Beer!

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!

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

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

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!