froggie

Patkat, i feel bad for the residents of your town! Only one rig should have showed up on location. The fire dept., being the first on schene, should have figured that one out on thier own. Hate to see what would happen if a plane actually crashed! weve had two in my hometown, and neither one attracted any more apparatus then our FD and our EMS. hehe. must be a small town your dz is in, a little action goes a long way huh? froggie ps- if you ever need an ambulance asap. tell em you just ran into a moving tractor trailor or something, your bouond to have all the rigs in a 20 mile radius show up :)

Ive been visiting Xkeys for 1 1/2 years now. Ive only done 3 tandems in all that time but I still go out there on a regular basis. Whether its to get advice, talk about my upcoming AFF lessons (started today!) or to just visit and shoot the breeze, Cross Keys is a place I find myself at often. Theyre staff is great, you can tell their a dedicated buch cause they're always around. Questions dont really go unanswered at Xkeys, cause you can always find somebody to help with any problems. I think today was my best day out there yet, it even beat the day a DZ truck had to pull my ambulance out of a mud hole ( i will never again park any vehical, even if it is an emergency vehical beyond the red lines) I woke up today knowing that they were calling for a huge snowstorm. Still, I hoped to get at least one jump in after ground school. That didnt end up happening, but I still got a lot of new learning experiences. Not only is my AFF coach a extrememly skydiver, but so was his "student", another employee working on getting his AFF coaching cert, who was sitting in on our lesson. So i had the benefit of being the only student, with two awesome skydivers! Everything was explained in a very detailed manner, and after each new lesson, my JM asked me if I had any questions then did a quick verbal check on me, throwing out questions about everything we just reviewed. What i really appreciated was the fact that he was so consistent and insistant that i learn what he's teaching. He didnt just tell me and move on. He made sure I knew what I was talking about, and that I knew it inside out. Instead of lecturing and demonstrating the entire time, he made me show him and demonstrate everything I learned, time and time again. I dont mind that I didnt get to jump today cause of the weather, cause ground school made me feel comfortable enough that I dont feel the need to get up there and jump right out of the classroom. Everything was gone over so many times, its already a part of me. looking around the house, im wondering "where can i practice my exit? where can i practice PLFing?" In any case, im glad that Xkeys is where i find myself starting out. Cant wait to learn and advance.

jacko, there is nothing wrong wiht you being a skydiver. the fact that you dont drink doesnt make a bit of difference! I would jump/hang out wiht ya for weeks on end, and never drink a singe sip if thats what would make you most comfortable. Put my skydiving friends and liquor on the same plate and i gaurentee you, id be picking my friends first and formost! So keep on drinking, we need all the 'cool' people we can get, it only serves to make this sport better and better. froggie

thankyou for listening, and thankyou even more for writing back. The support you guys gives makes it so much easier to share kel

You guys are all right, its this community, the skydiving community that makes me so open. I tell you guys things that the people in my everyday life would never begin to comprehend. It feels so natural, and so easy to talk to you guys about whats on my mind. In my first post ever, I poured my heart out, and you guys answered back with more support than i could ever imagine. It was at that moment that I knew that I had found a family in the folks who frequent these threads. So thanks guys, for being so great, and making it so easy for me to open up. I love ya all. froggie

Zennie, in response to your question "who started skydiving during a crisis period in your life?" well, im one of those people. I dont know if you remember my very first post, It was under the "psychological effects of skydving" back in the old threads. I made the desicion to jump because i had a day that desperately needed to be taken back. I needed good memories of that day, so that the anniversary of my 'attack' didnt consume that day. I dont think that what happened would have effected me like it did if my attacker wasnt my exboyfriend, the first man i ever slept with, my first truely real relationship, complete wiht the battles, pain, love and joy. So i jumped on the one year anniversary, then again on the two year anniversary, then i won a free skydive (thankyou Xkeys) at the ambulance squads banquet so i jumped again, but this time it was only a month after my last jump, not a year. And thats when i truely got addicted. It was that second jump in one month that made me realize that I could do this, that I really did love the rides to altitude, That i didnt see the horizon from 13,500 as much as I desired too. I dont regret what happened to me, it taught me so much. It caused me to leave a lot behind, some good, but most of them addictive and destructive. I dont regret that my first love did that to me, cause it made it so much harder to get to a place where I was okay with myself. And the fact that I did get to a better place (the best place ive ever been) makes it all worth it. And having to deal with being (this is the first time ive said this on these threads...) raped made me find out who i truely am. I see my ex's family now, and i almost want to thank them for pulling me so far down , cause from that pain, ive come so far. I actually think that it was my ex's doing that got me into skydiving. So, i thank god that I ment him, cause its taught me so much. And it helped becuase i knew that I could handle my cousins death back in april. I cant explain how hard that was to deal with, it really felt like my heart had been ripped from inside my chest, with numerous memories pulsating through my broken body. But that pain was different,. being raped is an isolating pain, loosing my cousin was a family pain. okay. ive done enough rambling. lets hear how other people got into skydiving. froggie

Grogs, you just love that little *cough, cough* thing dont ya? well, im hoping tomorrow night is *cough, cough* and saturday night too, so i can hang out with you and stacy. froggie

hehe. thats pretty funny. Gives new meaning to the whole prayer thing. I like that one. :) these quotes are all great! Thanks for contribuating, cause its giving me (and i think all of us) a good laugh. froggie

stacy, you gotta point this former aff student out to me. If im gonna be snickering a lot on the dz this summer (you know why, and i promise to go at least 20 feet away before laughing) then i might as well have many things to get a good chuckle out of. hehe. Hey, no tricks on sunday. You and grogs had better behave. Cant wait for SUNDAY!!!!!! yeah! froggie

Frank. i dont know how to thank you. What you said (see above) has really affected me. I havent brought a pack of cigarettes since i read your post. I havent quit smoking but the same pack that i had that night lasted me until this morning. Im kinda bumming cigs or at least drags off of friends. But Im praying that I dont fall weak and buy another pack. Ive actually copied and printed out what you had said. I have two copies and i keep at least one wiht me at all times. Its given me a lot of inspiration. Thankyou. I really cant express how much you have effected me thru you words. Ill be thinking of you, and what you said, every time i desire a pack of my own cigarettes. Im no where near quitting yet, but im definitally on my way. I love ya for what you have done for me. Thanks for being my inspiration to do something better for me! kel

Way to go pammi! Could this be a sign that the women are preparing to launch another attack?!?!? Maybe :) hehe. froggie

Skydolphin i think that your building was on our news. I remember them saying something about microsoft building when they mentioned the EQ. I think there was some sort of seminar or something going on? Im not to sure. glad to hear that youre ok froggie

great idea stacy. I wouldnt mind at all. You guys would get sick of hearing it though. Its my 'happy' song, so the more it gets played, the happier and goofier i get. We'd be some poor mainfestors in the am though~you not able to move from your arobatics and me not able to talk cause ive lost my voice. :) just no tape recordings of me signing... I dont want my drunken espepades played back over the load speaker in the am . ROFLMAO. oh man, ive done myself in now froggie

yeah, i see my share of the effects of addictions of all kinds. It surprised me the first few times, because i had the niave view that these things dont happen in my town. I think that the first actual over dose call that i went on the guy was unconscious, bleeding from a wound, with a needle sticking out of his arm. It actually amazed me that his 'loving' girlfriend hadnt had the sense to pull it out of his arm. But then again, she was so doped up she had mistakenly thought that he was "sleeping cause hes real tired" But more and more, Im seeing the effects of the city life starting to wear off on my semi small town. Not blaming the cities of Camden or Philly, which are both very close to here, but seeing how their citizens are to blame. This weekend we had our first attempted murder, i say attempted cuase i dont believe the guy has died (yet). A bar fight, and one guy walked up to another and shot him in the face. The victem was able to leave the scene, and when the police were called out all the patrons in the bar said that it was fireworks the neighbors must have heard! imagine that! they were that selfish, that they didnt want to get caught up in the mess, that they risked letting another person bleed to death. Until the police did some investigating, and found out the truth they took the 'fireworks' story as a temporary explanantion, but one that they did not believe. The ambulance, which i was on, was recalled because of the fireworks story. and that angers me. I ask myself how i would have felt knowing that my services, and the services of my two partners was denied because some lousy people decided to hide the truth. What if that man died on the scene, and we werent there to save his life? I would have felt like I wasnt able to do my job, which is a very frustrating thing. It is something that we have to deal with at times, and its always one of the hardest things to do. Ive only felt like my training, hard work,skills and dedication wasnt enough one time before, and that one really shoke me up. That girl died in an accident, and I was the first one on the scene (it was right in front of my job, and i was working) The girl died within seconds of the accident, and there wasnt much I could do without equipment besides the most basic of life support. To feel like that again, well thats not something that i want. Were surrounded by shitty run down towns and theyre starting to move on. Granted, that is only one bar out of proly a dozen. We do have some nicer bars, if you could call them that. At least people dont get shot while in those bars. okay, now ive really unloaded a lot of baggage. Thanks for giving me a place to express my feelings about what i do. At times it is much needed. froggie

ah.. my favorite drunken pastime. That would have to be my desire to get anyone and everyone to either find a cd or sing BUILD ME UP (BUTTERCUP). And it doesnt just stop at singing it. I insist that everyone in the entire place get up and dance with me. Its my absolute favorite song, and a few times its actually gotten me even more drunk (read: favorite song comes on, dance my ass off, drink lotsa liquor while out on the dance floor) The most drinks ive had during one playing of build me up was 7. But they were Bay breezes, and sooooooo good. Hehe. For those of you not familiar with Buttercup, besides being the song from THERES SOMETHING ABOUT MARY No Doubt did a cover of it (that i think sucked), so did the temptations. Im not exactly sure who wrote it originally, but its either The foundations or Four tops. Listening to it right now! AH! i love this song~ froggie

aggiedave ill pass the suggestion on to our fearless leader

To all of those who have left their addictions behind : GOOD FOR YOU! for those who never had to fight an addiction : I can only hope that you never have to. To those of you living with an addiction : go jump man! everybody needs their fix :) but seriously, Im proud of all of you who have realized that living with something so destructive is not for you, and have quit, its a hard thing to do, i know. froggie

hey all. talked to the boss man today. your guys input is being read by the boss man now if it hasnt already. so keep the good ideas rollin in .. .we need all the suggestions we can get to make this a well rounded page froggie

ROFLMAO. thanks, i always tried to look at words and alter them a bit. never could do it though. Guess I just dont have that talent. Thanks for the laugh. hehe froggie

thanks again sangiro. always coming to my rescue.

great idea! pie icons! hehe

considering my mom is claiming me (that bitch :) what little i am getting back is going towards AFF. it should have been in my account on saturday, and it still isnt here! it had better hurry up! maybe next years income tax will get me some gear but until then Im more than content to spend it on AFF. froggie

thats just mean! actually its really funny. No, its just mean. wait, its hilariusly mean! thats it! but in any case, when im manifesting this summer i just might have to use that when talkign to first timers. hehe froggie

thanks. its still saying one new message, but at least now i know what it means so its not bothering me :)

thanks sangiro. i fixed it yesterday, cause it wouldnt load for me. does this mean that i can put my settings back to the way that they were before? i clicked enable java and enable javascript off. can i put them back on?