Slappie

I have to agree with Pammi EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW. I was once in Singapore at a very big dinner deal, had like 8 courses. We got to the soup course. I looked in my huge bowl of dishwater and noticed chicken beaks and feet!! Needless to say I didn't finish dinner that night and got a rather upset stomache the rest of the night. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Just think of the money your going to save and make when your done with school. Then all the time you can spend at the DZ jumping in the future. "Youth is wasted on the young" dunno who said it *thinking of PalmetoTiger* Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

I didn't know?? All those were emailed to me by a friend in Oklahoma *shrugs* I'd like to join um tho

I have a 22lb Tabby cat named "Lucky" aka "Fat Cat" aka "Stupid" he thinks he owns my condo and let's me stay there once in awhile. If I feed him that is. He is very active when the can open makes noise. Also he talks alot, I mean alot! Like never shuts up unless eating or sleeping. He also will rub on anyone or anything. Hence the name "Stupid" he bangs his head into everything trying to get attention. He also likes to lick plastic bags, his favorite toy is the lil tab you pull off the plastic milk cartons, throw one down and he is in kitty heaven for awhile unless you active the can opener. Needless to say I couldn't handle living alone if it wasn't for my best friend Lucky. I saved him from being put down by one day at the SPCA. Got him when he was full grown 5 years ago. I've owned a couple other cats and a few dogs. Lucky is by far the bestest friend I've had. Hurray For Cats!!! Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

I don't know exactly what "BASE" stands for, buildings, antennas, blah, blah, blah, so I made my own. 1. Brains Atrophied - Speeding Earthward 2. Becoming Another Splotch - EEEW!! 3. Bragging About Stupid Endeavors 4. Banging Against Solid Earth 5. Brains Aren't Solidly Engineered 6. Balls ARE Solidly Engineered 7. Beginning A Sooner Eternity 8. Becoming A Stiff Early 9. Buddies Are Surely Endangered 10. Bodies Are Shattered Eventually 11. Brushing Away Safety Egotistically And, since I have some spare time, here's a haiku: Brisk wind on my face 'Chute won't open - holy crap Pants are filled with poop If this offends anyone...Lighten up. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Guy gets ready to make his first ten-second delay. His jumpmaster sees he's nervous and says, "Don't worry. Just get out there, arch, count to ten, and pull your main ripcord. If there's a problem with the main, you know you have a reserve. When you land, the truck will pick you up and take you back to the loft." So the guy exits, arches and pulls. Nothing happens. He reefs on his reserve ripcord. Dirty laundry comes out of the reserve container. He's falling faster, close to terminal, and he looks at the ground and says, "Great. I bet the f***ing truck won't be there, either." Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

A first time jump student is in the plane, at 13000', and won't go. His jumpmaster, anxious to jump, glares at him and yells, "IF YOU DON'T JUMP, I'M GONNA F***K YOU UP THE ASS !!!" The next day, the student's friends ask him if he jumped. He replies, "Yea .... a little at first". Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Q: What do you call a skydiver with no arms and no legs?? A: Give up?.....It's Mark!! Q: And what was the name of his dog?? A: It's Spot! Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

While most companies refrain from allowing consumption of alcohol on the premises, there are some good arguments for changing that policy. Reasons for allowing drinking at work include: 1. It's an incentive to show up. 2. It reduces stress. 3. It leads to more honest communications. 4. It reduces complaints about low pay. 5. It cuts down on time off because you can cure hangovers, from night before, with another drink. 6. Employees tell management what they think, not what management wants hear. 7. It helps save on heating costs in the winter. 8. It encourages carpooling. 9. Increases job satisfaction because if you have a bad job you don't care. 10. It eliminates vacations because people would rather come to work. 11. It makes fellow employees look better. 12. It makes the cafeteria food taste better. 13. Bosses are more likely to hand out raises when they are wasted. 14. Salary negotiations are a lot more profitable. 15. Suddenly, farting during a meeting isn't so embarassing. 16. No one will remember your strip act at the Christmas Party. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Amen brother. You too have seen the light and listened to the TRUE word. All one need do to hear the true word is to open ones heart and mouth and taste the truth. Experience the true joy of the sacrament of the hops. These heathens who dare defile our temple must be cast out. They have been lead astray by the evil one and now must go to live with him. Yeast is mine sayeth the lord. Yea though I walk through the valley of functions I will buy my beer. I am the way the truth and the light, he who drinks with me will never go low! I have been to the bunker top and found a burning weed which spoke to me. It gave me these seven commandments (odd number huh!) 1. Always buy your beer. 2. thou shalt not bear false witness about buying your beer. 3. Thou shalt buy only green bottles ** 4. Thou shalt not make beer from rice. 5. Thou shalt covet thy neighbors beer 6. Thou shalt hold no drinks above beer. 7. Thou shalt not lead students astray from buying their beer. ** Or other equally high-quality beer in other-colored bottles. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

BEER RULES 1. An unwritten law, one as immutable and irrefutable as gravity and backed by history, states that skydivers enjoy the drinking of beer almost as much as flight itself. 2. A manifestation of this fact is the tradition of the buying by an individual skydiver a case of beer (that being twenty-four cans or bottles holding twelve or more ounces of beer, ale, or some similar such substance) for his or her fellow jumpers to celebrate the accomplishment of a particular feat or milestone in one's jump career. 3. It is generally recognized that the buying and drinking of such beer enhances that common bond shared by skydivers and contributes greatly to the body of knowledge concerning parachuting and its related activities. 4. It is a sad fact that some skydivers are ignorant of what constitutes a significant achievement (usually and henceforth referred to as a "first"). Equally sad is the fact that some unscrupulously thirsty jumpers will shamelessly try to "weasel" a case of beer out of a jumper for an inauspicious event. 5. Recognizing this, the following happenings are to be regarded as suitable occasions for buying beer. This list is not to be construed as exhaustive. 6. First jump (It is not required of students. They are simply encouraged to participate). 7. If more than one first is accomplished on a single jump, only one case of beer is required. 8. Participation is voluntary. If a skydiver chooses not to participate by buying, neither shall the skydiver enjoy the fruits of the accomplishments of others. 9. Non-drinkers may buy sodas and buyers may make up any part or whole of their purchase in soda for the enjoyment of those non-drinkers. 9. It is generally recognized that using a reserve parachute for the purpose of saving one's worthless, non-packing self from a gory death requires him to buy the saving rigger dinner or the bottle of liquor of his choice. 10. These articles are ironclad and binding. For the price of an additional six-pack, a sniveling skydiver may enlist the services of an S & TA to represent him or her in a hearing where the committee will rule against that skydiver a second time. 11. Completing the student course of instruction *First four way *First eight way *First CRW *First time in the peas *First night jump *First kiss pass *First competition *First water jump *First naked jump *First jump on your own pack job *First dead center (measured by a judge or electronic scoring pad on a three or five cm disc) *First jump on a new main or new rig (purchased, not borrowed) *Any license, award, rating, or badge *Getting your name or photo in "Parachutist" Magazine *Gross safety violations not resulting in serious injury or death *Any jump ending in "00" *First cutaway/reserve ride *First jump from an aircraft not normally used at home drop zone *First jump at a new drop zone *First demo jump *First save (you riggers thought you were getting off easy) *Vomiting in the airplane or on another skydiver *First round canopy jump (Geez, used to be the other way around) *First broken bone *First camera jump Any questions??? Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Donna they also have the bigger canopies, I'm just flying one I like and am doing a very good job of it. They have the 210, 230 and a 280 for people to learn on if thats what is comfortable to you. But the whole idea is to load the canopy at a 1.0 Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Or as they say, be careful what you wish for... A couple had been married for 40 years and also celebrated their 60th birthdays. During the celebration a fairy appeared and said that because they had been such a loving couple all those years, she would give them one wish each. Being the faithful, loving spouse for all these years, naturally the wife wanted for her and her husband to have a romantic vacation together, so she wished for them to travel around the world. The fairy waved her wand and boom! She had the tickets in her hand. Next, it was the husband's turn and the fairy assured him he could have any wish he wanted, all he needed to do was ask for his heart's desire. He paused for a moment, then said, "Well, honestly, I'd like to have a woman 30 years younger than me." The fairy picked up her wand and boom! He was 90............ Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Way to go Paula!!! I'm looking forward to jumping with you in the future. You and Zennie will have to help me get my different RW awards. I'm not to hip on RW but I want to be able to at least do it so if I'm ever at a DZ there are no freefliers I can maybe go up and jump some RW instead

Way to go Paula!!! I'm looking forward to jumping with you in the future. You and Zennie will have to help me get my different RW awards. I'm to hip on RW but I want to be able to at least do it so if I'm ever at a DZ there are no freefliers I can maybe go up and jump some RW instead

I wasn't nervous I was hung over LOL "I'll attest that Slap was pretty nervous on the ride up after the tandem incident, since I was sitting across from him. Just tried to smile & give him the thumbs up to make him feel a little better. When it came jump time he was focused and ready." Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

The first of 15 Jumpmaster jumps are on a BOC only the first three of the AFP course are the students held onto on the third jump the JM lets the student go. There is only one JM during the jumps. They progressively get more and more technical with goals to achieve with each jump. IE: upper body turns, forward movement & docking, barrel rolls, different types of exits, front and back flips... basicly they teach you the basics of FF so if in any situation you find yourself you can control the situation and get stable to pull your main. If a JM at any time feels you are not ready to progress to the next level they can make you repeat a level until you have done it. It's a very progressive process and the DZ I'm a student at is top notch and the JM's are some of the best. I feel so safe and my skills are gaining faster then I had even imagined. The course is the same from DZ to DZ depending if the DZ is using the AFP course. AFP = Advanced Freefall Program, it is 2 tandem jumps done with in a 2 week period followed by a 4 hour ground school course on safety and mals. Then the first two jumps the JM is in contact 100% of the time during FF you pull your BOC and have radio assistance for landing. The third jump is a release where the JM releases you and you stay stable in FF and on heading. From 4 on it's a total release you jump and preform your tasks and move on to the next level if the JM thinks you're ready. The JM's are videoing the whole FF so you can debrief witht hem and go over anything they see your doing wrong or things you may need to work on in the future. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

I have to agree Coors taste just like the creek water even with the decomposing dead fish. I love Colorado but the brewery needs to be nuked and save all us beer drinkers from having to drink what they call beer..... ok enough flaming on Coors.... Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

rainman, I am 175lbs+25 for gear so I load a 190 at about 1.05 the 190 is what I started on and did 4 AFP jumps on it. Then Sunday my JM liked my landings and we discussed what size canopy I will probably fly after I graduate. So he suggested downsizing to the 170sq Sabre. I load it at about 1.2 now and I'm doing well. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Have a great time Zennie, sorry I missed you leaving yesterday... I came down from my jump and wanted to talk but you had left already. Next time. I'm trying to graduate this weekend. If I can get the time off and the jump time I'll be on my own after this weekend. Steve B is working on a rig I can buy this weekend also.

ok DuH! It was Josh I had the last names mixed up sowwy JP Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Zennie your going to San Marcus and not gunna be at Spaceland? SPL is starting a 10 day boogie this weekend? $12 jumps all next week. Suposed to be a swoop contest ect.. I'm only repeating what I was told. Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html

Yea Jumperpaula... The first cutaway was the student, the very next load it was Josh Poole one of the Video Studs

I started Saturday very early. The alarm went off at 6am and I was up and out of bed by 6:15am waiting on my whuffo gf to get ready. It seemed as though she was in the bathroom for hours. It was actually only 15 minutes. I was going to the DZ for my level 4 jump in the AFP course. IT was going to be the first time I wasn’t held onto by my jumpmaster. I had dreams the night before of leaving the plane and tumbling down to my end and forgetting everything I was taught. It was awful. I finally got in the shower and started going through the jump in my head and the fear wasn’t to bad. We drove to the DZ it was only 30 minutes away but felt like it was 200 miles away. I was flying down the highway at 80mph trying to get there and make the first load to get this jump out of the way!! We made it to the DZ, I rushed into manifest to get on the first jump run. I didn’t make it. I felt a tinge of bad “karma”… The first load went up, I went over got my student rig and started my check-out and flight plan. Got it done. Went to the Pro-Shop and decided to go ahead and buy my altimeter. {bought the Alti III}… and a pair of goggles. Ok, that was refreshing and made me think to myself “ok I’m on my way to being a skydiver!” Went back and sat with my whuffo gf. She could see I was nervous I was on the next load. Got the 10 minute call. So the first load was out. All the sport flyers came in and 3 of the tandems landed safely. {remember I had a bad feeling about this load} Then the last tandem was coming in for landing I was looking away and heard a “CRACK” like a major league baseball player hitting a jaw dropping fast ball for a homerun. I spun around and could tell where the sound came from. The young lady I was with said look out there and pointed in the direction of the tandem the student was on the ground and there was a group standing around. Well he had landed way wrong and dislocated and snapped his ankle badly. I ran to my truck and retrieved my golfing umbrella to run out and keep the sun off this poor fellow. None of us out there talking to him, trying to keep the guy from going into shock had no idea how bad the break was. The ambulance shows up and starts to check his injuries. The lead paramedic couldn’t find a pulse in his foot. So we all were “ok what now?” He decided to call in LifeFlight. Come to find out that if they couldn’t find a pulse or get blood to his foot he could lose it. The fear of injury came through me like a wave. I was shocked at how bad this poor fellow had injured himself on his very first tandem ride ever. I pushed it away and knew I needed to concentrate on my own goals and objectives this day. Injuries happen in this sport and I knew they can be serious. This was my first experience as how serious they can be. Life flight showed up the whole DZ was up and you could feel the tension in the air. Quiet a few first time tandems were waiting to go. The DZ was on a shut-down waiting for Life Flight to load and all emergency vehicles to leave. About an hour after the landing everything was back to normal. Well as normal as it could be. I was fighting the fear of a bad landing back with a whip. I was on the next load!! I used fear as my friend to help me concentrate on my next jump. I was leaving the plane on my own for the first time. I was both excited and scared. I knew I was going to ACE this jump like the three before it. Got suited up, boarded the plane. On the ride to Alti all I could hear in my head was the “CRACK” it kept repeating over and over. I closed my eyes and ran through the jump in every detail as sweat was pouring off me in buckets. My JM seemed to think I was way to nervous and told me to RELAX little did he know I was sweating from the beer the night before. Well it was fear and the beer I didn’t admit to the fear though. We got to altitude the sport flyers went out like lil bullets. I was the last one on the plane with my JM he nodded to me “READY, SET, GO!!!! I was OUT!!! Yahoo!!!! I did it!! I preformed every objective without one signal from my JM!! I ACED IT BIG TIME!! Perfect landing pattern started to flare too early but I didn’t care I wanted to land and jump for joy!! I DID IT!! Sat with my gf beaming in confidence and accomplishment. Went to debrief with my JM. He was all smiles I was impressed at his confidence level in my performance. So I decided to got manifest for my lvl 5 jump. Level five was going to be ok it was upper body turns. I did my pre-flight checkout. Fear was there but my confidence level was keeping it back in it’s spot. I found out I was wayyyyyy down the list. The DZ Was flooded with tandems. So I sat back read the SIM’s, talked to whomever I could and relaxed going over and over the last jump smiling. My Jumpmaster yelled across the DZ hanger and told me to get my gear on. I wasn’t READY! I went over and started suiting up got everything on, then “CRACK” hit my thoughts again like a rocket! I was already having difficulty in my landings. So it was just a reminder what could happen. My JM Kris came over before the loading and we went through the jump then he asked me “so what do you want to do? I was amazed and shocked that he was that confident in my FF Ability. So instead of the floater exit he decided to let me do a diving exit. I thought to myself “ok this is going to be fun”. We loaded and got to alti I went through the jump again like I have done every time before huge breaths and relaxing thoughts “YEAH RIIIIIIIIGHT” hehehehe The others left the plane an then it was my turn. Last again. We got to the door my mind is racing telling me not to go. My only thoughts were of the jump and what I had to accomplish. Then the nod came and the READY SET GOOOOOOOO!!!!! And I jump out of the plane like superman!! I WAS A RUSH!! Got my stability and faced off. Still no signals. Got the ok for my goals and preformed then without a hitch! Then he pointed to the ground and told me to track! On my lvl five dive my JM tells me to track! I hit the track for 6 seconds waved and pulled! WHOOSH! The canopy was out and I had done it again. Landing pattern was perfect very little assistance on the landing came in and flared perfectly standing up. I hit the ground started screaming and jumping. I had done another lvl and was still able to stand and the “CRACK” sound never again came to my thoughts. Stayed at the DZ to have some beer with one of the graduates. LOL He was a trooper. James went up on his lvl 15 the hop-n-pop left the plane had a perfect canopy then did a 360 and started to soon to go back in the other direction and induced line twist. The lines came up around his neck and he had to cutaway and ride his reserve in for landing. He hit the ground gathered up and came back shaking like a leaf in a 50 mph wind. Took his rig off and to packing and geared up for the very next load! I was thinking “WoW this guy is going right back up” I thought ok if it was me I’d probably do the same thing. We drank his cases.. hehe he had a few to buy. Went home and got some sleep, it was a restless sleep. Woke up around 10:30am and decided to go try and get one jump in. Headed to the DZ took longer Sunday then Saturday. Arrived, manifested, then Kris came over and asked me again “what you want to do?” I said I need to hit my objectives, he nodded and said ok this time we’re going to dive again. I thought “Yahoooo I love that exit!” then we would do my leg turns. {ACED UM AGAIN} Do two docks, missed the first time and back tracked about 90 feet came forward again pretty fat and “BAM” locked on. Got the thumbs up again and a point to track away in a 180 from the JM. Got stable turned the heading 180 and took off, another 6 seconds and I was under canopy again!! This time I was under a Sabre 170 instead of the 190’s I had jumped before. I thought wow this is even better. A lot my control and faster. Started my landing patern and waited for the radio to crackle with instruction. I heard nothing… Decided “hey man your going to have to land this by yourself one day.” Did a perfect pattern came in and flared just at the right time and a soft stand up landing!! I screamed and jumped again!! I HAD COMPLETED LVL 6 with extras!!! Waaaahhhhhhoooooooo. Sat around awhile and my next load was on a 20 minute call. Kris came over again and asked the same thing again. He suggested a SIT-FLY exit! I though killer! Ok. Then he suggested some back flips and some more docking and a track. I was thinking “Is this guy crazy or am I just doing so good he has enough confidence in my abilities that we can do more then I’m supposed to on these jumps?” I shrugged it off. Got up to alit.. GAS MASK TIME someone let one rip you could heard a couple miles away. Everyone left. I was last again. I like being last. Got in position for the sit-fly exit. READY SET GO!! I left the plane in one of the worst sit-fly exits one could do. LOL I loved every second of it. Got stable moved over to Kris. Got the signal to do my back flip. We did one at the same time except his looked 100 times better then mine. Checked alti, got the sign again. I nailed this one! Came in and docked got a huge smile and two thumbs up then the signal to track. Whooooooooosh I was off again flying away from Kris. Landing was even better then the last one still waited for the radio but all I heard was my whuffo gf on the beer line screaming YAY BAYBAY!!!!! Kris had already gotten to her and told her how good the dive was. I was walking on air when I walked back to the Packing Room to dump my rig. We stuck around and watched some of the sport jumpers and a “Scotty Way” hehehe you have to know Scotty to understand. Left the DZ with a smile on my face from ear to ear. Trying to remember what I was so scared about yesterday morning. I felt like I was a skydiver and I was going to be good at it. Trust me I’m not letting it go to my head. I’m using the confidence and fear in conjunction with each other to make the next few lvls better then the lasts and try not to make little mental mistakes.

BEER!! Blue Skies!http://www.geocities.com/scollins77057/index.html