3 Ring Necklace

It's a New Year!

2012-01-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

It's a new year and I'm all about leaving last year in the dust. I'm recovered from my knee surgery and back jumping. I've done 9 jumps so far this year and I'm LOVING IT!!! I'm only two jumps away from 1100. Wahoo!

Because it's a new year, I'm setting my sights on what I want to focus on. I'm thinking free flying...and lots of it. I'm a decent sitflyer, but I know I can do more. It's gonna take a lot of persistence and no fear of failure.

Something else I want to focus on is really promoting 3 Ring Necklace. I've already started with an ad on Facebook. Now I have to place that ad in Parachutist...

dammit dammit dammit

2011-08-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you object to my title because it's cursing...well...

...that's too fucking bad. :p

Earlier this year, my boyfriend and I planned a trip to Canada. Specifically, biking the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. All 180 miles of in three days. Now that I have made tremendous strides in recovering from my knee surgery, I was feeling slightly apprehensive and very pumped. I have been preparing equipment, doing research, and kicking it up a notch at the gym. Extra cardio, personal training sessions, spinning class and Body Pump. Who would have thought I would have tweaked my knee on the treadmill? The TREADMILL??? Are you kidding me? UGH!!
*angry face*

That was last Thursday, during an attempt to increase my cardiovascular endurance on the treadmill (I wasn't even running- I was WALKING), I felt a huge sharp pain in my knee. I've felt those at times before and it usually wasn't anything to worry about. But then it happened again. And again. AND AGAIN. I finally had to give up and go home. That night, I could hardly walk.

I'm supposed to start a 180 mile bike trip this coming Sunday! Argh- the timing of this could not be worse. Since then, I've been icing it like crazy and staying off of it as much as possible. No gym either (I feel the withdrawal kicking in).

On Saturday night, my knee had the sharp pain again. I just lost it emotionally. It was pretty ugly. My boyfriend thinks I'm overreacting because we can just do other stuff while we're there, right? Yes, but I want to bike it. I have been dreaming about biking it and I won't get a chance to do this ever again. I was going to be my "victory lap" after overcoming the injury that I got one year ago. And now this? Seriously?

I'm going to the doctor on Wednesday (I leave for Canada on Friday) and I'm hoping it's just a get-a-steriod/cortisone-shot-and-that-will-get-you-through sort of thing. If I need surgery, I'll deal with that when I get back. I need good vibes people and lots of them!!

I'm a winner!

2011-07-26T18:35:00.001-07:00

My home dz is Skydive Dallas (if you've never been, I HIGHLY recommend it). They hosted the 20th Annual Stefan Banic 4-Way Speed Star competition. I participated last year, but as a videographer. I haven't started flying video since I returned to skydiving, so I decided to be a participant.

The way this competition works is a little different than your traditional speed star. There is a diagonal line in the door of the Otter and all of the jumpers have to remain behind that line. Once the count is given, all of the jumpers dive out and have 45 seconds to make a pre-determined formation. The dive was a total of three formations. For each point they form after that, 1 second is deducted from their time. As soon as the line is crossed, even if it's during the count, time starts! The fastest time wins.

The competition was originally four rounds, but then it was shortened to only having the first two rounds count. The winds were gusty throughout the day, and there were varying levels of experience. Some jumpers were even on rental gear, which made it tough. The team were chosen at random and teams stayed together throughout the competition.

I was made a captain of a team, which I was both surprised and flattered by! My team members included an older lady who had 2700 jumps, a Texas record holder, and a young jumper with 100 jumps. The older lady was on the winning team last year, so I took some of her advice on how to line up in the door and how to give the count. I made the young jumper the base. One first jump we got together quickly and cranked out a lot of points! Our total time: 3 seconds!! After that round, no one could touch us. We won!

It feels great to see that other jumpers have confidence in me. It was a big victory for me after going through knee surgery. Smiles all around! :)

It's all happens for a reason

2011-07-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

What had happened was...

So I had to return the Pulse 150 demo to PD but then that would leave me without a main canopy. I placed an order for the same canopy through a not-to-be-named gear supplier. It turns out they only accept REQUESTS for orders, not actual orders.

Dumb, right? I know.

After not getting a confirmation, email or call back from the company and it's already a Tuesday afternoon (I want to get the canopy for this coming weekend), I tried calling them. No answer. So I call again. And again. And AGAIN. I finally get a hold of a person only to be told that I can't get the canopy for 2 weeks. WHAT?!?!? I was told from PD that since this canopy is IN STOCK that I would get mailed right away. Nope, it's in the pile of all the other orders, waiting to be placed. You'll get it when we get to it, I was told.

*shakes head*

What do skydivers do when the canopy doesn't work? We CUT AWAY! I called Square One and Jackie was awesome! She hooked me up with the canopy and had it dropped shipped to me so I will get it on Friday. SWA-EEET!

Here's the REALLY cool part: while giving her my contact info, she asked for my email address. "Sure, it's 3ringnecklace@gmail.com," I replied. "3 ring necklace? I knew your name looked familiar! I've been wanting to place an order from you!" she squealed in delight. I will be sending off 24 necklaces to Square One, both horizontal and vertical designs. If you're in Perris, stop by Square One and pick up a necklace! Blue skies!!

Jump for the Rose

2011-07-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

It's funny how things happen sometimes!

I went to the American Revolution Boogie this past weekend at Skydive Dallas, ready to jump my PD Pulse 150 demo while braving the 100 degree heat. As I was walking through the hanger, I noticed a women putting on two leg braces when she was getting ready to make a jump. I got so excited when I saw this- I went up to her a said, "I thought I was the only one who wore two leg braces when they jump!" We got to talking and it turns out that she is involved with organizing Jump for the Rose. The Rose is a non-profit organization that benefits women who are in need of breast cancer services who cannot afford it on their own. A skydiver's life was saved by The Rose. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer and did not have health insurance, The Rose stepped in. Now she is giving back by raising money through the Texas Women's State Record.

Although I was invited last year, I was unable to participate due to knee surgery. This year is a different story, and I participated in a Jump for the Rose camp at Skydive Dallas yesterday.

So what does this have to do with 3 Ring Necklace you may ask? The woman who founded Jump for the Rose (the breast cancer survivor) wears a 3 Ring Necklace. She was telling me all about how much she loves the necklace and wishes more skydivers could get them since they are hard to find. I will be designing a vertical and a horizontal necklace for Jump for the Rose and 100% of the proceeds will benefit this great cause!! Pictures of designs will be coming soon!

What to do?!?!?!

2011-06-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm finally cleared to jump, being able to jump is now the problem. I have two containers: one nice Infinity that I love but is too small to fit a Pilot 150 (which I don't have yet but would like to get) and the other is a 1993 Javelin that is not very comfortable and has no main. I demoed a Pulse 150 but I had to send it back and now I have nothing! I filled out a demo form for PD and Aerodyne but nothing has become of it. I spoke to the local Aerodyne representative but he said he can't get one to me until August. I could try to buy one now, but buying a canopy before you even fly it is a HUGE gamble and it would take a while to get one. I'm not really sure what to do here and now that I can jump, the only thing keeping me on the ground is lack of gear! AGH!

Almost there!

2011-05-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Even though I've been cleared to jump for a month now, the weather still hasn't cooperated and I still don't have jumpable gear. I ordered an Optimum 170 to fit into my new-to-me container. However, it is taking longer than I anticipated to get it. So in the meantime, I'm still working on getting my leg stronger and enjoying mountain biking with Roger.

Speaking of Roger, it's our one year anniversary (on Friday the 13th no doubt). I had a co-worker of mine make a skydiving cake (gluten free for me of course). It was covered in light blue fondant with puffy white icing clouds. She made fondant skydivers and placed them in a four way star on top. It looked fantastic and tasted great! Happy anniversary Roger! Love ya!!

DOOOOOORRRR!!!!

2011-04-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

It's been 7 months since the accident; 6 months since the surgery. I saw my ortho doc today and he gave me the green light! I can start jumping again! YEEEESSSSS!!! :) I have been working VERY hard to get my muscle back on my "mini leg." Thanks to my physical therapists and my personal trainer, my leg is up to 80%. Even though I've been cleared for jumping, I'm still going to work to get to 100%.

Now getting the gear ready is another story. I have an Infinity container that holds a 135 main (no room for upsizing) and an Optimum 143. I have a Javalin container that holds a 150 both main and reserve. I don't have a reserve or a main for it yet. I have an AAD for it, ready to be installed. I'll work out the equipment gaps within the next two weeks. I can't go jumping this coming weekend anyway (Mom is in town) but the weekend after is my goal to start jumping again. Hopefully I'll get everything together in time and the weather will cooperate.

To everyone out there struggling with injury, I wish you the best and a speedy recovery. Put your hard work in- it will pay off!!

I don't get it

2011-03-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

While watching TV last night, I saw that there's a movie coming out called "Soul Surfer."

http://www.soulsurferthemovie.com

It is a true story about a surfer, Bethany Hamilton, who had her arm bitten off by a shark. She survived and continued to surf despite her "handicap." The trailer of the movie featured inspirational moments, including Carrie Underwood encouraging young Bethany whilst Katie Perry's "Firework" song plays in the background.

As moving as it is, I was not moved as one would think.

Instead, I was mad. And I had another "incident" from a whuffo this morning to prove why I was mad. Damn whuffos.

I'll tell you why I was mad when I saw that movie trailer, but first I'm going to tell you about this incident with the whuffo. As you may be aware, I had two major surgeries on my knee 5 1/2 months ago to repair the damage done from a bad landing. As you may also be aware, the landing wasn't from jumping out of a "perfectly good airplane" - it was a hot air balloon. This morning I went to physical therapy and I found out that I had a "substitute" physical therapist because the one I usually see was out today at another clinic. Right off the bat, he grabs my leg to do some testing on it, looks at me and goes, "So you're the skydiver, right?"

I said, "Yes, that's me," but I thought, "Not another whuffo. Jesus Christ. What nasty comments am I going to hear this time?"

He didn't say much more in that conversation about skydiving. Later on, in the middle of the session, he goes, "I've never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane." And I quickly responded, "Neither have I!"

After going through this bullshit for 6 1/2 months, I've started to get tired of it. Let me rephrase that- I AM tired of it!

So when I saw the movie trailer featuring a young surfer's journey of having a large chunk of her body eaten by a 5 ton animal, the silver screen triumphs her return to her beloved sport. I can say with confidence that when I jump out of a "perfectly good airplane," there will be no sharks biting off my arms. Or legs. Or any part of my body. And yet I constantly hear whuffos telling me that I should not skydive anymore because I busted my knee. Why is it wonderful that she went back into the ocean (so the shark can have seconds?) and it's horrible that I return to skydiving? Are there only certain activities where it's "ok" to get hurt and not others? Riddle me that America!

4 Months Post Surgery

2011-02-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

In less than a week from now, it'll be four months since the surgery and five months since the bad landing. My physical therapist is trying to terminate my therapy, claiming that I am "not making progress." Needless to say, I disagree with that. Yes my progress may be slow but I am definitely making progress. I don't think she fully grasps the extent of my injuries. I still can't straighten my leg all the way when I walk though. She looked at my foot and determined that I have limited mobility in some of my foot bones. I asked her if this warrants continuing therapy, and she said, "I'll look at it on Thursday and see." Well after this discovery with my foot bones, my worry has escalated to big time!

In the meantime, I've started going back to the gym and meeting with my personal trainer. He's so very supportive, encouraging, and he doesn't judge me for being a skydiver. He challenges me but doesn't push me to do things that would harm my knee. When I woke up sore this morning, it was a great feeling, knowing that my hard work is paying off. My next big goal is going back to spinning class. To be continued...

New Year, New Me

2011-01-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

With each new year comes new chances.

This past year was filled with both very good and very bad occurrences. The very bad being two injuries, one right after the other. In May, I sprained my left mcl and sublexed my kneecap on a no-wind tandem landing. Thankfully, no surgery was needed and I was back in the air two months later. Two months after that, I tore my right acl, mcl, and did extensive cartilage damage to my right knee, which resulted in surgery. I'm back walking again and I almost have my full range of motion back. The muscles in my right leg have shriveled up and disappeared though. I won't be back to jumping until the spring.

On to the good-
the best thing that happened to me this past year (or probably ever for that matter) was forming a relationship with my boyfriend, Roger. He's a skydiver too! I could go on and on about how great he is, but I'll just sum it up by saying that I'm crazy about him (crazy in a good way, not crazy in the stalker way).

But the new year is upon us, and like I said, with each new year comes new chances. Considering that I'm a sport psychologist by trade, I don't make new year's resolutions- I make GOALS! My goals for 3 Ring Necklace this year are to sport at least 10 new designs every month, start selling necklaces in the pro-shops of at least one other dropzone (besides Skydive Dallas), and sell necklaces at least one boogie. Help me out folks! If you're going to a boogie and you'd like 3 Ring Necklace there, give me a shout! If you want 3 Ring Necklaces sold at your dropzone, give me some contact info and we'll talk!

Blue skies everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2 months and counting

2010-12-17T05:39:00.000-08:00

It's been over two months since my knee surgery and what a journey it has been. Between laying on the couch for 6 weeks using a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine for 6 hours a day, non-weight bearing on crutches for 6 weeks, dealing with narcotics withdrawal, and watching my quad muscles disappear before my very eyes, I have been trying to stay upbeat. For the most part I have been mentally ok, but there were days were I would just sob and all Roger could do was hold me. He'd tell me encouraging things, such as I'm a strong person and that I'm going to get through this. He felt that he wasn't helping at all, but truly it was the best thing anyone could ever do for me.

There were other times when I realized that the best medicine does not come in a bottle. During my most painful hours of the night, my cat Lily would climb up unto my chest and start purring. She's look at me as if she were saying, "Well, are you just going to lay there or are you going to pet me?!"

I'm no longer on crutches. I walked with a cane for a while, but I'm not using that anymore either. My biggest challenge right now is my leg extension- getting the lower part of my leg to swing to full extension when I'm walking. I also don't have my full flexion back either, which has been a very painful journey in and of itself.

But what is keeping me sane right now is reminding myself of how far I have come, rather than how far I have to go. I'm walking, I can take a shower standing up, I'm not on pain medicine, and I'm back at work. Hopefully in two months from now, I'll have double the improvement that I have now. :)

Post Op Haze

2010-10-09T07:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was quite a day. To say the least, anyway.

After being stuck my three times with the IV and waiting for 3 hours, I was finally wheeled into surgery. It was questionable whether or not the acl needed to be replaced but the cartilage needed to be fixed without a doubt. The surgeon removed my screw and saw that my acl was indeed torn. He replaced it with a patella tendon graft and fixed the cartilage. I was in surgery for 4 hours, while Roger paced the halls of the hospital, wondering why the waiting room phone was not ringing with updates.

All I remember is being wheeled down a hall, having the plastic mask put on my face and then I was in the post op area. The surgeon yelled to me across the room that yes, the acl had been replaced. My heart sank but I accepted that it had been done for a good reason.

Right now I am on the coach at Roger's, icing my rubber leg, and feeling out of it from the pain killers. I am concerned but hopeful. Roger has been wonderful and I am so lucky to be with him!

Not again!

2010-09-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Roger, my boyfriend (who is also a skydiver), and I went for a hot air balloon jump the day before Labor Day. Long story short, I damaged my right knee and I'm going to need surgery next month. I am still on crutches after 9 days, but the swelling is down and my range of motion is slowly coming back. I won't be able to jump for at least another 7 months. I am not happy with myself at all :( I am trying to keep myself busy by paying more attention to promoting my necklaces.

If you haven't seen my new designs, check out 3 Ring Necklace on Facebook. Any necklace you see can be made as a horizontal design, mini 3 ring or a bracelet!

WAHOOOOOO!!!!!

2010-07-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well the rain finally cleared up last Saturday after waiting patiently until 5:00pm. I was able to get my hop and pop, and a kiss pass jump with my sweetie. Then the bad weather rolled in again and we called it a day. I would have been perfectly happy with those two jumps, but the weather gods smiled on the dropzone once more on Sunday. Blue skies, nice wind (a little bumpy though), and four marvelous jumps. I would have made one more jump, but I discovered a nickel-sized hole in my pilot chute. I bumped off the load so I could get it replaced. That was a $100 surprise!

It's so nice to be back in the air again! I'm not running yet, or doing tandems, but just being able to jump again is a blessing.

Rain, rain, go away

2010-07-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's been 7 weeks since I injured my knee, and thankfully, I didn't require surgery. Now that I have my knee brace, and I'm at the dropzone, of course it is raining! I was so excited all week long to be able to jump this weekend for the first time in 7 weeks, but Mother Nature has other plans. I am patiently waiting for the weather to clear, at the same time, contemplating giving up and leaving the dropzone. Here's hoping that the weather will clear and I can get at least a hop and pop to end my jumpless streak!

4 weeks down

2010-06-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

It's been four weeks since injuring my knee. It turns out that I sublexed my knee cap and I sprained my MCL. No damage to the ACL or cartilage, and thankfully, no surgery is needed. There is no more swelling and I am attending physical therapy twice a week. I have about 3-4 more weeks to go before I'll be back in the air. Hopefully, that time will fly by, rather than creeping along (because it feels like it's creepy along very slowly!).

In the meantime, I am busy updating my beads and making new designs. I have posted new pictures here and on Facebook. If you haven't become a fan, add 3 Ring Necklace on today!

Skydive Dallas has added 3 Ring Necklace to their gear shop. So if you're in the area, stop on by and check them out in person. The pictures really don't give them justice!

Lastly, 3 Ring Necklace has been selected as Artist of the Month from Jenafusion. Check out the posting on http://jenafusion.blogspot.com for full details. Thanks Jenafusion!!

Opps I did it again

2010-05-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm not a Brittany Spears fan at all and that was an incredibly cheesy subject line; but fitting nonetheless. I tore up my left knee last Sunday on a jump. It's weird how there was no wind that day when we have been having such high wind days in Texas since the beginning of the year. I damaged the mcl and the cartilage but I don't know the extent of it yet. I see the doctor in about 2 hours and I will found out whether or not I am going to get surgery. If I do need it, it'll be my fourth knee surgery.

Needless to say, I am royally pissed. I am angry at myself that I broke myself. After 940 jumps, I'd think that I would know better by now. I guess not. I am most angry that I cannot workout. The last time I injured my knee I put on a lot of weight and I got very depressed. I am a gym-a-holic and I am already going into withdrawal! I just purchased 18 sessions with my personal trainer before the accident, and I'm not about to quit now. So I'm going to work on keeping the habit of going to the gym and not losing the upper body strength that I worked so hard to get. I can finally steer and flare the SETS 400 canopy all on my own, and I don't want to lose that strength either.

So I'm just taking it one day at a time and keeping my chin up. This is only a temporary phase in my life (I got over the elbow injury, didn't I?) and I've got to work my way through it.

I'm not a Miley Cyrus fan by any means but I love the lyrics to this song (it gives me strength):

There's always gonna be another mountain
Always gonna want to make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb!

Here's to staying strong!!!

Red Alert! Red Alert!

2010-05-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

Barbed wire necklaces are HERE! Check out pics on facebook!

Barbed Wire 3 Ring Necklace

2010-04-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Using a suggestion from a 3 Ring Necklace fan (thanks Hal!), I ordered leather barbed wire cord. The necklaces look fantastic!! Pics are coming soon!

In my neck of the woods, I make been making great progress with tandems. I can fly them and land them all on my own. My accuracy is getting better, but it still needs some work. I have even begun to land them on our feet. Well, the high Texas winds have been helpful too! ;) I now have over 100 tandems. I want to do at least 200 more by the end of the year. Skydive 35 is getting a turbo charged 206, which will be great! I checked my log book today, and I saw that I haven't jumped a turbine aircraft for a YEAR. Yikes! I really miss Otters! I love Skydive 35 though even though we have Cessna 182s. The people are great and I have a lot of fun. If you're ever in central/north Texas, come check us out!

Mother Nature is such a tease

2010-03-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

After no jumping for three weekends, last weekend we finally got a break in the weather. I was able to do four jumps and it felt great to get back in the air!! I didn't do any tandems though because my knee still has some healing to do. By that fourth jump, my knee was killing me but I did it anyway. In the meantime, Mother Nature has been playing some mean tricks on Texas. It has been beautiful for most of the week but it is calling for clouds and rain during the weekend. Pooh. :( Another weekend of no jumping is not sitting well with me- how do whuffos do it????

Another Bump in the Road - Literally

2010-02-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

In November, I noticed I was having some pain in my knee at the site of one of my screws. I have my acl repaired when I was 17, and as a result, two screws were put into my knee. The pain eventually went away, but a bump appeared instead. It got worse and worse. I finally was able to see a doctor about it. Long story short, I had a cyst growing from inside the screw. Yesterday, the screw was taken out and is now on a necklace hanging from my neck! I am already off crutches and I can be back to jumping in eight weeks. The hole in my bone will fill in with new bone by then. Right now I'm enjoying a Vicodin fog. Hopefully by time that I'll be back in the air, the weather will have cleared up. Here's hoping!

New Designs are HERE!

2010-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Check out my latest designs! 3 Ring Necklace now features woven designs in both leather and even hemp. Knot Crazy is making a debut too.

Of course, any design can be custom made to suit your individual tastes. All designs are available in animal-friendly materials too! Blue skies!!!!

GOALS for 2010!

2010-01-19T12:52:00.000-08:00

Resolutions anyone? For me, I don't make New Years resolutions. I make GOALS. Last year, my goals were to:
1) lower my body fat percentage
2) become a tandem and an AFF instructor
3) run a 5K
4) fly camera

I have achieved all of those goals when I:
1) lost 10 pounds
2) got both of my instructor ratings
3) ran in three 5Ks
4) fly camera when I'm not throwing drogues

This year, my goals are:
1) scuba trip (I already have my open water cert)
2) wind tunnel trip (Skyventure in Denver)
3) boogie trip (TBD)
4) run a 10K

I plan on making a trip to a boogie to sell some necklaces, make new friends, do some jumps, and celebrate the good times. I'm not sure where or when the trip will take place, but it is certainly going to be this year (how vague is that?!). I'd also like to get some more tunnel time and make some jumps in Colorado.

All the best for your 2010 goals!!

Facebook Profile

2009-12-13T09:16:00.001-08:00

I just created a Facebook Profile for 3 Ring Necklace~ Become a Fan today!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/3-Ring-Necklace/204810590215?v=info#/pages/3-Ring-Necklace/204810590215?ref=mf

Check it out! If you already have a 3 Ring Necklace, take a picture and send it to me so I can post it on our new Facebook page. Email pics to 3ringnecklace@gmail.com

I'm back!!!

2009-11-15T06:50:00.001-08:00

It's been a couple of months, and I have been working hard to get my elbow back in the game. After much physical therapy and even some minor setbacks, I am back doing tandems. I even took a guy who is 250 pounds yesterday. I only took him because the winds were 25 mph. I told him, "You came to the dropzone on the right day because any other day I would not take you!" I made sure the harness fit him right, and emphasized arching on exit and symmetry in freefall. I took extra care talking to him the entire ride up to keep him calm and relaxed. He ended up doing an excellent job and had a really great time!

I have even accomplished a major goal of mine- I got my AFF instructors rating!!!!!!!!!! It was an extremely nerve-wracking, challenging, rewarding experience. But I knew it was something that I could accomplish and there was no reason why I couldn't do it. I have yet to do a real AFF jump, but I'm sure I will get to one soon. Next stop on this crazy train, who knows? Pro rating (yeah right)? Rigger's ticket (hmmmm....maybe)? Instructor examiner (a real possibility but very far down the road yet)?

The holidays are coming and a 3 Ring Necklace would be a perfect gift for the skydiver who has everything- or nothing- it's a perfect gift for anyone! They are custom-designed and handmade. Match your rig colors or have no beads at all. Place your order now to have it in plenty of time for putting under the tree (or menorah, whatever).

I got an ouchie

2009-09-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I screwed up a little bit. Two weeks ago, I dislocated my elbow on a tandem landing. I did it to prevent my student from being injured. My student walked away injury-free, while I was taken to the ER, put under sedation, and it was popped back in. Each day my elbow gets better and better. I still can't jump, but I'll be back in the game in no time.

Brandon and I went to The Deadman's Boogie at Skydive Temple over the Labor Day weekend. Because I couldn't jump, I sold necklaces instead. I met a lot of great people (Hi Roger, Fanny, and Ryan!) along the way too. Sure I was bummed because I couldn't jump, especially because I missed opportunities to jump with new people, and jump out of an Otter (I've been jumping Cessna 182s for a year now). But I don't regret my decision and I know that this setback does not make me a bad instructor. I look forward to my next skydive (probably a hop and pop), which will probably be in about 3 or 4 weeks. Blue skies everybody- and stay safe!

Gotta love this Texas heat!!!

2009-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

I now have over 75 tandems, all out of a Cessna 182 in the Texas heat. Yes folks, it has been a hot summer with many days in the 100s. But I have been toughing it out- still staying postive and energetic towards my students. I make a conscious effort to make them feel relaxed and upbeat. When my students are hooked up to me, I can have a better feel for their breathing patterns (are they breathing fast and shallow? Are they breathing up in their shoulders and chest?) and muscle tension (are they stiff or lose?). It gives me a good idea how nervous they are. Students that are too nervous = not arching in freefall. I don't want them to take me for a ride and I want them to have a good time. By reading their behavior, asking them how they are feeling, answering their questions, and explaining what is going on will make for an easier freefall and a fun experience. I even took a student who was 216 lbs last weekend! He was no problem because he was so relaxed in the plane.

Lately, I've had to almost "defend" my credentials because students and wuffos ask me things like, "You've done this before right?" It's so funny when they ask questions such as, "When we exit, am I going to me hooked up to you?" I love it when they give me that look, "You're my tandem instructor?" Being a tandem instructor is very empowering!

My work at the gym has paid off. I have been getting a lot more upper body strength and it shows. I can flare by myself on a more consistent basis, and steering is a lot easier too. I'm landing closer to the pea pit more often, and I'm having more stand up landings too.

I did it!!!

2009-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

I got my tandem rating!! Yahoo! After busting my ass in the gym 8-10 a week, I finally am able to flare. I even consistently landed near the catchers. My biggest concern is my position in the door, but that will get better over time. I haven't taken any students yet, but I'm sure that is when the REAL learning begins. I'm very nervous and excited! I'm guessing this summer is going to be filled with tandems and video flying. Sounds like a summer of fun to me!

I don't like potato chips

2009-05-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

I don't like to eat them either. If you're a skydiver, you know what I mean.

I completed Level III of my Strong Tandem certification last Sunday, this time it was out of a Cessna. I think I was rushing because I had less altitude to work with, so maybe I was rushing. I knew that I was potato chipping in freefall, so I tried to relax, arch, and put my legs further out into the air. I think that is where I went wrong- I TRIED to relax. Relax is about putting LESS effort in, by letting go. Instead I put more imput in, and the potato chipping continued.

I passed the level with flying colors, even though I made a few mistakes. I forgot to detach and reattach the primary drogue release from the student's harness to my harness. I also talked about landing too late under canopy (during the base leg). No biggie- these are all fixable mistakes that aren't a huge deal.

Even though I am making progress towards my instructor's rating, I'm a little frustrated. I still can't flare the 400 SETS canopy. Despite my big efforts to get stronger at the gym, I am not any closer to getting a full flare. Here's the rub: I will probably be taking smaller people on tandems, so it will be easier to flare. But they probably won't be able to help me. The larger passengers make it harder to flare, but they will be able to help me. So which is it? Hmmmmm.......

Recent Updates

2009-05-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I'm making more progress on my tandem certification training. I did another tandem jump, this time on the front as the student. I threw the drogue, did handle checks, and some 360s. I also pulled the primary drogue release to deploy the canopy. I could flare all the way this time, but I had a hard time transfering the steering lines down from the shoulders to the chest height. Once they were at chest height, I could flare all the way. So all of that hard work at the gym is starting to pay off! The winds were so high, we were holding into the wind the whole time and we were going backwards the whole way! Instead of cutting away the canopy, we just laid down and pulled in a toggle. The catchers couldn't get there in time because we were going backwards so fast! I could hear Mr. Bill in the back of head going, "Oh no!" :) So I passed that level. I haven't been able to do another jump since, but I am getting other things done in the meantime. Watching the training DVD, filling out forms, completing tests, and I got my medical certificate. And of course, working out at the gym, building up my guns. GRRRR!!!! Hopefully, if the weather cooperates, I will be able to knock out the next 3 jumps in Phase I of the training.

Another update is that Jump for the Cause is going to feature both a 3 Ring Necklace design AND a bracelet! They are available for purchase here, or through the JFTC website (well, they will be available for purchase throught the JFTC website very soon!). Check out the pictures. On on side it says, "JFTC" and "2009" on the other side. Pink beads are in between the number and letter beads. The bracelet features braided black leather cord, pink beads, and a glass heart shaped bead with a pink ribbon on it. Proceeds of these products goes toward JFTC!!!

Beer!

2009-04-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

I owe beer BIG time!!! And this time I'm not hiding it.

One of my goals this year is to get my tandem rating. I recently had the opportunity presented to me to become a tandem instructor. I love videoing and working with students- it's so thrilling to be a part of someone's first freefall experience. I have all of the qualifications to enter the course (except for the medical certificate which I can get no problem): I've had 2 cutaways, my coach rating, over 700 jumps, etc... I have full confidence about being a tandem instructor when it comes to student training, hook up in the plane, exit, freefall, emergency procedures, and the like.

But here's the rub: I can't flare a SETS-400 all the way. If it was a 360 or an Icarus, I'm sure I'd be able to do it. But that is a BIG problem. Now, being in Texas and there's a lot of wind here, so that may not be a huge problem since you don't have to flare all the way in those conditions. However, it isn't always going to be windy. And I HAVE to be able to flare the canopy all the way. I know there are quite a few women tandem masters out there and they have been able to do it~ why not me? I have been working very hard at the gym, strengthening my triceps, pecs, lats, and all that jazz.

I took the instructor examiner for a trial run to see if I could flare the canopy from the back. (He did a thorough briefing, so don't worry that he just threw the rig on my back and off we went.) To my disappointment, I could only flare 2/3s of the way. I did everything else great, but that. He landed for us so I didn't have to risk it.

So I have been thinking a lot about this dilemma lately and this one very important problem holding me back. I decided that I am up for the challenge, and when I DO conquer it, the victory is going to be that much more sweet!

New Designs!

2009-04-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hello all- I just purchased some new camera gear and I am loving camera flying! It puts a huge smile and my face to see people enjoying themselves in free fall for the first time. Since my boyfriend started working as a tandem instructor, I don't get to jump with him anymore. Well, now that I'm flying camera for him, we get to jump together! Funny how things work out like that sometimes, huh?

I've been jumping at Skydive 35 recently, and I had a mini-adventure the other day. The upper winds were surprisingly strong, and on deployment I made the mistake of tracking AWAY from the landing area. I was so far away, I decided that I'm not even going to try and land there. Besides, if I did try, I knew I would be landing downwind. That's not a big deal, but if I'm going to be landing and be completely alone, then I don't want to be injured where there's no one around to help me. I looked down and starting looking at houses, thinking to myself, "Well, there's a car parked in the driveway at that house. Maybe someone is home that can give me a ride back." There were a lot of dirt roads, but there was a paved road that made it easy to get back to the drop zone. Plus there were no power lines or obstacles. So I landed there and some drove up, not 15 seconds later. The lady was so nice to drive me back. I guess with all of that skydiving gear, I didn't look like a serial killer!!

All is...ok...on the homefront

2009-03-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to lose some weight quickly, but this is ridiculous!

Apparently I picked up some stomach/gut bug, and it didn't agree with me...at all. I'll spare you the exact details because for all I know, you could be eating right now. What it comes down to is that after 3 days of being sick, I lost 6 pounds. Wow- I couldn't lose 6 pounds in a month let alone 3 days! So I'm at home, "enjoying" old episodes of random sitcoms, making new necklace designs. I posted 4 pictures of new necklaces. If you don't see something you like, send me an email at 3ringnecklace@gmail.com with an idea of what you're looking for. For the last handful of orders, I custom designed them as per the customer's request.

Stay safe and blue skies, Beth

Ice + Texas Drivers = Crumpled car

2009-02-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

About 2 weeks ago, we got some icy, wet conditions. The temperature was falling, so they let us out of work early. "Great," I thought to myself, "I have time to run an errand." While running the errand, I was careful to keep extra distance from the car in front of me and make sure I was driving a little slower than usual. Minding my own lane, I see a truck hydroplaning (going up an incline, mind you) and then hits my car! The truck hit my front driver's side wheel area, and then slide down the side of my car. I hit another car as a result of him hitting me, which was waiting at a stop sign on my right. Thankfully no one was hurt. No one had called the police yet, because we heard sirens coming towards us. A police car was speeding down the street toward our accident----only to zoom right past us to go to another accident!!! So I called 911.

The idiot who hit me was some redneck-hick, who was wearing flip flops in below freezing temperatures, and decided to starting dipping while the police officer was trying to hand him something. While I was taking pictures of my car, the hick comes up to me, in all of his glory, and says, "Can you tell the cops that my girlfriend was driving?" I ask him why. After a few minutes of coaxing the real story out of him, it turns out that he has a suspended license. "No!" I told him frankly. "You shouldn't have been driving." "Well my girlfriend didn't want to drive in this weather." "You shouldn't have been out driving then!" I felt my Judge Judy powers starting to emerge....

The guy who hit me was ticketed for the accident and for not providing proof of valid insurance at the scene. I have full coverage with Progressive and 24 hours later, I had a check in my hand for my totalled car!!! It wasn't enough to buy a new car (I had a 2004 Hyundai Accent with 93,000 miles on it), but it was enough for a down payment for another car. I ended up getting a 2009 Nissan Versa. I had jus finished paying off that car last year, and now I have to make car payments for another 4 1/2 years. I try to be optimistic about all situations though. I told the cops at the accident, "Well, I had to get the oil changed anyway!"

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

2008 was both a good and not-so-good year for me, but I'm ready for 2009!

Santa got me a lot of necklace supplies, so there will be plenty of new 3 ring designs during the coming year.

As always, EVERY design is available in either regular size or mini. Please specify when ordering.

Thanks for all of your support, as 3 Ring Necklaces are becoming more and more popular.

I would love to get any pictures of you and/or your friends wearing 3 Ring Necklaces and I will post them on my blog!

Bluest skies to all!

Last week to get 3 Rings before Christmas!

2008-12-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

I am flying to New York for Christmas, so this is the last week to get 3 Ring Necklaces in time for the holiday. Place your orders now before it's too late!

Don't Pull Low!

2008-11-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

Strange thing happened to me this weekend-

On my first jump of the day, the guy in front of me in the plane noticed that his Neptune reset on the way up. He said he had an audible, but he has low jump numbers, and you need an altimeter for more than deployment altitude. Since I have an audible, wrist mount, and a Viso on my mud flap, I loaned him my wrist mount. No problem right?

So I got out, and enjoy my solo sitfly jump. I did some front flips, and then I checked my altitude by looking at my mud flap Viso. Well, it blew apart in freefall! I had no visible altimeter- the same situation I was trying to prevent for the other guy in the plane!! So I listened for my audible, and constantly scanned for canopies (a sure sign to pull if my audible didn't work).

My audible DID work (thank goodness), and I deployed at 3500 ft. I looked down and I had no idea where I am! I looked all around, and finally I spotted it WAY over THERE. I pulled down to deep brakes. I unintentionally kept looking at what is now a piece of plastic (but used to be an altimeter) to see if I can make it back. I didn't want to be in the situation of making a low turn to get back into the wind, or land dangerously downwind into oncoming traffic. I did make it back with enough altitude to spare.

The guy I loaned my altimeter to did fare so well. He foolishly pulled low, which is a bad idea anyway, and didn't make it back to th dropzone. No big deal right? Well, it rained the day before and there was sticky mud EVERYWHERE. That altimeter I loaned him got really dirty. He was apologetic and cleaned it off.

Well, I got in four more jumps to what was a very cold, windy day. I guess I'll be asking Santa for a new Viso!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-11-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

...everywhere you go! Hopefully the winter weather hasn't gotten you grounded, but if it has, a 3 Ring Necklace will give you those warm fuzzies by reminding you of warm summer days, awesome skydiving, sunny days and good vibes.

Are you looking for that perfect gift for a fellow skydiver who has EVERYTHING? Or maybe not everything but you would like to give them a gift anyway?

3 Ring Necklaces are a PERFECT gift for any skydiver because:
1) they probably don't have one
2) they probably would love to have one
3) it's not expensive to get one!

3 Ring necklaces now come in 2 sizes: regular and mini! Please specify when ordering.
Pay with Paypal and it ships right to your door! Order now and it will arrive in time for Christmas.
Just as a reminder, no 2 necklaces are alike, so this is a truly unique gift!

Happy Holidays and Blue Skies!

BRRRRRRR!!!!!

2008-11-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

I can't complain too much, but I guess after living in the South for 8 years, I have developed a thin skin. Right now I'm at Skydive Spaceland in Rosharon, Texas. For those of you who don't know, Rosharon is south of Houston, close to the coastline to the Gulf of Mexico. It's in the 40s or 50s right now with the winds in the 20 mph range. Needless to say, the reason why I'm staying on the ground is not because of the temperature, but rather because of the winds.

This cooler weather is bringing me back to my childhood days of growing up in New York. School started just after Labor Day, with the trees starting to turn colors soon afterward. Halloween night consisted of luging around my plastic pumpkin while wearing a coat underneath my costume and the sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet. This being my first winter in Texas, I am thinking of how much colder it is in New York right now and how much I DON'T miss walking to high school in the freezing cold. My mother is coming to Texas for Thanksgiving and she's probably going to think we're having a tropical heat wave in comparison to the Hudson Valley in New York. My sister, who lives in Port Jervis NY, has already gotten snow.

With that being said, I can't complain...too much.

Mini 3 Rings are Here!!!

2008-10-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Finally - mini 3 Ring Necklaces are here! I only have two designs premade right now, but ANY necklace can be made as a mini. The regular sized 3 Ring Necklaces are 1", 3/4" and 1/2". The mini 3 Ring Necklaces are instead 3/4", 1/2" and 3/8".

Also, I have restocked my rings. The new rings are now a smaller gauge, making them lighter and less bulky.

I have been selling a lot of braided cord necklaces. They seem to be a big hit!

Adventures in the Wild Mid-West

2008-09-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

I've heard about mid-west drop zones with rigs with rip cords and only Cessna planes, but I'd never been to one before.

Before Saturday September 27th that is.

While visiting St. Louis MO for an applied sport psychology conference (for work stuff), I met up with a fellow sport psychologist (Sam) who is also a licensed skydiver. I had no idea that he's jumper! He told me that he was going to go for a jump at a local drop zone and invited me along.
"But I don't have any of my gear!" I said. "Neither do I," he responded. "We can rent."
Why not?

So off we went on an early Saturday morning, with ambiguous directions and a useless GPS. We found the place and approached Manifest with vigor. After showing my USPA card and a quick call to my home DZ to verify my currency (no log book), we were manifested for load 1. Sam and I were so excited! That is...

....until manifest told me that the smallest gear that they have is their 280. 280? 280?! Are you kidding me?!?! I fly a Stiletto 150 and just downsized to a 135. Sam flies an Icarus 189. I picked my jaw up off the floor and went over and told Sam. He was in as much shock as I was.

I laughed as I went over the arial map over and over again, planning what to do if I overshoot the landing area. Sam kept repeating over and over to himself, "280? 280?"

Just when I thought the surprises were over, it got better. Manifest told us that our gear was ready and that we should go into the student gear room to get it. As I flipped the rig over and started doing my gear check I noticed that these rigs have rip cords. Real rip cords. Like in the movies. Like when the old guys at the drop zone stand around the bonfire after drinking a case of beer and telling stories about these rigs by starting out with, "No shit, there I was..." Now I was going to be jumping one. No shit.

I just kept shaking my head and laughing out loud as I turned the student Cypres on and praticed my rip cord touches. Sam and I looked at each other in disbelief; are we really doing this?

As we clumsly practiced the exit, I unintentionally scrape the top of the rig all over the mock up. A staff member of the DZ comes over to us and reminds us that the student cypres activates at 2000 ft. Sweet. At least we have GPS, right?

Thankfully we did. It was a slightly bigger Cessna, so 5 people fit into it, not just 4. After 20 minutes of admiring the view (it's been years since I jumped in the Mid-west and it was so beautiful), I did something that I haven't done in a while. I started to get nervous. My heart started pounding as I kept repeating to myself over and over, "Hold the ripcord. Hold the ripcord. Hold hold hold."

Finally it was time to go. The first two guys went and then it was our turn. Here goes nothing, right? I was supposed to hang off of the strut but I was afraid that if I didn't, I'd go flying off of the plane without my dive partner. So I kept one foot on. He nodded, I counted and then I just let go!!

The view of looking up and seeing Sam diving down to get to me was amazing!!! We caught up to each other and did what we planned on our dirt dive, smiling the whole time. I was very careful to keep track of the altitude, as I usually jump with an audible altimeter. But this time I didn't even have a helmet on. I turned and tracked and thought, "Do I pull now? Or keep tracking?" I waved off and looked at my altimeter; yikes! It's 3000 ft and I should have pulled 500 ft ago. I put my hand on the rip cord and thought, "Hold it!" I pulled and held on to it.

The opening was so soft and on heading; I'm not used to that on my Stiletto. I did some practice flares and kept holding into the wind. I set up my landing, which was perfectly on target, and land softly on my feet! I was full of electricity from the excitement- what a rush!! Sam and I bumped fists as we greeted each other in the landing area.

My thanks for Archway Skydiving Center for all of their help for making my visit so wonderful. Many blue skies!!!!

It's a beautiful day!

2008-09-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally easing up a bit, but here may be some hot days yet! It has been extremely hot and I've been making some hot skydives here in Texas. I have posted pictures of my latest designs (see left), including the braided cord necklace. Sales have been up, including international sales.

If you think 3 Ring Bling-Bling Necklaces should be sold at your drop zone/gear shop, contact me at 3ringnecklace@gmail.com. I offer wholesale discounts and easy payment through PayPal!

Blue Skies!!!

Been out of the loop for a bit...

2008-07-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been a while. After moving across the US, starting a new job, and caring for a boyfriend who broke his leg, you get kinda busy.

A new design is here- black braided cord. This can include colored beads or have no beads at all.

Email me for the latest pictures of designs. Blue skies!

News Flash!

2007-12-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

There are some exciting changes that are happening for 3 Ring Bling-Bling.

1) A new email address: 3ringnecklace@gmail.com
The airathanas@yahoo.com email is fine too.

2) Paypal is here! You can now pay using Paypal. No more licking stamps.

3) Since my ring supplier decided to take over three months to send me my order (and I still haven't gotten my complete order yet), I am switching suppliers. Hopefully I will be able to increase customer satifaction with this change.

4) Lastly, I will be coming out with a new design- the much requested and hopefully ever-so-popular smaller design.

Thanks to all and happy holidays!

It's spreading like wildfire!

2007-12-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

Wonderful news! 3 Ring Bling-Bling necklaces are now being sold at:

-Square 3 in Eloy, home of Skydive Arizona.
www.skydiveaz.com

-Square 1 in Perris, CA, home of Skydive Perris.
www.skydiveperris.com

Drop Zones

2007-11-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

The following Drop Zones have 3 Ring necklaces for sale:

-Skydive the Farm
Cedartown, GA
www.skydivethefarm.com

-Skydive CrossKeys
Square 3
Williamstown, NJ
www.skydivecrosskeys.com

-Mile-Hi Skydiving Center
Longmont, CO
www.mile-hi-skydiving.com

-Skydive Tampa
Palm Harbor, FL
www.skydivetampa.com

-Southeast Missouri Skydiving Club
Sikeston, MO
www.semoskydiving.com

If you are interested in having 3 Ring Bling-Bling necklaces featured at your DZ or gear shop, please contact me at airathanas@yahoo.com. I offer wholesale discounts!

Three Ring Bling-Bling!

2007-11-12T10:12:00.001-08:00

3 Ring Bling-Bling Necklaces are skydiving-themed necklaces that are made of 3 nickel-plated rings. Assembled to imitate the 3 ring release system, they are laced with durable leather cord. Decorated with colorful beads on the black or brown cord, it closes with a lobster-claw clasp. Each handcrafted necklace is truly unique and shows your individual style! Necklaces are $15 or 2 for $25. Price does not include shipping & handling. Email airathanas@yahoo.com for ordering and payment options.