Deuce

OK, I just got off the phone with Kim. I got a tracking number and everything. My suit should be here Friday. Not much selection on Pantz. It was black with a silver stripe, yellow with a red stripe, or white with a red stripe. Don't care for the Raiders. jp has the market cornered on yellow/orange/red Well, white may make up for the humidity caused by ZP. Hope everything fits right. It's been a tough wait.

Me too. There's lots of days in between there.

I'm just going for best dressed. You aren't going to name the planes Deuce, Corinne, Camille, Yvette, Izzy and Banzai so that one's out. I'm pretty sure the monkeys will conspire to undermine the other contests, so I'm just going to visit with my buds when the props stop turning.

Iwan, it's going to be harder than you think. Sunshine is going to be in our team room printing pictures every morning. Earplugs. And sunglasses. Maybe a helmet.

Are you willing to launch your truck into the desert from the roads between the DZ and the hotel? Man, that was fun. Yep.

You'll be hanging on for dear life in my 4X4 V-8 Dakota. And it will be on video

Yeah. Gimp, the best video is produced when using the "sports" setting. It gives a much better slow-motion shot than the others. I suggest you use that setting and manually set the focus on the lens at the distance of your subject and gaff tape it. (If your model lets you) Leaving the lens on autofocus will make it "hunt" a couple of times during the video, usually. It almost always happens when the slider comes at the camera on opening. That's what I do.

I'm probably bringing imitation twirly cookies, but good ones. Eat them after you're drunk and you probably won't notice. Nothing is too good for my people . My helmet weighs 150 pounds. That equates to about a half-ton on opening. Doesn't help that my head is solid bone.

Didn't Spock use this line in a Star Trek episode to make some sexy alien's head explode?

Hey, Gene, the beer is free at Eloy, so bring hard liquor or snacks. Or Ice. I am bringing Sunny twirly cookies. I will don the Freefly and suit and go play with her and take pictures too.

Quick Draw, you one of those poor Brits who've never fired a handgun? I got you covered. I'm a prospect Monkey and the FirstMonkey ordered me to bring some guns, including my 870 for a "Magnificent Surprise". I'm driving and I have a carry permit, so the DeuceArsenal will likely make an appearance.

Somebody who lives at Z-hills had better decide they want me to stay with them in April, cause I just got a spot on the 140 Deuce (Named after me!).

I figured it out. Look forward to some metal on the DZ.Holiday Boogie '03 video!

I remember when you were just a newbie! I'm so proud!

No, you got it! Looks fine. Just hit refresh after and it changes. Super! Now I know I have produced more avatar pictures than any other! Bwah!

This, the 80 gigabite one: http://store.yahoo.com/smartdiskstore/flashtrax.html And this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=157607&is=USA But you know what they say about wanting? Wanting builds character. And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Like this? Here's one of you under canopy. They are in my August 2 shutterfly album. If any of you folks ever see a photo of you that you DON'T want in my albums, just let me know.

Dear BEX Yes, well, since you introduced yourself by telling me it was pronounced like the beer, I presumed. Shame on me then. Here, use this picture of a sunny day skydiving as your avatar. Very professionally done photograph, I must say. Cheers, JP

Nice to see you posting, Gene, thanks for the beer last weekend. JP

BECKS! Ah, glad to see you posting, since you can't be out jumping with us. Hope you are able to come back soon. JP

That's cool! I guess its a fabric painting on a roller? Actually, I'll have to restore the fireplace before we sell this house in about 7 years. Sometime in there I'll get a flat plasma jobbie. But that concealment thing would be cool!

Politics. There's other words for it, like organizational culture and stuff, but it boils down to personalities and politics. And there's nothing wrong with it. If you were in charge, you would want people to approach you in a certain way if they want you to give them something. So, you cruised into this DZ and took a camera slot on a 36-way. Two planes? It's possible you took a paid slot from one of the staff camera fliers who would have been on the other plane. Plus, camera fliers are all pretty much conducting business when they fly, and it's polite to check with the DZO/DZM about procedure. That flatters the DZO/DZM and is also positive for safety. You should have walked up to the manager, introduced yourself, told the fella you had X jumps with X tandems and X big ways. You were going to jump with the load organizer, the LO was cool with it, "is there anything you'd like to tell me?" It would be best if the LO did this with you, or maybe even on your behalf. LO's make money for DZ's, and most of them are well respected. So, you may have injured an ego by showing up and taking the step without checking procedure. Be patient. We all establish reputations with time. It is very VERY much worth it to take your time, as the more time you have a good reputation, the easier it is to have mistakes forgotten. If you get a flakey rep, it sometimes can follow you forever regardless of the long track record of being solid that you have. And eventually you'll be visiting a DZ to fun jump and an LO or DZM will seek you out to do some filming when they are short staffed. Having DZM's owing you favors is the BEST! Last year the Georgia Tech collegiate 4 way team asked me to video them at Eloy cause they were directed to me by a camera flier who knew me professionally. During the American Boogie the DZM asked me to film a tandem cause he was short-staffed. I got to do the DZ.big ways last year cause Bets was short staffed. Cause I was there with my gear and had a reputation as a guy who could follow the program. So, I'd suggest starting your discussion with an apology, telling the DZO/DZM what your goals are, and how would they suggest you go about achieving them? And listen and don't tell the person about other stuff you've heard. And then thank them for their instruction. Skydivers love mentoring people who listen.

They make the rockin' world go round.

I actually think that's a great idea. For sexually active heterosexual men, I'd suggest getting this done. It is more easily reversed than a vasectomy and odds are most men will have sex for 10 years before they want to concieve a child.

I have everybody that I want. And just about all my DZ.buddies are going to be at Eloy in just over a month. Except maybe Bytch. I want Bytch to be able to come to Eloy for the Holiday Boogie.