gale

YES! I thought I was the only one!! My openings aren't hard with my Tri, but I still usually grunt notably during opening. I think I'm glad I've made it that far

I'm sorry you're angry. I posted that I wasn't there. I also posted that I didn't know everything about this and only wanted it to be a warning for others. My inexperience is clearly posted in my profile. I've talked to two of the people on the load and contacted the injured party. Again, I'm sorry you found this offensive. I'm the first one to admit that we all make mistakes. I make them too. I was trying to help remind people not to make this particular one. I won't resort to personal attacks even if you feel the need to. If you feel the need to keep insulting me, feel free to PM me. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Hi, Well, I while ago I decided that I don't like trying to pressure people into skydiving. If it's not for you, it's not for you. There's no shame in it. That being said, I just wanted to let you know that I had training problems too. I did 5 practice pulls in the IAD method and I just couldn't nail it. I actually would get on the ground and cry because I was so upset with myself for messing up again. But I didn't quit. I changed training methods - I went into PFF (the Canadian equivalent to AFF) and actually had a really bad level one jump But I still didn't quit. Now I have 38 jumps. Not many, but I can tell you that stability and turning problems are behind me. You can get here too. In my lowly opinion I don't think months off will help. But some time off can help. Use that time to mentally reherse. Visualization is really important. Practice relaxation techniques. Read different training materials. Practice on the ground - it's free! Then there's always the wind tunnel suggestion. You can do it. This is hard! If it were easy, everyone would be doing it! And as someone once told me on here, if you think you can't, you've already decided how it will go. Beleive in yourself. Put the bad experiences behind you and try again. Gale PS: I, too, beat myself up for my mistakes and I'm trying to work on that - so join the club! I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

PM'd I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Thanks, I didn't have my PIM handy to check (OK, I should know it by heart - but I was close!) Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Well, I can tell you right now that not all the jumpers had their A as it takes a minimum of 25 jumps to get it in Canada. Moreover, the wind limit for your A license is ooo, 15mph I think. So I'm thinking that the more experienced jumpers were much to blame here. But yup, personal responsibility is what it's all about. I agree. It would be nice to jump in a place where other people helped out though. Skydivers with very little experience may need a little more guidance. Gale (Oh, and yes the name is a coincidence. I didn't notice at all until you commented) I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

I don't know what people told them. Yes, I think watching other jumpers is important, if I had more experience, I might just have more weight in that area. But the most important thing is having good judgement yourself. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

I didn't feel comfortable posting this in the incidents section because I didn't see it, but I wanted to remind people anyway. The winds were whipping last weekend and some jumpers got on a load. Quite frankly I don't know how they got up because the winds were beyond allowable limits for at least one of the jumpers as he had a round reserve - had he have had to use it, we might have found him somewhere in the ocean, but I digress. The winds were strong and unpredictable. All four jumpers managed to land within a mile of each other (off field), but one landed on a roof and one broke his ankle landing on someones driveway. (The winds just got him when he flared) He's having surgery today. He has around 350 jumps with a fairly light wing loading. The other jumpers on the load had, 20 jumps, 65 jumps, and 110 jumps. What were they thinking!?? What were the more experienced jumpers thinking letting them board!?? My point here is: I know we all want to jump as much as we can, and it is the Canadian winter so we don't get many chances - but please don't jump in dangerous conditions. Walk away and live to jump another day. The jumper going into surgery really wishes he had. That's it. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Does anyone know when/how the video will be available? Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

"I can say with certainty that you would not be EQUALLY happy with a man or a woman. One person will make you happy and others will not be able to contend" I sure hope this happens. My point is that this person is equally likely to be a man as it is to be a woman. "When you find that one person, there will be no straying (In a perfect world). Thus, you will no longer be able to call yourself "Bi"... Not actively anyway." Well, this is more semantics then anything but I consider myself bisexual no matter who I am with. Activity has nothing to do with it. You can be a virgin and still know you're heterosexual, and call yourself hererosexual. "The just weren't programmed into you when you were conceived." Well, tough to say. I don't think my love of skydiving was programmed into me when I was conceived either, but it's still real and a part of who I am. Whuffos may not understand or identify with it but it doesn't make it any less valid. "You don't have innate sexual attractions for both sexes" Hm, don't know what to say there other then you're just wrong. I don't know why you think you can speak for me, but you can't. I'm not sure why it is that you think you know me better then I know myself. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

"Just out of curiousity, how old are you now? I only ask this because I'm not sure I knew who I was at 17! I'm 23 now and still am not positive of "who" I am!" I'm turning 25 in January. If I were 16 confusion might (I said might) be an argument, but at this time in my life I'm pretty clean on what sex(es) I'm attracted to. "How can any one person say what you have said knowing that they are ment to be with one person in the end? This reminds me of an Oprah episode I saw once. One thing that was a major issue was "Just because you call yourself "Bi" doesn't necessarily mean you can have you can have both?" If a bi-sexual male is in a meaningful relationship with another male, he does not automatically have the right to cheat on him with a woman! " OK, first off, I think it's a big assumption that everyone ends up with one person in the end. Heterosexuals and homosexuals may or may not find this to be true. However, assuming this is true, I say the following: Just because I have the possibility of being with either gender it does not mean I have to be with both. I said I would be equally happy with a man or a woman, not both. This is, in my opinion, one of the biggest misconseptions of non-bisexuals. Just because you're attracted to more then one sex (or person) doesn't mean you have to have them all at once. It's rather like saying that because a heterosexual man is attracted to 2 woman he has to have them both. I choose who I want to be with and am quite capable of being in a monogamous relationship - I'm in one right now. I do not cheat on anyone - period. As far as knowing who my life partner is going to be, well I think I have about as much clue in that area as anyone. None of us know until we are there. And by the way, that goes for bisexuality as well, it's hard for you to say that bisexuals don't have innate sexual attractions for both sexes when you're not in my head or my heart. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

When you ship things across the border to Canada the receiver has to pay duty and taxes. The duty is easily avoidable if the sender clearly marks that it is a GIFT. The taxes are only avoidable if you lie about the value of the content, which you won't want to do because you'll want insurance. I know someone who just bought a rig from the states and had it shipped to someone just across the border and then they drove over and picked it up, this avoids duties and taxes. (NOTE: this requires lying to border guards and is illegal, your goods can be seized, this isn't likey to happen as Wuffos don't know the value of the rig, but you should be aware of the risk) Now as far as the seller is concerned, I think accepting a down payment and then after a rigger inspection getting the rest is reasonable - but you have to decide how much you trust the other party. Good luck! We don't have snazzy gear dealers up here like your guys do in the states so we need your used stuff! Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

I am sorry that you didn't respond to my last post. I think it reflects an accurate portrayal of at least one bisexual (me) and I would like to know what you think of it. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

OK, so I'm jumping into this one a little late, I try to stay out of these debates, but I really can't any longer, in good consience stay silent. "Sorry, but it is true. We are either gay or straight. To have it both ways is only by choice, not by actual "sexual preference". " OK, this is rediculous. I'm attracted to whom I am attracted to - that's it. I don't go around sleeping with people I'm not attracted to - it really doesn't matter what sex they are. "Many "bi-sexuals" will tell you the same thing... that they are "gay" or they are"straight" and just experimenting or fooling around." I AM NOT GAY. I AM NOT STRAIGHT. I am BISEXUAL! Clean enough for you? I am not "fooling around" or "experiementing". I have known this was who I was since I was 17 and it hasn't changed. I would be equally happy in a relationship with a man, or with a woman. "It doesn't mean they are actually attracted by instincual drives to both sexes. IT means they are attracted by these feelings to 1 sex, but choose to be with both because they enjoy the physicallity." Well, obviously I enjoy the physical feelings that having sex brings - this is pretty obvious. But sexual attraction goes beyond that. I know a person and I'm either attracted to them or I'm not. This desicion happens way before getting naked. "IMO - that is what is wrong. I do not object gay or straight people based on their sexuality, what i do object to is increae in homosexual activity which is not done by "GAYS". If you don't understand what i am saying.. just ask." My sexuality is healthy, happy, and mine. You can objest to it all you want and it won't make a bit of difference to me. My sexuality is every bit as valid as yours. Parties must be consenting adults, but apart from that - who are you to judge? My own thoughts are like this, many people are attracted to one hair colour over another, say blonde. Others prefer brunette. No biggie. Some people say it doesn't matter the hair colour at all. Well, I'm just one of the people that doesn't care about the hair colour. Sorry, for the ramblings, but this is important to me, Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Just as an aside, I took PFF and I used an unmodified boc container. It's all we had at the dz. I always wondered how the reserve guy could get to it if he needed to but I just figured if it came down to it he could always deploy the reserve. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

This has been checked by two rigger actually and I think it's ok. Here's a question though... The d-bag is large for my canopy (nice and easy to pack) so it allows a fair amount of air in it. So it's squishy when I go to close it. So I guess the question is, how tight should the closing loop be? Do I make sure and squish all the air out and then close it or not worry about the air in it? (If all the air is out the colsing loop is obviously going to be more loose) Or am I nitpicking and this doesn't matter at all? Sorry, maybe a dumb question, but I just want to make sure that I'm not overlooking something important. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Where does one get a Cypres card? Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Hello, I think he's talking about me! Well, since you asked.... I bought a dolphin student container with a Triathalon 220 main and a Tempo reserve. I was really nervous about jumping it. I figured coming down from the Mantas would be a frightening experience. I figured I'd be coming in to flare and thinking I was going to die. Nope. Definately not. Not dead. It was really fun and the best thing I've done for my canopy issues I think. OK, so I got a little muddy but you just can't smack this smile off my face

Oh, that was it. Geesh, now I can't even get beautiful women's names right! Thank you! Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Um, um, um..... Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Sorry to ask this but.... Does anyone remeber (maybe bookmarked) that link that someone posted about a month ago with all the really good naked/semi-naked pictures. There was a really good gallery. I told a friend of mine I'd ask. Thanks, Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

I understand what you're saying. I was attempting to answer the question posed not make judgments about this packers performance. The numbers I've listed are just what I've seen and I just posted them for informations sake. You can make what you want of them. I do. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Well, I'm not badmouthing anyone here, because I like this packer, but seeing as you asked the question I thought I'd reply... This packer has packed two malfunctions in the last 6 months. So that's maybe 2 out of 200 sport packs. One of which almost killed the jumper. Now I can't garentee that they were both his fault - one definately yes - the other probably yes. These aren't really good numbers - far higher then the rate statistically. When he flat packs student gear there are no problems, it just seems that he's not as careful pro-packing (maybe, like I said, I like the guy) Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

Yes the moderators need to be more brutal here in the incedents forum. It really gets on my nerves when someone writes "blue skies" and nothing else. It's only a few people who do it, but they do it ALL THE TIME! I agree condolences are necessary, but it's just not the appropriate place. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind

I completely agree. It's dumb. That being said I try to be very careful about what I say online as at least one other person from my dz logs on here and I really don't want to offend anyone and have it get back to them. (The guy who logs on is great, it's just some of the instructors that leave a little to be desired.) Even if you have legitimate concerns it's best not to put them in writing I think. Too hard to deny it later Sorry to hear you're having such trouble. I'm sure some people understand though, so maybe you can search them out. Gale I'm drowning...so come inside Welcome to my...dirty mind