Kwoo

Less than 2 weeks to “Chesterfest”. I can’t wait. I’ve been attending the Skydive Carolina June boogie (whatever it’s been called) for years and it’s always a good time. There are always great organizers, vendors and special events. Free skydives, specialty jumps, lift capacity, evening entertainment, sit-fly-chickens and The Rodriguez Brothers. Who are the Rodriguez Brothers? …. This is also a great time to bring friends and family in for a tandem. A boogie is a great opportunity to show the people who don’t understand, the reason you skydive. If they mention Jump for the Cause when they book their tandem, Skydive Carolina will donate $20 to The City of Hope and Jump for the Cause. They are also, donating 50 cents of every fun jump to the same cause. In this day of shrinking profit margins this is a fantastic gift to a worthy charity. I’ll also have JFTC Boobie Koozies. The folks at Skydive Carolina are working very hard to make this a great event. See you there. karen

There appears to be a big hole in your schedule in June. ;) Are you busy with something else? miss you and La

bmore_chrissy DBCOOPER and Deb Deisel EDYDO eUrNiCc Grannyinthesky jumpjunkee Keithmaj Kwoo leroydb OuterFocker1 peregrinerose Redline165 skydivingchad Wag-Tail Okay... who else???

Saturday: Jump for the Cause Day Pig Pickin’ .... Stuart will be doing a traditional NC pig pickin. He's really good. many of you had this meal at the 35th anniversary celebration. We will be serving NC style Barbeque, potatoes, salad, bread, beans, slaw and hopefully hush puppies and banana pudding. There will be Boca burgers for our vegie friends. All donations will go the Jump For the Cause. For more info on this cause see www.jumpforthecause.com. We will have some JFTC goodies and jello shooters for sale. Lets make this boogie one for the records. A small group of people has invested a lot of time, $, and energy into making this a success. All most of us have to do is show up and have fun .... and that's the easy part. Have fun save skydives and stay for beer, dinner, bonfires and the amazing company that skydivers can provide. Thanksgiving is about enjoying time with family. Skydivers have been part of our extended family for a long time. ... sometimes unruly and disfunctional ... but we are family just the same. Can't wait, Karen and Stuart

So, this is what you meant when you said your jumpsuit exploded. Wow. The offer to borrow my JFTC suit still stands. But if you decide on the alternate make sure La gets video! love them flying monkeys, karen

Stuart and I are in. We were going to tonight's game but the weather forcast has scared us. Everyone needs to bring some extra 1 dollar bills! Greg taught us a new game last year. I feel lucky!!! karen

I think it was a 78way. It was set in the fall after the fire as part of a grand reopening celebration. I think Doc Mike was incharge. (I saw him yesterday in Raeford) We tried to break it a few years later with Morton and an 80 way sequential but I think the best we did was a 1point 76 way. to set a record like this we need a good organizer with lots of contacts and a bunch of planes (both in short supply at CSS lately!) But in would be fun to have a big attempt at CSS again. karen

lj, i think Paraclete is a 4-way team this year.(??) Okay, The weather looks good for Thursday ...anyone wanna come out and play. I've got the day off and I'm looking for an excuse to come down from Raleigh. I'll bring my rw and camera stuff. Kirk, Is Andy bringing the lovely Kelly? I miss that crazy girl. karen

This has been a challenging question for a long time. If it's a 4-way team that I've been training (and they've been covering my costs) w/ of coarse they get anything they want. Provided it's for their personal use or to promote the team. If it is big way stuff. I charge for downloads and stills. Even if my costs are covered. I used to do a a regualr monthly gig w/ a group of 15-30 jumpers that would hire a coach/organizer and cover my costs. Almost everyone wanted a copy of their jumps at the end of the day. As this was in the VHS days that meant that after sunset everyone was at the campfire or at dinner and I was still dubbibng video. However when I lost my video camera jumping with this group they took up a collection that almost covered the cost of a new camera. A class act group of jumpers! We do have a local guy who does video for fun groups and 4way teams. He pays for his own slots, pack jobs and expenses (even for 4way comp.!) and never charges for anything. He makes good money and says that it's the least he can do. He is a great guy but he makes things very diffucult for the rest of us. Sometimes I'll feel like a scrooge when all I want is my slot covered or a pack job. This is one of the reasons that with the exception of 4way, I do very little video anymore ...plus it's fun to touch people some times! kar

Dawn, sorry I missed talking to you this evening ... forgot take my cell off vibrate. please keep us posted on Jack. I'm leaving to visit my Dad in the hospital and won't be back till Friday, then off to Raeford for the meet. I would like to try to visit. I'm glad you will be there for him after the surgery. Having Pam there with me when Stuart finished his surgery was a godsend. It was a very long night trying to manage his pain. If anyone can be there for Dawn that would also be a good thing. karen

Ah, Beaver Swooper Would this make him Eric B. S. Miller? Here in the south a lot of people go by middle names or just initials so his good buddies will just call him BS. I'm off Saturday afternoon so I'll drag Stuart up there ... maybe even get him to jump. I don't eat bear so we'll bring something else to share with the group. karen

Marion, Happy Happy Happy day! Thanks to all the CSSers for the great company in Chester last weekend. Have the Fockers dryed out yet? I hear that nasty riser slap of Casey's has almost healed. I'm glad Darrin's night jump went better than Lewis's. He ended up in a very small fenced back yard and it took almost 10 minutes to get the homeowner to lower the shotgun and release him! Anyone heard from Joe recently? I heard on the radio that Big Pretty... was playing at the Downtown Live in Raleigh on Saturday. There are 4 or 5 bands on the bill and I'ld love to know when they are scheduled to play. Can't hang for the whole event. Anyone want to join Stuart and I in Moore Square on Saturday afternoon? karen

Keep it up. It's not just your ability to breath thats in question but your ability to heal. When Stuart broke his back his doctor was emphatic about the fact that if he was a smoker his surgery would have been much more extensive and his recovery much longer. Something to think about when we participate in sports that put us at risk of injury. I'm rooting for all my newly-non-smokin freinds at CSS! karen

I was at the DZ mentioned above and there were several reasons why no loads went up. The first, was one of aircraft. We had CASAs or a PAC-750 availible. The winds were cross to our rather tight runway and even though we were lousey with CASA pilots we only had one guy checked out (rather recently) to fly the PAC ( the pilots indicated that PACs don't do well in crosswind take offs) .... he checked the forcast many times and said no way.... his call, his right to make it. We probably had enough people floating around to put up a CASA but ... several experienced jumpers knowing the the issues with our landing area, hills and trees would not have gotten on the load. So, to have enough jumpers to justify firing up a CASA the remaining experienced, lower number jumpers and ....students would have to have all agreed to jump. I watched 2 very seasoned instuctors discuss their unwillingness to be the guy to make the call to send students up. I think DZO was around most of the day and he didn't even come down from his office to question why no loads were going up. About 1000 jumps ago I was lucky enough to walk away from a very scary (ask anyone that saw it) canopy collaspe on that same hill. But over the years I have seen several people go out by ambulance or helicopter under the same sorta conditions we had on Sunday. I think that based on the above situations the right call was made in the interest of both safty and profit(jumper and aircarft) It was a fine day to see friends and trade lies! valcore ...keep it up, 2 weeks plus! karen

Chris called me on this last week. I haven't figured out if I will make it again this year. I'm still working out the family vacation plans. I had a great time last year. If I get there you are welcome to any video I shoot. And like last year I'll also have snacks and water for you. hope to see you in Dublin Mom, karen

Chris, you are right about this. If this will be is a single CASA drop there is not enough safe room in the sky for 3 videos. There is barely room for 2 and only if they have both throughly dirt dived their part of the jump. As a CSS videographer I have what seems like hours of CASA big way video. If I get a second video (on a one plane big way) I prefer it to be a very experienced Freefly/video guy. I have him sit on the end of the port bench, film the exit, dive out last or in the middle of the group and go under . That way we can see each through the skydive. For a formation load I like 1 video per plane ... exits are cool. Lurker videos are always a bad idea you either part of the skydive or not. I don't know yet if I'll make it to Dublin again this year. I'm still working out the family vacation plan. Anybody know how to convince a 14 year old to load planes again this year? karen

but that bruise above her eye ........ I wonder where that one came from????? karen

We're going to have a pot luck dinner to celebrate Sparky and Kat's last day at CSS on Saturday October 8th. They will be camping out, as well as a few other regulars! Everyone should bring a dish, or something to munch on. Sparky has organized so many great formations for us! They will be missed greatly! Come out and plan to party! Stuart and I want to be there for a Kat and Sparkey's send off. Should we bring anything but food ... and beer? Is this a surprise? I miss my CSS folks sooo much. Haven't jumped at "home" since the last CaSL meet. Just returned for JFTC at Perris. There was a big spontaeous party Friday night after the record was achieved but at the poleyester part Saturday night much drinking and dancing to 70's stuff continued. When the DJ decided to play that one special tune by Wild Cherry, Fox force met in the middle of the dance floor and danced and sang just like we were on the CASA with our CSS family! Play THAT Funky Music........ karen

[reply Look at Kwoo's story about getting a freaking CAMERA while on jump run. (or a tape or whatever) Both a camera and a tape on a less than 5 minute call. The story has been posted in the Photog. and Video forum. "man, I love this sport!" karen

Man, I love this sport. When you've got the lead 4 intermediate teams on the same plane and your competitors come through for you it is pretty amazing. Earlier this year I had planed on using 2 cameras for nationals but when my team, Fox Force Four decided not to compete and my FTP took a flight on it's own into a chemical pond after a crazy-opening-spining-cutaway sorta thing I had not replaced the camera or the FTP. I got a FTN. Carolina Ice picked me up just 3 weeks ago after an injury to their camera guy. I had 16 jumps with them prior to arriving in Perris and no time to retrofit my FTN for 2 cameras. Ice had video issues at last years nationals and I didn't want to be the cause of any undo stress for them. Sooooo Thanks to fellow competitors like SKZY and shindig my team had a good rounds 9 and 10 and got to leave Perris with medals! You guys are the best. man, I love this sport! karen

Great idea Ltdiver. I can't believe I get to see you 2 more times this year, nationals and then JFTC! First in wings and then in pink! kare

sadly....the foxes wont be there this year......but i will!!!!! This year at least our camerachickie will be there. She is shooting camera for Ice, who ironicly found themselves in the same position as we did last year. (Get better soon Eric) (yes, thats it!) Okay, now that the Fox is out of the bag .. so to speak. One Fox will be attending Nationals. I get to shoot video for Ice As their video guy has been grounded do to injury. It's kind of ironic that I get to go this year after Duece replaced me last year when my husband got hurt right before the event. I can't wait to meet and hug Duece to thank him for taking such good care of my Foxies last year. I'm sure I can even come up with a purple stripey top and a thong for him. I don't think that my team this year will wear thongs for round 10! Duece you better get a team cause I can't wait to meet you in person. kare

If Ellis is coming....... If I can get off work that night, Stuart and I would love to go to the game. Oh, and Greg, our apologies to Carmen. If we don't get the camper sold soon we will return her shady spot. karen

I'm so happy you have you pup back home. I know how worried you both were. Thanks to the group at CSS that helped in this effort. You guys are the best. kar

I want a pink jumpsuit! You've worn enough of my clothes! You can't wear my pink jump suit! karen