Basejumper.com - archive

 

This is funny. I stopped counting my jumps when I had 595. At least 200 of those were unpacked. And, here's the kicker, I have never jumped off of a building.

So, there are probably lots of people who would say that I am not a BASE jumper, or a real BASE jumper, or an astronaut. (Actually, that last one is true) But who gives a flying, falling, or jumping fuck.

My roommate once looked at me and my girlfriend on the couch and said, "fffaaagggsss". It didn't faze me, because it made no sense. Just like it makes no sense for him to say my unpacked jumps don't count as BASE jumps. I stopped counting my jumps, so even if I every do jump a building, it won't count as a BASE jump either.

So I guess if it matters what other people call you when you are or aren't around, then by all means do an unpacked gainer off of a 150ft building over nasty, pointy, sharp rebar. If you survive, I'm sure your "friends" will all visit you in the hospital to tell you what a bad-ass you were.

Me, I'll just continue to be a soul flyer (yes, I know that phrase is taken - and by a much more talented jumper than me).

I'm not saying I haven't done stupid stuff, because I have. But I hope I was doing it for myself and not so I could get a sound bite at a party.

Be Safe (or don't)
-Bill

Sticks and stones will brake your bones, but the fall... the fall will fucking kill you.

Sinterklaas will get you a sound bite any day Bill. And maybe a nice video too!

we all know your gay but it has nothing to do with BASE jumping
you were just born that way so stop fighting it

To me, anyone who's made a BASE jump is a BASE jumper. It doesn't matter how many jumps you've made, how long you were in the sport, or how many injuries or arrests you've had.

If you've willingly stepped off the edge of a fixed object and piloted your parachute safely to the ground, then we are one and the same.....

Does piloting it to the water count? I've only landed on the ground (rocks) once and it really wasn't piloted to the rocks all that safely. Does that ocunt? Am I a BASE jumper?

Water = Ground = You ARE a BASE jumper.
Hell yeah, Russel. You are more of a BASE jumper than most of us.

I don't know, perhaps a BASE dropper graduated from BASE pusher offer?

Base is just a door to the universe where it all just doesn't matter. BASE jumper, not BASE jumper, real, not real, packed, unpacked, low, high, hardcore, softcore, subterminal, superterminal, number, no number, so many jumps, not so many jumps, done that, haven't done that...

Blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah.

It all just doesn't matter.

You are totally not a BASE jumper, otherwise, that door would have opened itself...

I'm sure if you tell everyone who your roommate is, they won't be the least bit surprised.

what are you talking about?

I BASE for the number, I BASE to say i have done that. I BASE to be Hardcore, I BASE to jump from the highest or the lowest.

sorry boys but last summer i was an astronaut.

sweetest fucking gig ever. early am tower loads followed by 2 flights of "work"...

currently looking forward to march..

some cool pics id like to share....

Exactly how the fuck did you manage that Bill??

Doesn't matter a monkey's arsehole to me though mate, whether you've jumped off 100 buildings, or none at all.

What matters to me is the way you conduct yourself in life and in jumping.

On this strict criteria, you're one of the very best.

But then, so's that retard room mate of yours too.

I agree with Yuri and Jason. I wish I could have said it first.....Nah, let me rephrase that, I'm glad it got said that way period.

only becourse many has done that path but also becourse some people quit as they get injuryed or experience a freind die..

Personaly i wont call any more real than others..

Actualy people who get through a BASElife whith out injury were more clever than the rest of us,plus a good ad of luck

Hey Bryan, that sounds like an awesome gig.

Cool shots too, thanks.

<<<To me, anyone who's made a BASE jump is a BASE jumper. It doesn't matter how many jumps you've made, how long you were in the sport>>>

Glad to hear it Jason,

Are you basically saying that I will be qualified to jump at BD 2007?

Thought not.

 

While I don't necessarily agree with the sentiment, I can somewhat understand where it comes from. BASE jumpers talk a lot about understanding how BASE can affect your life. If an injury affects your decision to jump, you wonder if you really understood what you got into in the first place.

Personally I've come to the conclusion that no amount of thought, talking, experience and other preparation can get a person to understand what they're getting into, which is why I will have the utmost respect for somebody who busts himself up or loses a friend and says: "damn, I didn't realize it could suck this much. I'm done with it."

But the question remains, getting hurt is part of BASE. Try to prepare and cope, but as long as you deal with it chin-up, no BASE jumper will look down on you.

<raises glass to all fellow BASE jumpers who've ever got hurt, physically or emotionally>

Knock on wood...

Nobody pushes Rusticle off shit...he's 50X's more hard core than anybody...no joke. Goes stowed off shit 3/4's the rest of the load goes HH.

When's the batchelor party Russel?

The first person I heard say it was Jeb Corliss.

Kurt... That was not meant to say someone pushes him. Russell pushed himself off the platform before the bar was put up.

Russell, I hope you found humor in my original post. I apologize if you didn't.

LOL Tim, I was just giving Russel mad props...

When I got hurt my boss at the time asked if I was going to return to jumping and I said something similar to explain to him why I just said "Yes" so quickly..... he then sacked me....

I do understand why people give up after an accident, I also understand why people go back after an accident. You dont need to have had an accident to be a BASE jumper, but one of the biggest tests one can have is going back to it.....


<Raises a glass with a good handful of the BASE jumpers friends tramadol and temazepam>

 

 

To me base jumping is not an activity, it's a philosophy. It's a an understanding of ones own mortality. It's about knowing one day you will die and not allowing the fear of that inevitable fact to prevent you from living your dreams and doing what you love. To be honest I don't even feel a person needs to jump off things with a parachute to be a base jumper. I have met people that have yet to do their first base jump but you can see in their eyes that they already are base jumpers. You can see that deep down in their heart that nothing will ever stand in the way of their dreams.

I have also met people that have been base jumping for years. Yet they are not base jumpers. You can see it in their eyes and in their actions. They jump off things with parachutes but they don't fully understand what that really means. For some of them jumping off things isn't their dream. It's not even important to them. Some of them don't even like it. It's not worth dying for something that means nothing to you. These people seem to be the ones that watch someone die in base and then go "holly shit, you mean people can die doing this"?

I have always felt that if a person stops base jumping because of an injury or because of witnessing an injury then that person was never being realistic about what they were doing in the first place. Any person in base that does not understand that getting injured is not only possible but very likely is living in a total delusion. So many people wonder through life without really thinking about their actions and what it really means.

Don't get me wrong, a persons dreams can change depending on where they are in life. If a person stops base jumping because they have grown and have fulfilled their dream, then that person will always be a base jumper. Even if they never jump again. At one point in life maybe base jumping is fulfilling your dreams and then at another point it might be helping cure cancer and then at another point maybe it's raising children. To me base jumpers are people that turn dreams into reality and don't let fear stand in their way...

Jeb Corliss

Jeb's statement is exact.

I can see the look in somebody's eyes and already know they are a base jumper.

After I shattered my femur into many large pieces(Very nearly killed me - I bounced and landed on a fire ant nest that consumed my right arm and crotch, lost 60% of my blood in the surgery and didn't get a blood transfusion due to a blood supply contamination scare), I made a jump 6 months later from 600 feet from a dicey antenna and it was somewhat scary stepping off the edge after such a long and painful recovery. People thought I was nuts for going back. If I stopped because of this injury, then I never ever understood the real risks of what I was doing.

I will not base jump for the rest of my life most likely. I plan on making a few more jumps from key sites before retiring from it. My life list consists of many other things, such as writing a book, learning quantum field theory, learning to play an instrument, doing a start up company marketing one of my inventions, have a family, etc.

I agree with ya Jeb.

What I see happening now is BASE is so easy to attain through a first base course or a Base jumper who is helping their friend get a jump, it is getting less respect. There is nothing worng with mentors or first jump courses. They are a very safe way to get into the sport. They are also great for the individual whou just wants one jump. But you have individuals who expect to be spoon fed all the information. They do no research and have no fear or respect for the activity.

In my opinion dont consider yourself a BASE jumper if everything has been spoon fed to you, you get your BASE jump and then expect to follow people to exit points. I feel true BASE accomplishment is when you have taken what you have learned from your experiences, others advice, and apply it to exploring and opening new objects. Going out in the backcountry or a new Antenna, or new Building ( as for bridges they are just training tools my opinion only) and telling yourself I am going to jump off that bitch. Doing your homework getting that jump in and walking away. That feeling to me is most rewarding in BASE. You dont even have to open it up what matters it is new object to you and you applied what you had to get off it.

I could see how someone might not desire what I desire and that is fine. We all become base jumpers for our own reasons. Plus where I live exploration is endless others might not have that. The value of a new jump in one weekend holds more value then a bunch roll overs off a bridge.

So thats my two pesos

Diego

interesting perspectives all around.

to me the reason that someone is motivated to BASE is so personal that it can't be defined in words. words are flimsy things that can't truly express what we feel in our core. am i a *REAL* BASE jumper? i don't care if i am or not. i don't care what other people think. maybe i do it for the simple reason that i want to.

word. theres nothing like opening that first object.

mine was at 17jumps, alone.

diego can appreciate that. his first BASE jump was off an A he opened.

respect.

You´re description of a base jumper is a description of a person who has self actualized and discovered ther true vocation. It has NOTHING to do with BASE jumping. You can call them a dreamer or whatever... It just means they are following their own path... Their inner voice. There is no such thing as a fucking BASE jumper. We are just humans. Some who are lost and havent found their way. Some who have. Telling them apart is fairly simple. But the ones who have found their way are NOT called Base jumpers. In fact that might be incredibly offensive to some. To me it´s a meditation. It brings me down to earth. It´s a part of what makes me whole.

But seeing somebody as a whole human being and labelling them a BASE jumper I think is very shallow and narrow minded. There are so many incredible things upon this earth that fulfill peoples beings.

you seem to miss the point and focus on the word BASEjumper too much

Beautifully said.

Dude, you need to get out more. If you want I can give you directions to at least 5 bridges that you are guaranteed not to think of as "just training tools."

Is one of those near the potato bridge?

I have been around amigo, One of my scariest close call jumps actually was off a bridge. I didnt mean to offend, I just meant they are good to train on. I am sure there are some technical bridges out there. In fact Bridges need more respect then they are actually given, hence all the injuries that are occuring off bridges.

And Tom I would like those directions. Sounds fun.

D

There are 4 jumpable bridges within about 30 miles of here. They range from a nice beginner bridge (the one everyone jumps) to a sort of intermediate bridge (the one that starts with H), to a fairly technical one (GF) to a super insane, once in a lifetime, one (MG).

So I guess it's OK when the moderator breaks the forum rules. I know 3 out of 4 of those sites. But since you provided the initials, the 4th won't be that difficult to figure out.

Has MG ever been jumped ? Or any other "possibles" in the vicinity ? It looked sketchy as hell when I checked it out.

Well said.

Kris.

 

That's it Tom, I'm banning you from this forum for 2 weeks for site nameing!

P.S.-PM me and tell me how I ban you.......

Doubt it. Yea, its quite scary, but I am sure that there are many more scary endeavors. Not all of them necessarily include risk of physical injury or death, either.


Careful who you say that to..

Not all of the 'pioneers' of the sport, who no doubt knew many of the same friends and have had similar experiences and injuries, have the same outlook.

I personally agree with the spirit of what Jeb said: You can quickly tell the difference between people who are willing to take risks to achieve their goals and the people who aren't.

What I don't necessarily agree with, and what I think atree is pointing out, is the notion that these people are all "BASE Jumpers". To me, that statement implies something along the lines of "We BASE Jumpers are such a cool and elite group... but anybody who follows their dreams is also pretty cool, so let's go ahead and let them into our little club of the Coolest People Ever and call them BASE Jumpers too"

I'm not saying thats what Jeb meant at all, in fact I think he really meant quite the opposite, but that's just how it came across to me when I read his post.

People in other adventure sports, such as climbing, surfing, and waterfall kayaking have very similar outlooks on life... does that make me a surfer? nope.

Homosexuals who go parading down the street carrying signs and protesting against gay marriage bans have also chosen to follow 'their own path', going against the grain, overcoming their fears (not of jumping off of stuff, but of being ostracized by family/friends/community) and take their own set of risks to follow their.. um.. lifestyles..

Does that make them BASE Jumpers too? Or does it just make all of us Fags?

 

ha ha ha ha ha ha............ I just laughed so hard i think i re-injured my self. christ, my ribs and shoulder are killing me, and i'm still laughing.... ow, you bastard!

PS: i vote for the latter

Just to clarify, I didn't mean to tear apart what jeb was saying. Like I said, I really don't think he meant that. I was just trying to point out that people could take it the wrong way. I just thought your comment regarding 'atree or anybody agreeing with him' not being even close to understanding BASE was a bit rash. I wasnt trying to bicker, just playing the devils advocate

Now that I've accidentally hijacked the thread, I'll put in my 2 cents on the main topic:

A BASE Jumper is a person who jumps off of fixed objects. There are jumpers who are 'self-actualized' and believe to have found their calling in life, and there are jumpers who jump because they are lost and don't know what else to do. There are jumpers who feel their lives are completed and made whole through BASE jumping, and there are those who only really care to make an occasional jump for shits and giggles. And of course there are probably jumpers who have met some or all of the above criteria at some point in their lives.

I jump because it's fun and I enjoy the adventure; not just the jumps themselves but everything that comes along with it. I jump because pushing myself and overcoming challenges is rewarding and I think it makes me a stronger person.

**Ghetto clicks post, sighs, tosses his mouse in the trash can, and heads to the bars because its way too windy to jump**

I could give a fuck what anyone else thinks, I hope in 9 years I've made 600 jumps and kept myself injury free...

Not only is he aREAL BASE jumper, but he is also obviously a REAL SMART BASE jumper...which I believe to be preferable to the first.

Kurt

 

January sucked for me wind wise as well...

 

Maybe you should change your diet, eat healthier, drink less soda and stuff and then perhaps you will have less wind.

 

too windy eh? wasn't i being bashed about a month ago for not doing a floater from a guyed tower in 50mph gusting winds? shutup and go jump!
;-)

 

 

Yes, i sold my BASE gear after my FJC.
After some time and reflection I got another rig.
I have not jumped it yet but I have 2 objects
currently under research.

PM sent explaining my deleted post was ONLY in
jest with someone with whom I thought I could joke.

LOL, if I was really upset about it I'd be typing stuff that Mr. Aiello would give me a 14 day learning lesson over...

"To be a real BASE jumper
one has to break themselves and come back" ?!?!?

hunh? WTF?

Did I get lost in a time warp or something? So now these "so called instructors" are teaching new jumpers that in order to be a REAL BASE jumper they need to be injured first and then when they return they can be a REAL BASE jumper like all the other BASE jumpers who have screwed up and gotten themselves all busted up. Gee, no wonder the current fatality rate is 12 times what it use to be.


GreenMachine, good job for realizing what a stupid concept that is. That has got to be the most messed up thing I've read since, well, since Mr. Corliss burnt down NYC.

Didn't you say somewhere that you took Tom Aiello's FJC in Idaho. I assume Tom is the one that tried to teach this to you. My guess is since he has put himself in the hospital at least 3 times that I've heard about, and his reputation on the street is that he is not all that skilled a BASE jumper, that he tries to indoctrinate his students with "To be a real BASE jumper one has to break themselves and come back" so that they will perceive him as more of a real BASE jumper than many other very talented and skilled jumpers. Hmmm, I think I recall reading somewhere about Miles D never having been injured, and doesn't Miles also run a FJC in Idaho. Since it's been so obvious that Aiello doesn't get along with Shane McConkey and Miles D it's not hard to read between the lines.

GreenMachine, if you stay in the sport and travel around and travel to Europe, you will meet loads of BASE jumpers who have never been injured. These are the ones who should be considered to be the better BASE jumpers because they have talent and skill and use good judgment to avoid getting hurt. Even Dwain Weston who pushed the envelope all the time was never injured with something like 1,200 jumps (sadly he did die doing a stunt skydive though) and you can tell in some of his writings that even though he took big calculated risk, he was all about not getting hurt.

You're absolutely right about BASE 515 being a REAL BASE jumper. And not only a real BASE jumper, but one that has been smart enough to stay within his abilities and using good judgment to keep from having to sacrifice precious flesh and bone for having a good time in freefall.



Nice deflection Mr. Aiello.

Hmmmm, hasn't Jeb injured himself a few times as well? So Jeb gets hurt and then jumps again and then starts stroking his ego by telling other jumpers "To be a real BASE jumper one has to break themselves and come back". It's unbelievable that some one's ego can be so big.

So I guess Mr. Aiello and Mr. Corliss are the "REAL" BASE jumpers then since they both got hurt and then jumped again. <---sarcasm
Hail to thee both!!!!

Mr. Aiello and Jeb disrespect all those smart and uninjured BASE jumpers that came before them by saying and repeating such utter self-promoting rubbish to these new jumpers. In fact they even disrespect those who have been injured.


What is a real BASE jumper? (stupid question)

Someone who BASE jumps. (<---- as in period)


Older jumpers know that the object of the game is self preservation.

I think those who have executed skill, wisdom, and good judgment and not been busted up as a result should be the ones we look up to. Sure any BASE jumper can get injured, but there is nothing good about that and it should not be revered as something to brag about.




<raises glass to all fellow BASE jumpers who have never been injured. Good on ya, Cheers!!!!>

 

From a truly objective point of view. I would like to think a true BASE jumper as anyone who, either in a justifyable act of passion or self-defense, impaled someone with a Triax T-stake.

But like I said - objective.

- Chris Harvey (Meathead, Jumping Type, 1 each, Expendable)

Sorry but I'm an underground BASE jumper because of my business and because I want no glory. I have been around a lot longer than you. I have legitimate opinions concerning the sad state of affairs that BASE is in these days.

Corliss and Aiello are the ones telling that nonsense to other jumpers and yes I think that kind a rhetoric is harmful to new jumpers trying to figure out how to be.

 

If you are so underground, why do you have an email address in you profile? Reverse lookups can tell a lot.

Who the hell wants to be injured jumping? Accidents can and do happen, sometimes regardless of the skill of the jumper.

Hey BASEJumper,

It sounds like you have a lot of experience.

I was wondering if I could ask you a technical question:

When performing a rollover (unpacked jump, where the canopy hangs at the end of the lines and the jumper launches over it), can you tell me if it's important to maintain line tension? Should the jumper launch hard out, to keep the lines tight? Or should the jumper launch down at the canopy, inducing line slack, as the central jumper did in this accident?



Here's some food for thought:

After I posted my thoughts on that accident, that jumper became very hostile toward me. He felt that I had unfairly summarized the accident, and that somehow I had done this as a personal affront to him. After repeatedly launching into tirades and personal attacks, his account was disabled on these forums.

Shortly thereafter, a new account was created that posted many similar things. The user of that account claimed to be a real person, but it turned out that, in fact, he was not. He was, in fact, the same person, back to throw around more anonymous attacks.

This week, that same old incident report got brought up in conversation in this forum again. Unsurprisingly, a new anonymous account was created by someone claiming vast experience, but unwilling to give their name or substantiate their claims. That new login launched into the same type of attacks again.


I'd suggest that you ought to have a good hard look at yourself, and your real motivations for launching these attacks. Could you be feeling guilty? You shouldn't. Accidents happen in this sport. People make mistakes. Yes, you made some mistakes, and yes, someone got hurt as a result. But no one is blaming you, aside from yourself. Self-blame and guilt are making you lash out at me. All that's doing is making you look silly.

Stop beating yourself up. It wasn't your fault, and no one blames you or holds you responsible.


Nick, I'd be happy to talk with you about this, if you can get past the stage of shouting obscenities at my voicemail. You've got my number. Give me a call. I'm not your enemy.

YES, I took my FJC with Tom Aiello, which
I thought was well worth my time & money!!

NO, he was not pushing the idea that you
have to bust yourself up to be taken seriously
in this sport.

It was just one of several things mentioned during
our open discussions, which is why I did not quote
him when I first posted. However, it was definitely
the one that made me shake my head the most!!

Another stupid thing I heard was: "You are not a
REAL BASE jumper till you have more BASE jumps
than Skydives."

Lastly, Tom Aiello stressed the importance of safety,
progressing slowly, the high risks of injury or death,
and personal responsibility throughout the entire course.

Are you talking about this post that Jeb made? I think it's a bunch of rubbish as well.
I just embedded my thoughts on his post below {...}.

If you are having personal issues with someone then that is between you and that person. To answer your question to me, when doing a roll over it is best to lauch out toward the horizon.

Thanks for mentioning that, I didn't look at my profile that closely.

As far as your statement about how accidents can happen to any BASE jumper, I totally agree. Which is why I said this in my post above

http://www.cuteoverload.com

You seem angry. This website should help.

LOL - very cute indeed. How can you not smile when looking at those cute little creatures


As far as being angry, well I would call it being upset about what is happening to BASE jumping in America.

 

I'll choose not to speculate on your condition or history.

I find serious BASE jumpers to be smarter than average. the leading edge of the sport studies jumps, equipment, etc. (you got to love VBK's windtunnel studies!) having a poor thought process and not being open to critical thinking leads to a short BASE career...

thus I find your posts contradictory. you claim to be a very experienced jumper, but do not seem to understand posts. you seem to read what you want to, and not the intent.

I can't say I always agree with Faber, but I normaly understand his ideas. (and give him credit for attempting to post in a "foreign" language.)

the other quotes you supplied are equally understandable, even if I choose not to agree. you are welcome to your opinions, but they seem overwhelmed by a posionous, hostile tone. you seem quite bitter about something.

instead of creating rancor, I hope you find peace.

http://www.thegreatcornholio.com/sounds/ruthreat.wav

Do you realize that the really smart BASE jumpers rarely post here if at all? I normally wouldn't post here either but in my opinion, some things need to be said. There is a silent majority of experienced BASE jumpers that are dismayed and alarmed about what is happening with BASE jumping in this country. Are you open minded enough to understand this kind of critical thinking? Chances are if they posted their critical opinions they would be accused of being "posionous, hostile, and bitter" like you have done to me. Apparently you do not understand my intent.


Well lately I've been reading a lot that I wish I wasn't. And I do understand the intent. I understand how some BASE jumpers constantly try to make a name for themselves.


Well done.


Like I already said in my post above:
"As far as being angry, well I would call it being upset about what is happening to BASE jumping in America."


Instead of hoping I find peace, how about hoping we don't start getting charged with a class D felony....

I realize many highly skilled BASE jumpers choose to keep their jumping quiet. they may not post here. they may not post video anywhere. some do not even talk about it much to others. they simply go about their business. I like that style. more than once I've stated "keep it personal, not public."

I also found it strange when someone posted something like, "all the best BASE jumpers have been banned from here." I'll happily accept the majority do NOT post.

I also like the French style regarding the recent fatality. little was said, so little is known by many readers here. that appeared to annoy some who believe it is their right to know every last bit of info. (course the French simply may not like to post in English...)

you may have many fine points that many need to hear. your anger may be justified. many are upset by the reckless behavior that threatens popular sites. its just that the tone of your posts can prevent readers from seeing the value of the CONTENT.

Hey Jeb -

Aren't you supposed to be dead?

I wish I was a BASE jumper!

Buying ballet shoes doesn't make you a ballerina - the same way that a true ballerina is still such -even if they don't own any shoes.

If you were the last person on Earth and there was nobody to watch your vids or jumps- would you still jump??

We all know that skydiving is safe and easily available to a lot of personality types that crave attention - egocentrics, showoffs etc and is the perfect wank for these people. BASE tends to weed out those that are doing it to show off leaving a larger proportion of ppl that do it for the experience rather than the status. This is one of the things I love about the sport - the ppl are more "down to Earth" (sorry!)

Where I live just about all the objects are advanced (shitty, low, underhung, tight landing, scary) and there's no decent "first" object so this tends to scare away nearly all the ego-jumpers. I'm guessing that having really safe objects in your area can be bitter-sweet. You get to jump it but you also get more wankers getting off it.

If you were the last person on Earth would you still jump??

Yes, without a doubt, cause then I could float my
balloon anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted.
It would also be cool to fly a plane, hop out at
alttiude, and just let the fucker crash

AMEN

Hear Hear! I strongly second this opinion....
Russel, you are definitely more BASE jumper than most of us!
Peace,
Karen

Im doing that with some old hang gliders i have, they probably wont have much damage. they are old, and not worth much, and i dont really hang glide anymore. it should be fun to leave cameras on them, and watch them spiral, nice and slow to their doom in moab.

It'll be even funnier to see footage of you being chased all over the sky by a diabolical unmanned hang-glider

dude, I have a homebuilt and a production single surface glider, ill post video. it will be sweet. of course, leg has to heal AGAIN before that happens.

did you see them when you were out here? sorry i couldnt bring you kids paragliding. shitty wind.

I never got a chance to see them, but I'm sure I'll be back in the area sometime later this year... Colorado (and the whole mountainous region of the west) has an addicting, magnetic effect on me... I'll probably end up living there in a year or two.

even me my freind, i may end up moving west myself. Oregon and norcal... i have not spent enough time there. your always welcome here. heather probably has a couch [or bed] for you kids at any time, and my place is open as well.

we will be back this summer hecker. none of this.. "it's too windy to go paragliding" b.s. either. we all know you can't get hurt paragliding

just make it after the end of june, eh?

WAIT a minute. Something's missing here... oh yea, this:

"Don't you blokes have each other's phone numbers? Surely all of this could have been communicated via e-mail, a phone call, or a bloody SMS! Crikey!"

There ya go mac, now you can sleep soundly

you beet me to it man...

i was actualy baiting that exact thing... oh well.

wait,,, do i have your phone number?

i dont know... but just in case you don't here it is. But since i'm putting it on a public forum i'm going to encrypt it and then PM you the Secret Decoder Key (TM) so you can read it:

(209) 372-0200 (press 3 then 5)