dterrick

"shallow fry", if you are so inclined. So long as the shrimp can float then you;re good to go. Take a 1 qt saucepan and fill it a few inches deep, that will do. you can even use a frying pan. Beware, though, a deep fry thermometer is a virtual must if you have little or no experience with hot oil because a pan on an element can rapidly overheat and cause a fire. Seriously. You'll want the oil at about 375 - 400 deg fht. If you want an alternative, try this...: Butterfly the shrimp (slice them in half like they were a croissant but keep the pieces joined at the tips). Add a couple tablespoons of butter (unsalted prefereably, definately not margerine) to your frying pan. finely chop some garlic or shallots and add just as the butter begins to bubble. Add the shrimp. I kid you not, they'll take about 45 seconds to cook. Remove them and add a bit of white wine to the remaining butter/herbs/garlic to deglaze the pan. Add a tiny bit of flour (1/2 - 1 tsp) and stir till smooth while the mixture is bubbling Then add some cream (1/2 & half works fine, 2% is pushing it) for richness. You can use cayenne or paprika for 'heat' (also adds colour) or freshly ground white pepper. Now you have a beautiful sauce to add to the plate. Bonus points are in store for you if you serve on fresh bisuits, croissants, etc. You can easily add scallops and lobser or crab to this recipe to make a really fancy plate. Chef-boy-ar-Dave has suggested... enjoy. Remember, cooking isn't just a survival skill (unlike pull time) Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

I flew a very experienced Raven 2 as a main (near 1:1) for well over 100 jumps. I always joked that it was a "volvo station wagon - boxy and safe" but it was just that. A fresh one should fly nicely but I have found a PD 9 cell canopy has far superior flare power than the Raven with only an extra 10 sq. ft. Dropping 25 might level the playing field. Are you worried about crashing in a remote ares? If not I then wouldn't concern myself with the colour ... I'd go with the PD option especially if wingloading is not an issue. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

I'm the same weight +/- and i jumped one until very recently (#25 through #200 with a bunch of demos thrown in). The wingloading issue will depend on the condition of the main - mine became tired enough that anything less than a full speed aproach could lead to a THUMP on landing (aka not enough lift). Depending on how "tough" you are, this may or may not be a problem. Good points to consider, the pack volume of the Raven II is not far off many 170 ZP 9 cells - this is basicly what I've transitioned to so if you have a container that fits the main snug, you're in good shape. The Raven opens briskly. This is a good thing considering it is a reserve design. If you're inclined to do other than belly flying, beware that faster speeds = spankings. The Raven flies like a Volvo station wagon drives - it's boxy, safe, and not that fast (contemporaries of the Raven include the Cruiselite and the Fury). It's stable enough to let you stall it COMPLETELY (ie: fly it 'backwards'), without undue concern (warning, get coaching first!) - few dare do this on "modern" 9 cells or any tapered wings. Riser and toggle pressure is high enough to make it a workout to fly, but it's also great training to learn how to really use the risers to good effect. You'd find the jump to a Sabre 1 (170) very manageable; a Sabre II might scare you a little at first. There are two schools of thought on canopies: First, "forget the worn out antiques". Second, "learn to fly and get the most out of the old, slow, unfashionable gear and THEN make an educated decision about your skills and interests". I've follwed plan #2 so far. I'd say I got about as much out of it as I could within 100 jumps or so - after that it started to hold me back. If your budget allows, a far better alternative would be a Spectre 190 / 170 (kicks up the performance a notch, has many of the same forgiving flight characteristics, and it has modern opening and flaring properties (the biggest weakness of the old F111 stuff). I'd ride a Raven reserve any day. That said, both my reserve rides have been 24' round rides on borrowed gear ... if the rig you're looking at has a round reserve, be SURE you learn to spot well Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Have I created a monster(ette) I do my pasta separately (cook till slightly under-done, then drain and rinse) and then toss it into the main course. your supermarket will have chopped garlic in a jar -perfectly good substitute. Ginger is best bought fresh and used within a couple of weeks - you can shred it with your cheese grater or just chop it very fine ('real' stuff is powerful). Sauces are lots of fun, too. The easiest way is to start with a decent jar and then modify it to your tastes. For Italian, I'd bring the sauce to a simmer in a pot and then adds some fresh 'shrooms and onion and (more) garlic, basil, oregano, etc.... the next thing you know you'll have a little herb garden of your own because the stuff is addictive! Advanced lessons available upon request. ..and what's wrong with being excited and sounding like you're 7 again? That feeling is a major reason I still skydive, but being a true adrenaline junkie (ask me about alpine skiing, 4-season mountain biking, or 130 mph sports car racing) I'm always looking for more... ... except when I'm being all 'Zen' on a golf course. Dave If "variety is the spice of life" then what's this stuff we put on our food??? Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Noice, Jen... you're well on your way .... for some of us, cooking is more than just a "survival skill". Food should be fun - and the "rules and recipes" are just a good start to keep you from Horrible Disasters when you're trying more complex stuff. Use hot italian sausage, balsamic vinegar, and pasta and now your meal is Italian rather than asian. Use pork or beef marinated in soya sauce, some fresh crushed garlic and grated ginger and you have another variation. Or, go to Chinatown (or the import section of your local supermarket) and buy some sauces. What's a couple bucks? If you HATE the sauce, you throw it away. If you like it, then you have a new "recipe". The only worthy rule to food is "it should look good, smell good, taste good, and not kill you". I've been exposed to a lot of different foods from different lands ... you have no idea what you'll wind up liking or how you might make it your own. You may even be the next "foodTV celebrity chef" without knowing it. Keep it up. ..oh ya, I forgot the Other Rule: ingredients should be the same colour as when you first put them in the fridge, and unless it's live seafood it shouldn't be moving when you take it out of the fridge

Heya Brains, I bet they didn't pay you the premium required to dry age the beef for a couple of months either! I'm surprised nobody's brought up the CRITICAL element of aging yet ... there really is a difference as I'm sure you know. Of course, most people wouldn't care to pay the final price of said steer in a steakhouse, and many would complain about the "lack of sauce or toppings" that would ruin the complexity of taste and texture that a couple months of controlled rotting gives a good piece of meat [lip smacking icon] The shitty thing about being a foodie is that there's damn near nowhere that you can dine and not whine about how you could do the job better. (Chef-boy-ar) Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Naaah, Go for the Sure E3's on your existing MP-3 player! I'm gonna - that damn C-182 is loud and slow... the Sony earbuds just don't cut it and my Sennheiser 455's don't fit under my hat http://www.shure.com/psm/earphones/default.asp#e3 Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Dan! I feel your pain because I jump a 1 plane C 182 DZ and I fall 'rather fast' as well. In a few over 200 jumps I've done a few dozen 3 and 4 ways, tops (lots of 2 way, lots of style & tumblefuq fun dives). Same problem. 2 ways are fine - and lots of fun. Do whatever. On 3 ways we generally launch a star, a compressed, or a PFF exit PFF on the big fast guy is super stable and a great way to start. From the harness grip you can get to a star very easily and by then you;re off the slide and ready to judde your true fall rate issues - if they're there. 4 way is an entirely different matter. You didn't mention the experience level of your other flyers but I would suggest that at least the "A's" be senior coaches if you want decent success. Coaches are not only good at making fallrate adjustments and covering up other mis-cues, but they also have superior debriefing skills. Exit practice. Do lots and lots of dirt diving. First in suits, then with full gear, Hutch made us do the exit 'hop' until we could all land at EXACTLY the same time. It's harder than it sounds but it underlined the exit timing issue as being THE FIRST key to a good dive. During our senior RW camp (as opposed to the Jr. camp which is for 2 way), I only ever flew inside and outside float. Outside is tough because you're out on the strut forever, and if you're late on exit the piece rotates below you and you'll likely blow it apart (ask me how I know) when you sink out on the slide. Inside float is better because you're last to set up and you're more likely to end up on the bottom of the formation on the slide naturally. At least, that's how it worked for me. Remember, I have a very limited experience with 4 way and not that much more 3 way. However, all but a handful of dives have been from a 182 so I understand the related issues. I had a few dives from a Kingair in California and that is so totally differnt .... Coaching, coaching, coaching. Find 2 seniors you can get along with and respect, find another low-ish timer of similar build (if possible). Do lots of dives together. Do 2 ways with your buddy and practise fall rate control exercised on those dives (boring, I know) because eventually you 2 will become the "A's" flying centre and others will join "your" team. Stick with it - get to a camp or a mini-camp if you can. Remember, rule #1 after "pull" is HAVE FUN Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

When you learned the sport doing low level IAD's it doesn't relly matter in terms of altitude lost because from 3k, I have about 8 seconds before hard deck (2200 AGL). Sometimes I even use it all . As for maximizing canopy time, go poised definitely! You should be able to have snatch force inside of about 3 seconds from a poised exit (a true hop n pop) - costing you maybe 150 ft of altitude... That said, my DZO (who has a very long history in the sport) suggests that dumping during a diveout is, um, rather exciting. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

heya Hook! I can go one better than double stows... try a triple someday! Yes, I did. Really. After doing damn near everything to slow down the openings of my Raven, and under the semi-watchful eyes of my rigger, I tried this experiment. The issue was a 7 cell with microlines and those black elastics which stretch, deform, and then lose tension. They were great for a dozen jumps and then I'd get enough slammers in a weekend to put me on my Chiropractor's "10 best" list. Keep in mind we ARE talking about a canopy with both an inherent design 'feature' and a long past history for brisk openings. I swear that I felt every 'tug' on the harness as the triple-stowed lines screamed "let me out!" ... of course I was pulling high for the experiment and I'm glad I did. That was quite possibly as close to a baglock as I've come. Afterward (the last 125 jumps or so) I went to the 1" or 1 1/4" standard elastic, single stowed all around. I can't remember having a slammer or a borderline baclock since. I ALWAYS have comments from people wondering why I don't just use a larger elastic and double stow... "because those tiny elastics are such a pain". I explain that their pain at packing time is less painful than the alternative has been. As far as I'm concerned (not like I'm a rigger, I just play one on TV ) the right stow band is the one that does NOT need to be doubled. ...as for thinking about avoided incidents, I can only say that my personal experience has been "more than one". Nice sig! -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...and after 200 jumps as a 'mature' (read 30-something) jumper I can relate. A few weeks ago I finshed my Coach 1 course. One of my fellow candidates didn't because of an injury due to a low hook turn. Actually, it wasn't the bouncing skidding tunblefuq that I witnessed following him in on final that did it - it was the fact that he jumped again and hit turbulence that crashed him in on his already sore ankle!! He got a stern warning about the low hook (dumbass!!) from the DZO and DZSO, but he chose to jump again. Early 20's and bulletproof, right? I bet I'd have done the same thing 15 years ago. Sure, I have the ground-bound G force addiction that calls me to a Stiletto and beyond (a dozen years of 1.2G sports car racing), but I still need to be able to land it under the worst of conditions. My DZO has told me I have the maturity AND the skill to pull off the 1.2:1 elliptical loading without problem. Somehow though, stories like yours ring in my mind I temper my enthusiasm for a faster ride. NObody tells me I can't handle any 170 elliptical (I've done many demos under several different versions, some under under less than ideal conditions) but even the DZO questions my occasional desire to fly a 150 "square-ish" on a windy day... and so do I. At some level deep inside my warped little mind I understand that it is the EXCEPTION to the norm that is what gets us in trouble, not the norm. I made an accuracy-style off-DZ landing at Hollister last summer under a Spectre 170 that was soooo uneventful that it was almost boring ... despite the surrounding peril. A year later, I look at this as a Very Valuable lesson in the benefit of "being square....ish" I feel for your friend as much as for you. I've not seen a fatal yet (may I continue t be so lucky)but I've now seen 3 fellow skydivers lose airtime due to low turn injuries in 3 years. If I could only convince myself that I would never "hit turbulence" and over-correct into a femuring chow while learning my 'hypothetically new' elliptical I'd be under one tomorrow. In fact I'd been shopping for either that or a suitably modern7 cell ZP that I could use as a demo/accuracy rig for many years to come. Guess which way I'm leaning? Yes, your words touched at least one of us... Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

:2:1 We too had a freelancer from our biggest daily come out and hang out on Saturday. Most of the day we were on wind hold and he left with plans to return on Sunday (I had RW duties elsewhere). We didn't get air until nearly 9 PM but I I hade a great 3 way with a cop and a tax auditor (man I love this sport ... when or where else can you say you enjoy the company of such professionals?) Friday night I made it out in time for the sunset load. It was one of those postcard moments that made me glad that I have a large, slow, Nimbus '86 shoehorned into my equally old and comfortable Racer. Sunsets under a slow canopy rock - maybe next time I'll borrow a ZP Manta 288 and see if I can stop time!! We discovered that the golf course on which we occasionaly land due to spotting mals has a kick-ass kitchen, dirt cheap prices, is well within para-hike (or stumbling) distance, and is open till 2 ayem every night. Other nig-noggery involved certain rituals only performable at an airport and with some climbing knowledge . My 2 way went fine but a rookie funneled the 3-way with a 'thud'. I owe the case on general prnciple since the P.C. statement made is always "we've NEVER done that before"

frontloop, or backloop? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Really? Last weekend I flew a Nimbus 1986 - 210 sq ft of "Volvo". The opening was brisk and the toggle pressure was insane. Definately proves that canopy design has come a long way. Now where'd those pictures go??? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

:8:several. Kick-assest weekend I'd had in a VERY long time (without involving cat.1). Earned my Coach 1 rating (case) First head-down (part of the course) First spinng mal (altitude disappears VERY quickly ...) Flew a Nimbus 1986 (...I hear the 2000 models are da bomb) - Got a chiropractic opening under a Sabre 210 on my final certification jump. Had the lesgstrap ball up while flying a Bluetrac (painful enough to avoid a right hand pattern) Round reserve ride - 24 ft of Lopo is NOT enough unless the spot is good enough to drift to the peas. 3 way Horny Gorilla with the DZO and the other successful coach candidate that hit 169 mph before things got wooly

...and we have an antique on the shelf at DZ called a 'Nimbus' that predates Harry Potter by quite some time - I wonder if J.K. ever jumped? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Happy long weekend to my southern border neighbours jump your asses off! Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

it might snow tonight you mofo mother nature your humour sucks ass long weekend for us a funeral kills saturday down to 2 days now sunday will be good since i'm so fast on my gut practise style sets -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Weeeeeee, Kiki, isn't being a "rebel" fun? I was forbidden to ride a motorcycle so when I was bequeathed the bike that belonged to a good friend's dad who passed away I kept it at another friend's place... took them 2 years to find out and [mr. garrison voice] deception is baad, nn-kay [/mr. garrison voice]. I was living at home at the time and I did and do get along great with my rents, though they are a bit risk-averse (well, except Dad likes his chainsaw as much as mom hates it, yet mom sometimes does needlepoint without a thimble. Seriously, they had friends involved in a m/c accident) Aaaaanyway, back to skydiving and how I told them. September long weekend I bailed on heading out of town for a sports car race and they said they'd like me to join the family at the cottage - I told them I had "stuff" to do but I'd be out later in the weekend. I THOUGHT I could get away with the stealth FJC ... except bfore I'd even set foot in the real plane I ran my head into the back of our "practice Cessna" (a wrecked fuselage set about 8 feet off the ground with a strut and "the slide" used to simulate the s/l exit. This "malfunction" left a visible cut across right my forehead (they never told us to wear helmets to the mockup exercise ). [the scene] The breakfast table on the porch, the next day, 10:00 ish. Dave arrived well after all were asleep the night before and himself looks like he could use another hour. He grabs a section of Sunday paper and begins to read. [mom] "We're glad you made it out David, you so seldom ... [inquisitive and somewhat distraught parent in slightly raised voice] what did you do to your forehead??" [Dave] [Dave gives a slight pause and remembers the motorcycle incident] mmm, it's kindof a funny story, Mom, I had a minor skydiving mishap ... [dad] You did what? When...? Yesterday? How did it happen ... I bet you enjoyed the jump a lot ... are you going to go again? *** This is a true story. I made 15 jumps that fall and everyone got sick of hearing me talk about "how it had changed my life". That winter was the longest six months of my life but by the end of it everybody knew I was headed for a long involvement in the sport. Opening weekend 2002 I had my BEER! cutaway. That was a slightly more difficult conversation (they still ask me how my weekends have gone). A few weeks later they came out to the DZ and were "greeted" by a white faced tandem-master and a soaking wet, mud-covered student - Mom and Dad missed witnessing the (as yet, fingers crossed) first tandem mal by a few minutes. That student, BTW, is now one of our competition judges

Geez, Bill, your tag line made me think of Sgt. Peppers... and that's even near enough to the age of your record. I just can't imagine what the parallel to that achievement would be today so I won't even try. But I can only imagine how bitchin' a cross country plan that could have been with enough O2 ... How would you spot a round from 7 miles up? Sanctionned or not, there's been enough made of your achievements on these pages and in Canada that your "recognized everywhere but Canada" Canadian record won't soon be forgotten. I'd like to see you "suck it up" and kowtow to CSPA long enough to get a license again, RE-DO the jump that you did ... right down to the style of gear if you could ... and then MAKE them give you the damn paper officially. Then you could quit and still hold the record that you "do" . In the mean time, just get some air, anywhere, k? I still want your gis in my log... mid August is nice in Manitoba

Culturally sensitive types may know the history of our aboiriginal peoples and how reliant they once were on the mighty Bison for food and fur. Well, some years ago the Manitoba Telecom System adopted this colourful fellow as their official spokesma..um spokes-beast? There have been various cutsie-kitchy commercials and print ads featuring 'Morty' and his pals but this one - on billboards all over town - just kicks ass. I wonder how big the main is? Dave PS: The bison IS real ... and acually lives on a farm - in Saskatchewan. Not only that, apparently "Morty" is actually a female. All the ads have featured the very same beast - all the goodies are photoshopped. The rig, in partcular, has some pretty weird looking "reserve flaps" making me think the photoshop might have been based on a velcro BASE rig. But meh, who cares about the little details? Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

E.F.S.??? Noice. -DAve Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

WTF??? I've read the burning DC-3 story (I believe it's on Diverdriver's website) but the veg-o-matic Cessna thingie is beyond me. Stories, please? -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

late 80's/early 90's Chevy Sprint convertible (Geo Metro stateside?). [cheech]we don' need no steenkin top [/cheech]. Just enough power to get you to highway speed (no passing allowed) ... and if you duck you can drive UNDER semitrailers - and those who have sportutes with fuel tanks as large as your trunk Remember, a great big chunk of each jumptik is for fuel - drive an econo shitebox to offset the wase of "fun fossils" Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Safety Day last year At H town I was a guest Wish I was there now Landscape, study in snow Endothermicly release! Springtime jumping dreams Icicles dangle Potholes, budless trees, and sand far too soon to fly -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)