Dagny

Ouch...D-nied! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

You can get a ton of information from www.marrow.org - the website for the national marrow program. To get on the registry you have to donate a couple of tubes of blood and then keep your contact info up to date. I've been on the registry for maybe 10 years now and have only been asked once about donating marrow. I went to the clinic where they took maybe 6 or 8 tubes of blood to do DNA testing, blood type, look for diseases and stuff. Never had to donate, though, because someone else in the country was a better genetic match. I always encourage people to join, but the best donors are usually family. Good luck to you and your friend! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

ummm....buttered sheep? Should I be scared? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Yes, but were you topless? Those are the really classic NOPD pics! What do they say...keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Just kidding, they're mostly a good bunch of guys over there... Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Damn, this could get expensive! Camping gear, beer, jump money, beer, birdman suit so Stacy will buy some beer.... Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Beware mardi gras, it takes no prisoners! Unlike the NOPD who are happy to arrest the random drunk in public or nude whatever.... There's gotta be a hurricane with your name on it, sunshine! (You'll be back!) Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I went kayaking down this heavily wooded waterway and there were big spiders like that in huge webs stretching overhead. (wolf spiders? see...people would like 'em better if they didn't have names like that...oh, yeah, and if they didn't look all creepy) I swear if one of those things fell on me or my kayak, I would have walked on water! I can't squish the things because they CRUNCH and I hate that...but if it growled...(another reason men are useful to have around) This one time, there was a roach in my house that actually stared me down as I threatened it with a shoe, but that's another story! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Sounds good to me! Looks like it might be time to invest in a tent, after all...then again, who needs sleep? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Tips...from a newbie to a newbie... SAVE your MONEY! Be prepared to start calling all your money "jump money" and don't be surprised when you stop spending it on things you don't need...like food! Know your addiction (skydiving) and embrace it! Oh, and have fun! (I'm only on aff5, how much advice could I possibly give?) Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

oooh! I wanna play that weekend, too! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I see boobs every day! But then...they're mine, so I guess that doesn't count? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

I jumped twice in a day for the first time and now I've got bruises on both arms and my thighs. Between those and the bruises on my legs from mountain biking, I look accident prone!! The thing I learned this past weekend at the DZ, ibuprofen works miracles and beer and margaritas make it all okay! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

If you can't work something out for him then it's probably best to just tell him. Maybe you could just say something like...the DZ has a couple of safety rules so you don't have a heart condition, right? No. You don't have epilepsy, right? No. You weigh less than 230, right? ummm...no? That might be a good way to start a weight discussion. I went with a group of friends for our first tandem experience and one guy who is big, big, big and muscular weighed too much and manifest told him it was a no go. It sucked for him because he had to wait while all 13 of us did our jumps and had to endure a 4 hour roundtrip for, essentially, nothing. It's gotta be easier to tell a friend that he weighs too much then watch him sitting all bored and depressed at the DZ. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

That is so freakin' funny!!!! Good thing he had a sense of humor about it...hope you bought him a recovery beer. I wouldn't laugh so hard except that I watched my friend, who is going through AFF with me, come within millimeters of making her JM a soprano while doing a practice pull on our pre-jump. Hehehe...I bet he'll rethink his attire when working with us! Helmet...check. Jumpsuit....check. Protective cup...check, definitely! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Welcome to the forums...and skydiving! Good to see another southern chick in da house! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

AFF is going great and I love it! But, I think the weather must hate me or something. I either have crappy, cloudy skies and no wind or beautiful, blue-for-miles skies and high wind. Every time I drive out to the dropzone (2 hours away!) and say I'd like to jump at least twice, I've been lucky if I get to jump once. And, yesterday....2 hour drive and spent the afternoon chatting with friends and staff and watching base videos instead of jumping due to wind. It was fun and a great way to spend the afternoon, but the drive home is soooooooo much better when I can jump and get my fix! Edit to add: My friends and I have decided that instead of saying we're going to the DZ to jump at least twice, we're going to publicly announce that we're only going to observe. The way we figure it, maybe that'll psych out the weather and then we can finally get through the training jumps! Otherwise, AFF rocks. I'm on jump 3 which is the same as L1 except the JM's are going to let go...so now I just have to be aware of my body position and how to fix an instability. Some friends were practicing for L6 and that looks awesome! One JM and a exit dive and a backflip...cool! You're going to have so much fun with it! And don't expect your mental obsession to go away anytime soon!

Oh, I'm so curious....why to the right? Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Would someone seriously risk their life just to get rich off of a dropzone? For that matter, is it even possible to get rich off of a dz? Seems pretty risky...you know, if I survive this I'll be rich. Just a thought. Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Such an awesome statement! I tried to explain to my parents why I want to skydive (by the way, that's the last time we've spoken about it - they won't even let me say the word in their presence) and didn't feel very successful. They kept saying that I could die and that I shouldn't take big risks like that and asking why I would do something so risky. Saying, "well, it's fun" just didn't argue well. After some thought I realized that we, as individuals, don't really choose the things that define us. These things choose us. To deny ourselves out of fear (which can be conquered) would be to deny who we are. Anyway, that's how I tried to explain it to my parents. They still hate that I'm skydiving, but they would never try to stop me. That's respect. As far as feeling that you'd "rather die flying than live dreaming about skydiving", I get what you're saying. Once when I was scuba diving, it was so amazing and beautiful that I thought if I died right at that moment, it would be okay because I was really happy. Of course, doesn't mean anyone around here WANTS to die today or even tomorrow. The thing that sets those people apart who are doing what they dream from those who only think about what they could do and never act is something inside. Strength, maybe? As in...the strength to jump out of an airplane at 13,500 even when the butterflies are staging a coup. Oh, and iamspoild, you should come visit Florida when you're all frozen over! Beautiful weather, beaches, people, and dropzones....even better when there isn't a Cat.5 hurricane bearing down on it! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

GOOD LUCK! Is it just the written or the practical, too? I'm a nationally registered paramedic from Louisiana (before school dragged me to Florida!) and my best advice is to relax, have fun, and have faith in what you know! It's so worth the effort...trust me...and I've heard the medics here in FL are elites, so enjoy knowing what you've accomplished! And once it's all over and you've got your kick-ass certificate verifying your success, have a beer to celebrate that payraise! And if you ever get nervous out there, remember your ABC's will save you. Oh, yes, and if a pregnant woman (g-5,p-4) says her water broke and the contractions are coming so close you can't time them, and now she wants to push....well, my friend, glove up! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Ooooo, count me in as one of the sweaty palms people! I've been excited about every jump, but as soon as the plane starts rolling, I get nervous. So then everyone is chatting and enjoying the ride up and I've got my eyes closed visualizing my jump over...and over....and over again. Ad nauseum. It's all good, though, when I'm in the air... Someone told me the butterflies start to die down around jump 100 or so...Since I'm at jump 3....well, I guess it's time to make friends with 'em! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

i can't believe that guy seriously went on tv to tell this story and its really wrong that tv producers didn't have an instructor there to publicly address his stupidity! Some people just won't die no matter how hard they try. My fave is watching him float into power lines with all that open field beside him! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

that's a sweet pic of half dome! I went there over the summer (hot as hell!) and tried to hike it. If you're doing that in one day like I tried to do, start before 7am! I made it one mile from the top before I had to turn around since I didn't want to hike down in the dark. After a 4000 foot increase in elevation, I hated to turn around, ya know... Have fun, Yosemite is awesome! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali

Hi... I've been lurking since I did my first tandem in May and now that I'm completely hooked and going through AFF, I thought I might introduce myself. My name's Missy, I've been going through AFF at Skydive Sebastian and just finished L2. AFF is exhilirating, each jump leaves me wired and "high" for a really long time. It's a good thing I have some skydiving friends because I wouldn't have anyone to talk to about it otherwise. The rest of my friends think I'm spending too much money and taking too many risks. I think the greater travesty is to waste a life only dreaming about living. Some people dream, some people do. Anyway, the staff at skydive sebastian are incredible! I feel really safe and informed there, never afraid to ask one or a hundred questions. And my JM's are really supportive. (It's nice to know they're next to me in freefall and watching my back) I know, I know, eventually they'll let go... My goals...in order.... to pass each AFF level, to land (for once) on my feet and stay on them, to get my A, and then, hmmm....RW or freefly?? This website has been great, I've been learning a lot and it helps to have a resource when I'm not at the DZ. See you out there! Take me, I am the drug; take me, I am hallucinogenic. -Salvador Dali