What do you do?

[pop 0]

One thing about skydiving is that the participants come from so many different walks of life. I recall being on skydives with a PhD and an ex-convict on the same jump. And when you land, it's never about what you do, but the jump you just had, and the beer you are about to. So I'm curious to learn about some of the walks of life we have right here on dz.com. Tell us about yourselves. What do you do? Where were you born? What drives you? etc...anything you feel like sharing.

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[AllisonH 0]

I'll play... I was born in South Carolina, lived in Kansas for a while, and am now in Ohio. I'm a bit over halfway through a PhD program in exercise physiology and hope to teach at the college/university level when I'm finished. I also tutor math online for www.tutor.com. For the moment I'm a poor college student and spend pretty much all my money on jumping/tunnel/traveling to jump, with just enough left over to pay rent.

[psipike02 0]

I was born in Lansing, Michigan. Then moved to North Carolina, South Carolina, and then to Texas where I lived until I was 8 and the moved to Pennsylvania. I went to school in Michigan and just graduated in April 07 and I now live in Colorado. Hopefully I'll be going to Grad school at CU Boulder and getting a master's (possible PhD) in aerospace engineering and an MBA.

I work as a Systems Integration and Test Engineer for Ball Aerospace and also work the front counter at Skyventure Colorado.

My ultimate goal in life is to be accepted into the astronaut candidacy program and work for NASA. I also have a few side aspirations of becoming an AFF instructor at some point, opening my own nightclub and getting into modeling and/or acting.

Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

[taylor.freefall 0]

I was born in Salford, Manchester (UK) and worked refitting/servicing medical gas equipment and diving cylinders and then driving big rigs.
My wifes work is in LA where I now live and started skydiving this year. Plan on applying to LAPD but doubt I'll get in because of my age, I'll still try though.

[BillyVance 34]

I've lived in Alabama for all but 4 years of my life, the rest in Rochester, NY in college. My career has been spent mostly in the CAD field, mainly architecture. Currently a Mr Mom or stay-at-home dad. Much more fun... at least until she goes into preschool, then it's back to the job market for me.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[turtlespeed 212]

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One thing about skydiving is that the participants come from so many different walks of life. I recall being on skydives with a PhD and an ex-convict on the same jump. And when you land, it's never about what you do, but the jump you just had, and the beer you are about to. So I'm curious to learn about some of the walks of life we have right here on dz.com. Tell us about yourselves. What do you do? Where were you born? What drives you? etc...anything you feel like sharing.

What do you do? I am a post artist

Where were you born? On the freeway between Basars and Bakersfeild

What drives you? Mostly the short bus

etc...anything you feel like sharing. I'll share all my burdens with you.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[grannyinthesky 0]

I was born in the San Francisco area and lived along the California coast most of my life. In my 30's I decided to go back to school and got my MA in math at UC Davis. I'm currently a math teacher at a community college in Ontario, OR. I play saxaphone in our college jazz band and like photography and hope to someday be able to do photography while skydiving. I would sum myself up as having a 20 something brain in a 50 something body. Pat

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490

[EvilEagle 0]

What do you do? I am an F-15C Pilot in the USAF

Where were you born? East TN, haven't lived there in 13 years (standard nomad military life)

What drives you? To use a quote "I like anything that goes fast enough to do something stupid on" Motorcycle racing, jumping, snow skiing, travel, etc...

[moodyskydiver 0]

I was born in Dallas,TX and grew up in a small town just south of Dallas.Then I moved to a small town outside of Houston to go to school but ended up dropping out b/c I ran out of $.So right now I'm not doing anything except looking for a job.

Hopefully I'll go back to school sometime soon and finish my BS in Criminal Justice and Victims Studies.I'd like to work for law enforcement but my knee is bad so I probably wouldnt pass the physical so I'd like to work the court side of things and work for a victims advocacy group.I quit skydiving for 3yrs now b/c of said knee injury. I drive a Chevy extended cab truck.

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[KennC 0]

Born and raised in a very small town in SW Saskatchewan (home of the 2007 Grey Cup Champions) and have spent most of my life in the oilpatch, there and in Alberta. Have been a single dad forever it seems, my youngest will graduate in a couple years then it's just me (and my daughters cat! which I know she'll leave here). So, looking forward to getting back into jumping when I have some time on my hands.

... and wanting to know how to get a ride in an F-15 .. hint!!!

[airtwardo 6]

Born on Krypton.

Sent here to save the human race.


So far, really suckin' at my job!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[gonzalesna 0]

I was born in California, Moved around and back to california from Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Joined the Marine Corps out of high school, now I've been enlisted for over 4 years now and reenlisted back in September. I'm on my way to Florida in January to switch jobs. I'm gonna get to play with C-4!!! woo hoo!!!

Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie.

[JohnRich 4]

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Tell us about yourselves. What do you do? Where were you born? What drives you? etc...anything you feel like sharing.

You go first.

[mamajumps 0]

I was born in a yucky mid-western state but lived in Florida from the age of 2 weeks until I moved to Texas to go to college in 96. I graduated from Texas Tech University in 2000 with a degree in Business Management and a minor in accounting. I was a stay at home mom until 2001 and worked part time until 2004. Now that all of my kids are in school I am finally working in my degree field as an Event Registrar for the Methodist Conference in Florida. Love my job, but have come to realize that I hate being indoors and am currently back in school to be an EMT. I graduate this May, but my ultimate goal is to become a flight nurse!

[skybytch 259]

I'm a 42 year old college sophomore. Most of my classmates are younger than my son.

My son is cool. So's my dog.

I like beer.

I grew up on the Central Coast of California.

I once thought that I might like living in a state other than California, but I was proven wrong.

I really don't want to go to stats class today.

[alanab 0]

Born in Ann Arbor, MI, moved to Ohio before preschool up until 4th grade. After that I lived in Germany for 2 years, then back to Ohio. After high-school, I stayed in OH for 5 years of college at OU. Worked for a year in columbus then moved to beautiful Denver 1.5 years ago. I now work in a marketing agency that rules the world (not really but i love it) and also just bought my first house a month ago! Life is good now!

[livendive 8]

I've spent most of my life in various parts of WA state. A bit of a troublemaker in high school, I dropped out with crappy grades. I married, had a kid, and divorced while doing the Navy thing in California, then spent a couple years doing bouncer gigs at a couple of bars in WA. I thought I'd settled on a career with a few years of commercial fishing in WA, AK, and Russia, but had to quit that due to injury, so I started college. I got much better grades than I had in high school and got an AAS and eventually a BS, in environmental restoration and environmental quality respectively. After 10 years of working at a national lab (going to school the entire time too), I now work on groundwater remediation projects. My daughter is so far doing much better than me, with great grades in high school and into her second year of college...not to mention no real trouble yet, despite being older than I was when she was born. Started skydiving in 1995 and it scared the shit out of me. It took me 3 years to get 50 jumps in, but then the bug bit. 10 years, 4 ratings, and a couple thousand jumps later, I've had my ups and downs (ain't I punny?), but I'm still diggin' it.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[monkycndo 0]

Born and raised in California. No, not Cali. Cali is a little further south on a totally different continent. Let's all say it together, "California". Good, I knew you could. (Just one of my many pet peeves)

Dad was a Jack-of-All-Trades. Learned a lot from him and it has kept me in good stead through many jobs.

I was lucky to be given and then further developed a strong dose of common sense. Unfortunately, it is not so common. And as I tell people, common sense is not a British coin.

Currently work watching construction contractors to make sure they do their job. Herding cats is easier.

I'm a wysiwyg type of guy. I've been told I am a good teacher/coach and considering doing more of it.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[shropshire 0]

I started off by winning a swimming race against several million other, equally irritating little shits and grew (but not by much) into a RAF brat and matured (?) into a RAF computer tech' (where I learnt to Sky dive - Thanks Liz for paying for that).
Now work for myself as a freelance Project manager in the Physical Access security space - which is dead sweet!!.
1 wife, 2 dogs, no kids, 1 Harley and a couple of American friends - who speak funny.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[gonzalesna 0]

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I started off by winning a swimming race against several million other, equally irritating little shits and grew (but not by much) into a RAF brat and matured (?) into a RAF computer tech' (where I learnt to Sky dive - Thanks Liz for paying for that).
Now work for myself as a freelance Project manager in the Physical Access security space - which is dead sweet!!.
1 wife, 2 dogs, no kids, 1 Harley and a couple of American friends - who speak funny.

Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie.

[RALFFERS 0]

I was born in Poland, in 1981, however my parents relocated to the States when I was 5 years old; we've lived in Chicago ever since.

I did my time, I mean finished high school (God only knows how I graduated on time) than worked as a commercial web designer, but quit a little over a year into it - making too much money at too young of an age creates problems all their own. Since then I cleaned up my act and found skydiving, and the great people in it - the best thing that ever happened to me; my life has never been so blessed & enriched.. So now that I finished an Associates degree I'm trying to find good, stable work so I can continue to better myself and those around me....being able to find a way to finance all the tunnel time I need to get cleared for AFF and be able to jump solo would be good too...

Currently, I guess you could say I'm a DZ bum, but I will get up there 1 way or another! Disability has never stopped me before and it sure as hell isn't going to now!

Anyone got any ideas how I can relocate my happy ass to Florida?...

Dialogue/commentary between Divot, Twardo & myself -

"from your first Oshkosh when the three of us were riding to or from one of

[PLFXpert 0]

His name is BillyZ.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[pop 0]

It’s only fair that I answer my own question. I was born in Republic of Georgia (former USSR). In 1989 my family claimed political refuges status, and we escaped. After that we found ourselves living in Autria, and then in Italy. In 1990 we moved to Dallas. At that time I didn’t speak a word of English. For 7 years o m life I was a citizen of no country. In 2003 I moved to California and in 2005 to Canada. Came back to Texas in 2006.

In college I played Rugby. If anyone here knows the sport, I was a flanker. Currently I spend approximately 30 hours a week producing techno music. My partner and I have a studio here, and the rush of performing music live (rather than DJing) is very similar to that of skydiving. As a hobby I also train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Currently I partly own a cell phone company, and also work for a couple or rich guys opening up companies in Russia, shipping oil rigs and entertaining CEO types. I am the most laid back guy you’ll ever meet. I love life.

7 ounce wonders, music and dogs that are not into beer

[KennC 0]

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and we escaped

I jump with a chap who came here in much the same way. Glad you're here!!

[grannyinthesky 0]

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Born and raised in California. No, not Cali. Cali is a little further south on a totally different continent. Let's all say it together, "California". Good, I knew you could. (Just one of my many pet peeves)

Oh, thank you. It's one of mine too!

"safety first... and What the hell.....
safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy

POPS #10490