Shepp

In Scotland they just call them hairy cows (except with their accent it sounds like they're saying "haddy kews" ). Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Tammy, Weekend numbers are: Humps : Jumps : "Firsts" (or other noteworthy happenings edit: V-B beat me too it! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Cool vid Holly! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

:5: First altitude hop & pop on my new canopy, practicing intentional stalls. Stalling an elliptical is scary shit! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Hey Ben - Did you buy your Nitron with the green lines on it, or was that a reline with a custom color? I remember seeing those last weekend out at Quincy and thought they were pretty spiffy looking. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Adam, I did quite a bit of research on this a few months ago after packing my DZO a cutaway (). It took over a week of searching in swampy woods to find the main. The falconry systems that the previous poster mentioned might work well because of their size and ease of use, but the cost is prohibitive. A beacon and receiver pair was over $1000. YMMV. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

When I was 6, I tried to make a zipline between two trees using a rope and a coat hanger. About 1 second after leaving tree #1, my encounter with the ground taught me two things: 1. Rope is not a suitable material for a zipline, especially when it is not pulled tight enough. 2. A metal coat hanger will not retain its shape under a 45 pound load. I fell about 10 feet but managed to escape with only bruised ass and ego. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

[replyI also hate Star Wars but apparently I'm the only person in this universe who feels that way. No... No, you're not! I personally can't stand the series. I will even go so far as to say I hate the originals (4, 5, 6) even more than the newer ones (1, 2, 3). Flame on, folks! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

+1 I tried Stevia a few years ago and did not like the taste at all. It had an aftertaste like Sweet 'n Low. Not having tried Truvia, I can't offer an opinion - maybe they did something to improve the flavor over straight old stevia. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

60 or more of my 110 jumps are H&Ps from 3.5 - Love 'em! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Bry - Haven't seen much lately that is worth recommending, but here are a few that were an absolute waste of time: Get Smart Tropic Thunder Step Brothers Run, Fat Boy, Run Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Cyndi, There are several hospitals in Pensacola (about 20 miles from Navarre): Baptist, Sacred Heart, and West Florida. They are all about 500 beds. As for ambulance services, you might look at Lifeguard International (Air & Land) or Escambia County Ambulance. One last thought - are you absolutely sure your PA-issued EMT cert won't transfer to Florida? The Florida Dept of Health (which incidentally is across the street from my office) has a webpage that mentions out-of-state certifications: Florida DOH Webpage Good Luck! PS - The panhandle is not as bad as everyone says... Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Congrats! Don't forget to check with your DZO and rigger - they're often plugged into the gear-for-sale grapevine and can negotiate a sweet deal for you. You also have the added assurance of dealing with "real" people you know and trust.

I think, to some extent, it depends on how much responsibility parents force their children to accept. I learned to do laundry at about 8 years old. My mom bascially said "I am not your maid. If you want clean underwear, do some laundry." When I moved out on my own, I was astounded that my roommates could barely make a grilled cheese without involving the fire department. And what do you mean, you can't use clorox on colored clothes?! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Barbie Fashion Show? AND similar items worth looking at (link goes to amazon search): Similar Items Sorry the kids have had it so rough - hope you find exactly what you're looking for. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Maybe this one? Imagine: Fashion Designer Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

It is good for girl to meet boy in park, but better for boy to park meat in girl. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Mine do exactly that. To silence a pesky one in my kitchen (it is extremely over-sensitive) I had to remove the battery AND unplug it from the hardline. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Small world! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Haha, unfortunately no - never made it to DHS because my family moved to Florida when I was in middle school. We lived there from '87 to '94. I did however, attend Bailey, Branch, and Forbes. the school on Payne Ave hadn't (re)opened yet. My house was on Chanute Dr in F Area, which apparently no longer exists. Kind of sad - I have so many great memories of that base. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

I grew up on Edwards AFB, which is literally just miles down the road. Read this wiki page - it is a surprisingly accurate picture of the area you'd be living in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antelope_Valley Also check out these pages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster,_California http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmdale,_California If you are an outdoorsy kind of person, you'll be in heaven. there is SO much to see and do that is nature-related. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

I jumped a Solo 230 for my first 25 or so until I bought my own gear. Nice to fly, not so nice to land. I had to PLF my first 10, had "Oh my god, that really hurt, I probably should've PLF'd" landings for the next 10. I would walk around with my knees screaming for a week afterward. One thing my instructor pointed out was that the brake lines on the Solo were trimmed such that the canopy was pretty much impossible to stall even at full stroke (unless you have orangutan arms). This was affecting my ability to land softly because I wasn't able to reach 100% flare. Since I switched to a totally ZP 210 (1:1) with properly trimmed brakes, I have only had a handful of landings that really sucked. The instructors will have the best advice; I'm just pointing out that the canopy you're jumping may be limiting your ability to perform the 'perfect' flare. Blue Skies Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Gene, You could do this, but keep in mind that your main risers, toggles, D-bag, and pilot chute all come with the rig - not the canopy. I think you'll find it quite impossible to practice packing without these. Seriosuly though, without those 4 components, you'd be leaving out two critical steps in the packing process: setting your brakes and cocking your pilot chute (if equipped with a collapsible). I see no sense in practicing a process if you leave out two critical steps. For example, failure to set one or both brakes properly could cause a malfunction you'd have to cut away from, and failure to cock a collapsible pilot chute would almost certainly result in a total malfunction. You don't want to practice doing that! I am very new to the sport (I've jumped around 80 of my own packjobs in 94 jumps), but I can tell you all of the posters above me gave you great advice - see if folks at the DZ will let you pack their rigs under supervision. Your ultimate packing method will be a mixture of things you learn from different folks, and that is a great way to pick up advice. I tried to learn to pack using 'Packing Made Simple' and it was a good reference tool, but it nowhere near compares the hands-on, lots of advice method you'll experience at the DZ. edited to add: It is also a good idea to pack under supervision for a while to make sure that you are not doing something incorrectly and not realizing it. Sort of like why they tell us newbs its a bad idea to rack up a ton of solos when we get signed off to self-supervision. Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Hi Andrea, Congrats on the tandem! I am pretty new and I was in your position less than a year ago. TheCaptain gave you some great advice. Wait on buying gear until you have been in the sport for a bit. A few reasons: 1. You'll have more money to complete AFF sooner. 2. Once you're finished with AFF, you can rent/borrow experience-appropriate gear and learn what you like/dislike. Buying gear is like buying a car - you have to test drive to know if you really like it. 3. There are things about equipment you wouldn't even know to ask about yet, but that are significant in selecting gear. These things, you will learn with experience. 4. No single combination of equipment is the 'perfect' combination. "Which is better:...?" is a trick question when it comes to gear. If you are really itching to get your hands on some gear, maybe look into getting a good open-face helmet and some goggles, or perhaps an altimeter (analog, not digital). the 'Gear' section at the top of the page is a good place to start. Last piece of advice - when you're ready to begin seriously shopping for gear, talk to your instructors or the local rigger. They can help you select the gear that is the best choice for you AND probably get you the hookup. When I bought my rig, my DZO found me exactly what I was looking for in almost brand new condition for $3500. The same rig brand new would have cost me over $7000! Thats a LOT of jump tickets...! ;-) Welcome to the blue skies! -Shepp Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

Eddie, I had the exact same issue and this helped me immensely: Stand facing a wall, arms arms extended stiffly towards the floor (as if you were in the tracking position). The palms of your hands should be facing the wall, the backs of your hands facing behind you. Now, turn your hands so that the backs of your hands face the wall, palms facing behind you. Notice as you do this, your shoulders naturally want to roll forward a bit. Exaggerate the roll as far forward as you can, and as you do so, you'll notice that your body wants to bend ever so slightly at the waist and your stomach/abs pull inward a bit... you're de-arching! The de-arched body along with the cupped shoulders will help you catch much more air and though you may be slightly head-down you won't lose nearly as much altitude. Another plus is that your altimeter is much more visible with much less body movement. Hope that helps! Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.