Pammi

roflmao!!! Oh gawd, the work internet police are gonna bust my a** for that one! LOL! Oh wait! I was laid off anyway so who gives a shit?! hehe A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Here here! I actually enjoyed bartending for the most part, but waitressing...that sucks! Of course I have a problem with any job that requires you to be nice to get paid

ROFL! Woohoo!! C'mon men...bare em!! Way to go Cyber! hehe A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

OH MY GAWD! EEEEWWWW! A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

No way! I'm a just being my normal gullible self or do you really get to meet Prince Andrew? That's very cool! Congrats Ben!!!! Skreamer..I think you are so NOT the skygod ... it's BEN! LOL! A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Oh wow. Okay, perhaps I'm a bit too moody this morning with stuff going on with me personally, but that was very scary to read. It even brought tears to my eyes at the possibilities. Things could have turned out horribly and I can't believe what a casual, amazing attitude you have about it and wanting to get back in the sky already. Your attitude and courage is admirable. Take care of you, Dove. The sky will be there when you're ready again. P A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Now, now...we've seen plenty of boobies ... when are we gonna have something here for the women eh? At least a few great butt shots :) A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Wow guys! So much helpful information! Thank you so much for taking the time to type all this out and help me understand the differences. Thank you especially Carl and Doreen for doing those pics so I could actually see some examples. I really, really appreciate it guys. It's like buying your first computer...hard to know when they are just trying to sell you something or they are telling you the truth about a products abilities. Thanks!! P A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Very cool Tee!!! You'll have to tell me how it is :) I never thought I'd want to try it, but it's started to intrigue me if I could get over my fear of the water..especially with all the shark attacks lately! *shiver* What a sweet guy! Better propose :) hehe A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Phew! There's probably a reason for that! I know I certainly don't have the balls to wear all white while jumping! LOL! Have fun you guys :) Nice to see you back on occassion Monk. P (and you single girls who do NOT know what Monk looks like, I'd suggest you go find out ) A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Hmm...how'd you do that?! Lookey! It's CRW! We're pinning Sangiro! hehe A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

What did you use to make the page, if I may ask? Mike Farmer had similar problems with his page not showing up on Netscape, and I believe he used the HTML editor included in Microsoft Word. Basically the problem is that Microsoft doesn't care about making the page compatible for Netscape. So if you use a Microsoft product, it's going to work best on another Microsoft product. Better to use a neutral HTML editor. The one I'm using now is Ace Html4free editor. As in the name, it's free, then they have a 'pro' version if you want to pay for it. The free one is good enough for me since I do a lot of my HTML stuff manually anyway, since that's how I learned it (taught myself). Most of my pages aren't that fancy as I don't have Flash programs and so forth, but on the other hand, a lot of people don't want to have to download a lot of other stuff to make the page viewable either. *shrug* Anyway...just a couple of things. Hope it helps. I'm certainly no web 'guru', just a junkie to learning new things and have done a few for small businesses and friends. P BTW..your site is awesome with IE anyway :) A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Well hell :( I'm sorry guys to all of you who knew her. I learned my lesson about thermals off trees a couple of months ago. I had no idea how far they could travel and how wicked they can be. Nearly hooked me into the ground..I was very lucky to have been able to counter quickly to keep from busting myself up. My condolences to the family and friends, of course. A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

How cute!! I myself have had a few 'kinda out' landings. Not really off-DZ since the DZ is so big! My absolute worst landing was the one on the runway at Quincy...overshot a little (was maybe 3 feet onto the runway...stupid me!) and tore up my poor Tony suit. However, I'm going to repair it as now it just has 'more personality' with all of the patches it's aquiring

Really?! I thought that was just an OSC 'urban legend' that someone landed in there! Cool! Wanna hear that story! A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

That was kinda my thinking in voting for CReW Zen. It's something you can watch people do from the ground without special equipment and it looks gorgeous! If I ever get my family to finally watch me jump (yeah right) I'd like to do another CReW jump where they can actually see what I'm doing (or attempting to do anyway!) Blade running is fun for whuffo's too! Well geez, it even makes ME nervous watching the speeds those guys get! I'd love to see more Freestyle myself. It is a discipline that really interests me as it can be very beautiful, and when you are a skydiver, you know how difficult it is also! To be able to pull off that stuff so gracefully is absolutely amazing to me! But if I got the opportunity to watch it sometime, I'd LOVE to do it in the air! Can you imagine being there beside someone and watching them do that, like that incredible couple who 'dance' together?? I wonder if that's possible to get your fall rate matched with someone doing that??? P A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Okay, I'm losing my mind, but I know I posted to this. *shrug* Congrats to you anyway Julie! Newbie stuff is welcome here! Keep sharing! We were all newbies at one time, and I still feel like one most times! Even with 62 jumps, there is still SO much to learn and I still suck ... that's the fun of it! More to do all the time. It's only gonna get better girl! P A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Congrats MM! Feels great doesn't it! Have a ball with your new license and be safe! BTW...tell Laura that I'm getting really tired of her not getting on here and sharing with us too! LOL! Mustn't let the men have all the fun! A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

So Viking..perhaps I missed it on another thread, but what sort of hybrid did you do? The only hybrid dive that I did was awesome! Still one of the best jumps yet, and I didn't even know it was going to happen or did anything other then fall in a two-way! LOL! It was just very awesome to be a part of and see :) A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

I agree with Phree. Probably the easiest thing to do is get someone to go over it with you. I'm sure there are many who are willing to do that at your local DZ. After a while, you'll end up getting a lot of advice and different ideas to use on how to pack, as it seems that everyone does it a little different. Then you'll probably do like most of them have, and myself too, come up with your own 'version' of how you like to do it from a combination of several others' ideas. Merrick and I got the 'Pack Like A Pro' video, but it wasn't as much help to me as actually watching and doing it with someone, step-by-step. I'm more of a hands-on sort of learner..I want to do it as I'm being taught, that way I can also ask questions of anything I don't quite understand. P A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

I have to say, the people at Tent 4 of Quincy are amazing. I can't even describe to you guys what it's like to be at Quincy, overwhelmed by the amount of things going on, as a newbie then have a place to go where people welcome you and really want to help you learn with no pressures. It was like a small DZ unto itself. My experience at Quincy was not as I'd thought it would be, obviously. After the first bi-plane jump, I was at the hospital with Merrick during most of it. I finally got back out there Saturday afternoon, just briefly, at Merrick's urging to go get a jump! I was really lonely, being unused to not having Merrick there to jump with and share the experience with, and a lot more scared of the whole thing then I'd started out being after what happened to him, plus meeting way too many other skydivers at the hospital with THEIR friends and families. I felt like I *had* to get up there though, get a jump, and show myself that these things happen, but you shouldn't quit! When I got back out to the airport, I grabbed all of my stuff from the tent and made my way to Tent 4. I see this board up saying "if you look lost or confused, you're in the right place"..something of that nature. It made me laugh. I met a very nice gentleman who talked to me a little and told me to have a seat, that there would be some organizers around to help me in a moment. After a bit, there was another gentleman (help me out here guys...I was so rushed afterwards, I didn't get a chance to get names or see anyone much after my jump!!) who was organizing a new load. I asked him if I could join, and he generously agreed! The first guy told them how I'd never jumped a rear-exit plane, so they decided to do a CASA jump for me :) Several others joined us and they organized a very simple 6 way, with me exiting linked with the organizer. We didn't pull it off, only 4 of us ending up together, but it was amazing and wonderful! Everyone was so incredibly friendly to me...trying to make me feel not so nervous, even when I was in the plane and expressed how I was more nervous then usual after Merrick's bad landing. After all, HE was the one that took this naturally, and if he can have something like that happen, I'm in deep shit! LOL! They told me over and over how it was all just good fun, that actually pulling it off was a 'bonus'. But even from just that one jump with them, I learned something! After turning in our two-way in circles, I discovered that the reason that always happens to me is that I look for the other skydivers coming in to take grips with us, and my body is following my head! The organizer kinda shook me and showed me to look directly at him, which I did and it immediately stopped! Another lesson learned :) I had to leave in a rush afterwards because when I called to the hospital, they were ready to release Merrick so I rushed straight back to help him. I didn't get to jump anymore with the guys there at Tent 4, but just that one jump, that welcome that I received there still touches me when I think about it. It was a difficult thing for me to go back out there and jump, by myself, especially watching a sweet couple on the plane sitting right in front of me kissing each other and such. I felt scared, lonely and like a traitor for experiencing the CASA without Merrick...for leaving him for even a moment. Skydivers really are a family, no matter who or where you are. It's a very special thing I feel priviledged to be a part of. P A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Oh my. Anyone in the market for a Dash-M 109?! Um..not completely joking here.

Ah animals :) Better friends then people most times! Let's see...one of my dog's names was Einstein (which he definately WASN'T). He was a Saint Bernard who was stolen from me when he was a year old. I still keep a picture of him up :( Right now we have Teddy (I know, cheesy...Teddy Bear is his name, but I got him 'on sale' from the humane society when I got divorced and he was my main snuggle friend when I needed it :) As for the on sale bit...well, he was on his last call unfortunately, and he actually wasn't the dog I went to go look at - saw an ad - but we just bonded immediately. It was strange...I still say HE picked ME!) Merrick calls him 'licker-bear' because he licks people constantly! I haven't told him I 'taught' him that when I was single LOL! Just kidding!! Really!! Judge...that's Merrick's 'pup' we also got from a Humane Society about a year ago. He is mostly Rottweiler, but has a good amount of Dane in him too is our best guess. He looks like a Rott with bigger ears and LONG, LONG legs. Pretty goofy, but an incredible sweety pie. He likes to get in between anyone 'arguing', even when it's just horsing around :) Thomas. Again, original. That's my old tom cat I've had for about 10 years. I actually was going to let my ex keep him when we divorced as I didn't think the cat particularly liked me, but he snuck on the moving truck and stayed there for a day and a half before we found him! I think he was wanting away as badly as me :) AND NOW! INTRODUCING! The newest member of our family! As of today, I am the proud owner of a 4-year old Himalayan (what a funny name...Him-a-lay-'en ... hehe) fluff-ball named Ceasar! I think he is going to live up to his name. LOL! He's very 'regal' acting. I've always wanted a Himalayan (spelling??) but just couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a cat. His mom needed to find him a good home though, cuz apparently her hubby's allergies are getting much worse and, though she cried too much the first time and couldn't go thru with it, she called me back and asked me to take him. I am doing my best to make him comfortable in his new home, but he's a sweety and I'm sure we'll all do nicely. Anyway...I'm a huge animal lover. Had to brag about my other 'children' :) Thanks for indulging me :) (Oh, and it seems no matter where I go, the neighbors always end up knowing I will take in anything! I have had a couple cats and dogs since moving here that I found homes for, and just last week a neighbor boy tried to bring me another dog! I told him if Merrick came home to find yet another pet in the house, I'm sure he'd kill me. hehe After the chihuahua fiasco last month, I think I better give him a 'stray' break :) lol! Guess I'm still living up to my nick of St. Francis that I got as a kid because I saved everything, including bugs :) I'm not Catholic so I guess that's a good thing and not just a long-standing joke I never got (not a first I'm sure!) Sorry, blabbering. p A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

The boys??? She's gonna show her testicles?! LOL! A new page! Bi-Plane pics!

Fred...is Analog zoom same as optical zoom? That's one of the options I seem to keep finding references being made to. Thanks for the help guys!!! A new page! Bi-Plane pics!