FallnAngel

Nope, not wierd as far as I'm concerned!! One thing I like to do is flick the car's interior lights on & off and then yell "door!" before opening the window and sticking my head out! Seems to add something to the whole experience...! Blue skies, cool rides Karen

hmmmm....could this be the "truth" that rodeochic was referring to!!? blues, Karen

Good luck Anthony! You're going to have a really great time!!

Hey Pammi & Skreamer...I liked Pammi's quote too and lookee what I found!

Great story, Brad! I'm going to be out at SkyDance next weekend, so I'll be sure to take a copy of the article along to give to Tim, if I don't find his email addy first. P.S. I'm coming up on 17 years of marriage May 1st, and I can tell you that it only gets better every year! Congratulations to you & Marie!!

I betcha Pammi & I breathe correctly...all that lamaze breathing on the way to altitude, we must be doing something right or we'd just pass out! smiles, karen

That is *great* news, Lisa!!

You're not kidding! My hubby got on the list for a Crossfire 169...get this - 7 months wait! He did get a Diablo demo from Precision in 2 weeks though, and when I called PD a few months ago about a Spectre demo it was only like 4 weeks or something. Blues, Karen

Sorry to hear about your mom, Pammie. I know how hard that can be. My m-in-law had a stroke about 4 years ago, and has left-side paralysis along with some loss of her mental faculties. Also, right after it happened, my hubby's dad decided to check himself permanently out of the picture. So we've ended up taking care of her...in our home for the first year, and now we have her in a care facility near our home. It seems like things go along pretty smoothly for awhile, and then we'll hit this big deep valley where it seems like nothing goes right, and we end up emotionally drained and financially burdened. Some things happened with her this past Friday that sunk us right into one of those valleys. So...we abandoned the problems for a day and went jumpin!! All day Saturday, I totally forgot about the situation and I didn't worry about how I was going to get everything worked out...I just had fun! I think jumping did more to help me with the problems we're facing than anything else could have. I started in fresh on Monday working through possible solutions for the problem. We'll get through it all ok, I think, but I'll probably need to go jumping every weekend! hehehe Blue Skies Karen

I absolutely agree with your thoughts on this, Jason. If we have an emergency below 2000', I feel confident of being able to get out & get something deployed *as long as I'm ready to go*. I can jump without a helmet on my head...everything else, gear-wise, is ready to go before I get on the plane. Blues, Karen

I also struggled to understand the incident in Lodi. It was made all the more horrific because it was so preventable. It may have been that the strap was uncomfortable for her, so she routinely left it off until jumprun. The only thing I can say is that we all make mistakes, and that gal (& her family) paid a terrible price for hers. Her husband was on that load with her, and I can't begin to imagine his pain. On a side note, but along the same lines - on a load I was on last weekend, someone got on the plane without his strap fastened…he sat down, put his seat belt on, and was all settled in when a JM saw his chest strap just dangling. The JM immediately pointed it out and asked him to "please fasten that *now*". I wondered why he didn't get a gear check before getting on the plane, and I wondered if he would have remembered to buckle it up before jumping. I sure hope so. I would also hope that by my getting 3 gear checks, by checking my 3 straps & 3 handles before I jump, and by being as safe as I can, I never pay for my mistakes with my life. Blue Skies, Karen

Right after AFF, when I was starting to do 2 & 3-ways, my JM told me that pretty much everyone loses altitude awareness at some point, that everyone gets a wake-up call. He said that hopefully it's only that you think you're at 5grand when you're actually at 4, or something like that, where there's enough time to react to the changed situation. Seems like everything he tells me comes true, cause sure enough on one of my early 2-ways with a buddy, we broke off at about the right alititude, but I was soon busy tracking, next thing I know I flare out and I see 3000 on my alti. I was planning on *opening* no later than 3500. Big oh shit on my part, & scared the crap out of my friend who saw me still in freefall while he was already under canopy. He said he was just thinking "pull darlin'! pull!!" and he was so relieved when I finally opened. I hate that I made him worry like that! I screwed up my landing, too, because I did a really good job of painting myself into a corner with my pattern, and almost impaled myself on a fence. Learned lots on that jump. So, my lowest pull was around 2500' (probably fully open by 2000'). I typically open at 3500', sometimes higher if I'm on a solo & want more canopy time. Blues Skies, Safe Landings, Karen

I pick what's behind door #1!!!

I’m a newbie, and haven’t jumped alot of different gear, but I prefer the hackey. It gives me something that I can get a good grasp on. I put 2 jumps on a new container this past weekend, and it took a much stronger pull than I’m accustomed to to get the pilot chute out of the boc. I was glad to have the hackey to wrap my fingers around! Also, I’m not big on making changes in my gear…the familiarity makes me more comfortable. Since you’ve been out of jumping for awhile, maybe it would be better to stick with what’s familiar until you’re back in the swing of things. Then make gradual changes, one at a time, instead of multiple things all at once. Just a thought… Blue Skies, Karen

Heya - just wanted to say thanks for posting the info on that method of packing a zp...I tried it yesterday on my brand new Spectre...while also using the method that Dutchboy (& a few others, I think) described, where you make the 2nd S fold first & get that in the bag, then tuck the 1st S fold in between. What a difference! I'd been packing the canopy at home last week trying to get used to it before jumping it this weekend, and couldn't really get it in the bag without help from hubby with controlling it. With the new method, I can do it by myself, and it looks better than any pack job I've done so far (admittedly not that many). So, thanks again for the info - that *really* helped!!

Well, I got to jump!! [huge shit-eating grin] Only jumped twice yesterday, but it was awesome! Finally got my own gear, so no more rentals for me...and no bruises today from ill-fitting gear either, yea! 10 jumps is alot, Grasshopper...the most I've ever done in a day is 4, and I was exhausted after that! Can't imagine doing 10 in a weekend (yet...hehehe) Blue Skies, Karen

Hey, Froggie! Sounds like your poodle & my sheltie are 2 peas in a pod...She's 12 now, we adopted her from the sheltie rescue agency on our 10th wedding anniversary 7 years ago. Last year, her left eye became diseased...I agonized over it's (impending) removal. Vet told me not to worry, dogs get along just fine without an eye. He was absolutely right! She bumps into things, but she'll back up a step turn her head to the right to see what the hell she ran into, then adjust & move on. What a gal!! The neigborhood kids think I need to make an eyepatch for her, or get her a glass eye (funny kids!

I have a video (I think it's called McGowan's Greatest Hits or something like that). Anyways, the clip that you mentioned is in that video. I first saw the vid at my dz on a crappy weather day, and my JM, before he popped the tape in said that there's some pretty hairy stuff in it, but that *no one* dies. So, I really hope that that is true and the guy that cutaway so low did survive. Another interesting thing in that portion of the clip is that there is another skydiver on the ground in the foreground, but close & within view of the camera. When the low man in the wrap cuts away, the guy on the ground sees whats going to happen and turns away from it. There is an expression on his face, I think maybe it's anguish because he knows it's going to bad. Very disturbing clip to watch. On a happier note...the video really is mostly upbeat with alot of humor. It's become my pre-skydiving, getting ready in the morning for a great day of jumping, video-watching routine!

Hi, Zennie! If you're still accepting votes on your new canopy design...put me down for blaze, then tie-die, then sea. The great, vibrant colors of blaze are a contradiction to your screen name, and I like that!

That's really good advice!

You know you're a skydiver when...you gain or lose a few pounds and automatically recalculate your (new) wingloading in your head. Blues, Karen

Wow, Froggie, great thread! It's hard to just pick 3 words, especially @ 5am, but here's my attempt: * passionate - about my husband, about skydiving (of course!), about quilting & knitting * dedicated - to my job(desktop support), to my hobby business(quilting/needlework) * happy - wonderful hubby, great job, skydiving!, good friends, ...

hi, zelda! So that's what I've got!! A nasty door demon haunting me! I've had the bastard hanging with me since day 1, just didn't have a name for it. In my mind, I *know* I'm going to have a great jump, but, man as soon as we get close to jumprun I'm thinking "what the *hell* am I thinking!!", then the door opens and my stomach just sinks & goes into a big knot! It's not as bad now as it was during aff. And it seems to be better if I'm last out - it doesn't feel as rushed (although noone has ever rushed me even when I've been first out & hesitated). And I really do like to see the different exits that others do. I wish I knew a way to get over it, maybe it just takes time. In the meantime, if Pammi & I are ever on a plane at the same time, it's going to look like the skydiving birthing center @ 14k with all that lamaze breathing going on! lol! Blues skies, Karen

I also heard about Ray checking out that new plane!!! 8 min to altitude...criminey, guess I'll just leave my helmet& goggles on for the whole ride! Steve (landmissle/hubby) had heard about the skyvan...hope that comes true too! What a great summer it's going to be! btw, have we met? (I'm usually there with the Beard twins and Steve.) Blue skies, fast rides, Karen

Heya Brad! I was out at SkyDance on Sat and happened to see Tim...passed your message along (plus, JP @ ActionAir had printed him a copy of your email). Tim really does a great job with the camera! btw, Congrats on the engagement! Blues, Karen P.S. Hope to see you out there jumpin soon!