Birthday Bungee – Part 2

Carole Jean ready to jump!

 

 

Five, four, three, two, one…JUMP!

Okay, remember all the instructions? Do NOT grab the cord. Lean into the air and let go of the bridge. Smile on the way up and look at the camera. Have fun; it’s over quickly.

And it was – fun and fast!

The best fun of all was watching Chelsea fly gracefully through the air looking like the angel she is! Click on the link and check it out!

http://www.videosprout.com/video?id=dfb54658-9f83-4535-a523-5124f7c1872b

All those years of training for pole vaulting, horse vaulting, and personal fitness training shined through in that brief thirty seconds of glorious free-fall. I was a proud mama beaming on the sidelines.

Chelsea’s Beautiful Bungee Jump

You can watch my jump here:http://www.videosprout.com/video?id=da61679c-5b71-4185-96bc-970f3abd625a

As a family bonding activity, I would not recommend this to most people. The heart thumping adrenaline rush isn’t for everybody, but it suits my basic philosophy: “Leap before you look!”

Carole Jean leaping off the bridge

Looking back, I’m glad I opted for the last minute tee-shirt and tights outfit instead of the one I had intended to wear – the lace bustier with the tiny booty shorts. The night before the jump, I was gluing the stars on the shorts and got the superglue tube exploded sending the glue all over my hand. My thumb and three fingers were so stuck to the tube, I thought I had to go the the Emergency Room.

The get-up that did not get worn!

Little by little I extricated my digits from the tube taking some skin with it. This was a bad omen, I thought. Best to stick with the back up tee-shirt outfit!

The instruction sheet for this adventure said “we jump rain or shine.” Considering it was to take place somewhere in the mountains outside of Sacramento, I thought I might get chilly, wet, and uncomfortable in the skimpy dealie.

After a thorough briefing, all eighteen jumpers and four instructors caravaned to the bridge where the thrilling jump was to take place. As we were gathered in a tight group watching jumper number one get rigged up, I spotted an older looking man across the way. I sidled up to him and whispered, “How old are you?”

He grinned, “Sixty-one.”

“Oh. I was just wondering if I am the oldest one in the group.”

He grinned again, this time a Cheshire cat grin, “Yeah. You are! I overheard you say it was your birthday. And yes, I heard the number.”

Well, If you do the math, you can figure it out, too. I don’t want to publish the actual number here. After all, remember what my mom did last time? She cut the number out of the newspaper article. Who knows what she might do to her laptop!

As was explained in the briefing, if a jumper does not leave the bridge after the first countdown, they get one more try. After the second countdown, they forfeit the jump and lose their money.

This happened. A delightful, quiet, shy young lady froze after her countdowns. She stepped off the bridge and quietly stepped to the sidelines. Much to their credit, the jump instructors gave her one last chance at the very end of the lineup.

We were all pulling for her. The gentle instructor spoke softly to her, advised her to jump backwards as it was much easier to just fall back into the air without seeing the rocky raging river below. She did it!! We broke into a rousing cheer.

Speaking of the instructors…they were awesome! The owner of the company has conducted over ten thousand bungee jumps without a single fatality. Safety is their top priority. Their congenial personalities come with it and are priceless.

Contact me privately if you want more information about how to arrange your own bungee jump.It is, indeed, the thrill of a lifetime!

caroleconnolly@gmail.com aka Wonder Woman Birthday Bungee Jumper…next one in twenty-five years!