Ice + Texas Drivers = Crumpled car

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!

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!

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!

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...

...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!!!!!

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!!!

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!