Snowbird

Hey you, congratulations! It is entirely possible to have a supportive spouse who encourages this habit, even if they don't entirely understand it. When it's the right person, they are empowered by your passion, not scared of it. (begin toast)To a long life together, and may you live all the dreams that brought you together. (/toast) Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Oh yeah I so understand the 'shakes'. I went three weeks between student jumps once, and it was pure torture. So you are not alone in that! I was really beating myself up, doubting myself. And I was useless at work. My body was there, but my brain was in the sky. Actually, that's usually how it is. The smallest distraction and I'm thinking about skydiving not the work at hand. Good luck staying sane until your next jump... Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Uhmm, since my husband might object, she won't be in bed with us. The only thing I know how to pack (yet) is the pilot chute so I've had it out a couple times. Now I understand all of you who repack your rig during extended down time. I am so on cloud 9. And that is almost a literal expression with this sport! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

So lovely, so sweet, so beautiful... I can't stop touching her, want to keep her with me at all times, not let her out of my sight. She has spirit and lives life joyfully, willing to perform when asked properly but equally able to punish mistakes. Ah, my beautiful Falcon 175. I think I'm in love. Did two hop & pops with her today, first time off of student gear. What a blast! She moves so much faster, and responds so smoothly. I was expecting a huge amount of difference from the Manta, and wow she sure came through! OH yeah! And thank you Sangiro, I found her on the dz.com classifieds! Now I'm sitting back, happily content, and working through this feeling of disbelief. As much as I've been wanting this for the last 10 months - since my FJC - it was hard to really believe it would happen. Me, skydiving, with my own gear. Doing something so far beyond anything else I've experienced, that has completely shifted the way I view and live life. I'm completely dumbfounded that it has happened and I'm doing it and I think that my life can never be the same, no matter what might happen from here on out. It's gonna take awhile for it to really sink in. And yes I know. BEER! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

8:3:2 Number of hours that my self-supervision jump was delayed due to stupid dumb crosswinds and turbulence. My self-supervision jump, and 2 jumps on MY NEW(to me) FALCON 175! Beer owed for passing my solo, and for getting/jumping my own gear. Woohoo! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

I OWE BEER! Woohoo! At long last, I'm solo certified! What an awesome day! Had to wait half the day for the winds to calm down. The jump went fine - not beautiful, but fine - and I landed perfectly on target for the first time. And then we scored when a friend got us free tickets to see Chilliwack tonight. And tomorrow, I get to jump the gear I'm buying. What a perfect weekend. At the dz all day, concert at night, dz again... Have I ever mentioned that I love this sport? Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

To add to the question... How many skydivers USED to be involved with other sports, and have since stopped? Last year I stopped jiu-jitsu (pretty good) because of the cost - which was WAY less than jumping, oddly enough - and because my local club closed and the drive to the other one was too long. I still cycle (average), expedition hike/camp (pretty good and knowledgeable), and rock climb(average), but have started noticing that the demanding desire to do those things is weakening. I haven't given any thought to doing expedition camping trips this year, whereas normally I'd be chomping at the bit to lose myself in some patch of wilderness. But that would take away from my skydiving time! I'm quite happy spending my weekends at the dropzone. As for your theory... I think that there are people of every age/sex/background in every sport who hurl themselves into the thick of things too soon, with too little experience or common sense. That said, varied sporting experiences throughout life will undoubtably give a person a higher degree of common sense when faced with choices like high performance manouvers. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

1) Get my 'A' license 2) Buy the pretty yellow and black and red Falcon that's just waiting for me to come up with the cash... 3) Have safe fun every minute, doing this thing that has changed my life! and just around the corner... Get to the Canadian Invasion in Arizona in February. Great thread, it's great to see everyone's goals, big and small.

Steve, I found a second part-time job. Lousy work, but it's my skydiving fund so I go gladly and slave away. I know that being in school makes that a hard option, but keep your ears peeled and you never know what small work might come your way. I also planned on doing a couple jumps a month, going slowly, and had no intention of getting gear right away. After two weekends, I realised that I was in for the whole ride and looked for more work, and began changing and prioritising my spending patterns. I realised that my learning curve will be so much steeper if I jump as much as possible. Now I'd like to do ten jumps a month, at least. As for gear, rental gear is so expensive that I'm loath to go that route. I'm almost ready to do the wrong thing and use credit; I've found used gear and can't wait to buy it! Fortunately my hubby and I are selling our house (for other reasons) and the bonus benefit is that I will then have the cash to buy the gear. Good luck getting into the sky! And not to pirate the thread, but Chris how's your shoulder healing? Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

OH yeah! I've dreamed about going to space all my life. It's the 20 million part that always ruins my plans... Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

That's awesome! Life always comes around, you just never know when or how. Gotta love it. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Hey Steve there is so much info drifting around in here, just make sure you use generous grains of salt, like Clay said. I consider myself a good sponge, and have picked up so much information and awareness since I started hanging here last fall. Now that you've started skydiving after years of waiting/wanting, you're in for a wild ride! It's better than anything else out there, and twice as addictive Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Happy skybirthday Anne! Let's see, did my first IAD jump September 15, 2001 at Okanagan Skydive. I'll get off student status and go solo this weekend! I'm so obsessed now... Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

I love your attitude! Why have spare cash around, when you could be buying gear or jumping? I mean, you can't take money with you, but skydiving etches itself into your soul, and that feeling will go with you everywhere! By the way, I've seen pumpkins less orange than that... Lucky you for getting gear! I'm jealous, I can't get mine for at least a few weeks... maybe longer. It's all picked out, tried on, inspected... just not enough cash to buy it yet. (sigh) Did I mention that I'm jealous? Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Looking for a strong enough word for this shitty farking damn unlucky twist of sordid fate... Hurtin' for ya. How fast can you get it repacked? Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Aha! I found the perfect alternative for low cash flow weekends in the summer. 38oC, At the beach with my dog, laying in the sun soaking up rays, reading my PIM's. Just gotta do something skydivingish. If I can't jump, I'll read about it instead! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

(loud chanting voice) DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! (/loud chanting voice) Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Yup, financially challenged. I so can't wait to get self-supervised. Then I can afford to jump so much more often. Student jumps are sucking me dry. Of course, I'll probably spend just as much, and jump 3X more often! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

Funny you should ask - in my last job I sold telescopes. I'll pm you about it. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

I use a reply I saw here when I first started lurking. With a totally straight face say, 'Because I don't get much freefall from the top of the fridge.' Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

I am so not the person to give any kind of skydiving advice, but I'm working on my C-182 door dives right now too. I was flipping over every time. The piece of advice that finally helped was to dive shallow, not deep. I was pretty much inducing the flip myself with the steepness of the dive. The last two I focussed on keeping shallow and getting my feet to my butt, and they were both sweet. Aren't door dives the best way to get out, though? I love 'em, even the bad ones. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

1 more student jump before I'm self-supervised:1:0 How sweet this is! Getting stable, then doing turns intentionally! No uncontrolled flipping and spinning, just sweet 90o and 360o turns. I'm backsliding a bit though, and I don't even notice it. Have to fix that up. My load went up shortly after a thundershower swept through, and the light was so fantastic that I just wanted to look around at first. So beautiful up there! So close to being solo... next week? (please please pretty please?!) Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

What suprises me is how much I love that moment. For the first dozen jumps, I dreaded going out the door. Now they can barely hold me in

Finally! A guy admitting that men need to sleep their way up! Because of course, the women are already there due to hard work, perseverance, intelligence and determination. I love it! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein

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