Snowbird

You go girl! Oh yeah, no doubt...

Because I did my first freefall 8 hours ago and I can't sleep! Wooohoo! How amazing was that? I've got perma-grin plaster across my face so hard that my cheeks hurt

You know, Michele, Thursday before last, the 9th, I looked myself in the mirror and said, "Girl, you did 5 jumps last year. Do you really want to do this again? Why? It costs SO much money, and it's dangerous. You don't really need to go again." Yup, it was my nasty little inner voice convincing myself to stay grounded and 'not bother' pursuing something although I spent all winter yearning for it. The simple truth is that I was scared s#%@less and was looking for an out. So I hunted that evil voice down and knocked it silly. 8 hours ago, I did my first freefall. I saved my own life. And I doubt I'll come down off this high before Thursday. You know the one I'm talking about, I've read all about it in your accounts from PFF (the same accounts, by the way, that helped keep me pumped up all winter). You know that feeling of letting go, surrendering to the air, joining the wind for awhile. You know there's nothing like it. Get in the plane! Or think of it this way. You landed a bad canopy. Right choice, wrong choice, whatever, all it really means right now is that you can land a bad canopy. Sounds like a major achievement to me! You go girl!

Thank you for that lovely image. I will sleep better tonight...

That was amusing, but I agree that collapse rocks! Michele, here's the link for collapse. (I hope it works...) http://www.shockwave.com/bin/content/shockwave.jsp?id=collapse

Muenkel, my condolences on your uncle. No it doesn't sound morbid to be glad you were there to the last with him. I wish I'd had that with my dad. (((HUGS))) As for skydiving, is this an option? Will the Florida dz let you switch your payment over to regular jumps? If so, maybe you can do your AFF at home, and save the jumps in Florida for a fun trip later on. Then you don't lose the money, you have an awesome trip waiting for you this fall, and you can skydive all summer. It will all work out, just never as expected.

Hey! I'm in the same boat. My girlfriend has always partied harder than me, so I'm not too sure what to do for her stagette. I'm definately agreeing with the naked man part though. The dress doesn't have to be bad. Mine is very hot, very nice, and classy at the same time. Other duties... a lot of long conversations about every possible option and choice to be made, shopping until exhausted, and generally keeping her sane for the week before and day of the ceremony. Have fun!

Uh, I'm not injured, Billy. My PFF intructor was injured - not from a jump, though - I'm just too newbie to go to a boogie yet. Still on student progression. I'm just hoping that at least one JM here in Vernon doesn't go to Kamloops, so I can jump a bit this weekend. But it's only a one hour drive, so I expect they'll be there, not here. I mean, hmm, stay here and teach a couple students, or go to a boogie and jump a King Air and a helicopter. I know which I'd choose! Blue skies in Kamloops this weekend!

Really really wishing I was ready. No luck, still on student progression. So close, yet so far... Everyone who'll be there, have a blast for me!

Woohoo! I finally get to post weekend numbers! :4:0 (1 if you count my first real logbook instead of photocopied pages, 2 if you count the first time I forked over a huge wad of cash for skydiving - I'm sure it won't be the last)

Yeah, Michele, the sky is grand! Utterly exhausted today. Two more jumps. IAD still, oh well. I keep looking down just enough to lose a good arch. But what a way to get exhausted! The greatest thing is that I feel so much more aware of everything during each jump, right from the first gust of wind when the door opens, than I was last year. The door opens and there's the sudden pulse increase, the dry mouth. Everything feels more vibrant when that moment comes, the air is sweeter, even the textures seem more real under my hands and feet. When I let go of that strut it's like every criticism and obligation and all the superficial daily clutter blows away like memory dust. I'm aware of each moment as I go through the motions and the canopy opens and I get to dance in the wind. Expectations don't matter, opinions don't matter, politics don't matter, I just get to be me for awhile, utterly me. I can't imagine anything else coming close to that freedom.

And I got out! Yahoo! Wow did I miss that feeling. I can't believe the whole world doesn't want to skydive! They don't know what they're missing. Had a great IAD, better than any last year. Then I did another, and it was even better! Only bad thing, the dropzone is pretty small, only two PFF instructors, and one of them sprained her ankle today real bad and is out for the near future. So, no PFF available, looks like I'm doing standard progression. Just me and the strut. But wow! It seems surreal that I was there, and did it! Thanks all for the encouragement. Hope the weather is good tomorrow. No doubts on where I'll be.

Thanks all! Stomach less queasy, at least for now. Actually, I only have to do 1 IAD, since I did five last fall. Then I go straight to freefall jumps with two instructors. THAT I'm looking forward to. I really don't like that strut...

Just been lurking for awhile now. But today I start my PFF. I'm so nervous, my butterflies have butterflies. I keep telling myself that everyone feels this way and I can do whatever I need to, and that I know how awesome it will be in the air so just get out of the bloody plane and it'll be great! The first jump is IAD... freak, my gut is just a mess right now. But the weather is perfect! The day is here! I've been waiting for half a year for this! (breath in, breath out...) Wish me luck!

Okay, I wasn't gonna have any, but there's a Purdy's milk chocolate bunny in my kitchen who's about to lose its head... Absolute favourite(s) Daniel's white chocolate with strawberry cream inside. Coffee Crisp bars Truffles. Almost any brand. I dare not check out that website. Uh-uh. Bad idea. Or else I'll be eating more than the head off that bunny. all we are is dust in the wind

I haven't seen it yet. Does it have the funky UV-only writing? And at least it's still a bill, not another coin. I mean, I love the loonie and the twoonie, but enough is enough! all we are is dust in the wind

That sounds nummy Jan! I'll have to try that. (Fungus haters, don't read any further!

40.1 Sweet innocent little me golly gee whiz. Ha. all we are is dust on the wind

I'm so jealous! Two weeks, just two more weeks... Congrats! all we are is dust in the wind...

Hmm... no one's said Firestorm The Flash Raven Supergirl Firebird Terminator Changeling Cyborg Mister Fantastic Can't remember more of the Teen Titans... Or ANY of the Legion of Super Heroes... except Phantom Girl.. hows that for a corny name. Need more? I always wanted to be any super hero who could fly. Suprise suprise

Wow. On Sunday I had plans of heading down to Okanagan Skydive, just to talk and figure out the best plan of attack when I start jumping again. Didn't make it out there though, life got in the way. Then tonight, I hear the news that a skydiver died there, on Sunday afternoon. All I know is what the news says, and I rarely trust that. Any one know more? No names have been released, but she was a woman with over 4000 jumps. I'll be listening for more over the next few days. All my thoughts and prayers to everyone at Okanagan Skydive, and for the family of the skydiver. Blue skies. all we are is dust on the wind...

Nice kites! I've got this one http://www.coastalkites.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=247&Product_Code=11420&Category_Code=FOIL and this one http://www.coastalkites.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=247&Product_Code=91283&Category_Code=INT and I want THIS one http://www.revkites.com/pr-frame-sedg.htm The best thing about windy days. Kiting! Except we kinda trashed our delta and can't find parts. Yet. All we are is dust on the wind...

I was a picky kid, but that changed as soon as I started cooking for myself. I hated onions, only to disover how blah things tasted without them. Bring on the pickles, the cottage cheese, the mushrooms, the brussels sprouts! Serve me spicy, salty, sweet or sour! Mix it up and add cheese, and hand it over! Just so long as it isn't greasy, over-processed, or was once soaked/cleaned with formaldehyde. I'll try almost any food, once. I've discovered a wonderful variety of things that, while at first I wouldn't have imagined eating, are worth the momentary discomfort of stepping outside my comfort zone. One of my goals in life is to eat authentic haggis. A question; how many of you really picky eaters smoke? I've known a lot of smokers who quit, and then couldn't believe how much better food tasted, and discovered that they loved all sorts of food they used to hate.

Oh oh. I love food, and it'd be misleading to choose only one. Italian. I could eat italian every day. Seafood. Fresh crab and prawns. Dessert. I consider dessert to be it's own food group. As for beer... why drink beer when there's an Okanagan Cider around? she says while ducking the beer bottles being thrown at her...

Oh no, another addictive game! I love it. I added it to my favourites list.