Whiskeyboi

Thanks for the hospitality. Anything other than the credit card for the Tiki Hut I can bring? I'm a big fan of not coming to parties empty-handed...

Thanks for the suggestions...feel free to make fun of me all you want...I'm used to it.

So…weather permitting, Saturday looks like it’ll be tandem #2. (Apologies in advance to whichever TM gets stuck with me.) Unlike last time (did the jump in the morning and had to go to work after) I’ve actually got the day off! So…can anyone who works at or frequents Skydive Chicago suggest ways to spend the day? (No family to bring and the friends are either working or happy staying on the ground.) Also, any tips on etiquette would be useful. (I could spend an hour or so just taking photos or watching people pack, but that might be a bit too sketchy.) Any advice/propositions would be welcome. I’ve got a cooler in the back – I’m not afraid to fill it. (Actually, I’d kind of like an excuse to…been too long since I’ve had any real fun…drink requests?) Many thanks…

To those who organize the airs hows... I've got a way to cancel the air shows yet still look good in the eyes of the spectators. Chicago will loan you Mayor Daley. He'll show up with some bulldozers late on a Sunday night, dig some X's into the runways...Voila! Planes can't take off - no air show.

I'm SORRY!!! God!!! You didn't have to tell EVERYONE!!!! Oh...ooops...

So, this is my 50th forum post. (Yeah, kind of missed the part about starting out here.) But in honor of this um…occasion, I throw the gauntlet down… I’ve read some of these posts and skymama (always a gracious host) welcomes the person to the forums and usually asks a question like “have you picked a DZ yet?” or gives them advice like, “…it can be expensive, but it’s worth it.” It dawned on me…doesn’t she get tired of thinking of things to say? (Personally, I don’t think I have either the tolerance or creativity to do it.) So…I want this time to be special…to be different, exciting, one to remember for the ages! I’d like to be asked something never asked before. I’d like for skymama to dig deep, take off the hospitality-hat, and hit me with the ultimate question. (Failure to respond results in forfeiture, btw.) So…to remove some of the easy choices… I’m new to this insanity, but have been reading posts (and ugh…the sim), taking heed of advice, and trying to soak up as much as possible. I realize the dangers inherent here – both jumping out of planes and interacting with some of the other um…”characters” in these forums. I’m okay with discussions about politics, religion, movies, milfs, and more. I’ll probably be jumping at Skydive Chicago - at least until they get sick of me, I’m ordered off the grounds, and issued a restraining order. My day job is in financial aid at a college…which drove me to jump in the first place. I’m 32, single, no kids, organ donor, homo-sapien, heterosexual, AB positive, Irish-German Norwegian, workaholic, ovinaphobic, and an insomniac to boot. I like running, cooking, sarcasm, Jameson, and griping about how I’m getting old. Turn offs: broccoli, small dogs, shag carpet, and the Panama Canal. So…(deep, anticipatory breath)…lay it on me…

You know, I've tried pretty hard to pick up the nuances of these forums - looking for the funny as well as the serious. But I keep coming back to threads like this. (sigh) Having said that, have I mentioned I like older women? (Most of them actually KNOW what they want...)

THANK YOU! Just because everyone else is on the fertility bandwagon doesn't mean I'm crazy because I'm not... So wait...why don't you have 5?

True...except by then I'm so annoyed, I really don't give a rat's ass or want to listen about how little Johnnie can flush all by himself.

Okay...there's a freakin' baby boom going on where I work. Number nine just anounced she's "with child". So naturally, this starts the questions for us poor single folk - "Hey, why don't YOU have kids?" (I KNOW it's worse for the women...plus, I'm only 32, people. Hell - Tony Randall did it at 77.) So, for those of you who are as sick of being asked that as I am, what is your smart-ass response for those who ask you? My best is the one I told to my boss... "There's not a woman blind enough, drunk enough, dumb enough, or dead enough..."

If the girl he wrote that for was impressed, there's no hope for humanity. If she went to bed with him, I'll be looking for a nice, high ceiling to hang myself from...maybe over the broccoli in the produce section at the Kroger...

Oh, there are plenty of women like that. I seem to end up dating them...sadly, I figure it out AFTER we've dated. (Think I could write a book on being used as a rebound guy.) Maybe I should sell pics and phone numbers to the highest bidder...

Admissions counselors usually are the winers and diners. And many colleges have staff working on holidays because some parents can't find time during the week - or even Saturdays - to take care of the college business. (Cause every high school kid about to graduate wants to spend one of his/her last days off looking at colleges, right?) Try to stay focused on what it is you're after and what the school is gonna do for you. Most of the admissions counselors I've worked with are decent, honest people. But there are a couple that always make me feel like they're competing for a set of steak knives a la Glengarry Glen Ross.

GRANTED - but new Parliament rulings allow you only to ride it in the Thames. I wish this 15-page research paper that is due Friday was done already.

But...was there an IBM logo on its um...you know the um...yeah...

Out of curiosity...what's the specific program you're thinking of going for? Like I said...some of them have specific accreditations as well...

If you're spending part of today looking at schools online, keep the following in mind... Most online schools are attached to a brick and mortar somewhere in the world...though some are just a business office. An online attached to a brick and mortar in California or New York might still be accredited, but likely through a different regional body than the NCA. And if you're really bored (or a nerd like me) you can always check out U.S. News and World Reports Colleges Guide online. The higher Ed. Industry pays a LOT of attention to these rankings...the formula they use is pretty unbiased. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php Oh, and you'll need your 2007 Federal taxes to do the FAFSA – but when it's done they'll give you an EFC (Expected Family Contribution). Once you have that number, you can figure out whether or not you'll get state or Federal Aid pretty easily.

Hell - I just mock myself. Saves others the trouble, and gives life an interesting perspective.

why guess when you have http://www.deathclock.com/*** I stand corrected...August 31, 2024. Thanks, SuperGirl!!! That's 8 more years of monotony and torment I didn't think I'd have the fun of enjoying! You're the best!

I know my sister was pissed when Mom brought me home from the hospital. Not sure if she hissed or not though...

Serious advice from a not-so-serious financial aid advisor at a college... #1 Make sure you fill out your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Fastweb is mostly scholarships, but the FAFSA is what'll get you grants and loans through the federal and state government. #2 You can find out about the accreditation of the school (if they are accredited) on their website. It’s usually stuck on the “About Us” or “Our Mission” page. I think I caught on your gas prices post that you’re in or around the Chicago area. Most schools worth their salt in the midwest are accredited by the NCA (North Central Alliance). Accreditation has to do with whether or not your classes will transfer to other colleges seamlessly, but there are a LOT of hoops that schools have to go through – so it’s still a decent measuring stick for the individual college. Local schools also have to go through the IBHE (Illinois Board of Higher Education). #3 Certain programs/degrees are also have their own accreditations that may not be necessary for schools to receive, but are a good endorsement. #4 I don’t have a ton of experience with online personally. Several co-workers in other departments have done some online, but the majority of them also had some physical class sessions as well. For what it’s worth, it is becoming more common these days. While I personally think you lose a bit of something with some classes (getting hands-on), there are several classes I’ve taken (Accounting, English, etc.) that could be taken anywhere. Once again, I’d say it depends on the program. If you’ve got time to wait a day, I can ask my Job services and HR departments tomorrow how they look at candidates with online degrees. Hope this helps a little. Let me know if there’s anything I can help with…just don’t tell my boss you saw me here.

Hey...if they ever complain about their names tell 'em about the Zappa kids - Dweezil, Moon Unit, Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen, and Ahmet Emuukha Rodin. Your Mother's Day take will go up exponentially...

When there's no one else around, introduce her to me. You'll look like Prince Charming, and I'll still look like the Elephant Man. Darwinism...ain't it great?

Uh-huh...trying to guilt-trip your way into winning the contest? I'll have you know I'm 100% recovering Catholic...you'll have to do better than that. That makes sense, though. I don't have kids, so everytime someone at work is expecting I always seem to come up with the name suggestions that never get taken. I've got a pet cockatiel you can have if you want...

Hell - I just guessed. I never thought I'd live past thirty...but fate had other ideas. I just figured 40 would be a nice round number. Actually, let's say February 29th. If 39 is good enough for Jack Benny, it can be for me as well...