karenmeal

Nice. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Ok. The title will be: The Legend of The Lazy Leprechaun There once was a lazy leprechaun named Lizzy who lived in a little village. Lizzy would lay around the house all day long looking at her lively friends through her living room window... This is not some book to be published or something, it's just a little therapy activity that I'm going to have some fun with. My kiddo (speech client) likes reading, so I'm making her a book that we'll take turns reading together. Any bored non-pervs who feel like continuing the story.. be my guest!! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

ok ok.. not a dirty kid's book. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Oooohh.. leprechaun! Nice. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Alright.. help me write a quick kid's story that I'm going to use for a therapy activity. Using "L" words in short phrases. The "L" words must be easily illustrated (nouns or easy to picture verbs). Lenny the Lion? Lisa the leopard? Leo the leper? Laura the llama? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

2 hop and pops. First jumps back since the plane crash. I was scared to get back in a plane, but it was good to get my feet wet again. The DZ is now a quiet, lonely place. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

You know, that is a really good idea. I was just thinking about figuring out how to do something like that yesterday. Jeff and I want to have thanksgiving by ourselves and since we're doing that it'd be cool to also cook for a family that needs it. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I don't think it has much to do with the media attention. It has more to do with the fact that I've known some of those folks for going on 5 years. I was really close to some of them and would have become really close to others. A big chunk of my social network has just been taken out all at once. It's a very different thing to when I've lost a friend at a time to skydiving when there is only one person I'm missing and thinking about. The tough thing for this is that that I think about one person and I cycle through all of the other friends that I lost. There are so many things that could remind me of any one of them any time of the day. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Grief - has just hit me hard. I was friends with so many people on that caravan and I just haven't been able to deal with things until now. I just started grad school and it's been a 70-80 hour a week commitment. Going to funerals for 3 out of the last 4 weekends has been a tough addition into an already stressful schedule. Just this week, I got past mid-terms and finally got into the swing of things as far as having clients goes. The stress from school has eased off a bit, and with that the adrenaline of getting through another day has faded and I'm finally left to face my feelings. I still can't believe we lost that many friends. In my mind I keep replaying scenarios of what the last moments have been like, I've seen the pictures of the crash sight and morbidly, I keep thinking about that. I know some of you have lost friends in plane crashes, how do you deal with losing that many friends at once? I'm going to a counselor on Wednesday, I didn't realize I needed it until yesterday. I'm posting not to get the response of, "you need help," because I am getting it, but to get responses from the people who have experienced something similar. I'd love to hear from you Quantum Leap folk. -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Ralph, I didn't get to know you - but I heard you around the DZ. I know that you were happy, vibrant and brought a good energy to the place. I'm sure it would have just been a matter of time before we called each other friends instead of acquaintances. Blues skies buddy, Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Hollie, Always smiling, you brought an amazing energy to the dropzone. Not only did all of the DZ boys light up when you were around, but the girls did too. I wish I'd gotten to know you better. I know that you'll be missed by many people. Blue skies chica, -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Bryan, You were an experienced jumper that I didn't mind packing for. That says a lot!! I still remember the time I tried to give you a cactus and you wouldn't accept the gift because you did not want to have to tend to a living thing! Man I teased you about that for months. I'm glad that you got to jump Baring. Blue skies. Nice long swoops Bryan. Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Jeff, YOU WERE/ARE/IS AWESOME! That is the first word that comes to mind when I think about you. Awesome. I LOVED your sense of humor. I could not possibly be around you and not be in a good mood. Wasn't possible. When you first started hanging around Snohomish I remember thinking, who is this strange guy in the pink helmet who knows my name and always greets me? Well.. even though I was shy around you at first you kept talking.. and talking... and talking till we became buddies. You were an awesome packer - and I'm not just saying that because you're gone and you're supposed to say nice things about dead people. No.. you were a damn good packer. I'll miss seeing your friendly face. Whenever I think of pink ninjas and pirates, I'll think of you. -Karen MAY THE MOLEST-ACHE LIVE ON FOREVER!!!! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Landon, My fellow packer. I was supposed to teach you to freefly this summer. I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to do that. Packer + vidiot = no mutual fun jumps. What can I say? I've met some of your long-time (whuffo!) friends and it is obvious that you were very much loved and respected among many many people -within the skydiving community and outside of it. I caught up with an old professor of mine, who was a current professor of yours. He only had good things to say about you. I'm sorry you were so young but I know that you made an impact on the world. Blue skies to my fellow packer, Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Andy, I didn't get to know you very well but I'm glad that I had the chance to meet you and your beautiful girlfriend. I'm glad that I got to video Jules, at the memorial I was looking at the pictures that I took of you all that day. You obviously loved her - adored her and I admire that devotion. This weekend I get to jump with your brother and do video for him. We'll all be thinking about you. Blue skies and big cliffs, Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Casey, The last time I talked to you I was encouraging you to go after a girl that I like and respect. I wanted, and- expected, to see you get married and have kids and the family that you so obviously wanted. I respected you for being a good, kind, decent man. I wish that you had had the chance to fulfill your dreams. I'll try and live some of the life lessons I learned from you: be welcome and hospitable, be generous, love your family and your friends. -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Michelle, You were one awesome chica. No denying that. Immediately I had a connection with you - another goofy, wiseass dropzone girl! Who could resist your obvious charm? You'll be missed. You brightened many of my days. -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Cecil, I am missing you. I keep hoping to run into you on campus. I keep hoping that your last moments were somehow peaceful. I keep hoping that someone you pulled off a D.B. Cooper sort of stunt and that you're not really gone. I wish we had more time. Just a couple more jumps together so we could pull off all of the stuff that we talked about. I already had our next several jumps together planned. We would re-do the Western Washington jump with proper sunlight and on the next jump we'd launch a flower to 360 to flower to eagle to spock and carve. You were finally ready to start trying to turn some points. -Karen "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Been missing your smile a lot lately. I'm so glad that I got to learn something about flyfishing from you. I still remember one day when you caught about your 8th fish of the day (after I had caught 1). You yelled at me that you had caught another one and then pulled up hard on your fly rod, so hard that you pulled that little tiny rainbow trout right out of the water and smacked it down on the rocks behind you. I teased you that you had done that just to mock me and my lack of fishing abilities. We fished for hours in the pouring rain and you never stopped smiling.

Well... I will say that your lack of sugar-coating things didn't sit well with me when I first met you. "What kind of dumbass lands in the fucking gun club?" "Me." But then... that was a pretty fucking dumb thing to do! And you let me stay in your trailer which was waaaaaay cool. -Karen p.s. When I was briefed that it was a gun club I didn't equate that to shooting range, I thought it was just a place where people went to go talk about guns. p.s.s. And no.. I did not notice the shooting.. I tune out sounds really easily. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I know someone else pointed this out already - but airspeed has a full page picture for the closing shot! I guess that is not good enough recognition for you? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

We only had our doorbell ring twice for a total of 6 kids! We live in a neighborhood with tons of kids so I was pretty dissapointed. I even put a sign up saying we had lots of candy! I went to bed last night hoping that maybe someone would at least smash my pumpkins or something. Considering it was good weather out there and we live in a well lit neighborhood with lots of houses close together, that was a pathetic halloween. We have soooooo much candy left over. Pounds and Pounds of it. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

My clock automatically changes for daylight savings.. I was confused when the other clocks in the house were wrong. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

If you're in a research class.. your grade = dependent variable whether or not we fill it out = independent variable I'm studying for my behavioral research class right now. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I do not particularly care for ostrich eggs. A jumper at my "home" DZ was an ostrich farmer and would make breakfast for the local jumpers on one egg. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham