moodyskydiver

We just returned from the vet and hes saying our cat may be diabetic due to some glucose found in his urine.We're supposed to go back and pick him up tomorrow after the vet who is the "cat person" checks him over.Hopefully we've found the problem and it can be solved via oral medication rather than insulin,which is tougher. Has anyone else out there gone through this or have any info on cat diabetes? I'd love some info.I'm currently scouring the internet for info.I'm worried about my kitty right now. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

sometimes you have to go through the main home page to get to the pub when its acting screwy.Or atleast thats how I did it. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

LOL! dont think I havent contemplated it. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I know what you mean.I still like to go out to the dz every now and then just to hang out even if I cant jump.The people in this sport are awesome and I hate that I cant enjoy it on any other level than from the ground.But I have good memories and thats what should count in the end. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I'll give you the reader's digest condensed version: I had a hard landing that ruined my left knee but kept jumping on it anyway,making it worse.Eventually it got bad enough that I couldnt hardly walk w/o pain so I went to a sports med. doc and a pain management therapist and basically both said my jumping days were over.I've severely damaged the colateral ligaments in my left knee and did some tissue damage to the right knee from favoring my left knee/limping/kept jumping.Now I wear knee braces just to help me walk long distances or for long periods of time.The docs say if I jump again I'd probably do serious permanant damage. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Yeah, its hard for students to get their first gear but,this is an expensive sport.Thats why most new jumpers are told to buy used until they find out what they really like.I guess its kinda like your first car,its old and used but you're new to driving it so its best not to be given a corvette as your first car. as for exploitation,well I dont really know.The gear market is something I'm not completely current on as I've not jumped in 3 yrs (long story). "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I guess if its anything like the devaluation of the dollar then it sucks,personally. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Insomnia sucks! I'm SO bored.If anyone cares to join me in the pub to chat or would rather IM then PM me and I'll give you my screen name(s).Or just reply to this thread.Any topic is open season for me. shameless post whoring I know,but hell I cant sleep! "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

"I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them." ~ Jane Austen "Assume a virtue, if you have it not." ~William Shakespeare "A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal." ~ Oscar Wilde "I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."~Ayn Rand 'The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." ~Ayn Rand "A dream you dream alone is just a dream.A dream you dream together is reality"~John Lennon "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

does it count if you're pierced 'down there' and just wiggle the seam of your jeans around to do the trick while in class? "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Yes, I'm very careful where I shoot and what might be beyond my target that could be injured.I dont know about the rest of the states,but TX requires a hunter safety education course to anyone born after sept 1971.So this topic was throughly covered for bow and rifle hunting. and zipp0,yes I wear blaze orange along with my camo.TX requires that hunters wear atleast a blaze orange hat.Other states require a vest too but TX doesnt yet although we(my husband and I) do wear vests too even though they arent required. As for hearding the deer,well we're hunting in the national forest and thats a huge area to cover,so I'd rather sit and wait than chase them. We came back early this morning b/c my hubby twisted his knee wrong and we felt it better to go ahead and call it a day. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Yeah I'm wondering how I'm going to handle the dirty work.We arent trophy hunters.(although I wouldnt mind a nice pointed buck on the wall for my first kill)We use as much of the kill as possible.We're hunting deer and squirrel today but if we come across any wild hog theyre going in our freezer too! Its 5AM.I give up on trying to go back to sleep.I had a hard power nap though from 2-5AM. I just need some coffee now to kick start my butt into gear.If I'm too sleepy to hunt later on then I'll just sit in the stand with the hubby.I'm not going to risk my alertness just b/c its my first trip out. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

technically I'm hunting squirrel and my hubby is hunting deer since we're bringing the 12guage too(incase of pigs and such...or maybe a stray deer).We have a temp. blind too so thats cool. I'm basically going squirrel hunting to get used to the whole "be quite,still and patient" thing.We should be going deer hunting for real next weekend.I havent decided yet on taking the ipod or not. someone has been watching too much Ron White. dammit stop posting to this thread so I'll be forced to go to sleep!!! "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I'll be in my hubby's military style chemical/charcoal suit and its good down to -47F degrees,plus my new () camo Under Armor.Lukily the highs tomorrow are sunny and in the mid 60s.

No blood for me thanks.I'll just have to "break" that tradition. I will however transfer the beer skydiving tradition and buy a case of beer for my firsts instead...to be consumed after the hunt ofcourse. Dammit its after 1AM here and we're leaving at 6AM and I cant sleep for shit,even with my sleeping mediation,b/c I'm so exceited.I'm like a little kid on xmas eve. ugh..thats going to kill me.I'm NOT a patient person by nature and get bored very easily.Plus I'm NOT a "morning person" and usually would be going to bed about the time we're leaving in the morning/a few hrs from now.Dammit I'm just plain nocturnal.I've already asked my hubby if we could just hurry up and go now but he said no since we're hunting in the national Forest and game wardens tend to frown on spotlighting...lol. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Just bought my first hunting license and I'm getting out my camo stuff.I'm going hunting tomorrow.woohoo! My first hunt! just had to share and get that outta my system now so I'll be quiet tomorrow in the woods. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I choose attack or about to attack others and/or me.I use the same code of conduct that I was taught in my CHL class: only use force or deadly force when you feel that your person or a third party is in immenant danger. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

man that sucks.We canpretty much carry as many firearms as we want rifle or otherwise and people prefer to carry a sidearm incase of snakes and such. I'm not planning on taking all of this stuff into the woods with me.I'm talking about leaving most of it in the truck for emergencies or if something happens and we have to spend the night.Hell no I wouldnt carry all that crap! and just like at a DZ jumping, no beer until after the hunting is over for the day! So whats everyones thoughts on hunting footwear? I have a good pair of Ariat workboots that are very broken in and are comfy,would that work or should I buy a separate pair just for hunting?I'm looking at cost,durability,and comfort factors. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Ok, so I'm new to hunting and my hubby and I will be fitting me out with my own hunting gear.All I have right now is a blaze orange hat that I got free from taking the safety course.I figured I'd ask here so as not to forget anything that we may have overlooked.Also, I'll be needing a new pair of boots (along with alot of other clothing,camo,first aid,tolietries and whatnot) so I'm open to suggestions on a good boot for camping and hunting.I have a pair of Ariat work boots that are tan and fit very comfortably but maybe I need something else?Like I said, I'd love some suggestions if anyone has them. This is what I have so far on my list of things to get before hunting,,give me your opinion or info if I've left something out. gun and ammo (duh!) compass/map layered/insulated clothing camouflage outer clothing first aid kit anti-scent soap/deodorant ground line web belt canteen/thermos blaze orange hat/vest water purifier tablets hunting knife w/gut hook dressing kit gloves backpack sidearm (my 1911) and holster blanket MREs/food stuff poncho fire sticks/lighter flashlight w/colored lenses cell phone (for emergencies) 2way radios when buddy hunting camera toiletries I just feel like I'm forgetting something... "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Exactly.I wish we were able to take a proficiency test and "clep out" the same way you can with some college courses.Then just pay your little $15 testing fee and be done with it.I think it sucks that the instructors arent paid even though we had to pay $15 to take the course and that doesnt even include the hunting license price which we have to buy separately. What is scary is that you can go online and take everything but the field course and print it and take it to a place that does safety courses and then just do the field test.How many people probably had someone help them answering the questions or had a seperate window open to the study guide and just copied the answers that way.(I know b/c I almost did that route). "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

My CHL class was very long and boring b/c it was a streight 10hours in 1 day,not including lunch and breaks.The instructor made it clear that the state of TX said it had to be 10hrs and we would spend 10hrs in training.Luckily we had to furnish our own weapons for the range test so I was very familiar with the firearm I used in the range test. On the other hand, my safety course instructor gave us frequent breaks and it was 3.5-4hrs every night for 3 days,which comes out to about 10hrs if you include all the breaks and such.He did atleast bring in a pump action,break action and lever action firearms which we each had to load/unload safely with hollow "dummy rounds" to familiarize ourselves with the different types of actions.But then he gives us bolt actions for the range test. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I agree with you on the most part about teaching the younger hunters conservationism/preservationism and a continuation of this sport.I dont know about your class,but mine was 10hrs long and the info given could have been given easily in less time b/c its mostly common sense,responsibility and judgement.Plus the instructor skipped ALOT of the material and "taught for the test" rather than to produce responsible,capable and safe hunters. My instructor skipped around alot and basically just told us what would be on the test and didnt teach anything but that,which,the publications given to us covered MUCH more.There were questions on the test from chapters he didnt even cover but I knew them b/c I did my homework and did the practice test and read the material. I wish I'd had a better instructor.Mine liked to brag that hes had over 1000 students and has never failed one.The Instructor's incentives(b/c they are volunteers) are based on numbers of passed students and they receive knives,belt buckles and such for milestone marks in the teaching career,500,1000 etc..He bragged that he was 300 students shy of a free gun from S&W.That raises a flag to me saying hes too lenient and passes everyone rather than fail someone who might have needed it IMHO. So I guess,its not so much that I think the whole course idea is a waste of time,just my particular experience was.I hope there are better instructors out there than mine atleast. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

Well today we went to the TX Renaissance Festival and tomorrow we're going to go finish my Christmas shopping for my mother-in-law,hopefully. Yes, I actually have ALL of my xmas shopping done except for her.woohoo! "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

So I finally broke down and took the required (for those of us born after 9-2-1971) Hunter's Safety Education course.I'm so glad its over but wish I had those 10 hours of my life back lol.But, atleast now I can go hunting on military reservations(father-in-law is a hunting guide at Ft. Hood) and the local National Forest. I made the 2nd highest grade in the class,a 96 including the range field test. Plus I got a cute little blaze orange Gander Mtn. hat that says "hunter's safety graduate" across the back.(shameless advertising,I know).. Man,there were some young teenagers in there that passed and I sure as hell dont know how.I guess they dont have a maturity test for young hunter's yet. so what do you think:Hunter's Safety class is a good thing or a waste of time? "...just an earthbound misfit, I."

I'll second that: Al Pachino in "Devil's Advocate." My mom wont watch any Al Pachino movie now b/c she said she always sees him as satan after watching that movie. "...just an earthbound misfit, I."