Post #1

Pat challenged me to post more on my blog, and to rant less. I acknowledge that I do rant quite a bit through my blog, and also haven't posted in a long time. Not much has irked me enough to generate a ranting post. However, I think that even were I to possess the fuel for such a rant, it would likely not be appreciated by those reading my blog.

Apparently, people want to know what's new in my life, what I've been doing with my free time, education, career and all that lovely junk. Moreover, in order to be linked on Pat and Anna's blog, I need to post a certain number of blogs. Can't remember how many that is. I'm sure I'll reach it though. Just like John Etchemendy and Rich Patterson before me, I shall attain this lofty recognition.

So here is my first non-ranting post. The topic for today is skydiving.

I have been skydiving since Amanda Hoover, for my birthday, kidnapped me from my home and, convincing me that we were going to Lagoon, drove me further north to Skydive Ogden. Not only was this the best birthday present I've received, it was also an awesome gift to not have to spend a day at Lagoon. I shall not rant on this topic. I will simply say that Lagoon really, really sucks.

Skydiving, as it turns out, is the polar opposite of Lagoon - it really, really rocks. So far I've jumped, as my dad likes to say, from 10 perfectly good planes. I plan to jump out of many more airplanes. Here are a few realizations I've made while skydiving:

1. Freefalling is much easier when you're relaxed. One of my instructors imparted the following sagacious wisdom as we were flying to our drop point: "If you are relaxed enough to fart the entire freefall, you're doing good. I make it a goal sometimes to see how long I can let it fly as I'm falling." I haven't been able to do this yet, though I have let a few go in the cabin as we were ascending.

2. Clouds look soft and inviting on the ground, but are actually quite gritty and painful on the face at freefall speed.

3. Ogden is actually quite scenic when you're not on the ground.


Well, that's about it right now. It's 2:18 AM and I've run out of words. Amazing how vocabulary shrinks this late at night.