Last Poster #6

[Xue Sheng]

Well, I am off to get some good vegetable Gyoza and to try a Japanese vegetable spring roll. Tried the Thai spring roll near my office and it is way to greasy and the nearest good Chinese spring roll is to far away to walk, so I will see how the Japanese do.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I'm afraid of heights too. Terribly. As in, climbing a ladder to change a light bulb makes me shake. So I did this.

That was 6 weeks after I'd finished a six-month course of daily chemo and radiation. I was still weak and still had a feeding tube in.

I still can't figure out why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane

kidding aside....Congratulations and props for that....

 

[AngryHobbit]

I'm afraid of heights too. Terribly. As in, climbing a ladder to change a light bulb makes me shake. So I did this.

That was 6 weeks after I'd finished a six-month course of daily chemo and radiation. I was still weak and still had a feeding tube in.

Awesome! I am too scared to do that.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Looks like the oldest will be going to grad school 27,000 miles away

 

[Gerry Seymour]

.

Looks like the oldest will be going to grad school 27,000 miles away

In Asheville?

 

[Buka]

Made a big old pot of tomato sauce yesterday and eggplant parm this morning.

Goona' be a belt loosening day.

 

[granfire]

got the house to myself for the next 2 days.
I have no idea how to act!

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

got the house to myself for the next 2 days.
I have no idea how to act!

Dance like no one's watching!

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

.

In Asheville?

nah, pennsylvania. In Xue's mind, that's also 27,000 miles away

 

[Xue Sheng]

.

In Asheville?

Blacksburg

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

@gpseymour how are you at 48 posts already??

 

[Gerry Seymour]

@gpseymour how are you at 48 posts already??

Focus and practice, grasshopper.

 

[granfire]

Dance like no one's watching!

good plan!

 

[drop bear]

I'm afraid of heights too. Terribly. As in, climbing a ladder to change a light bulb makes me shake. So I did this.

That was 6 weeks after I'd finished a six-month course of daily chemo and radiation. I was still weak and still had a feeding tube in.

Did they just chuck you out solo. Or was there training involved?

 

[Dirty Dog]

Did they just chuck you out solo. Or was there training involved?

There is classroom training and such first.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Made a big old pot of tomato sauce yesterday and eggplant parm this morning.

Goona' be a belt loosening day.

SHHHHHH! Now @gpseymour will start badgering me to make eggplant parm.

 

[AngryHobbit]

Dance like no one's watching!

Always a great idea!

 

[AngryHobbit]

One week.
2019 Warrior Dash Georgia | Warrior Dash | The 5k Obstacle Course Race Series

 

[Gerry Seymour]

SHHHHHH! Now @gpseymour will start badgering me to make eggplant parm.

We are into that time of year. Soon...

 

[Dirty Dog]

Did they just chuck you out solo. Or was there training involved?

Bit of expansion...
We spent 8 hours in class, working on the mechanics and going over what can go wrong (and how to deal with those things). We spent an hour or so doing physical drills. In that sense, it's much like SCUBA training or (I'd imagine) any other training that involves things that can't be gotten into a step at a time. Like driving. You can start in an empty lot at 5MPH. No such luck with either type of diving.
The most common issue when skydiving is for the chute to come out twisted. Which mine did. It's pretty easy to deal with. You just twist in the other direction till the shroud lines are all untwisted. If that doesn't seem to be working (which is pretty rare) you just release that chute and deploy your reserve. I twisted 8-10 turns and things opened right up.
The worst part, for me, was the exit. I had figured it would be like the movies, where you jump out a door. I figured I could close my eyes and dive. Nope. From this plane, you have to climb out the door and stand on the landing gear, and jump from there.
I didn't have any trouble steering the chute (after the damned thing opened) but I will freely admit to spending the entire flight wondering if I'd puke before I got down.
I was smart enough to make sure my bladder was empty. I'm not kidding about how afraid of heights I am.