Emmie

Have tons of fun! I'm happy that you finally made it to Australia, I know that you've been looking forward to this for such a long time. Don't forget to post the pictures when you're back.

0:1:0 Today was the only jumpable day, so I only got 1 jump in cause I had to wait for my instructor, since I'm still on "probation". The jump started out great, I did a bunch of 360s, tracked, and tried a backloop, but got on my side instead of belly and started a really fast spin, I got scared and pulled, got line twists and realized I was over 7 grand. That was a pretty long canopy ride. The back of the landing area turned into a swamp after the rain, and thats where I landed, I didin't do a full flare, so the splash was so big they saw it all the way in manifest. Oh well, everyone fucks up on jumps, and tomorrow's another day.

My birthday's coming up, and I'm gonna ask my parents for an rw suit. The problem is that they don't want to spend a ton of money, and I kind of need it really soon, like before May 8th. So I'm in need of advice. Is there a manufacturer that could make me a suit in 3 weeks and won't charge me a fortune? ALso, I'm undecided between the material, should I get nylon or cotton. I'm pretty short, 5.4, and weight about 135lbs, so I have a pretty slow fall rate. I know nylon makes you fall faster, but isn;t it more uncomfortable than cotton? I already have a freefly suit, but I won't be freeflying yet, and its too slow for rw. Any advice would be great. Thank you Emmie

Ok you hornet owners, I know there are lots of you out there, and I need some advice. Yesterday was my first time jumping with the hornet 170. It flies beautifully, I discovered that there is such a thing as penetration. However, the landings were weird. I would come in at full speed and flare about 8 feet off the ground, but the canopy would still have forward speed so I had to slide out all of my landings, which was fun, but 2 of them were through mud puddles, and jumping in wet clothes isn't very fun. My jm was there to watch the whole thing, and he said that I did everything right, so why doesn't the canopy stop right away?

Awesome! By that time I'll probably be off of my "Jeremy probation", so can't wait untill we can make some jumps! Emmie

This had to have been the best day of my life! I got to the dropzone expecting a hurricane, but there was no wind. So I was finally going to make a jump after wating for 5 months! I got the best instructor. He's the nicest sweetest guy that you can ever meet, and he requested to stay with me untill I finish AFF, which was pretty brave of him. So we go up, and I am totaly psyched, but the second I left the plane, it was awesome, I had total control of my body, did everything right, and had a fairly descent landing, which was great since it was my first time jumping my own rig. Level 6 was awesone, I don't think that the backloop was the greatest, but I passed, and ended up landing into a mud puddle abbout half a foot deep. Went up for level 7, did 2 backloops, barrel roll and tracked untill pulltime. Landed in the same mud puddle, so the rig isn't as pretty to look at as before, but who cares. I finally passed! My jm put me on "probation" where I'm only allowed to jump with him untill he signs me off, which is awesome, because I'll be doing coach jumps for a price of two slots. I am so happy, the adrenaline is still pumping, so forgive my raving.

I'm glad you liked it! Not too many people were left there in December, but I can just picture the expression on the boys' faces when you pulled up in a Limo. We don't get too many limos up there

I had the best weekend!!!!! Spent almost all of it at the dropzone, got to see all of my old friends and made some new ones, made 0 jumps due to shitty weather on Friday and lack of instructors today, but I am still completely happy! Its weird, you don't realize how much you love a place untill you get to come back there after a long absence. I'm gonna go and make some sacrifices to the weather gods now, and perhaps by next Monday those weekend numbers will see a significant change! Hopefully all of them Woohooo!

I love "Crosswind", the video's got everything for everyone's tastes, and the music is kick ass. The best video I've seen so far

Hey Dude, you're moving to Boston? That's awesome, come see us at Boston Providence Skydiving Center, its my home dz, and that place rocks. Great people, nice planes, and did I mention that place rocks! When are you moving? Make sure you come and hang out, maybe ny that time the stupid airport jerks will lift off the no alcohol rule that they slammed on the dropzone, but the place is awesome even without the alcohol! Emmie

Dude, I feel your pain! Weather sucks everywhere. I would just stick to you r home dropzone. You never know what the weather might be lke in Australia. I was like you, rather than just waitnig through shit weather in New England I went to Florida because they are suposed to have great weather. Well the day I got there, the winds turned intto a hurricane. Kind of made me appreciate my own dropzone, even though the weather sucked, I was surrounded by friends and had a good time anyway. Good luck in AFF. Just don't give up on it, and you'll get there eventually. (That's what I keep telling myself on days like today!)

hey Chuck, really sorry about your injury. Don't you guys have guns, you should have just shot the asshole in the leg or something. That would have made him cooperate! I hope you get better soon. Emmie

Good for you man! I wish that I could say the same for myself. I actully don't smoke at all untill I get to a dropzone, then something just goes off, and I'm craving cigarettes. I don't even buy my own, and I still end up smoking tons of cigarettes during the weekend.

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

Do they have giant bugs or CReW dogs in Eloy, if not then I'll go

Ok, so the whole Florida thing didn't work out, but I refuse to give up. I'm thinking about heading down to the dz tomorrow and try to make a couple of jumps. Can't just let all that tunnel work go to waste. ( I actually would really love to jump with the jm that said I sucked and rub in his face how good I got!) Is that wrong? I'm wondering however if I should wait untill it gets a little warmer, or just head to the dz and see what happens. The winds shouldn't be that bad, but it will be in the lower 40's and partly cloudy. 40's can't be that cold can it? I really really need to jump! Plus did I mention that there's a really hot new rigger that they just hired that I wouldn't mind getting better aquainted with . OK, I just talked myself into going Emmie

French vanilla with tons of cream and 3 sweet n lows. If I have to drink tea its green tea or earl grey with no cream or sugar.

So far I had two riggers check out my rig for me. The thing that they agreed on is that the cordura pouch on the botton of the rig is really weird. The pilot chute doest't seem to go all the way in, and after you stuff it in there, there's still some nylon sticking out, which can cause a premature deployment. The opening of the pouch seems very wide, so part of the pilot chute is exposed. Also, the cutaway handle seems to be pretty loose in the velcro. Is this normal for WIngs, or is this just my container?

(long) I just got back from the sunny state, or as I would like to call it the cockroach capital of the world. I wish I could say that I loved Sebastian, but I can't. Being there made me appreciate my own friendly little dropzone where everyone knows each other, and helps each other out. The dropzone itself was great, I came during CREW world record attempt practice so I got a great show. And I did meat some good people there. But that was it. The winds picked up the second I got there, so I didn't make a single jump. Everyone was too busy to pay any attention to me, and I will not even talk about the bugs. OK, I will. There are these giant monstrous crickets in the showers about 2 inches long, the second you turn on the water they run out and start crawling in circles around you. Plus, my third and final night there I found roaches in my bed. But that's not the worst part. The trip made me realize that there are assholes among all people, including skydivers. I ended up being stalked by a middle aged, drunk, perverted fuck. He invited me to have dinner with the rest of the CREW dogs. Me being the trusting naive idiot I never thought anything of it, untill the old fucker got me in a car alone with him in the middle of nowhere, trying to get his way with me. I had to fight him off, and finally managed to make my way home. I then realized that he parked his trailer right across of mine, so I had to sit the whole night terrifyed he was gonna burst in and rape me. I was completely terryfied angry and disguasted. The worst part is that I was there all by myself with noone to help me out. I know it isn't the dropzone's fault, he was just there visiting, but after the whole insident, plust the roach invasion, I physically couldn't stand being there for any longer. All of my expectations were shattered, and I needed to get out of there. So for the good part. I had a blast in Orlando. I went to all of the parks, plus I put in 40 minutes at the wind tunnel, so by the end of my session I was turning points, and playing tag with the tunnel rat. My flying skills improved by about 200%. The bad news s that I'm still stuck on AFF, after 6 months goddamit. The good news is that geting throught the rest of AFF is going to be a breeze. So the trip wasn't all a nighmare, besides being stalked and the bug invasion I had a great time. However the next time if ever I visit Sebastian I'm gonna make sure I bring a boyfriend or someone to keep the freaks away, and I'll make sure to book a hotel.

I'm finally going to make it to Sebastian. I waited for this trip ever since October, and now I'm finally going. Woohoo! I never thought I would be able to wait this long without jumping and not go insane, but I did it in part because of dropzone.com. This place, and all of you guys definetely made it easier for me to get throught winter, so thank you all. I'm so nervous and so excited. I hope to get my A there, and fianlly jump with my new rig. Can't wait. If anyone's gonna be there come and say hi! Blue Skies Emmie

I'm gonna be jumping again in less than 2 days. I am hoping to keep the number of injuries to a minimum, so I need some advice on landing. I fractured and sprained my foot on my last jump because I flared too high, the jump before that I slammed into the ground because I forgot to flare, and the one before that one was on the runway, almost coliding with a plane. So my landings aren's the best. Is there anything that will help me recognize when I should start flaring, I know you're supposed to wait untill the ground moves up, is there anything else? I'm gonna be flying student rigs for a couple of jumps untill I get of student status, and then I'll be transitioning to my hornet 170. Any brilliant advice?

I didn't get that manifest job I wanted. They would have hired me except I had to go back to school end of August, and they needed people to work through November. I guess I'll be stuck in my shit job untill I get out of college. This really sucks, if it wasn't for school I'd have the best job ever, but instead I have to go throw away another 30 grand, and hope that I'll be able to find a job with my majors, which is highly unlikely, since I'm and English and a Philosophy major. I can just see the future right now, a highly educated hobo with excellent writing skills.

Walden pond seems to be a pretty popular location. Hehehe...

I've got a major problem (what else is new), I filed my taxes around Feb. 20th, and still haven't gotten my refund, so I called the IRS and they said they haven't received anything from me. I's been 5 weeks already, does this usually take this long? I'm kind of in desperate need of this money, since when I come back from spring break I will be completely broke. Do you think they lost it? the fuckers! Is anyone experiencing the same problems? I know absolutely nothing about taxes, and I've always owed money, so this is my first refund. Can anyone with any knowledge of how this all work help me out?

Hey congradulations, I'm glad you had a good time! It sounds like you're officially an addict. Now I can't wait until this Thursday!By the way thank for giving Gill my message, she told me someone with pink hair had a message for her