livendive

See, I knew I was stalking girlfalldown. She tops my list with 48 replies. Unfortunately I'm also apparently stalking Ron, with 47. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

This coming from the guy who took on Chris after the TUG speech, against my somewhat vigorous discouragement. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Dude, seriously... I'm worried about you man. OK, I'll go with nigiri style and just have her raw over rice. What, you prefer your tuna blackened? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I honestly haven't a clue. It's been awhile since I haven't had a carrot dangling in front of me. I guess just get better at everything. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Chocolate Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I think you should marry me. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Mix her with mayonnaise and dill pickle relish and serve in a sandwich with lettuce & cheese. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Here's how he was selected. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I like to think I had something to do with you changing your sig line...I mean I only quoted it about 62 times! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I don't think so. A couple days ago, someone knew exactly when I was opening a post attachment, but I think that was just a fluke. Stalkers are supposed to be, like, a little scary aren't they? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Isn't that something they put in chinese food? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

In the thread about why we like doing tandems, we covered the thrill involved in taking someone on their first jump and being the one person who gets to share in their *immediate* impressions. This got me thinking about the longer term benefits of regular instruction, and I figured there'd just have to something good to read in a thread on this topic. Personally, I love seeing students who go on to become competent up-jumpers. Seeing a former student do things that I can't even do myself (i.e. decent freeflying) makes me feel really good about my contribution. Better yet though, is former students who one way or another decide that they just have to do for others what we did for them. I've got such a guy right now working as a coach, and he is incessantly asking for advice and just eager as can be to improve his instructing ability. One of my proudest moments was when a former student of mine went and got her tandem rating. She got through the course, the experienced passengers, and started taking real students...and after just a dozen or so, with no scares at all, concluded that she wasn't yet ready to do tandems. I know her parents had almost everything to do with her having such a mature attitude, but I like to think that I might have had at least a little something to do with her acknowledging when something to do with skydiving is outside of her comfort zone. Similarly, when I got my AFF rating last year, my instructors from 10 years ago were there, beaming like the parents of a kid who just led his high school football team to a state championship. I know AFF is the standard in most of the US, but it's been slow making it to some of our little DZ's, and these guys were beside themselves. I think the man who taught my FJC waited all of a week before suggesting that since I now have all the I ratings, I should go for I/E's. Anyhow, I just thought I'd start a thread on good students who stick with it and go on to become very good skydivers and/or instructors. So what's your story? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Well, if you absolutely must...You might not like it though, I'll probably just lay there. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Now I remember who the other person I talked to on the phone was! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Do I make you horny? Just a little less horny than lawn mowing apparently.. LMAO! Shannon's hot factor aside, that's freaking funny! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I took a fun ol' gal for her 82nd birthday last year. She was a blast! I also took a 77 year old amputee whose doc had put "on the clock"...that was a fun one too.

At my DZ, we have an age limit of 18, though I did take my daughter for her 16th birthday. I have no personal qualms about taking 16 year olds, and would consider taking younger under special circumstances if allowed by the rating issuers. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

You only get to make your first jump once, but every tandem allows another little taste of it by proxy. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Well, OK.

You should try text messaging. It's a good way to kill time. Text messaging? I keep hearing about it. Maybe I'll try it some day. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Mine's Christmas Eve...I'm usually bored out of my mind. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I feel so cheap. You're just using me for my mind. Blues, Giant "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Umm...well, yeah, I was! I think most guys would agree with me, that's a pretty sad day! See? I'm sure you're equally in despair now...Piisfish ditching you like this...I mean, what's she got that you don't?! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

So I hit a new peak in nerddom this year and bought a fantasy baseball team. One of the immediate side effects of this pastime is paying a lot more attention to box scores. So today, the Toronto Blue Jays are playing the Boston Red Sox. The starting pitcher for Toronto was a guy named Dave Bush. He got yanked after giving up 7 runs in 2 innings. His replacement, Brandon League, did a little better, but gave up 2 more runs in the 2.2 innings he threw before getting the hook. Isn't this just BEGGING for a headline of "Bush-League pitching results in loss"? This reminded me of another one, I live in a fairly small community of around 160,000 people. Our "big event" each year is hydroplane races on the Columbia River. Budweiser (and their boat, Miss Budweiser) has dominated that circuit for quite some time now, but a few years ago, Camel (Smokin' Joe) took the checkered flag. The front page headline in our local paper the next day was "Joe Smokes Bud" The college headlines have more steady potential...living in the northwest I see plenty of Beaver references (Oregon State), funniest in a loss (e.g. Cougars Lick Beavers), but there are also plenty of opportunities with the Trojans, the Cocks (gamecocks), and the Crimson Tide. You may now resume your regularly schedule programming. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I edited for you. Actually, that's kinda close to accurate. One of the funny parts is that I learned that a small lesbian community has at least one point of similarity with the small community of skydiving, i.e. you don't lose your girlfriend, you just lose your turn. It was pretty obvious most of the women had at some point dated each of the others. The drama was breathtaking. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)