Airman1270

Congrats. I got mine last year & only got to make 24 jumps with it before losing my job. I've been on the ground since January & can't fly again until I find work. I keep it unpacked in my spare room and look at it while playing my guitar. I love this thing! Hope to use it again soon. Meanwhile, anyone wanna jam? Cheers, Jon

>...The bible both condones violence and lays out examples of its usage... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ There are examples in the Old Testament of God allowing the destruction of people because they defied His authority. Nowhere do we find situations where God authorized harm to people who made a sincere effort to keep His commandments. In the New testament, Jesus changes the way we deal with sin. No longer do we see God venting His anger by destroying people. I can do some pretty horrible things to you and claim that I'm acting "in the name of Jesus", but if my actions contradict Biblical teaching there is no way you can credibly assign my behavior to Church teaching. Notice how we don't attempt to discredit other religions in this manner? There are plenty of examples of atheists, Jews, Muslims, etc. doing bad things and causing harm to individuals as well as society as a whole, but we don't blatantly condemn the entire religious viewpoint, nor those who subscribe to it, based on these examples. When you're driving along peacefully, and some guy with a fish on his car cuts you off and waves the finger at you, you consider this as proof of the hypocrisy & uselessness of Christianity. But when the same guy smiles and lets you merge into the lane before him, you don't say "Damn, I'm convinced - I must get me to a church this weekend and learn more about this Jesus dude." Many people seem to think that they'd be better off if there was less Christian influence in society, but at the same time, if you enter into a personal or a business relationship with someone and they fail to treat you according to Biblical standards, you're going to be pretty upset with them. If you lose your wallet, who do you want to find it? A con artist who spends his life trying to scam people, or a morally clean guy who picked it up off the street on his way home from Bible study? Which situation provides a greater likelihood of the wallet being returned to you? See how we've strayed? This thread was about whether we're more free in the USA. In the early days, Christianity was the dominant religious belief. Most people, to one extent or another, were influenced by this standard. The government respected the Church, and our laws reflected the Judeo-Christian moral foundation. Sure, we weren't perfect, but this was at a time when Americans enjoyed more freedom than at any other time in our history. During the 20th century, secularists actively worked to reduce Christian influence. Regardless of their motives, the end result has been more & more laws and a severe reduction in personal liberty. No matter what the topic, it appears one cannot say something positive about the Church without the conversation being derailed into a series of Christian bashing comments. Thanks again, Jon S.

>...The history of Christianity is filled with mass killings of heathens of all sorts. The history of religion in general is worse, with no shortage of even more current examples... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ True. The HISTORY of Christianity is filled with lots of bad stuff. This holds true for the history of atheism as well. The history of mankind is filled with lots of bad stuff. But neither Jesus nor the Bible condones this bad stuff. You're basing your evaluation of Christianity not on the teachings of Jesus, but on the conduct of imperfect men who acted outside the parameters of Biblical standards. If a skydiver robs a bank, or messes with a young child, this does not mean that USPA supports robbery or molestation. Cheers, Jon

>...I think any person of any gender should be able to marry any other person of any gender... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ You're trying to change the definition of a word that has meant a certain thing throughout thousands of years of recorded history. The benefits of state-sponsored respect for traditional mariage, and the potential long-term harm to society resulting from efforts to simply discard this definition due to left-wing, secular political pressure, have been articulated in great detail in many other forums. Cheers, Jon

>...The Nazi's were ardent Christians... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Huh????! - What evidence is there to support this claim? Which Christian teachings were they putting into practice? Love your neighbor? Consider others more highly than yourselves? Treat others as you'd want to be treated? These people may have attended church in their younger years, and maybe even believed in God, but there's no evidence that they allowed New Testament principles to influence their public policy decisions. Consider the brutal treatment of clergymen who spoke out against nazi policies. Christianity does not endorse hatred, let alone mistreatment, of Jews or anyone else who rejects Christ as Savior & Lord. >...Don't dress things up as they were not to simply prove a point... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Good advice. Cheers, Jon S.

>Over here homosexuals not only have the same rights as everyone >else . . . They can't get married... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ They are perfectly free to get married. Of course, if they're not attracted to the opposite sex there's little point in doing so, but they're free to marry if they really want to. You're falling into a common trap by claiming that the government has some sort of obligation to reject Judeo-Christian moral standards when writing legislation. The erosion of liberty is directly related to the increasing influence of secular humanism, which is being forced on us by members of both political parties as well as the legal profession. One small example of this principle can be found at numerous DZ's where they won't let me jump because my rig does not have an AAD. Under Judeo-Christian principles, I place my ultimate fate in the hands of God, knowing that if I do suffer an accident He allowed it to happen for reasons we may never understand. This is my choice. To interfere with this choice is to trample my liberty as well as my religious freedom. This is not an imposition on you. By allowing me to make this choice, you are under no obligation to worship Jesus Christ or modify your own behavior in any way. By forcing me to wear an AAD, you are imposing your own secular humanist beliefs on me, beliefs which are based on the assumption that there is no God, that mankind is capable, through legislation, of removing accidents & tragedies from the human experience. You'll defend this practice by pointing out that if I go in, you might be sued for failing to prevent the accident. This is how the legal industry is working to impose the religion of secular humanism on society. Legislators are under incredible pressure to vote for new laws which are designed to restrict our freedom, micro-manage our lives, and further criminalize things which are already illegal, in an effort to prevent bad things from happening. They know that the media, which is dominated by the secular left, will portray them as "not caring..." if they vote against these new laws. This is how liberty is eroded. Look at the list of things you were once free to do, which are now illegal. It's not the "religious right" that is demanding these laws. Perhaps they're not speaking out or fighting these trends very vigorously, but it's not the Church that wants to impose smoking bans in bars, force you to wear a seat belt, or insist you be arrested and have your car taken away if you have a dime bag of weed in the glove compartment. A glance at the 20th century, including but not limited to nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, China, and Cuba, illustrates what happens to personal freedom when the government is dominated by atheists. Cheers, Jon S.

I've had mine for 18 years. It still works, even after several layoffs. Cheers, Jon S.

Wow - I don't have the energy to respond point by point, but the short version is that, while we here in the USA can still claim to be the "freeest" nation on Earth, we're going in the wrong direction. For proof, consider the lengthy list of things we were free to do just 30 years ago which are illegal today. This is largely due to the creeping expansion of secular humanism, a philosopy which rejects God and makes mankind the ultimate authority. This system rejects mankind's God-created limitations, instead believing that perfection can be achieved and that any failure to attain perfection (i.e. crimes, accidents, tragedies, etc.) can be remedied through the legislature and the courts. This results in stupid laws (smoking bans in bars) and ridiculous lawsuits (such as suing the airlines for failing to prevent the 9/11 attacks.) Your point is well taken; at the same time, I know that if I make the effort to visit a DZ in your country with my old Wonderhog (belly band, round reserve, no AAD) I'll not be allowed to jump. One other point: Our country was founded on the concept of freedom based on morality. Several of the points you made, such as a reference to "gay rights", indicates a total moral collapse. Over here homosexuals not only have the same rights as everyone else, they already get preferential treatment and are seeking even more so-called "rights." In the 1990's a lesbian applied for a job with the Georgia Attorney General's office. During the interview procedures, she volunteered that she was a quiff girl. (Nobody asked.) She was not hired, then made a big legal stink, with the full support of the media, claiming she was entitled to the job and that the failure to hire her was some sort of crime. As a normal, straight white guy, I can be denied a job or an apartment and no lawyer is going to volunteer his services to represent me. Yet, when the same thing happens to a homosexual, they start bleating about how their "rights" are being trampled. The easiest way to be called a bigot in America is to treat gays just like everybody else. But I digress. Good point, also, about law enforcement. While I don't support drug legalization, it's clear that the cops' reaction to minor violations is way out of proportion to the offense. The fact is, police work, which used to be about helping people and chasing bad guys, has become more concerned with the enforcement of liberalism, using any excuse to stop people, check their papers, run their names through a computer, and search automobiles. Much of this is driven by the insatiable need for revenue to pay for big government programs and make sure everybody on the public payroll has taxpayer-funded health insurance. This stuff costs money. Anyway, my two cents. Good post, thanks. Cheers, Jon S.

Hmmm... You could get the Florida courts involved, then just let the poor dear starve to death. I understand it's okay as long as you play some nice music and give her a stuffed animal to cuddle... Seriously, I murdered my cat in 1996 after 18 wonderful years. We always had cats when I was growing up, but they were like Kennedys, always dying young. This was the first one to make it to old age. It was obvious she was shutting down, and if I'd waited another week or two I would have saved the $50. But we took her to a pet medical facility and gave her a shot of something nice. She went out purring and licking my nose. It'll hurt (you) a little, but you'll forever be glad you took this step. The fact that you're asking about it indicates you already know the time is coming. Cheers, Jon S.

QuotePC's are amazing, for rounds. They can be landed very softly, but of course they can also land very hard... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Oh yeah... In 1994 I borrowed a friend's PC, my first jump on one of these in 10 years. The first group, a 6-way, took too long in the door, so I went ahead of the next group and tracked 'til pull time. All was going well, coming down right on target, when at about 200' I remembered I weighed about 25lbs. more than I did last time under a round main. I don't know what made more noise, me hitting the ground or everybody going "Oooh!" at the same time. The PLF is my friend. Cheers, Jon S.

Interesting stuff... Anybody ever been grounded for political (non-safety related) reasons? In some previous posts I've referred to my two groundings in the 1980's. The first occurred shortly after graduation at a DZ far from home. After making a few jumps at the local "private club" DZ I was warned not to bother others for pin checks. No shit, there I was (), young, new, still overwhelmed with gear fear, just barely getting to know these guys & appreciating the help I was receiving, and afraid to speak up & cause trouble. So I sent a brief note to USPA asking for advice. (I did not identify anybody, nor did I mention the part about the pilot drinking beer during operating hours.) Rather than reply personally, they printed my letter in PARACHUTIST. This got me banned for life. My choice was to quit or drive 3+ hours to the next available DZ. This went on for several years. During this time, I had a hard reserve pull and almost went in. Given the circumstances, I was averaging fewer than 30 jumps a year. The DZO, who had welcomed me warmly, now became nervous and decided that, as a non-frequent jumper, I was a hole in the ground waiting to happen and told me not to come back. (This, despite my having proved I can keep my head in an emergency ...) Because of these experiences, I take an interest in this topic and hope any decision to ground someone would be limited to blatant, willful disregard for safety and little else. Of course, screwing the DZO's wife does fall under this category. If one gets kicked out of a bowling league, one simply needs to drive a few miles to the next bowling establishment. Most of us can consider ourselves fortunate to live within an hour's drive of a DZ. If we can't jump there, it becomes nearly impossible to continue in the sport. Cheers, Jon

QuoteI bought my Alti II used when I started jumping in 91 and it was pretty old then. It is still performing flawlessly. Best altimeter ever made in my opinion.... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Same here; My chest-mount Alti-II just passed the 20-year mark & still works fine. As does my Strong LoPo... Cheers, Jon

...It doesn't matter if is true or not, posting anything negative about a DZ will get you ostracized from that DZ.... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Wise words. In 1985 I saw some things at the local DZ that made me nervous. At the same time, these guys were very helpful to me, a recent graduate from another DZ miles away. I didn't want to make a fuss, so I sent a brief note to USPA describing the situation and asking advice. They never responded to me, but published my letter in the magazine. The next time I went to the DZ I was told I was banned "for life." The last time I saw any of these people was five years later at a boogie. They were still holding a grudge. I have to laugh when I hear people assuring newcomers that "there's no such thing as a stupid question", etc., and that they should never be afraid to ask. I saw a potentially risky situation and asked for advice, and 20 years later am still paying for it. Still, I learned a valuable lesson: Assume that anything you send to headquarters could end up in PARACHUTIST unless you specifically ask that it not be printed. By the way, I was right, but that's another story... Cheers, Jon (Reporting from the library while still looking for work and getting somewhat bummed out about the process.)

...Getting stable before deploying your reserve is a bad habit to get into, and people have died trying to get stable first. Reserves are designed to be deployed while unstable... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Not necessarily bad advice, but there is some wiggle room here. The main issue is that he was aware of his altitude and apparently kept his head during an emergency, two very valuable factors. In the early '80's I read an incident report describing a jumper who chopped a malfunction above 2000' at a demo. He immediately pulled his reserve without stopping his spin, even though he had plenty of time to work with. The line-twisted reserve streamered into the ground. My first reserve ride occurred as a student after I couldn't find my main ripcord. I knew I was taking too much time and was beginning to tumble. In one move I arched and pulled the reserve moments before the AAD would have fired. I've since had two more reserve rides; during both I flipped over stable after the chop, with plenty of time left to pull. Both cutaways occurred at or above 2000'. If the cutaway occurred under 1000', after, say, a canopy collission, I wouldn't worry about getting stable first. Nice going on getting back in the air right away. In 1988 I almost went in following a real hard reserve pull. Instead of praising me for keeping my head and saving my life, the DZO kicked me out. It was three months before I approached another DZ where I didn't know anybody, asking for a repack and hoping they wouldn't ask why my reserve was unpacked because I was afraid if they knew what had happened last time they wouldn't let me jump there. That ride to altitude was the worst I've ever had. That old ratty Strato Cloud, open at 4000', never looked so good. Cheers, Jon

Did you ever think about getting the sheet music or tab? FallRate _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ No. I had the Zeppelin book many years ago, back when I couldn't begin to play most of the stuff in it. Wish I still had it now. Jon S.

I believe many traffic problems could be eliminated if everyone would adopt the attitude of getting out of the other guy's way: 1) Light turns green, GO! 2) Car in front of you moves, YOU MOVE. Don't just sit there. 3 Accelerate as quickly as possible to the posted speed limit. 4) When merging into highway traffic, get up to speed as quickly as possible. If I ever end up on a jury in a case where the defendant did something violent to a driver who forced him to merge into highway traffic at 40mph, I will not vote to convict. How many times have you been the 5th or 6th car in line at the red light? The light turns green, and the first car begins to move. Soon it clears the intersection, and the second guy begins reaching for the gas. After a while, he completes his trip across and the third guy realizes it's his turn, etc. Unless it's a really long light cycle, you don't have a prayer. Are you one of those people who takes nearly a full minute to get up to speed? Well, knock it off. If my little four-cylinder '88 Chevy (with 160,000+ miles) can accelerate to 50+ within 20 seconds, then you can too. If there's a long line of cars stacked behind you and you're going slower than the speed limit, you're a jerk. And, of course...LEFT TURN ETIQUETTE: While waiting to make your turn (especially when I'm behind you), get into the middle of the intersection. This will ensure that, if we have to wait for the light to change, then we both can make our turns. If you hang back behind the line, then the light could change and we'll both have to sit there for several more minutes. L.T.E., part B: When waiting to make a left turn, especially on those two-lane roads, get over to the extreme left-hand portion of the lane. This will allow others a chance to pass you on the right. Nothing targets you for a paintball, or worse, more than just sitting there, in the middle of the lane, with four feet of pavement on your left and not enough room to pass on the right. This used to be basic, common sense stuff. I don't understand why so many people are able to hold drivers' licenses without understanding basic driving rules. Thus endeth the sermon for the time being. Cheers, Jon

QuoteGreat song. I've picked up the guitar again after a few years & have recently learned the Rain Song (my favorite)... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ YES!!!! Perhaps my all-time favorite Zep tune. I've been playing it for 30 years and almost have it down cold. I played that one a couple of times at open-mike night a few years back, the closest I ever came to getting cheap sex from a young woman based solely on my cool guitar skill. If I wasn't old & fat it might have happened... Also, last year I worked out a passable solo version of "Rock and Roll." Damn Page - it's a three chord song which took me 30 years to figure out. Jon

...Funny how it seems the US conservs yell the loudest about Const rights, yet it's generally the conserv politicians that pass things like RICO, The Terrorism Bill, The TSA, The PAtriot Act and the sort... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Point well taken, sort of. The trouble is that a secular-humanist mind set has been imposed on Americans, largely through the public school system and backed by the political left. These people refuse to accept human nature, with it's God-created limitations, and instead believe that any problem can be controlled, prevented, or eliminated through legislation. The result is the erosion of freedom, as new crimes are invented and it becomes illegal for you to do things you were previously free to do. In the wake of 9/11, the Bush administration (already being criticized for failing to prevent the attacks) was under pressure to "do something." The people criticizing "conservs" for supporting such ill-conceived and hastily implemented nonsense such as the TSA and the Patriot Act are the same people who would have accused Republicans of "not caring" if they had refused to take such actions. This is the same mentality that drives many DZ's to require AAD's, and/or prohibit the use of older equipment which is perfectly airworthy (such as rigs with belly bands), rather than allowing their customers to exercise freedom of choice and take responsibility for their own actions. Cheers, Jon S.

Oh, sure, we all learned the song years ago. After all, it was the law: All novice guitar players were required to learn "Stairway to Heaven." After boycotting the song for years because I was sick of it, I finally played it again this week. It's really not a bad song, and sounds okay when played well. Anyone else? Cheers, Jon

Coming up on 14 years; Have been asking her to agree to counseling for the past eight. She refuses to admit she's 50% of the problem... I've learned that she's afraid of intimacy. Her whole family is like this: no close friends, holding people at arm's length, only socializing with each other. Add a touch of "snob" factor to the mix: classical music (to the exclusion of other styles), "finer things in life," etc. It's not easy to keep one's nose in the air and head in the sand at the same time, but she's pretty good at it. If I had to do it again (which I would) I'd be careful about getting involved with someone who treats sex as a casual pasttime. Yes, I also had a past, but mine mostly involved relationships with steady girlfriends. Her life was mostly a series of flings & affairs, vacations, conventions, etc. She's never been able to make the transition to a morally upright relationship with the same guy year after year. I was once a real muffin; now I'm just boring. I also snore, don't make much money, and spend some of it on a hobby she has no use for and wishes I would just quit. Oh, sure, I used to be in demand, but now I'm just not good enough. I can't compete with some very exciting memories. If I ever do this again I'd rather find a woman who is willing to wait until marriage. I don't demand a virgin, but no man wants a whore, or even an ex-whore. And as far as the important stuff goes, she doesn't have to be a skydiver, but she better not have a problem with me spending time at the DZ. Cheers, Jon

Yup, me too... Am using the computer at the radio school after burning demo CD's to send out. They let former students use the facilities here. Also, the place I had been working at allows me to use their stuff too. The place was sold and the new owners can't use me. Besides, the guy I had been working for (State Senator Chip Rogers) had been paying us quite generously. Even if the new guys wanted to hire me, they couldn't pay me what I had been making, which was a lot for a small-market station but is not nearly as much as most people in their late 40's earn. Am shopping my demo to several large stations in the Atlanta area. I've got a nice talk-radio demo aimed at WGST, where I'd love to go up against Neal Boortz. (I wouldn't win, but it'd be fun anyway...) Also some unique news stories which would really spice up a music station, but would never fly at a standard politically-correct news operation. I've also written over 100 commercial scripts, etc. SOMEBODY cannot wait to hire me, but the burden is on me to prove it. Meanwhile, I guess I won't be making the Dublin boogie again this year. Sigh. Oh well, I'm sure there are kids in Africa who feel sorry for me. Best of luck to you. Looking forward to the victory reports. Cheers, Jon S.

...I'm running on it with no pain or problems, and I can jump off a chair and PLF. So I droped off my rig for a reserve repack and gonna go bak up in about a week. Yes, I did tell my surgeon... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ It's all coming back... I broke by ankle on my first jump in 1982. Was approaching the ground under a T-10 and had a brain fart on the PLF. The doctor was the same guy who had treated me for another broken ankle several years before, the result of an outfield collision during a high school softball game. He told me I shouldn't be jumping out of airplanes. I asked why he didn't tell me to give up baseball... The ride to altitude for my second jump the following year was one of my most frightening. I still remember the silhouette of the C-206 flying into the afternoon sun over Duanesburg, NY as I waited for the static-line to do its job. At 1000' I was ready for the PLF. Hit gently, rolled, and stood up. "What! Is that all there is to it?!" You'll be scared, but you'll be fine. Happy skies . Cheers, Jon S. (Reporting from the library during a break in the job search...)

...I truly believe the QUALITY (i.e. newness) of the gear is an issue... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Not necessarily... My most recent (3rd) reserve ride was more than seven years ago on a Wonderhog with a Strong lopo reserve. After realizing that the streamering main was a malfinction, rather than another snivel, I pulled the handles and, after waiting about 15 minutes, had an open reserve above 1000'. The system worked just fine. It was about 20 years old at the time. The landing was quite soft (or was I comparing it to the alternative?....) A witness described the incident as a "textbook cutaway." Too bad they didn't see me steer that round into a small clear spot in a neighbor's backyard. (Pause while reaching around to pat myself on the back.) I noticed the same helpless feeling mentioned elsewhere here - That moment after pulling the final handle and, having done all I could, just watching the neighbor's backyard pool getting bigger. Cheers, Jon S. (Reporting from the local library while the job search continues...)

Hmmmm... After four & a half years at WYXC (AM 1270) it appears I'm out of work. The station is being sold; we were supposed to find out this week who stays, who goes, etc., but there are a number of details yet to be worked out which could blow the deal. The new guy hasn't hired us, and the old guy paid us what he owed us and doesn't intend to keep us on the payroll any further (unless the deal falls through.) Meanwhile, we're running ESPN radio 24/7 while listeners call to ask what's going on. I know, you're asking "So? And this would affect me how?" We have no computer at home. I keep up with DZ.com at work. I came in today to clean out my stuff. If they rehire me, I can put my skydiving pictures back on the wall. Meanwhile, this may be my last visit with you guys for awhile. If I get hired at another station, I'll modify "Airman****" to reflect my new home. Meanwhile, thanks much. It's been a pleasure meeting you guys, with special high-fives to Airtwardo, Wendy, Hooknswoop, and Jimmy Tavino. See you at Rome or The Farm. Cheers, Jon S.

I don't remember ever NOT wanting to jump. As a kid I played parachute games, jumped off the swing pretending to pull a ripcord, etc. Went to airshows with Dad and was disappointed if the skydivers got weathered out. (1960's, rounds, etc.) Was working at a grocery store in Sayville, NY in 1979 when a former classmate stopped in. He and another friend had jumped earlier that year near Albany and were going back to try again. I said something like "Wow, I've always wanted to try that", etc. The next day the other friend stopped by my house and said "I hear you want to jump. Wanna come with us?" I went & trained for the first time, but couldn't jump due to weather. They never jumped again. I borrowed Mom's car the following weekend and made the four-hour drive back to Albany, but got weathered out again. The next year I returned with another friend and trained again. No jump. Weather. We returned two years later & trained again. Jumped, landed wrong & broke my ankle. (Friend did fine, but never jumped again.) I sat there waiting for the guys to find me, thinking "Wow, that was so cool!" Went back the next year, jumped, did well and stayed with it. Due to a mix of small income, medical bills, and four-hour trips to the DZ it took nearly two more years to graduate. During that time I learned there was a DZ near my home, but they didn't do student training. Also discovered the Ranch DZ, "only" three hours away. After graduating I made a few jumps close to home. Almost immediately I inadvertently caused/was victimized by an awkward political situation. Got kicked off the local DZ "for life." Spent the next six years driving to distant DZ's, averaging a couple of dozen jumps per year. In 1988 I almost went in on a hard reserve pull and was kicked off another DZ in Woodstock, CT. Got discouraged, almost quit. Got married & moved to Georgia in 1991 & finally began jumping only an hour from home. Wife has no hobbies, doesn't understand cameraderie, and still can't understand why it matters that I make a few jumps every month and maintain contact with other jumpers. Started bitching about the time & money spent at the DZ, and refused invitations to come along and get to know these folks. (Before marriage, she thought it was kinda neat and enjoyed spending the day with me on my occasional trips to the DZ. Even made a tandem in 1990 and said it was "nice." But from her perspective, skydiving was something I did once in a while, not every week or two.) Still, I love this sport! Cheers, Jon S.