Deuce

Yeah, I quit law school but I already had my MA. I make good money as a bureaucrat/retiree I just can't stand my job, but deal with it because it supports my skydiving habit. While the other midlifers are getting timeshares and mistresses, I'm leaving off the camera step of an Otter. It's WAY cooler than having either a mistress or a timeshare. Since I got into the sport late, I already had my middle-class pile of stuff. With only a few very minor different turns in my life, I'd be living in a 5th wheel on the DZ. Monday - Friday I really wish I were. Try to remember you'll be a skydiver until your 70. What is that for you? Like 50 years? Get some decent used gear and budget for 2 jumps a week. 104 a year until you get whatever job you end up with. When you get weathered out, or other relative work interferes, bank-em. 4 jumps every other week is pretty active. When you get a windfall, get better gear. Definitely get some coaching when you get off of AFF, that's the best money you can spend. If you're gonna borrow, do it on 5% student loans NOT credit cards. Credit cards = EVIL.

Amen. I'm hoping to get one of our veteran camera fliers to jump with me for a free ride and play simon says.

I've got a PADI scuba rating. We had to do an ocean beach entry and exit in full wetsuits in Monterey in December. I bet the scuba people feel the same way about that. I haven't worn a wetsuit hood since. Your C license gets you everywhere, why sweat it? A guy broke his back on my second night jump and is paralyzed for life. I don't currently intend to to any more night jumps except into really well-lit areas like Davis has during their boogie. Night freefall is stupendous, but night landings require your full attention and focus.

Quade, you are the man. The govenment keeps me welded to this chair until 4:30 pacific time. If you can keep me from striking the tail on exit, and get stable enough to pull on time I'd be grateful. JP

My C wing Tony camera suit arrived yesterday. It fits fine, great quality, I really like the colors, etc. I am freaked about flying that wing. To put it bluntly, how does it work? I know I spread it out and it slows me down, and I bring my arms in to speed up. Is it supposed to be tight and flat when I spread my arms? How tight should the wing cords be? I don't have swoop cords in my RW suit. My mentor had me develop the ability to drop and float without them. Last Saturday with my 4 way team I was able to get good video in my FF suit, but I didn't get as steep and close as I'd like, because I didn't have the brakes of a camera suit wing. I've got the suit on yesterday, now I've got the brakes, but I don't know how to use them. Is this a quick thing to learn? I'm intimidated by starting over at square 1, because I think this wing thing is going to be completely different. I'm going to throw myself on the mercy of my DZ's camera fliers, who've all been really helpful, but can you-all enlighten me a little bit, so I don't have to continually ask "what do you mean"? Thanks in advance. JP

I had always wanted to get a tattoo, but didn't until after I got into skydiving. I find myself looking to see what the other skydivers "got". I've got the coolest St. Michael the Archangel (patron saint of skydivers) on my inner right bicep. Custom artwork by Cecelia of Mom's Body Shop in the Haight, SF. "You know, you've picked one of the most painful places to have this done?" No piercings. Ouch. More tattoos on Freeflyers than RW. Way more.

If you're talking about Eva Peron, I'm pretty sure I could take her. Where ARE the spelling Nazi's?

Go ahead. It's probably a Red Sox bat. I can choose between an A's bat and a Giant's bat.

You have a latex jumpsuit?

Shit! I completely forgot I had a great set of golf clubs! Maybe my DZO will trade me for several blocks of tickets! Great idea! I love you guys!

I quit Law School. I finished my first year, I was going at night, and I had to decide if I was going to do the necessary studying or skydive. My family didn't go on vacation this year, I bought gear and jumps. I owe them. I'll work harder at my day job. Have less, skydive more. Nationals are at Lake Wales next September. Is that anywhere near Disneyworld?

I'm often a "manifest bitch" as in "here's our tickets, get us on the next load, bitch" I find it unpleasant, and a reason to apply tension to soft connective tissues. I will be TG's bitch in exchange for keeping her firm on retainer for my next wildly stupid act.

Thanks Free. What the hell do you have in your hand in your picture? How come Fallingfast doesn't have a profile? How many posts do I have to go to the next level? Why is there 30-year old orange carpet in this building? Exactly how much longer until load 1 on Saturday? Can I launch a Greased Safe exit from a KingAir? Does this canopy make my ass look fast? GET ME OUT OF HERE! Thanks for listening. That is all.

BINGO! If your future wife wants to change you, she's your future ex-wife. 20 years ago did you think you'd be who you are today? You do not know who you will be 20 years from now. Married life is a journey into the unknown. Marry someone is a good traveling companion and go find out who you're gonna be when your old.

Fasterfaller, YOU are the guy who writes all those letters to Penthouse. "I never thought I'd be writing you...when she saw...she flew just the two of us to a nearby field where 5 of her friends from the Hawaiin Tropic competition....completely exhausted." I'm a skydiver, I can't afford for my wife to get a pilot's license

I hate to admit it, but now that I think about it, I must have spent almost 12 grand on skydiving this first 15 months. Rig, helmets, cameras 205 jumps plus AFF. That was dead-bang all of our disposable income, and then some. I've got a 4 way camera gig that is going to cut my jump ticket expense way down, and I don't need any more skydiving stuff (but oh, a second rig would be nice) so it's definitely her turn. If she had taken up professional golf, or downhill skiing would I have been patient and understanding that there wasn't as much money to do my stuff as I'd like? Would I have been as secure with her around studly guys as she is with me around gorgeous ski divas? (well yeah, "I'm dead-sexy" -Fat Bastard) I get her flowers every week and count my blessings. How many marriages can stand up to somebody who suddenly gets into stock-car racing, or any other really expensive hobby/sport? I think it's more about that than skydiving.

She's done a tandem.

I'll need a number that I can call collect from jail if it goes that way. If I called my Mrs. with that one, she wouldn't be able to drive for about a day from laughter-cramps. "You flashed Flo?" clunk. Hysterical laughter for hours.

My DZ has a wonderful, beautiful French female pilot for our KingAir, so I was wondering: Skybytch has said that she has extra-altitude worthy flashable parts that get her extra altitude. If a guy flashed a female pilot, what do you think would happen?

My story is like Jfields. I was a cop for 13 years and got injured on the job. The injury took 2 years to recover from so they retired me (rat bastards). Stopping panel vans in Oakland at 2:30 AM is way more dangerous that anything that skydiving can dish out. It occurred to me while in the AFF program that skydiving equipment can kill you, but it can't murder you. Anyhow, I am an unabashed adrenaline junkie. Launching and 8 way is almost just like serving a felony warrant. Kick the door, clear the rooms, safe, debrief. All that concentration, adrenaline, and coordination without any of the guns or violence. That's me. Without skydiving or some positive outlet for who I am, I'm a miserable person to be around. If I hadn't found skydiving, my marriage would probably have failed. My wife has done a tandem, and could pass AFF, but isn't interested enough to spend our money on it. She comes out with our girls in the evenings and hangs out about once a month when I stay till sunset. Half of all marriages fail. If you're getting 75% of what you want, that's a passing grade. Don't bitch cause you don't have 100%. It seems like half the time you stay together for the kids, and the other half of the time you hope you're not going to wake the kids up! 16 years this September. Nationals in Florida next year with the family! Whooo wha!

I got majorly rear-ended a couple of years ago and seriously whipflashed. I denied the ambulance ride and got a ride from a friend to the emergency room. Needed a neck brace, physical therapy, yadayada. They will determine the pain and inconvenience settlement by some equation involving the total cost of the accident. Bottom line, go for the ambulance ride if you need one. You'll almost never get enough to replace your car. It hurts just thinking about it. You may find you've got some soft tissue damage tomorrow when you wake up. Hope you're OK. Call the cop after hours. They can get seriously busted if they get dates in uniform.

Yeah, I saw a picture where you could hook that setup up belly to belly.

JT where are you going to jump in Vegas? I've heard this rumor that you can't jump right there in Vegas unless you did all your AFF jumps there. The plus is that you can bail on Fridays, if you get the weekend, and camp at Perris or Elsinore. I stayed in the bunkhouse at Perris and it was really nice for like $15.

Scott won his own contest, his first on this subject on dropzone.com, and therefore must buy us all beer. Him! Him! F Him!

Hey Scott, is this the first time you've won your own contest on dropzone.com? BEER! Don't come back without a case of something decent.