gale

We love our "nekkid" Put a person in Hati, what else are they to do? Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

Well, right now we have clouds at like 500 feet so jumping today is totally out. I went out to the dz last night to do my first jump back after my injury (eek) and something went wrong with our little cessna and I couldn't jump. I was all geared up and walking to the plane when we had to turn around. Yup, the skygods are conspiring against me. But on the upside, I didn't have to practice my emergency skills while bailing out of our plane! That would not be how I want my first jump back to go. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

I'm not sure what the regulations are like in the UK but in Canada epileptics can jump after being seizure free for two years, and with a doctors note, and with an AAD. I think that's right. (Couldn't find my PIM this morning) I personally was worried about some health issues keeping me out of the air and so I didn't want to talk to anyone at the DZ about it. But after talking with my doctor I feel better. Hopefully you're doctor will understand your need to fly. Of course all the regulations in the world won't take away the fear you might have. Hopefully you will find a way to get yourself back in the air. It would probably benefit you both mentally and physically. Good Luck!

I don't know you but I wish I did. You are brave and strong. Reading your post touched me. You did what it took to save your life, and isn't that what skydivers do all the time? I wouldn't condem you, I would suggest that your story may be inspirational to people who are in the same circumstance. Stay well. Just a point of reference: SSRI increase the seritonin in your brain, but this only works if you are in fact depressed. If a non-depressed person took them they might experience some side-effects but no "high" in any way. Even doctors are not clear exactly how or why these drugs work. Interestingly, (ha) often people are diagnosed after boing put on medication "oh, you responded to an SSRI - you must have been depressed, respond to lithium - and you must be bipolar" There is so much that is unknown about the brain and how it works that this is the best we can do right now, even though our best is pathetic. Also, and this is important, if you have a serious depression and you wait to get treatment it can make it VERY difficult to treat and you're more succeptable for relapse. Not to mention you will have to be on the drugs longer. If this stigma were removed maybe fewer people would be in this catagory. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

I'm just a student here, but I thought the point of the aff dives was to learn altitude awareness. (among other things, obviously) That's what it's there for. I'm not sure what other people think about this but I would say you don't know if you can do it until you try. Trust and listen to your instructors, they will help you acheive your goals. I repeat, I'm just a student. Talk to your instructors. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

I hear you. Like I said in my post, this is new and scary. I imagine some of that will wear off with time. (Like on the first jumpo when I thought I would get sucked out the door of the plane, I definately don't worry about that one anymore!) Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

That's exactly right. I in no way like medication and do not like it being perscribed to people in a haphazardous way. But people do kill themselves every day and if you haven't been there you don't know what it's like. You should thank your lucky stars that you don't have to deal with doctors, psychiatrists, pharmacies, side-effects, medications, and closed-minded, ignorant people who you have to hide the truth from. (No, this isn't directed to anyone in particular.) For those of you who don't understand; get sick, stay that way for years, and then talk to me. Medication may be bad, but staying sick is much, much worse. Gale (PS if you have concerns about the jumpers mental state or medications, you could just ask for a doctors note expressing their fitness to fly. I wouldn't think that would be a problem. That will cover your own ass too btw.) Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

I think short is probably 5 ' 5 and under. medium 5 ' 6 to 5 ' 10 tall 5 ' 11 and above. I'm 5' 5 so lots of guys are tall to me. And while we're on the subject, I think all heights can be attractive. I'm not one of those girls for which height is a big issue. Taller, shorter, I only really care about what's inside, how you treat me, etc... (Major cliche I know, but true none the less.) Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

My two cents: I'm a student trying to learn how to pack and I just have to say it's an awesome responsibility knowing that someone elses life can depend on what I'm doing. A friend of mine just had a NASTY mal / hard cutaway and I can't imagine how bad the packer must feel about that. I guess what I'm saying is I'd be scared to pack other people's stuff and scared to let someone else pack mine. I guess some of this will wear off with time but right now the responsibility seems awesome. So, it seems like if you've found a packer you like and trust maybe throwing them a couple of extra bucks is a good idea. Assuming, of course, that you use them in the first place. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

That would be because the numbers represent an average. If someone has 100 jumps in between mals this just means that someone else out there is having 1900 jumps in between. (Of course, packing, gear maintenence, and all that other stuff will make a big difference as to whether you're the first guy or the second guy.) Gale (after having taking a stats course I could go on for a while on such numbers) Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

As a Canadian I say "and a happy Victoria day to you too." I happen to live in Victoria, BC and we are having a parade to celebrate this day of royalty. (I'm not much of a loyalist but those people who are like it.) I get a day off, that's all I really care about.

Um, your female company might not like having the dead guy next to her. Kinda traumatizing. Maybe you could send her home first? Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

I have been told that he had a rig on, it was just specially designed to make it look like he was just haning onto his container. He's wearing it under his clothes. Just a trick I'm afraid. Only impressive if you don't know the secret. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

Hi, I'm a student jumper and here's what's going on with me right now. I'm hoping to do my next jump next Friday. It's the first one back after BADLY spraining my ankle, it will have been six weeks on the ground by then. Flared to early, didn't PLF. Since I've jumped we've had two reserve rides out at the dz one of which being VERY scary, I would say about 5 seconds away from death. This is very unusual for us as were are a small dz. So now I'm worried about: nerves, getting out of the plane, remembering how to do anything in freefall, my concentration (I don't want to be thinking about the landing in freefall), mals, flaring, landing, and reinjury. Quite a list. My minds had lots of time to think about all this stuff. So I'm going to tell you what I'm telling myself: I will not let this beat me. Skydivers get injurred (or in your case, mishandle mals). We make mistakes. The important thing is learing from them. You can bet I'll NEVER forget to PLF again and I'm guessing you learned the value of a hard deck. I'm going to do what I can to illeviate my nerves, and pulling high might help you with yours. And I'm doing lots of mental rehersal. It's easier to be calm on the ground and then try to carry that feeling into the air then just "wing it". I know that when I get down I just want to go back up again. I'm going to hold onto that feeling and trust in it. Don't beat yourself up about your mistakes. That will not help. I can do it, and so can you. Good luck. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

MS Word will export documents into HTML but is not really suitable for a whole web page. Dreamweaver studio is enjoyable for me. Fireworks, it's companion allows you to create animated GIF's. You really don't have to know any HTML at all to use the programs so they might be for you! Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

Firstly, I would just like to say that it's not the worst one I've ever seen by far. Secondly, if I were you, I would go surf crazy and find some sites I really like to get good ideas from. If you don't know how to do something you see, just take a look at the HTML code (available under View > Source in Explorer, similar in Netscape) Once you take the HTML tutorials what you're seeing should make more sense and getting a sense of what sites you like have done should help you with your own. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

I'm sorry that I have no legal background with which to base advice but I would like to say this: Please fight for your child. You love them, and you want to be with them, that's a wonderful thing. I know it seems impossible to keep going, but I wish someone had cared enough about me to fight for me and I'm guessing you child will at least appriciate the fight even if they don't get to appriciate you in person as much as you would like. Stick to your guns, get help, and fight. More power to you. Good luck. Gale Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

Thanks for putting all that usefull stuff all in one place! You rock! Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive

Here's my lowley opinion: I think either one would look great. I'm partial to the cow print personally. I think it's cute and fun and that's why I like it. Doesn't take itself to seriously, you know? It's the kind of thing I like. Plus, it's unique! (Oh, by the way, the think others have said about the white is definately worth thinking about. Unless you don't mind a grey "white" after many washings...) Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive

Not to tick off the other Canadians or anything, but here in Victoria we've had some amazing jump weather recently. Last weekend was so warm that is was uncomfortable in the sun without shorts!

Sorry hon, still nursing a sprained ankle and I'm thinking changing dzs for the first time isn't the best way to do that. Have fun, I here I good time is usually had by all. There are some people from my home dz flying in. Hope you get some decent altitude! Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive

Hey! Congratulations from a fellow BCer. I remeber my second IAD as being the best, and way better then the first as I was much more aware. Good luck with the standard progression, too bad PFF isn't an option but the good news is it can be cheaper, or at least a spread out expense. Come out and see us sometime in Victoria after you get licensed. Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive

OK, you want your picture taken, great. Want to be online, great. And if you're lying around naked in public, then I guess you're taking your chances (it does make me think about the topless tanning I enjoy so much ) but, someone trying to shoot up girls skirts and stuff, that's totally offensive and invasive. Exploiting someone sexually (without their knowledge I might add) is just not OK. Posting the link, well, that's a matter of taste I guess. I was commenting on the website content not so much you posting it. Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive

That's a different thing. Pictures made to look like voyerism are fine. It's the whole invasion of privacy thing I don't like. Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive

K, is anyone else creeped out by the thought of some (presumably male) guy taking pictures of you (and your thong) without you knowing? And then seeing yourself on some website you'd never heard of? Ew. Ew. Ew. Creepy. Gale Life's not worth living if you can't feel alive