Mullins Boogie Report - October 27-29
by Peanuts "World Famous" - Peanut4040@aol.com
There is no such thing as an USPA sanctioned "Fun Boogie" in the USA. Therefore that's why the best ones are usually on Non-USPA drop zones. AND, if anybody knew how to do it, it would have to be Mike Mullins and company. His Halloween boogies get bigger and more fun every year.
The Great Skygawd rewarded us well this weekend. We had 80 degree weather, and blue skies as far as you could see, and light winds. The culmination of changing colors of the trees, blue skies, dry air, all worked together to entice our unsuspecting five senses to arousal. For me personally, it was like "Love" was in the air, and I was in love, for the FIRST TIME. It was warm enough to go swimming however I didn't see anybody hit the pool. And luckily, I wasn't thrown in for any offense this time either.
It appears that the best time to arrive at Mullins Halloween boogie is in the afternoon on Friday. You get choice locations of real estate and its so nice setting up camp in day light hours. Most of the old timers seem to come in early, so there is much talking and reminiscing that needs to take place before the newby and foreign crowd begins to arrive. Besides, Mike usually takes the plane up for about 45 minutes, so that is enough time for three loads, hehehe. |
Peanut / Photo © 2000 Russell M. Webb |
First-- the important statistics of this party. Three kegs of good Heineken and Samuel Adams beer. (no cheap beer) 800 PLUS shots of PGA Jell-O, 5 gallons of margarita's using Hose Curevo (not counting the half gallon that Hose was carrying under the thing he was wearing) . 1044 skydives from the king air, and 5 from the 195. 152 registered jumpers, and 76 loads. AND DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY MEMBERS FROM 15 STATES. There were so many people there that Mike said next year he is gonna bring in an extra plane to help keep up with the skydivers. Giggle, snort, and fart, think it will be a CASA??? COME ON MIKEY, GIVE US A CASA! Errrrrrr, hopefully for the same ten dollar price, no?
Politics-- well, I never could get Mike, or Windsor to tell me how to vote for the people I did not know. They basically would not support anybody but themselves. Course, Windsor in hushed voice was saying, "Please don't make me work with dat *ss hole Mike Mullins"; and of course Mike was giving him de "bird" every time Windsor turned his back. Mike was also promising his constituents attractive things behind Judy's back concerning a positive vote for Judy Miracle. I shore hope somebody tells Judy soon what she is gonna have to do if elected. I certainly hope Roger Nelson is not doing the same thing up in Chicago, or Judy is gonna be awfully tared. I.e. ----> since Judy is supposed to be from Chicago. YEEE HAWWW JUDY, yew and me gonna haf sum fun come Election Day. MIKE PROMISED!
Southern politician, Chris Welker never said much, besides, "chit, I'm too busy getting beer, food, prizes, fire wood, to worry about politics tonight. Talk tew me tomorrow after yew vote for me Peanut". And It kindly pissed me off at him, and waz gonna vote fer de other fellar, but chit, I didn't know the other fellar, and, I wanted beer, food, prizes firewood too, and I didn't wanna help do the work, so, Chris got my vote anyway. GO CHRIS GO.
PARTY FRIDAY NIGHT
Party was medium and slow moving Friday night. Kind of a mellow night. It was good to see all the people I have not seen in quite a while, and we (old party professionals) basically saved up steam for the Saturday night thing, cause we knew we would need the energy.
The Party Bunch / Photo © 2000 Russell M. Webb |
I left the bon fire with two people remaining about 2 am, cause I figured the party was over. (They were both male yew understand.) However as I was crawling into the truck, I saw another new group of about 10 arrive, (young bloods) whom I have not seen before, (I believe from Arkansas). And they headed straight for the bon fire without setting up camp. Course I later tripped over a few of them when I got up early to go water the pea gravel. |
So I don't know when the final party broke up. I believe they had a good party, cause it didn't look like they made it back to their cars under their own power. Shucks, it didn't look like they made it back to their cars at all. Thank goodness for unseasonably warm weather. Gawd, I wish I was dat young again.
It was good to see some of the old crowd showing up early, from all the diverse drop zones I visited in the south. Chuck and the Ft Campbell crew was well represented, Tullahoma, the boyz from SEMO, and even some of Curly and Sandy's folks from Cullman Alabama. Frankly, every drop zone within 300 miles was very well represented. And it was shore nice to see them all bringing their young bloods with them. Showing them a good time at Mullins is a proper education for ANY rookie. I wished that we had had about 4 more days of skydiving, I might have been able to work in a jump with everyone. SO many friends at one location.
Oh yeah, I finally got to meet "swoop chik" from Arkansas and her new husband. Gawd, why do the prettiest gurls marry the ugliest men? She is an exceptionally good looking female. It was a most rewarding and soul uplifting experience for me. I need to stay home more often. However, I must admit, I was let down with my friends from the gulf coast. Especially one female, tequila drinking, red headed, raging Cajun, whom shall remain nameless, (insert warm smile)(my secret). I simply can't get them to travel north-grin. You gulf coast folks have got to come next year, or I'm gonna START talking about YA'LL.
JUMPING SATURDAY
Jumping started off as usual at Mike's place. Manifest was full for three loads by 7:30 in the morning, and Mike was in the air by 7:45 am. If you snooze you lose at Mikes place. And a ten-dollar jump, is a ten-dollar jump. You need to be up early to save big bucks.
However for me, I'm slowing down in my old age, and was just happily having my coffee and enjoying watching colorful parachutes fill the clear blue morning skies. The left over smell of the bonfire smoke lightly filling the air, as well as coffee brewing in different locations along tent row. People skurring up, looking around smelling coffe and looking for the first place to bum a cup. I always have a good breakfast crowd. I'm more of a night person yew understand, hehehhee. |
18-Way / Photo © 2000 Chris Welker |
We were also rewarded with a fantastic pick-up Organizer named Steve from Omaha Nebraska. I never caught his last name, but BOY WAS HIS GURL FRIEND A LOOKER! ! ! Sometimes you just meet the best people on a drop zone. As time went on that day, and I spent more time with him, the more I realized what a really fantastic person he was. I did not know him previously, and first met him in line for manifest. He was Much further back in the line. True to the Mullins flavor of a drop zone, he yells up, "hey peanut how many you got up there"? We got a 6 way back here, wanna put it together? Before even consulting with my 4, I yelled Yeppers, And fore you know it, I was getting names and numbers and collecting money. By the time I got up to the front of the line, we had a 12 way and nobody was in line behind me. Laughing, do you think they snookered me? That appears to be the only thing that's changed at Mullins. Whereas you used to organize on the way to the plane. --Today we have become more professional and organize in the manifest line. Hey, I like HIS (Steve) way better. We even got to do a dirt dive first.
But anyway, this is a sport about learning and sharing knowledge. (FOR FREE!) Thank you Steve and Ben for showing me the JOY of the Rear-Rear, exit position, and how to successfully launch it. GAWD its so great to be a super floater and track back toward the airplane and see the base pass me about the time for me to dock. It's so much easier, and from now on, I WANT THAT SPOT on exits. If there is anybody out there that's light, and hates to swoop cause THEY LAZY like me, and it's too much work, try this spot out. YOU'LL SIMPLY LOVE IT. But anyway, Steve and Marvin from Tenn, managed to organize 10-14 ways all day long, and we generally were successful in completing at least one peanut point in each of them. (I.E. a "peanut point" means that everybody got in at least once.)
Tandem / Photo © 2000 Russell M. Webb |
However for me, I'm slowing down in my old age, and was just happily having my coffee and enjoying watching colorful parachutes fill the clear blue morning skies. The left over smell of the bonfire smoke lightly filling the air, as well as coffee brewing in different locations along tent row. People skurring up, looking around smelling coffe and looking for the first place to bum a cup. I always have a good breakfast crowd. I'm more of a night person yew understand, hehehhee. |
Freeflyers-Freaks, were treated to Orly and the Mullins kids. I have not crossed over to the dark side, so I don't know how they were doing. It looked like they had a good crowd following them out to the airplane each time. However, I can't tell you about their jumps, cause I've not the talent to keep up with them yet. However I do know they partied well! Hehehehe yall got to admit, Freaks make the best partiers!
Later, the next day on the sunset load, they did a "formation load" with the smaller Cessna. Course the smaller Cessna had to take off about 45 minutes earlier than mike, so he continued to make loads while the smaller plane climbed to altitude. And, (insert drum roll here) it gives me great pleasure to announce that a new WTS big way record was set with 18. I unfortunately did not make that jump. After I had tried to do the big ways all day with them, they finally said, "Peanut, yew gonna haf tew sit dis one out". So it hurt my feelings and I got pissed off and started pouting about it. But shucks, nothing ain't gonna make me mad long and ,àsoon I was off to rustle me up another ten way.
With the help of the Boyz from SEMO and my dear friends from Tullahoma, Nashville, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa we finally had us a new 10 way group gathered. Boy can Keith and Jerry set a fall rate or WHAT? Looks like I'm finally gonna haf tew get me one of them fancy ZP suits. I have lost too much weight to keep up now days. Lawd, yawl gonna love seeing me in dat tight suit, with the beer belly, ain't ya? Any recommendation for colors besides Tennessee hunter orange. But anyway, we were pretty successful in getting one "peanut point" together. (Again for clarification----à "Peanut point" , everybody made contact at least ONCE).
PARTY SATURDAY NIGHT
They did the raffle different this year and I think everybody preferred the way they did it this year. They raffled off most of the prizes all day long, drawing one number approximately ever 30 minutes. They kept the final Ten BEST and most expensive gifts for last, and drew them after the supper meal on Saturday night. Almost everyone won something, however I must say I'm a little pissed off at Rhonda from SEMO who seemed to win everything. It worked out pretty even though cause her boyfriend didn't win nothing. Nanny-Nanny-poo-pooooo. Party was much bigger this year. I don't think they could fit everybody in the picture, so about half that were not dressed up had to get out. So in the future, if you want in the group picture that sometimes get published in one of our magazines then , YOU HAVE TO DRESS UP!
And, I want to express my disatisfaction in the winners of the costume party this year. I still think the tranvestite should have won. I mean come on guys, you got to admit she/him was a looker. Much better looking than the red dress one we had last year. We need to reward better tranvestites, or we gonna git stuck with the red dressed one again. Frankly, in my opinion, iffin yew kant dew a good tranvestite, DON'T DEW IT! Anyway, I was over there making passes at her/him for at least an hour before Mullins pulled me aside and told me to lay off. Ya'll know how Mullins wraps his warm, loving, fatherly arm around yew and commences to chewing de chit out of yer ear? Some of yall lucky ones know what I'm talking about. Ya know, he's only whispering, so nobody else kan hear, -- but shucks he sounds like Mr. Microphone in yer ear? And later yew have to go over and get a napkin and clean yer ear out. Heheh. Well, to make a long story short…It appears I was making somebody mad at me talking to that beautiful woman/man., and he wouldn't tell me who. And chit, I thought she/him was Whuffo female at that time, just coming to the party to pick up a skydiver. What de LLLLL did I do wrong? Besides, I was ready this time, I came dressed as the dancing hockey player. I was determined that no hockey player gonna scare me off this time.
 
Photos © 2000 Russell M. Webb
But anyway, I digresss,,,Even Mike was having a great time at the party. I have not seen him that happy in quite a while. Frankly, I believe something was magical and happening behind the scenes in his love life. Because his wife was looking ------>HOT HOT HOT!! Damn, dat woman has LOST SOME WEIGHT! (Again I ask? How come the prettiest gurls always have the ugliest boyfriends?) and LLLL no, I didn't make no passes at her, YALL THINK I'M CRAZY? ERRRRR,, Dat WAZ yer wife wasn't it Mike?? Hehehee. Course the next day, he missed the spot on every load from 8 am till noon. And the rumor was he had sick bucket up front with him, and no skydiver wanted to sit beside him. There was no World Famous seat belt checks, and somebody had GAS really bad. AND mike NEVER said a word. Who do yall think was passing the gas? Hehehehehe, And in all fairness and honesty, I must tell his side of the story for his defense. He said, it was the skydivers fault. They were not flying worth a chit till noon.! Hay, he could have been rite?? Nawwwww, Hey, yall think I'm lying don't yew?
All in all, it was a most successful boogie. Considering the good vibes, cool people, outstanding food, expensive beer, and blue skies; I believe that everyone went away with very warm memories in their hearts. I did not get pied, nor thrown in the pool. I got many cheap skydives, and got to socialize with MANY of my "home region stomping ground" dysfunctional family members. Luckily, I only had one morning with a hangover. However, the other morning, my very dear SEMO friends accused me of drinking while still intoxicated. But AWWW chit, what do they know? They aint jumped with me in over 6 months. Iffin dey were "peanut current", then they wood know I was simply funneling the formation cause I was just lacking sleep. I SWEAR.
Finally, I have one last humble request. I want to find two people I met there. Anybody know where that short little guy with the big mouth named "Bruce" jumps at regularly? DAMN, that guy WAS FUNNY! I wanna party with him again. AND most importantly, I wanna know where the female student who was dressed up as the Green Witch is finishing up training at! I'm "Gonna" party with her again, too -->WITHOUT Jerry and Dave tagging along!
As always, peanut is like a Frisbee, always "free floating, and flying high" --->on the boogie circuit. I'm outta here. I'll see yall on de road!
Yo little buddy
Peanut
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