LadiDadi

Here ya go, the definitive way to find out all the info you need: Call the Administration office at 910-396-4800. Or you could go to the website at http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/goldenknights/Webpage2005_content.html Although that won't tell you much more than the copy of the email I posted earlier. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I'm neither a cop nor a fireman. If I see someone about to douse something in gasoline and set it alight am I not obligated to do something? I don't think it has anything to do with the S&TA title or training. It has to do with a trained eye and experience and concern for everyone's safety. If one guy fucks up it could, potentially, fuck up some other people. I'm a student and all of my focus is on getting my dumb ass safely to the ground. I have no choice but to rely on the expierence and concern of others at the DZ to make sure that other dumb asses are quarrantined from each other. In whatever manner they are quarrantined - load spacing, different landing areas, stern talkings to, full on sphincter remodeling, grounding, black eyes, whatever. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

How about a very nice handwritten thank you card and a gift certificate for a tandem skydive? I used to be an executive assistant for one of the very higher-ups at "the world's largest software company" and had to come up with unique gifts for clients all the time. Worse because the clients were people that had likely lost more money in their couches that week than I would make all year. Pen sets are useless for guys who have well trained monkeys (like I used to be) following them around taking notes for them. In fact, I still have several lovely pen sets that my boss gave me. I can't tell you the number of crystal bowls, vases, frames, etc. from Tiffany's that the man got (most of which I now own). He kept every single card he got. When I had to figure out what to give people, I decided - with his support - to give experiences, not something an admin would have to dust. Of course I had a huge budget to work with but you should be able to work something out with skydiving somewhere. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

1. Whats your name? Victoria 2. How old are you? 35 3. Why did you decide to start jumping out of airplanes? I knew I wanted to do it when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I don't know why - I just *knew*. I finally got around to actually doing it a couple of years ago. 4. Are you single or taken? Married almost 10 years. 5. Do you have kids? Fuck no. 6. What do you drive? People insane. Oh. Car. A Scion XB (that's the one that looks like a toaster). 7. Have you ever done a kisspass? I don't know what that is so I'll have to say 'no'. 8. Where do you live? Mostly in Seattle, sometimes in LA. 9. Do you have any pets? 2 dogs (Vizslas) named Zoli and Katica, 1 cat (some sort of Persian type thing) named Choo-Choo and a 150 gallon Cichlid tank with fish that have names. I won't list them all. 10. How many jumps do you have? 8 11. What color eyes do you have? Light brown. 12. What is your nationality? One half English and one half mutt. 13. Have you ever dated someone you met off the internet? No. 14. Favorite Movie? Tied between Cassablanca and It's a Wonderful Life and Breakfast at Tiffany's. 15. What do you do when you arent skydiving? Write, read, write, edit what other people have written, write, make grand and sweeping plans on how I'm going to take over the world, write. 16. Have you ever BASE jumped? Nope 17. If not... do you want to? Fuck no. Those people are crazy!!! 18. Do you have siblings? 1 older sister 19. Where do you want to travel to the most? Everywhere I've not been yet. Top of the list right now is Jordan and Tanna Island in Vanuatu. 20. What's your favorite color? Money. 21. Where was the last place you flew to ( not skydiving )? Pensacola, FL and back to Seattle. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I live in Seattle - about 30 miles from Monroe. Most people here are calling this guy "D.B. Tuber" If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

A tunnel. I dream of one. I live in a place that needs a tunnel desperately - the rain sodden, chronically overcast Pacific Northwest. Here were a method of practicing indoors would be a valuable investment... Nope. I have to go to someplace like Nevada or Arizona or SoCal so I can get out of the rain and go indoors to practice... Anyone know how much it would cost me up front to build my own wind tunnel? If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

The standard vaccine cocktail is Rabies and "DHLPPC" Distemper Hepatitis Leptospirosis Parainfluenza Parvo Corona (Corona virus, not the beer) Some vets leave out the Leptospirosis part. Essentially your dog was injected with a shit load of viruses however minute the amounts. It will make him sick to a degree since you have asked a lot of his immune system. Most people get sick after a flu shot and that's just one vaccine. If he's a bit down, give him time. If he seems sick, get him to the vet right away. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I went with 'Other'. It was David Roberts, the cutest boy in all of 8th grade at St. Mary's elementary. It was Halloween night and me and my best friend LeeAnn had dressed like Hare Krishnas to cover up our 'real' costumes - ROCKER CHICKS!!! We ran into David and a friend of his over by the public middle school where they were drinking beers and we had a bottle of gin. I still can't drink gin. We wandered around the neighborhood for a while, I tripped and fell down and knocked him down with me and he kissed me. It was great. Since he was the coolest kid in junior high and I was amongst the weirdedst, he initially denied that we spent any time together that night but later compromised and said that I had tried to kiss him but that he fought me off. Jerk... "Other" - the kiss was great, the aftermath sucked. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I know people who fit into either or both of those categories who have never had a pet in their entire lives. They're just catchall definitions. Some people just like dogs more than cats or vice versa. I, personally, love dogs and cats as equal as any parent loves their two children. They are completely different but I love them both. I have two dogs that follow me every single place I go - one even tries to take showers with me. It seems sometimes that I have two dogs growing out of me and it gets tiring sometimes. I have one cat that I wish had some interest in me when she wasn't hungry. I used to be a dog trainer. House training is by far the hardest thing you have to teach a dog. You can teach a dog to go to the fridge and get you a beer in a day but house training takes weeks at best. How you spend your early days with the dog - training, playing, etc. will play into how needy a dog is later in life. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I don't think she is trying to get anyone to 'turn' vegetarian. She is hosting a Christmas dinner for family - one of which is not a vegetarian. She isn't going to cook meat. It's her kitchen and she can do whatever she wants in it. She is just looking for meatless recipies so that one guest doesn't go hungry. That's what I got out of it. I don't think she is going to go to his house and weep over the soul of the dearly departed turkey. At least I hope she wouldn't... Unless the turkey in question is Wild Turkey and the weeping is because it is all gone. Then that's fine. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

Just don't use too much sage; it'll make it bitter. My dad and his family are all from the South (as am I) while my mom and her family are all from England. I married a man who moved here from Hungary with his family as a teenager. My sister-in-law is vegetarian, I'm gluten-free, my mom can't eat much salt... When we all get together for Thanksgiving or Christmas ... Good god there's a lot of food and some crazy diversity. Some of the vegetarian dishes that come to mind are (if you want recipes, let me know): Deviled eggs Mushrooms stuffed with sun dried tomatoes Roasted head of elephant garlic to spread on crusty slices of toasty bread (everyone but me ) The Dressin' Tons of Hungarian salads (cabbage, cucumber, pepper, some funky celery root one...) Minted peas Hungarian peas Glazed carrots Welsh Rarebit (sooo tasty but will sooo ruin your pan if you're not careful) Cabbage rolls One year, my mom decided that my sis-in-law should have something stuffed (not that we ever stuffed a turkey that I can remember) so she got a small roasting pumpkin and stuffed it with all the things you would normally stuff a turkey with. It turned out awful - soggy - but I know that there's a right way to do it. I would just highly, highly recommend that you keep him away from the Tofurkey, the Field Roast, the Boca's, the facon and such. He will have a much harder time dealing with a vegetarian feast if you try to fake the meat. It isn't the same. Some of it is good but it isn't the same. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

You say butter is allowed, correct? Two of my traditional family recipies that have been altered to accomodate my veggie sister-in-law. Group meals are a nightmare in my house with my sis-in-law being vegetarian and me having Celiac-Sprue (I can't eat wheat, barley or rye or derivitaves of them). These work for both, though. Garlic Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes work best Elephant garlic Butter (the traditional English version calls for goose fat but butter or even vegetable lard will work) Salt - sea salt is best since potatoes soak up so much salt. It works best if you have a madolin so you can get the slices really thin. If not, sharpen the hell out of your knife. Coat the bottom and sides of a casserole pan with the butter or veggie lard and sprinkle on a very thin layer of salt. Peeling the potatoes is optional. Slice the potatoes very thin and place one layer down. Slice the elephant garlic very thin and lay some down on the potatoes. Add some butter dots or the lard and a bit of salt and then repeat - potatoes, garlic, butter/lard, salt until you have the pan full. Put it in the oven covered on 350 until it's cooked through. Remove the cover towards the end if you want the top to be crispy - it's better if it is. Then there's good ol' Southern dressin'. Get some cornbread mix. Jiffy is good if you can eat wheat or Bob's Red Mill gluten free cornbread mix is even better. Seriously - I'm from Georgia. I know my corn bread. Cook the corn bread the way it tells you to do on the package. Cut it into squares and then let it cool. Not the other way around - you actually want it to dry out a bit. Meanwhile, back at the stove, chop up some celery, onions, a teeny-tiny bit of garlic - one clove is plenty - and put it in a pot to boil with some veggie broth. Do not add salt and pepper yet. Once that's all boiled up the celery and onions are of the totally squishy variety, dump your corn bread into a mixing bowl. It should be completely cool. If not, wait. If you don't you'll end up with a giant gummy mess. Crumble the cornbread like you're making bread crumbs and add in the broth-celery-onion mixture until you get something that is drier than the cornbread batter was but that you can still form a shape with. Now add in your salt and pepper to taste. The controversial ingredient in my family always leads to two different pans of dressin' being made. Sage. Some must have it in their dressin'. Some despise it. I like it. I actually prefer to use dried sage in this recipe; crushing it into a fine powder in a mortar and pestil. Be very careful - a little goes a long way. Get the whole mixture to where you think it tastes right (salt, pepper, sage, no sage, etc.) and press it into a casserole pan and put it in the oven at 350 until it dries out a bit (10-20 minutes depending on how you made it) and let the top get brown and crispy. Good god I'm hungry now. If he doesn't like that, hand him a can of cranberry sauce and a can opener. I have a bunch more ideas for you if you'd like. Appetizers, desserts, mains... Let me know. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

Oh how I wish I had a copy of the video that was shot of my last jump. It might make you feel better about your feet. At the very least, it would have you laughing until you cry. One of my instructors was, while in freefall with me, trying to figure out how to tell me to fix the funky thing I was doing with my feet but couldn't. She instead got a good shot with the video of them so she could ask me later what the hell I was doing. Imagine putting your hands together, palm to palm, like you are praying. Now imagine doing that with your feet - sole to sole - while in freefall. Now picture it with brightly colored stripey socks on skinny ankles and black and white checkered shoes on big feet. Retarded clown feet is what you get. It looks like I broke both ankles on the way out of the plane. I had no idea I was doing it. It reminds me of my days as a dog trainer. Puppies, a lot of times, haven't a clue that they have back legs. The front ones go and the back ones magically follow. This doesn't become an issue until they try to go up stairs the first time. They walk up with their front legs and stretch waaay out; confused about why the back ones are still planted firmly at the bottom. I was told that, at least, I've got my legs even. Even if I do look like I have praying mantis legs. Another friend of mine told me to try laying on the floor in the arch and have someone set a plate on my feet so I could balance it there. Maybe that could help? If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

All women will try to convince men to have salt scrubs to make them have soft skin. It's like getting resurfaced. It actually feels quite nice - like getting a massage and a good scratching all at once. Torture? That's when she brings up the idea of 'Manscaping'. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

The way I see it, if you do live in a world of 'man cards', is this: 1- Your buddies think you're a pussy for getting a massage and pedicure and a salt scrub and what have you. Your buddies pull your 'man card' and make you buy the beer, harrass you for a while, occasionally make 'twinkle toe' references and life goes on. Soon enough - perhaps even that same beer sodden night - someone else will do something worse and the focus will shift. Guys are so great in that respect. Much better than women. 2- You don't go for fear of having your buddies revoke your 'man card' and, instead, your wife/girlfirend/whatever revokes your 'I would like to have sex now card'. If she is a real woman, she will bring this up at every opportunity she can; even when you can't for the life of you make the connection. She will also, very likely, spend three to five times (minimum) the amount your trip to the spa would have been on shoes. Summary: Go to the spa. If your buddies harrass you, you can rest comfortably knowing that not only are you getting laid by a woman who didn't just spend $500.00 on a pair of shoes but that you have the softest skin in the room. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

YAY!!!! RIGHT ON!!! WOO-HOO!!! KICKASS!!! (and a whole bunch of fist-pumping) If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

You can lump me in with the 'guy' designation. I won't punch you for it. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

To repeat: I also believe that if some student with 5 jumps tries a hook turn and drills himself 10 feet into the ground that it's his fault and not yours. Stupidity would have gotten him one way or another; parachute or no parachute; Crazy Larry or no Crazy Larry. I am totally and completely responsible for myself. Nothing about what I wrote was a 'complaint' and never once have I complained about the influence of others. If it weren't for the influence of others, I would have never tried skydiving. Not one single person in this world is responsible for my behavior, choices, decisions, actions, etc. I am not responsible for any other person on this planet. My point was that it is naive to think that you are skydiving in a vacuum; that the things you do and say have no importance to students - or other well experienced skydivers - there. It doesn't make you responsible for the things they choose to do. If there was no influence from one skydiver to the next then one solitary moron would have jumped out of a balloon once and that would be the end of that. Instead there is a whole world of morons jumping out of planes, balloons, helicopters or off anything tall enough. No shirking of responsibility from me. No complaints from me. (except maybe about being called 'Sprinkles' - you *said* you'd only do that in private!!! ) If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I have always wanted to own a bar. A total dive/shithole of a bar. One of those places that has that one old guy that seems to live there at the end of the bar in his VFW hat telling stories to his own beer... Anyway, based on the way all men come into a bar, spy a stool, swing their leg over to straddle, and before they sit: The Lift and Shift If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

Every single skydiver teaches every single student. Don't you see us students standing out there with sore necks and squinting into the sun to watch you do what it is you do so well? I'm not saying that you should be banned for what you do, or have done. Not at all. It isn't my call to make so it's none of my business. BUT - Please don't ever think that simply because you are not an instructor that you aren't setting an example for students. I hope - and believe - that the vast, vast majority of students are smart enough to listen to their instructors and to not try some of the wacky shit you do. I also believe that if some student with 5 jumps tries a hook turn and drills himself 10 feet into the ground that it's his fault and not yours. Stupidity would have gotten him one way or another; parachute or no parachute; Crazy Larry or no Crazy Larry. A large number of people are always going to be fascinated by what you do. Fascinated because it appeals to them or fascinated because it scares the shit out of them. When a student (or anyone else) asks how to do a hook turn, rather than shut them down or refuse to answer, it only builds mystery and appeal. How about talk to them on why do do them, how hook turns are used in competitions, how hook turns can turn deadly in even the most experienced hands, how you learned to do them and from who, why you love them so much, etc. If you answer a question that wasn't asked but is closely related, most people never catch on. Just one student's thoughts... If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

This is part of their official announcement. I know it doesn't answer your specific question but it may answer some other people's questions: 9th Annual Black and Gold Competition November 8-11, 2008 Our Annual Black and Gold meet is sponsored by the Golden Knights. Jump out of all Golden Knight aircraft, receive coaching one on one coaching jumps and large formation jumps. Compete in 4 way, 8 way and accuracy competition. Must be Active duty Military(any branch). Meet USPA Membership A-license requirements for coaching jumps. Must have an AAD. Must have 150 jumps to compete in 4 way event.Must have 200 jumps to compete in 8 way event. Cannot be on leave. Must be Active duty National Guard or Reserves for November 8-11,2008. Orders must be in hand and NOT WEEKEND DUTY. Also ROTC Cadets with letter from school stating you are a fulltime Cadet student. This event is open to the public. Bring out entire family and watch. Visit our website www.armygoldenknights.com for more information and download the registration form. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I don't have video of the whole jump, sorry. I don't actually *have* video of anything at all. One of my instructors shot video of my second jump totally unbeknownst to me (yeah - so self absorbed that I failed to notice the strangely shaped helmet she was wearing...) I watched it after the jump a couple of times with her to go over some things I did/didn't do. Just to make sure that there is no confusion - my boobs did not actually make a daylight appearance. I was wearing a bra and a tshirt and a jumpsuit. They escaped the bra only. I've no doubt that if I landed in a manner in which they were able to escape the bra, shirt and jumpsuit that I wouldn't have lived to tell the tale. Either that or I have go-go-gadget boobs of steel. (I don't.) There's no way I would jump off a moving swing. I bit completely through my tongue when I was about 5 or 6 doing that. My toes curl just thinking about that. I'm glad that you explained that your first pack job and first cutaway weren't on the same day. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

Two questions regarding this suggestion: 1- Go to a mall?!? Are you INSANE?!? That's terrifying and stupid and dangerous... 2- Do you really and truly think that if I went to a mall decked out in a helmet, goggles, jump boots and - just for shits and giggles - an altimeter and threw myself off the escalator that someone would question my sanity? Now, if I could get a bunch of people to do it all at the same time we could call it performance art... 2- Do you think that the better option would be to find an insane assylum that has an escalator? hmmmm.... If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

Hi, I'm sorry to intrude here but I'm so sucked in to reading what you guys are writing. I'm a super-noob - a whopping 8 jumps so far and most of them tandem - and I am not a paraplegic so my contribution to this discussion should probably be deleted or ignored or... I just can't help but add something here, though. Many years ago I lived with a friend of mine who was a C4-5 quad. We didn't become friends until after I moved in; I was hired to be his caretaker much to his parents' horror. He was 22 at the time and had been out of SCIU for only 6 months having spent almost a year there. I was 22 as well. He didn't want some Nurse Ratchet coddling him all day anymore - he'd been living like that for 6 months. When I read your statement "why were they up there in the first place, they can't walk!?" it brought to mind something he and I did. He was still in the throes of depression over his injury so I decided one day "ROAD TRIP" and, after some research on logistics and such, we planned a trip to Magic Mountain to ride rollercoasters - both of us being rollercoaster junkies. Holy crap did his family freak out. Yelling at me and demanding that I do not, under any circumstances, 'let' him ride a roller coaster. Literally, his mother, father and stepmother showed up at his house all at the same time to have a group hissy fit. We listened to them and their concerns for quite a while, he tried explaining that he would be strapped into a roller coaster better than he ever is in his chair in the van (granted, the van never went upside down but... details...) and every other line of reasoning. I, for once, sat silent. Finally his stepmother looked at me and demanded "Don't you have anything to say?" "Yeah. What's the worst that could happen? He breaks his neck and ends up in a wheelchair?" {insert the sound of crickets chirping here} I only wish that skydiving had been an option for him. I might have taken it up sooner - or been smothered in my sleep by his parents... If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.

I actually don't think I am justifying a butt slide. What I said was that at that moment, in that situation, with my scant amount of experience, I made a decision and I got lucky on the outcome. I was referring to what was going through my head at that moment, not 20/20 hindsight. I was going much, much faster than I expected and had I tried to put my feet down at that moment, I would have flipped over them so I pulled them further up. It was not, ultimately, the right thing to do and I know I got very very lucky. I've already been instructed that I am to PLF when I get out of bed, when I get three stairs from the bottom of the stairs in my house, when I get out of the car, when I get off the couch, the desk chair, even when I get off the toilet. I am to PLF immediately when someone asks me what the hell is wrong with me and do I need an ambulance. My only true concern about this is what to do when my two 65 pound dogs try to get in on this new game mom is playing... I think that there is something that you, as an instructor, can learn from me, the student. Well, you can always learn from your students and I hope you know that and never lose sight of it. The thing I'm referring to here is the way in which PLF's are taught. I had to jump off a 5 foot tall platform several times (and at a whopping 5'2" that's unnerving at first - jumping your own height). So we learn by hopping from a dead stop straight down to the ground and essentially forcing a roll. It was demonstrated to us this way as well. Because of this, you don't really see that - or how - a PLF will work if you are actually moving forward at any rate of speed. It wasn't until after my butt slide that I saw another very experienced jumper come in fast like I was and PLF over, and over, and over, and over and then get up, shake it off and unwind himself that I understood that it would work no matter how fast the forward momentum was. I haven't any idea how this could be demonstrated for students but it should be. I don't know how other classes operate besides the two places I've been but perhaps taking students out to the landing area so they can see all the possible ways to land - good and bad. Just a thought. Along with my other thought - I WILL NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN SLIDE ON MY BUTT. I SWEAR. Yell on! I can handle it. Someone else may not be able to so I am totally willing to be the community cupcake here so that all of us noobs can learn. Good to know about the beer protocol. I'll have my husband choose the beer for me. I was thinking that there should be a newbie faq somewhere here or at least a thread somewhere where noobs could ask questions like this or meanings of terms used around the DZ. A good example is that I thought that 'dirt dive' had something to do with a bad landing until I asked. If you can't laugh at yourself, I'll be happy to do it for you. **************************** Be like the cupcake and suck it up.