found my jumps with my 8-way team (familiar people, familiar canopies) to be the times when I'm most comfortable in the sky, so I can see where this might be useful. At the same time, though, I suspect that for the average jump with a random, changing group - in the air most of what I "knew" in the plane about peoples' colors would probably fly right out of my head once I was in the air and I might be spending too much mental energy trying to match people to colors - mental energy that might be better spent just watching the other canopies around me to see what they're doing. "Okay, that blue and yellow canopy is sinking a lot faster than me - probably don't have to worry about them." "The person under red and white is looking pretty floaty - I'll check back on them from time to time to see if they're staying above me as I expect or if they're gaining on me." "Purple and black has been right on level with me for a while - let me hang in brakes a bit to give them some room." I'm not sure knowing that Blue/Yellow was Jim and Red/White was Joe and Purple/Black was Jane gives me much more useful information to work with in the air, at least not unless I jump with the same people consistently. For constantly-shifting mixes of people, it seems more like "noise" to me, but maybe I'm not understanding how you'd use the info on the mudflap/sticker. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Definitely call up and describe your situation (number of jumps total, completion of AFF, let them know whether you're current or not, etc.). The DZ will let you know their expectations when you get there - don't be surprised if they want you to do a jump with one of their instructors or coaches before letting you loose to do solos. Also, check to see what they have available for rental gear - make sure you can get something similar to what you're used to jumping. They'll also let you know what to bring with you as documentation. You'll probably want to get your A license progression card from your instructors if they're holding onto it (some DZs keep it, others leave it in your hands), so that you can document things that you do towards your A license at the other DZs and have them signed off. Once you have your A license, with rare exceptions you can show up anywhere and jump (as long as you've stayed current - many DZs will look at your logbook to verify the date of your last jump to ensure you're current). Of course, even then you'll want to make sure to ask for a dropzone briefing on dropzone policies, landing areas, good/bad outs, landing patterns, etc. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Just in time for Lost Prairie! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke