Muffie

Use your brain. Does an aircraft emergency wait until a skydiver is a B or C license before it becomes possible? I never hear a PT6 debating this before, "man I really want to puke out my hot section today, but I noticed there were a few newly licensed jumpers on board". And it is a real shame you won't leave. You need a hobby other than pestering people on the internet. My guess is we were just unlucky enough that you happened to pick skydiving. If you had you chosen golf, or r/c planes, or any other activity chances are you would be on some message board bemoaning how you were unfairly run out of the golf,r/c plane, or whatever community. You rub people the wrong way, and your refusal to move a long is a perfect example of it! I second all of the above. TO THE OP: Better to make your first hop n pop in a calm learning environment where you can back out if you need to than have to do it for the first time when you're plane is plummeting to the ground. And, seriously, LET IT GO. You have been on here complaining about how they ran you off the dz for so long that it's just boring at this point. I don't know you, I don't know the people from that dz. I know your posts. And your posts tell me you have an issue because you can't let this thing die. There's a whole world out there--tons of amazing things you could be doing with your life. Find one of them. And, as a woman, if some guy had told me without my asking that men can be dogs and done so in a crude way, I would've been inclined to tell him to fuck off. One, because, "no shit." And, two, because chances are that guy was being ten times as creepy as any of the "dropzone dogs." WALK AWAY. And if you can't, seek help. Your obsession with this is not healthy.

Or "Don't screw the crew." But I guess that one would be for the boss's son. To the OP: You already have a problem because the guy is hanging around staring at you like a lost puppy. Date him and it doesn't work out, it'll be worse. Do you really want a job where every time you talk to another guy for more than ten seconds your ex gets all jealous and weird about it? It's not fun. And in this situation, guess who will end up leaving. Not the boss's son. But sometimes you just have to learn the hard way. (Oh, and I'll believe the OP is a real person when I see a picture of her with Vader.)

I had a friend who started jumping at 15. She was fine because she could handle herself. But she knew other girls who started jumping that young who definitely had some issues. (Seems one of the main instructors at the dz had a habit of choosing a new very young thing each year...) Your cousin's dad's around, so that should help some. When I was 14/15/16 I used to get hit on all the time by guys in their 20s, but when they realized my age they backed off or kept it friendly, but didn't try to move it along. The guys to watch for are the ones that don't back off. My advice--keep an eye on things and (assuming you have any) share a few "men can seem all sweet and nice, but sometimes they only have one goal" stories with her. I had an older brother who drilled that lesson home early. Ultimately, she's going to have to handle this herself because you can't watch her 24/7.

Can you automate more of the reports so she's just doing data entry but no calculations? I've had to do that for a few clients and projects. Basically create Excel spreadsheets that require the user to copy and paste their data into different tabs and then extract the information needed for the calculations. You put in a control page to make sure the copy and paste worked and that things that should match do.

You had a malfunction, kept your head, and handled it properly? While keeping track of your altitude? Seems to me you're probably doing a helluva lot better than some of those folks who've advanced a few levels over you. Many at this stage who had a malfunction would not handle it as well. And you've done tunnel time and were fine? And aren't scared when you're in the plane? Then this is a mental issue. You know you can do it, right? You're just psyching yourself out because you've wanted this so bad for so long. You're finally jumping out of a plane! After seven years of wanting to! Focus on that. Forget everything else. It'll come together.

Tried to. In 2009 (I was 33) I quit my comfortable job that was paying me more than I needed to be earning and taking up more of my life than I wanted it to. Sold the condo (at a loss). Moved into my brother's basement rent free. Plan was to go backpacking in New Zealand for three months, Eastern Europe for three months, and South America for three months, then come home and start a business in a completely different industry. Went to NZ and loved it. (My first skydive, too.) Decided I wanted to move there. Ended up going back to work for the same company, but as an independent contractor, because I could sell that to NZ immigration. It worked for two years. Earned more than I'd been earning before and was able to do it from Taupo and live fifteen minutes from the dropzone. I don't for a moment regret making the choice I did. I am ten times happier (if not more) with the life I'm living now. Keep in mind, I planned that move for about a year before making it. Even then, it did not turn out at all how I'd planned it. And stepping away from a professional career is not a choice to be made lightly. I was fortunate enough to be able to make things work. It could've just as easily gone to hell. (When I got back from that first trip to NZ I had $200 in the bank and no job. And that was with planning things out.)

I'm currently in the midst of a 3,500 mile solo road trip. I'm not in a hurry to get somewhere, so I've been averaging about five to six hours of driving per day with a few longer days and a few shorter days. I've done shorter trips with more hours of driving per day, but I found that with a ten plus day trip that I just didn't want to be sitting in the car for ten hours every day. Cruise control is your friend. I've found it nice to break things up with a few shorter days and some hiking thrown in, but not sure if that would work on your route. A cooler is definitely useful. Although, as a woman traveling alone, I tend to default to McDonald's or similar as a safe bathroom stop. I hesitate to use rest stops when I travel alone. We've driven dogs and flown them. Neither option is very fun. Is your dog small enough to fly in the passenger compartment of a plane? That might be the best option if so.

Kind of depends on what you're looking for...Do you want to be near a lot of restaurants and social activity? Do you want to be near the mountains for a quick hike? Wind tunnel? Dropzone? I'm also not sure that advice about Five Points is true anymore. When I was growing up that was definitely true, but I think it's undergone a revitalization with the light rail being built there and all.

I get that one, too. Of course, I've been in Prague the last two months, so I also get ones in Czech, which really do me no good at all. My question: why for those types of ads do they use some ugly as hell person to advertise a product that's supposedly designed to make you look good?

Really up to you. Maybe check with your instructors. For me, I bought goggles and alti first. Nothing fancy - just my own version of what I'd used as a student. (new) Then I bought a jumpsuit that I could use for basic RW and FF. (new) Then I bought my rig, canopy, reserve, AAD, helmet, and dytter in one package from someone selling their gear. I wouldn't spend massive amounts of money on the fanciest of the fanciest of anything at this stage, but it is good to have your own stuff. (And depending on where you jump, they're less likely to lend you or rent you certain gear after you're off student status.)

I'd also recommend being sure you understand the reasons behind the need for the fusions before you make any decisions. My dad had two spinal fusions about a year or two apart and was facing a third spinal surgery when he passed away. Turns out in his case that he was experiencing degeneration of the bones due to certain health issues he had. He obviously did not skydive, but doing so given his underlying issues would have likely resulted in paralysis at any stage after that first surgery. At the time, the doctors never really caught on to the underlying cause.

Well, at that age it probably is the easiest lowest interest rate loan that they can get. So, better than one of those 30% interest rate loans that I used to get in the mail back in the day. (Just cash this check...) Not sure those exist anymore. However, if someone does do that, I don't want to hear it when they can't pay their loans five or ten years later because their job doesn't pay them enough to cover the payments. (I have a friend who regularly posts on fb about her BMW and then about how much she'd love the government to pay off her student loans for her. Um, no.)

I think it's very much about the individual and how they approach things. I still have significant student loan debt because I paid for my second degree myself when my company backed out of sponsoring me. And I had to borrow for my first degree, too. BUT. Both came from schools that were worth borrowing to go to. My first job out of college I didn't have the right major but because I'd gone to "a really good school" they hired me and trusted me to go knock out the six units of accounting that were required. And while I had years of work experience that qualified me to actually do the job that I was hired for after my MBA program, I don't doubt that the school I got that degree from mattered very much to the company that hired me. On the other hand, I know a number of people, some skydivers included, who skipped college and busted their asses and are doing just fine. If you want a corporate/professional-type position, I think you pretty much need that degree. If you're entrepreneurial, creative, or looking to get into something like skydiving, then I say you work hard and get there without the degree. What you don't do is what my mother did when she finally decided to go to college and borrow the most they'll let you borrow and spend it on stupid shit. That's the path to doom.

The more times you say that the more it starts to sound like a challenge... I, too, nominate Promise5 to take you down.

Note to self: Do not suggest meeting up for a beer with davjohns anytime soon. Sex is a great stress reliever if the person you're having sex with doesn't up your stress levels. (Very rarely the case...) I've always leaned towards music and books. A good book lets me get away from what's stressing me out for a bit. And the right music can change my mood. Also, intense sports that require focus, like a great pick-up basketball game. Although, interestingly I found sea kayak fishing also worked for me. But I was a newbie, so might've just been the learning curve.

Both, but probably more of the former. As you say, some will go for anything. Ditto. I assumed it was a mistake and ignored it. **** And no offense to Promise5, but she is kinda a perfect fit for all y'alls preferences. I figured there was a 50/50 chance it was one of the regulars just messin' with the rest of you. But I honestly don't think anyone is actually THAT good that they could've pulled it off for this long.

Ditto. I figure most male/female friendships start with an attraction on one side or the other. Doesn't mean either person has to act on it but you can pretty much guarantee the thought is there if only for a second. Working in male-dominated fields I've always had more guy friends than female, but I rarely have to deal with that awkward moment when the guy tries something I don't want him to try. Maybe because I'm just that ugly. But more because I'm aware of the signs it's coming and I make sure to defuse the situation or not give the opening (because, as Shah taught us, being ugly is just not enough of a deterrant at your standard dropzone). I've managed to be friends with pretty much all types of guys. (Even the players know who's up for playing and who isn't.) Very, very rarely there's been a guy who didn't take the subtle hint. In which case I've threatened certain painful physical harm to his anatomy and cut off talking to him until he got the point. Being older does help with all that, though.

What makes you think that the older more experienced guys aren't going to be trying to get in your pants, too? Safest bet - assume any guy from 15 to 95 has at least thought about it. Some will just put more effort into making it happen than others and age is not the way to know which ones those are. As for jumps - compared to my first tandem my second one was boring and all I could think was how much I wanted to learn to jump for myself. So, do your first jump and go from there. And some AFF progressions include a tandem, so if you know you like jumping after the first jump, you may not want to waste money on more commercial tandems.

At least try writing something. If it's crap, delete it. If it's good, post it. Here's a writing exercise I learned this summer: Think of your most erotic experience. Write a paragraph using each sense (touch, taste, scent, sound, and sight). Take the best sentence from each of those paragraphs and use them to describe your scene. Who knows? It could be the new glory/name that rack thread (or inspire posts to those threads), but someone has to go first and it was your idea...

Yes. No. Great cure for writer's block ('cause who can't think of some sexy scenario if they let their mind wander?). Perhaps you should write some of your own and post it.

I checked doctor, boss, and teacher. (And yes, I realize what that says about me...at least I don't act on them.) I still feel sorry for the poor teacher. I was seventeen and he was maybe 22 or 23. Not my teacher, but sat in on my very small Spanish class. I used to just kind of stare the poor guy down. (He had great hands.) He was only in our class for a couple of weeks before the main teacher decided maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Such a bummer. Class was much more boring the rest of the year...

QuoteIn this case a main parachute line snagged on the container Quote This. It's my understanding that as his main deployed the lines wrapped around the base of the closing loop, which meant his main didn't deploy fully and that when he cut away the main stayed attached to the container. I'm not so sure that it isn't possible on certain types of rigs. When I bought my rig my AFFI advised me to have my rigger put a little modification around the base of the closing loop so that the lines couldn't do this same thing.

99% sure you don't lose U.S. citizenship just by being out of the country Found this on ehow: "Losing U.S. citizenship is more difficult than most think. As citizenship constitutes a right of birth, the law ensures that nothing short of court-tried treason and self-renunciation can result in the loss of citizenship. To lose citizenship, you must self-renounce voluntarily in a formal ceremony, in writing or in a self-aware act. Most cases of renunciation will prohibit you from regaining your citizenship in the future." Read more: How to Lose Citizenship in the U.S. | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5663456_lose-citizenship-u_s_.html#ixzz1yGyBtd00 Here's another article: http://www.visalaw.com/02apr1/12apr102.html The issue is probably more about visas and being able to legally be in the other country and keep returning there. Hopefully someone else knows more about Canadian visa requirements, but she shouldn't worry about the U.S. citizen part of it.

One of the most experienced guys I know who's been jumping as a career for twenty plus years used to spend entire weekends at the dropzone too scared to jump. I'm pretty sure he even used to pull over on the drive to the dz to puke. He got over and is one of the most rock solid jumpers I know. Try just hanging out at the dropzone for a bit with no expectation of jumping whatsoever and see how it goes. And find someone who's been around for long enough that they've seen it all and knows you in real life to give you some feedback.

I answered very rare/never, but that's because I have learned how to avoid certain situations that could turn threatening and how, as other posters above mentioned, to avoid unwanted attention by being aloof and controlling my actions. As a woman, I do feel I have to constantly be aware of the situation I'm in and the impression I'm creating. And I don't think men understand that feeling. For example, I was traveling alone in Spain and some man approached me on a street corner and tried to talk to me. I ignored him and he proceeded to talk to me in ten different languages, following me for three or four blocks. He only stopped when I happened to walk towards a police officer. I didn't feel threatened, but it was very uncomfortable. Some men I've told that story don't see the issue and applaud the guy for his persistence. What they don't understand is that there are so many men like that out there that it ruins it for all guys, because I am far less open and welcoming to all men as a result of the unwanted, frequently crass attention I received in my late teens/early 20's. To avoid those guys (who do not take much encouragement) means avoiding the nice guy sitting behind him, too. As for the wilderness issue. I hike alone frequently. And the danger there is the one on one situation where there is no one else around and it's me and some random guy on the trail. So far, so good, but I always know in the back of my mind that it's a possibility. And I have mentally rehearsed how I'll react if someone attacks me. I don't think something like that crosses most men's minds.