Jetace1

After the memorial service, I again found myself sitting in a dark bar with Gareth during the middle of the day drinking Scotch and beer. (This always seems normal in an odd way, but only when I'm around Gareth.) I wish we had arrived there under better circumstances, but the stories about JP had us laughing for hours. That's the way JP would want it. I thought I would share one for Corinne, Camille and Yvette: At the first team training camp in Elsinore last year, JP and I found ourselves as the last two soldiers standing in the kitchen of the team house (Steve Miller’s place) at 11:30pm drinking the beers I had left in the fridge from the previous season. As usual, I was complaining while John lent an understanding ear. Last year, like every year, I had to lose a huge amount of weight prior to Nationals. Thirty pounds to be exact. By that camp I had lost 15 pounds but was already sick of dieting. I was mad at myself for putting on the weight and generally whining about the whole process of taking it back off. All the while, John listened intently, occasionally interjecting helpful advice. (Use large muscle groups while lifting weights, don’t eat carbs late at night, etc.) By the end of the season, I just made my goal weight, partly due to JP’s guidance. After listening to 15 minutes of inane complaining, I finally stopped talking. This is when John said something I wasn’t expecting. He said, and I’m quoting directly here, “I’m hungry. Let’s go get some Chili Dogs.” I was stunned for a second, then launched into another five minutes of complaining and general whining. John had again listened courteously, then offered up the following: “Seriously. I’m hungry. I’m going to get some Chili Dogs. You’re not going to lose the other 15 pounds tonight, so feel free to join me, brother.” Well, a good teammate can’t let his buddy go get chili dogs by himself. I mean, that would be wrong. So, out of the goodness of my heart, (yeah, right) I drove him to Weinerschitzel. So, here is where it gets worse. The Weinerschnitzel in Lake Elsinore is also a Tastee Freeze. As we pulled up, there was a giant sign featuring ice cream sundaes slathered in chocolate sauce in a plastic baseball hat for only 99 cents. Anyone who truly knows John will already know what he said. “I want one of those baseball hats!” Now, I knew darn well he was actually thinking three things: 1. He could care less about the baseball hat. 2. He wanted the ice cream sundae. 3. If he ate one, I would eat one too. Long story short, half an hour later JP and I are sitting on the sofa feeling like bloated versions of Barney the dinosaur because we each downed two hot dogs and a giant hot fudge sundae and it was now midnight. Six hours later I was in the wind tunnel wondering at what point I was going to pass out. John was still back home, sound asleep, snoring like a lumberjack. Truth be told, if he were here today, I’d do the whole thing all over again. I hope you and the girls know how much I miss him…. Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

I'm still standing in the same spot in the kitchen where I was over an hour ago when Gareth told me. To try and embody all the thoughts, emotions, memories and stories here would be impossible. At the end of a training day, JP was always the last soldier standing with me in the kitchen of the Elsinore team house drinkin' a beer. The next morning, JP was the only person crazy/dumb/hungry enough to wake up an hour early just to have breakfast with me at Annie's before heading to the DZ. JP always ordered extra wheat toast knowing full well I was the one who was going to eat it. The last time I saw JP we were all hanging out at the Elsinore Casino pool. JP was picking up his girls and tossing them into the pool over and over and over and over...those little girls adored their Dad. JP, thanks for listening to me rant and rave about crap no one else cared about. Thanks for laughing with me when I dislocated my knee and everyone was freaking out. Thanks for letting me be there to see the uncontrollable joy and excitement on your little girls faces when they got in the wind tunnel for the very first time. Most of all, thank you for being you... Bobby Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

My team was in the Perris tunnel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. It wasn't bad at all, but the temperature was only 85 degrees at 8am. Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Has anyone here actually tried Silibands? Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Harry! You're not going to Nationals??? What's up with that??? My stomach is FINALLY better. Hurled my brains out for almost 24 hours, thanks to a specially-aged dose of warm Hamachi sushi. If I even SEE a piece of Yellowtail ever again, I'll lose my lunch. Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Yo Steve-o! Thanks, but there's no way I can get that Thursday off work. Cripe, these people expect me to work, like, Monday through Friday every week! What the heck is that all about? Nationals will be a ball this year! We can get all the Advanced gangs together and play poker while we watch the thunderstorms roll through! Creeper races anyone? Actually, the weather down there seems to be getting better, even though there were about 20 weather-holds at the Regionals at Lake Wales. Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Melanie BABY!!!!! How you doing? Thanks for the offer! I was actually able to get an earlier ride around Noon with Kurt from the Golden Knights. However, if things fall through and my flight is delayed for some reason, you may see me standing outside trying to hitch a ride. Sorry, but there's no way I'm sitting in the back seat! I'm sitting on your lap all the way there! YEAH! I'm totally looking forward to seeing the whole Adrenaline gang again! I love you guys! I wish I could get down to the Elsinore 'hood more often. I'll be waiting for y'all in Lake Wales. Ron, I saw the video tapes from the Meet. You're like a machine, man! I've got some questions for you once I finish comparing our previous times to the ones with you at Tail. You must have a boatload of tunnel time to be burning 360s like that! Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Unfortunately, due to the massive price-gouging which the airlines are currently practicing, the only affordable airfare I could find puts me into Orlando airport at 7:50am on Fri, Oct. 17th. That's 15 hours before my teammates on Mr. Pink! Is there anyone out there who might be able to give me a ride from Orlando International (MCO) to either the DZ or better yet, to my hotel which is nearby? If you're on an Intermediate team, I'll freely dispense as much wisdom as possible, along with buying beer and paying for gas money.

N/A

Okay. Here's the dealeo. As the newest member of Mr. Pink, I volunteered to take on the job of managing the www.mrpink.tv website, thinking it would be just like my old site, www.formula4.net. However, I was rudely surprised when I found out that it requires the use of some type of utility to edit the website and then ftp everything back to the host's server. Honestly, I don't understand how all of this is supposed to work. Is there a kind soul out there with WAY too much time on their hands who can help teach me how to edit the website? There's some free coach jumps in it for you if we can hook up somewhere.

Hey Phlip, Have you done much AFF yet? I ran into Jay Stokes while competing in Southern California the other day. Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

When you think of National-level 4-way competition, what jumpsuit comes to mind? In other words, if you were on the top 4-way team in the country, and could get any jumpsuit for free, which one would you choose? Feel free to explain your answer! Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Yo hookitt, Done!

XXL, You missed your calling. About 4 years ago there was a team at Davis called Sonic Meat. All members I believe met your criteria. I think they stopped jumping as a team because the neighbors were complaining about the sonic booms from breaking the sound barrier. Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."

Slightly off thread but... Thanks for turning me onto the Body for Life system. I'm down 12 pounds already. I need to lose another 15 before the NSL Qualifiers at Lake Wales, FL in September, but I'm confident I'll make it. Bobby Bobby - Onyx 4-Way Team www.onyx4.org "I thought you said you fall fast."