livendive

You're such a pussy Arlo. Toughen up and control yourself dammit! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

ha hah hah! You're wierd Nick. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I don't like snakes but am not irrational about it. A good friend of mine though, a manly man if I ever met one, is absolutely freaking terrified of them. We go rattlesnake hunting together. There are too many hilaritious stories to tell them all here, so suffice it to say that I like walking through the tall grass behind him and watching him jump when the grass makes just the wrong noise (or I make the noise just cuz it's too quiet). Anyhow, a couple years ago we took a third guy with us. We shoot the rattlesnakes in the head with .22 pistols loaded with birdshot, then use frog gigs on broom handles to chuck them all into a pile. We keep a VERY accurate count, so that when we approach the pile we can be sure they're all still there and not sneaking around waiting to get us back. Well Trevor (my friend) and Dana (the new guy) went to the pile to start taking care of the dead, while I wandered around about 30 feet away looking for more. Suddenly Dana yelled "DAVE!" and I looked up to see a flying rattlesnake closing rapidly on my position...he'd thrown it at me. I'm not sure what freaked me out more, the rapidly approaching rattlesnake or simultaneously seeing Trevor going for his gun. The (quite dead) snake bounced off my shoulder and Trevor managed to holster his pistol without shooting Dana. When we talked about it later though, he said he was quite certain he wouldn't have been able to restrain himself if Dana had done that to him...and he was serious. Irrational fear is irrational fear, and self-control, restraint, and logic simply don't enter into the equation. Also, a .22 pistol w/ birdshot isn't exactly dangerous. Shooting yourself in the foot kinda stings but that's about it. Anyhow, Dana was invited to never come back and I don't play those scare tactic games with Trevor anymore (except when I KNOW he's not armed). Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I have no idea. I know who was standing next to me though, and what my left hand was doing. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Maybe just a little. OK, they scare the living shit out of me. I can still kill them though, unless they get me first. A few weeks ago I noticed one on the ceiling over my computer armoire. I grabbed a newspaper and stood up on my computer chair (recliner w/ swivel)...as soon as I got close to it, it jumped, I screamed, the chair swiveled, and I fell off and landed flat on my back right between my glass coffee table and my very heavy TV sitting on a glass shelf. That spider kicked my ass! I couldn't find him when I got up. I figure he's hanging out over my bed every night doing a victory dance. The walking through a spider web dance is still hilarious though (unless it's me, at which point wierd noises escape my mouth and breath becomes a rare commodity). Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I'm glad I wasn't the only one. WooHoo! THREE people's heart sank.

Watch it noob! Don't make me take your A-license back. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

You did notice the picture of you I posted in response to you giving me shit about wearing Teva's with socks, right? If not, you can see it here. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Usually yeah, but in this case I knew it couldn't be bad. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

How in the fuck did I end up the topic of threads two nights in a row, last night 6-month early birthday wishes, tonight about my footwear. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

It was 10 degrees! Of course my fucking toes were cold! You are sooo asking for me to start blabbing Roy. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Ditto - I've seen a fair number of unstable drogue deployments. The closest I've come was when a tall guy extended his legs straight out just as I released the drogue...we tipped a bit head down and I felt the bridle smack the back of my calf. That was enough to scare me right there. I don't throw till I *know* I'm stable. It's usually very quick but I have no qualms about taking my time. My cameras are freeflyers and leave in a sit and just time their transition to belly when they see me throwing. I also wear a big floppy suit. I got surprized last weekend after a passenger puked all over me and my normal suit and I had to switch to my booty suit. It felt really wierd with someone strapped to the front of me. It appears that I'm a newbie TM by most standards here, with only 300-400 tandems under my belt. It's not alot, but it's been enough for me to figure out what I'm comfortable with. Having the additional power of a big suit and stability during the drogue throw are two things I've gotten quite comfortable with, and like most people, I prefer comfort to discomfort. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

The place I like to go for haircuts has a sign on the door that says "Dogs welcome. Children by prior approval only."

You should come to Lost Prairie more often. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Hybrids are pretty fun, though I definitely like some more than others. I have a picture of me in one just like the one you did (4 bellys, 4 hangers, though the gal to my left isn't quite hanging yet) in my gallery here.

I just gotta ask how you know that it works for some and not others. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I'd certainly call these guys shooting in my vicinity a high-stress situation! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Well at least this way he's free to spend the rest of his life looking for the real perpetrator. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I helped set up a pieing for a friend's 500th a few years ago without knowing that some of the pies were intended for me for my 100th tandem. I no longer show mercy. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Sir.. she is on purpose not jumping enough so she won't hit 100 at the American Boogie.. Pie will be ready anyways.. Pie her in advance. We pied one of our young jumpers a few years ago for her 93rd or something like that. She was yelling "What the hell?! It was only 93!!" The response was "Hey, you're the newbie, we make the rules, take your pie like a, well, a girl!" It was a great set-up cuz then she was totally unsuspecting when we got her for her 100th. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I beg to differ. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I thought I was out at a bar with several jumpers, listening to you sing karaoke? Vaile used the bathroom again Sunday. You should probably go take care of it. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

LMAO! OK, that one I'll admit was freakin' funny! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

LOL - That's true, and here's proof. Chicks dig bruises almost as much as scars, right? Gia? At least I don't bleed easily... Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

That's OK. I can delegate to my second drunk in command. Who's that? I don't think I need to worry about Gia coming after me with a needle. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)