Vallerina

Oh! I totally understand! The woman really wanted me to sit in the half lotus position, but I could tell that just sitting in that position for a few minutes, my ankles would kill me by the end. There was some pain...especially in my lower back...I'm not used to sitting with a good posture! All the pain made it even more difficult to concentrate soley on my breathing! I guess when I go to an actual sitting, that is done at the end! It sounds neat! I went to the Chicago Zen Center in Evanston. I think it was the Purple Line that goes right there...so that'll be nice! Which ones have you gone to? No! I haven't! I'll have to look more up on that, though! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

I've read a few different things on zen meditation, and it does somewhat intrigue me. Concentrating so much on the present, putting all of your focus on your current activity...these are things that I just don't do. I worry about my future, I constantly make plans for it, I try to do so many things at once...my mind is usually racing. Zen sounded like something that I could use to focus my mind and for spiritual growth. I found a place near Chicago with an introductory session last night. Betsy, my old college roommate, came up to Chicago on business, so I took her with me...although, I think she was secretly wanting to hit a trendy bar. We got in, took our coats and shoes off, and took a seat by the sensei. He went over a few things, and he is a really neat guy! We headed upstairs to the zendo, and we started learning sitting positions. My legs are freakish...I could get into a half lotus easily, but not the Burmese position. Even in Zen, I'm a weirdo. She went over a few things....what happens in their zendo, etc. Then, the fun began! We sat and meditated for 20 minutes. First, we counted our inhales and exhales 1-10. Then, we went to no count at all. It's surprisingly difficult to push out all the wandering thoughts that are trying to distract me away from my counting! Then, I got hit with a stick! After that, they gave us some decaffeinated green tea. Mmmm! Overall, it was a really neat experience. I do plan on meditating, since it feels wonderful to go from having my mind race around to focusing in on one activity. However, like the "monitor" had said, if you don't take what you experience through meditation on with you, then it is pretty much a waste. Betsy absolutely loved it! She talks a lot, has so much running through her mind, tries to do a million things at once....I knew she needed to meditate! I highly recommend checking out a Zen center near you, if you have one! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Cool! Maybe I've finally found something to entice Michele into visiting up this way! Come up for the fall! I know! It's unbelievable! Poor? You pity him for hanging out with me? I'm still leaning towards IL for "the best in the Midwest." It's the only state with an actual city. Yeah! It really is a cool place! It was hard to narrow down just what trails we wanted to go on. I really want to go back in the fall to see the millions of trees change colors. That has to be incredible! I was wondering how long it was going to take someone to notice that Thanks for the compliments everyone! These aren't necessarily the best ones I took...We took about 60 pictures....so I pretty much half assed picked which ones to post! Maybe if I get a chance to look through them and clean them up a bit, I'll post some really awesome ones!

Thanks! I can't take credit for taking it...but it is my camera! No, but there were plenty puddles which were blanketed for me...I swear! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

I almost died by falling off this "bridge." There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Here's a few pictures along the Old Man's Cave trail. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

That might sound like sarcasm, and a few days ago it would've been. However, I had the privilege to check out a neat little state park called Hocking Hills this past weekend. If you clump all Midwest states into the flat and boring category, you may miss out on some magnificent scenery and rock formations that boggle the mind (okay, not so much boggle...but I was definitely in awe.) I'm posting some pictures which don't do it justice, unfortunately. The first set of pictures are from Ash Cave and Cedar Falls. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Really? Watch me! Everything sucks because I have to sit at this stupid desk while other people get to call in sick and go have fun. Oh sure, I can go and have fun on Saturday, but I'll have to hear all about the good times I missed the previous day. Fine! Tomas, Erica, Andy...just go on Friday! Go and have fun without me! I'll drink you all under the table Saturday night to make up for it! I think I still have my breathalizer stick! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

I hate you both. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

If anyone in IL was thinking about using any diet products which contain ephedra, let me know and I'll smuggle some in for you! http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/19/eveningnews/main554635.shtml (CBS) Last fall, 16-year old Sean Riggins bought an ephedra supplement called "yellow jackets" at a gas station. He was hoping the pills would give him an athletic edge. Instead, experts say, they gave him a heart attack. CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports his death was a wake-up call in his home state of Illinois, which this week will become the first state to ban the sale of ephedra products. Other states are considering their own bans, after ephedra supplements were linked to thousands of heart attacks, strokes and other adverse reactions, and more than a hundred deaths. Ephedra's already faced bans in college and pro sports and the U.S. military. Top medical groups are pushing for a national ban. That's left many asking why the FDA -- which is supposed to regulate food and drugs -- seems conspicuously absent. "If we wait for the FDA we run the risk of seeing more young men and women die unnecessarily," said Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "I think it's responsible to act on the information available, and do the right thing. Just because a big federal agency continues to 'study' the issue, there's plenty of evidence that ephedra has killed. We're not gonna wait for the FDA, we're going to act first, we'll be the first state to ban it, and hope it'll be a wake-up call to the federal government, to congress and the FDA to finally do something about this very serious issue that's killing young men and women." The FDA wouldn't talk to CBS on camera, but says it's asked for legal guidance as to just what proof the agency needs to order ephedra off the market. It's a touchy question because dietary supplements are regulated as foods not drugs; they don't have to be proven safe or effective, and it's harder to force them off the market. The FDA has proposed warning labels for ephedra products -- that's pending. The powerful ephedra lobby insists the products are safe when used as labeled, and that the bans stifle consumer freedom. Still, amid all the controversy, major companies are discontinuing ephedra sales. And top manufacturers, having trouble getting insurance, are switching to ephedra-free products. Even in the absence of FDA action, the ephedra industry appears to be dying a slow death. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Tomas!!! Come out on Saturday...I have this silly thing called work on Friday that I won't be able to get out of There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

I like the somewhat zen answer to that question. Desire causes unhappiness. Using that, I try to want nothing instead. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

When Bush's cause went from "Defeating Terrorism" to "Operation Iraqi Freedom," that showed about the biggest sign of his lies or ignorance of these invisibile WMD. Changing his mind about the reason for being there was a great way of diverting the attention of Americans away from him being wrong and careless. Seriously, people out there actually like Bush? What has he done of value? And Clinton committing perjury, first of all...we all know that oral isn't sex. Secondly, I find it admirable that he would lie to appease millions of busy-bodies who think that the president's sex-life is even halfway interesting. Saying, "No, I didn't do anything," and getting back to work seems like a better idea than wasting time and energy to find the contents of the stain on Monica's dress. Oh...and you know that Bush had many executions in his state with questionable evidence. He didn't start pardoning people until it was convenient for his campaign. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Ladies love the Skyvan! Hinckley will steal Crosskeys's Skyvan this weekend for me!!! Who else wants to play? PD will be out there with demo canopies and they'll be doin' some fun fun organizing. Also, there's a canopy control camp going on. For you weirdo people , they're doing some cooky looking hybrid organizing. EricaH and I will be fighting over the sweet spot all weekend long! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Like Erica said... Or if you do go cry in your corner, don't forget that you are loved by many

Back in my crazy college days when I first started jumping, a small group of us went through the awkward, early stages of jumping together. All of us had the similar nerves and paranoia about skydiving, except for Matt. Matt had some (not much it seemed) apprehension about his own skydiving, but he worried a significant amount more about his girlfriend skydiving. He told me that he didn't like watching her jump...he was extremely worried until he saw her parachute fully open and her feet back on the ground. However, this was three years ago when we were all just off of student status, and I believe his thoughts on watching his new girlfriend jump are quite different now. So, how worried have other people gotten about watching their (insert much too cheesy term here) skydive? Is it only when they're in a "new" situation? Does it happen all the time? Am I a horrible person for not really worrying? Sure, I get a little uneasy (I wouldn't say "worried," though) when he's jumping after a few week break, jumping with someone I think is a moron, jumping out of a plane that's lost an engine, but if he is in the air while I'm on the ground, it generally doesn't phase me. There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Don't get too full.... There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Shit....I have to post at least one picture so that I can be cool, too! Let's see if he kills me for posting it! And, Eric...where's my avatar???? There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

It's called "government." No matter what you do, you are going to "screw people out of money." My uncle rarely drives (he always rides his bike wherever he goes.) He's getting screwed out of having to pay for construction on roads that he doesn't use. That's the beauty of our government...we discovered that if we all pitch in, even when it's not for our sole benefit, we're all much better off. When I jumped on a public airport, I was certainly glad that people who weren't using it were paying for it (I think maybe 10 other people besides the jumpers actually used it.) I guess I see this $400 as the government recognizing that parents may be "double paying" for their child's education. In my state, even though everybody chips in for education, parents still have to spend money on books/tuition/etc for grades K-college. Congrats on getting money, Pammi! I like money, too! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

www.vallerina.com As said by others: "enjoy the quiet grace of Vallerina" "Unforgettable is the word for the Vallerina experience!" "Vallerina is just a stroll away from the station" "There is that top of the world feeling waiting for you... at Vallerina." Someone's doing a great job of explaining me...except for that bushy dam part! Thank you for visiting Vallerina! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

He didn't forget your name....it just took him awhile to "remember" Yeah, Elsinore was a beautiful dropzone! I made a comment when I first got there about how everything look freshly painted and so well kept up. As we were leaving, there went another fresh coat of paint on the stairs! The view just before sunset was gorgeous!!!! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

What? I needed my daily run! Great meeting you, Richard! Ladies, this man is a hottie! Another random memory: "Amy, I want to be you!!!!" Wildblue getting soaked while I got a great picture of him at the beach Bill getting mad at some woman taking too long to put on her make up. Getting many many Polaroid sticky film pictures of everyone Spanking diablopilot Walking up behind Lummy as he's pointing out some woman who was not me saying, "Hey! That must be Vallerina!" There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Even more strange...I can't believe I was questioning you! You rushed to the next load just to get about knocked out in freefall! As always, Eric, it was fun jumping with you! I filled in 40 bubbles with a No. 2 pencil in hopes of a raise:14:3 First time at Perris First time at Elsinore First time breaking a dropzone.com record Non-jumping activities: We headed to the beach, and we saw a smart lil' sea lion. He/she kept stealing fish off of everyone's lines! I don't think I've seen a sea lion outside of Sea World. He/she was cute! I had to attach a picture! There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

Hi! I had a great time, too! Yay! WE SUCK! You can see it again in Rantoul!

Hey, JP, look over there....someone's talking to you There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning