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Wow. Talk about intense! Very exciting but scary too... We were everywhich way but up... Tumbling, it was very disorienting, thankfully I was with a very experienced jumper friend of mine, and didn't loose awareness, turned and tracked and deployed where I should've. He got it all on film that I am gonna have put on video for me. What can I should I learn from this experience? THANX! -LuLu.

Wow you were buzzing for a few minutes? I was like buzzing for hours! IT STILL TAKES ME SEVERAL MINUTES TO CHILL OUT AFTER A JUMP! It's the adreniline... I think the more familar you get with the sensations of freefall, the quicker the buzz wears off. But it is still VERY fun! But it IS good too...you can be clearer headed about what you are doing AND in hind site you can go back over what you've done to ananlyze it better. RIGHT? AFter the A you can work on learning MORE new things and have that rush of new things again. COOL, HUH? Blues - LuLu.

Bobby's a good kid...But lived the life growing up of a priviledged officers son. Don't know how he'd gonna manange real actual tough times.

Sweet! thanx for the offer of mediating the communication. I'll find out more in the near future. Prayers for all over there where ever they are. -LuLu.

My brother's wife just emailed me my nephew just arrived in Kuwait (w/82nd Air Borne) wating to move into Iraq soon. I guess his first impression of the place was interesting: "Bobby said Kuwait is like the desert planet in Star Wars with lots of camels..." From those of you who've been there, is that about right? -LuLu.

Central Michigan Skydivers' raising to $19 to altitude. Manifest chick told me last weekend.

Made only one S/l this summer due to a series of events, actually! But will jump this next weekend. -LuLu.

Tough it out dude. finish what ya started. Then you'll have the dough later to take all the fancy-shamancy trips that this "internship" had the appeal of. Aferall isn't the appeal really the escapist fantasy of it all? Personally, everytime I get side tracked, into some other interesting thing, I forget what it was that I was doing before.......Can you say ADD?! HA. Hang in there. After all they say perserverance is a good thing. Right? Blues - LuLu. PS just my .02 take it for what it's worth.

Money...Or LACK thereof, is why I'm not jumping. I need to wait for the next weekend afterI get my paycheck to make my long anticipated next jump. WOW..I AM MISSING IT SO BAD! Next weekend is gonna be so SWEET! -Lulu.

Thanx Andy. I'm thinking I'd like to jump a 210 that the dz MIGHT still have(?) that I have tried before. I'll be sure to ask an experienced jumper friend to jump with me this next jump if a coach is not available. Is 190 from a 210 to big of a downsizing move for someone like me? Or would it be better to jump the 210 for a considerable while before trying out a 190? or are there sizes inbetween that I should move thru FIRST? THANX! -LuLu.

Last year finished training and got my A. Only JUST ENOUGH jumps to get my licence, tho. Due to lots of extenuating circumstances, I have not been able to keep current. Last year, I began to down-size to about 210. Now that it IS looking like I'll be able to start jumping again, BUT Now that I am NOT current, WHAT SHOULD I DO? Go back to what I was jumping on student status, or go back to 210? Or what? Is there a standard safety proceedure for jumpers like me? Thanx - LuLu.

No. Not the first solo. But got footage of my FIRST: tandem, barrell-roll&front loop. Will get footage next of a planned two-way. Always is fun to look back at when you first did something before you were able to get in down good. Review also helps ya to improve on what you know so far, too. Have fun!

Ummm, MAYBE ya need to rethink letting your folks have a key to let themselves into your place while you're gone? Could do away with A WHOLE LOT of inconvenient, awkward moments in the future!

I CAN'T really afford it- BUT when I Am jonesing for a jump BAD, I "pinch my pennies", or do without something or other, and try to get in A JUMP ! Ya,See, I'm in the p/t job situation like you, too... PLUS I don't have my own gear YET. so I have to rent my gear, But A jump is better than NO jump! As far as the crappy job/money situation is concerned -SOONER OR LATER- everything changes, and hopefully for the GOOD! -Blues! -LuLu.

How COOL! TUNNEL TIME! Now that IS a great idea. I will check into that and dicuss it & when a trip to a southern dz is a future reality I WILL check into doing that with my kiddo. Hmmm.... Thanx - LuLu

Funny conversation came aboutat the DZ this weekend about my little kid's growing enthusiasm- ("I'm gonna skydive someday") and the appropriate age to let her take her first tandem. I was told by one guy that his youngest tamdem ever was 8-years-old. WOW. My kid looked at me with a huge smile... I'm thinking that my kid SHOULD be at least a young teen, first, just that so there'd less likely be a freak out or create a lasting fear. Anybody got experience and good advice about this kind of thing? thanx- LuLu

I didn't get thru AFP in one season either. I made it up to level7, it think- at one particular dz. Then I ended up taking a year off- due to trying to find a different dz to train at and call my "home"...and then started up at GROUND SCHOOL - a refresher course, if you will... After discussion about where I was "at" and my needs- we started with4 STATIC LINE JUMPS to get down exiting, stability and deployment and canopy control. After that, I went AFP with TRAINER & only needed to learn and show the remaining (AFF) skills... I jumped with a coach a couple of times, THEN I did my first two way with a brave experienced jumper, Then did my Hi & Low solos. ALL of this was spaced out over last summer. And I DID get my "A". You can too. I love my DZ! They worked with me and helped me to acheive and learn. Talk to your DZO and the trainers. I'll bet they'll help you find the best way to get you in the sky too. BLUES! -LuLu.

DANGER in and of it self is NOT exactly the appeal. BUT I do recognize that I do LOVE the ADRENALINE-rush AS WELL AS the peaceful freeness that comes with the jumping and freefalling. OK? Ya see where I'm coming from?

I've got a 'little' hurt A LOT: twisted/sprained ankles, breaking/jamming SAME toe(rt. foot 2nd toe), seriously jammed fingers, & strained muscles. BUT Up until this year, when I attended my first Safety Day, I thought that with all the precautionary devices in the gear I was using, kept me pretty safe, as long as I did the right thing at the right time. Safety Day was informative... ...I got enlightened, and I GOT SCARED! Sometimes, things can or will go wrong. and you'll find yourself in deep trouble...bad opening, complete mal, or horse-shoe- or God forbid a reserve-main entanglement. I have since talked over all my new doubts and "what to do's?" if this or that with the regular staff. Always be prepared, and strive to DO BEST allthat YOU DO HAVE CONTROL over, and prepare to react to all emergencies in advance, So that WHEN crap happens, you can quickly respond. But now, really, isn't the danger element part of the THRILL? PS I want to know worst case scenarios, and how to deal with what happens to prepare cut-aways or WHATEVER may happen next. Bring it on! Blues-LuLu

-from a link off a DZ web site about 3 years ago. Being a "newb" knowing mostly 'zip'! I looked for xtra "helps" that I wasn't getting anywhere else THEN. Lots of DZ.com folks have been incredibly inspirational and encouraging along the way. ...Thanx ya'all! NOW I go to a small DZ that I love like family...they are my main supports in this sport now. Blues- LuLu!

Hey thanx for the link. That helps! Blues! -LuLu.

This last Thursday(?) A local TV station in western Michigan, channel 9 & 10 News, covered a story about a Great Lakes surfer who lives in GRAND HAVEN, MI. He'd made a movie about GREAT LAKES SURFERS. Any one know anything about this? I did not get the name of the movie, but I would like to check this out. I did some BODY SURFING with BOOGIE BOARDS before, and would love to find a place to buy some boards to check out THE WAVES IN LAKE MICHIGAN...which can be impressive. Any tips for me? THANX- appreciate it! -LuLu

Yep. I AM one of those "older people"! Started jumping a couple of years ago... I probably would've been better off in number of started jumping at half of the age that I am now! LuLu.

Thanx for the additional link for Brian's Canopy control Course Schedule! I've also gotten info from Skydive Tecumseh in Tecumseh, Michigan that the course was rescheduled (from May) to June 3-5. From all the feed back I've gotten, it does sound real good! But I'll need to see where I'm at with my jumping and money situation before I can make any firm committment, though! Blues - LiLa.

Kelpdiver- Once again you are a sunshiny ray of encouragement from CA all the way to the moody blue midwest. Thanks for encouraging this out of practice newbie. Thanx to ya-all who had a part in helping me to figure things out about taking a canopy control class. I found out more about the Tecumseh (Michigan) DZ's BRIAN GERMAINE'S Canopy Control class... It has been rescheduled for the beginning of this May and the DZ's still taking reservations for people to take this class. I will seriously consider it. But truly it depends on time and money constraints. ...So far (this year) it seems like EVERYTHING in my life is in short supply! Blues! -Lila.