Roger (my stepdad) came in for a last minute event at Skydive Dallas this past weekend. It was his first trip to TX since I moved here in ‘03 and since I didn’t get to see my family at Christmas it was an easy decision to make the drive up. The group was doing practice jumps for the skydiving world record happening in Thailand later this month (400 people in one formation!). The large formation will be made up of smaller teams (or sectors) from all around the world, and each sector captain was responsible for choosing their members. It’s important that those sectors work well together, and trust their captains, so when they come together for the bigger picture, it’s a solid, cohesive arrangement. This group in Dallas was about 30 people - they had perfect weather on Saturday, clear blue skies, light winds, and cranked out six good, multi-point jumps*. We had a laid back dinner for everyone at a friend’s house near the dropzone, and I got to spend time with Roger after everyone went home. It was so good to see him.

One a side note, Roger didn’t really know how to deal with me and my sister when we were little. Should he be a father, or just stay out of the way and let my mother take care of us? But as we get older, I wonder if he sees traits in us that he’s responsible for and that makes him proud. I know I credit him for my daily multi-vitamin and my appreciation for fresh produce (I had never seen a sprout before we met him). And if he sends me one of his old Nikons like he said he would this weekend and my photographs improve, I’ll credit him for that too. He’s come a long way this past year and I’m overwhelmingly proud. He’d be so embarrassed if he knew I said these things in a public forum. So shhh.. Don’t tell.

* see this post for skydiving definitions