scooterdoug

I can't comment on Maverick's ERT wait, as I have yet to ride it. However, I can tell you that ERT lines can vary. I have been to CP three times now. All of those times, I spent my ERT at Millie. One of them got me one quick ride, then the line grew to about 20 minutes. The other two times, the line didn't even leave the station, I got to ride 4 times in that hour. As for TTD, don't expect it to be open for ERT, it takes a while to wake up. -Doug

^^^Ugh, I hate earthquakes. I used to think they were cool until the Northridge earthquake in '94. That was a 6.8, and I lived about 7 miles from the epicenter. I tell you, I was convinced that the San Andreas had split wide open! Ever since then, I've just hated them. Back on topic, I am also fascinated by tornadoes. However, I have no desire to see one up close -Doug

In the past, I have worn some head-turning make up for Halloween from www.cinemasecrets.com. They do Hollywood make up effects and sell kits through their online store. When you go to the website, use the menu on the left to select any of the three "Woochie" categories. You'll find werewolf and "manimal" kits. They are somewhat pricey, and the make up job takes a couple of hours to make it look really good, but the quality is second to none. I'm not sure if any of these kits will fulfill what you need, but they are definitely worth a look. Hope this helps. -Doug

Worst line/crowd day was SFMM back in 1989. The New Kids on the Block were all the rage, and they were playing at SFMM on the day I went with my friend. Unfortunately, we didn't see the sign advertising them until after we had bought our tickets. We walked through the entrance of the park to immediately find a number of lines beginning right at the entrance. Upon asking, we found that these were the beginnings of lines for rides. Colossus, for example, started there. If you've ever been to the Mountain, you will understand just how horrible that is. Lines around the park were between 2-5 hours. The shortest line I waited in was 1.5 hours for FOOD Worst day at a theme park ever!!! Luckily, that is the only such day I have ever had at that park. But, man, that day was traumatic. Soooo many people... -Doug

Dude, those are awesome pictures! What kind of a camera do you have? I mean, that zoom is incredible. I love how clearly you can see the riders' faces (and some great expressions). Again, great shots. It makes me want to go back NOW! Less than two months to go for me... -Doug

My best sledding experience was back in 2001 at Mammoth, California. My friend and I found a nice hill hidden in the woods. We took a couple of shovels and spent the next 5 days digging a 100 yard long luge, complete with banked turns. The thing was absolutely sick. My parents couldn't believe that we had dug this thing out and thought that we should charge admission for it. The best was when you would get turned backwards and fly up the banked turns that way. I've got some pictures of it stashed away somewhere (I had to take pictures, or none of my friends would have believed that I made this beast), I'll try to find them and post them. That was definitely my sledding masterpiece. -Doug

The last coaster I was scared of was Shockwave at SFMM. I was 12, and I remember waiting in line and the feeling of dread that I got in my stomach each time a train full of screaming riders whizzed by. After one ride on that, I was ready for more! Now, they can't make a coaster big or fast enough for me. I do wish I still got scared, makes that first ride on a new coaster soooooo much more fun.

Cedar Point - May 20 & 21 That magic day can't come soon enough. I haven't been on a coaster since August...I'm itchin' for some airtime!

^^Reno is literally right on the boarder of desert and mountains. We are not like Vegas. We are situated at 4500 feet above sea level, right at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. I am literally within an hour drive of a half-dozen Lake Tahoe ski resorts. We are certainly not strangers to snow, which, by the way, we now have plenty of. It certainly is a winter wonderland here. All I can say is thank goodness for 4-wheel drive. -Doug

I'm touched

Well, last night was certainly dramatic here in Reno. Unfortunately, my friend's flight was cancelled. What's up with that?! I thought I asked you guys to keep your fingers crossed But, he's coming in today at 5. Just in time for the steak and seafood buffet at the Atlantis (mmmm, crab legs...). We got about 6 inches of snow here on the ground, with 4 feet up in the mountains (Mt. Rose is offering some exceptional skiing now). The weather is partly cloudy down here in the valley, with 2-4 inches of snow expected today. Again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my friend's flight is not cancelled again. I hope everyone else is faring well during this wild series of storms. I will leave you with a picture of the winter wonderland I woke up to this morning. -Doug Time to shovel the sidewalk!

Reno is getting all sorts of weather. Right now, it is pouring rain, as it has been doing since I got up this morning. That is supposed to turn into snow tonight, with up to 10 inches of accumulation on the valley floor (which, by the way, is TONS of snow for the actual city of Reno). It seems the worst of it will be tonight. Afterwards, the snow won't be as heavy. However, in the Sierra Nevadas, there could be up to 10 feet of snow! Mt. Rose, here I come...can't wait to ski in all that powder. My only worry is for a friend who is supposed to fly in at 8 tonight. Please keep your fingers crossed that his plane makes it in without incident. Hang in there, it'll be one wild weekend (though we certainly could use the water in our collective neck of the woods). -Doug

Breakthrough - Bruce Eskovitz Jazz Orchestra

I'm so sorry to hear about this. I used to be bullied in high school (until I went to another school). I know how terrible it feels. I am in a graduate program to become an elementary school teacher. One thing is for sure, I will NOT tolerate any sort of bullying in my classroom. I couldn't believe how many of my teachers simply looked the other way. On the other hand, I'm glad to hear he is excited about WDW again. I mean, come on, what 1st grader would not want to go to WDW?!? Heck, I'm 31, and I'd be thrilled to visit WDW! -Doug

Wow! You know a park is bad when you find yourself longing for the efficiency of MAGIC MOUNTAIN ride ops. I must say, this TR makes me feel very fortunate. I must have visited Fuji-Q on one of those rare "good" days. I got three rides on Fujiyama, three on Eejanaika, and one on Dodonpa. And I left well before the park closed. The longest line I experienced was an hour for both Eejanaika and Dodonpa. I had a couple of 10 minute waits for Fujiyama and a 15 minute wait for one of my Eejanaika rides. There is absolutely no way I would wait over an hour for any of those, let alone 3 hours! After hearing so many of these negative sentiments, I will not go back to Fuji-Q again. I would rather have my nice memory of that place than go back, stand in horrid lines all day, and join the swelling ranks of Fuji-Q haters. -Doug

^ Has a "special" friendship with Michael Jackson < Thinks his avatar is just fine, thank you very much. v Will say something mind-blowingly clever.

Darn! Definitely not what I wanted to hear, but I was expecting that. Thanks for the heads up. Better to hear about it now than go to the park tomorrow and have a nasty surprise of long lines. -Doug "I guess I'll wait until Superbowl Sunday" Heim

Hello all, I'm in LA for Thanksgiving, and got the idea to perhaps head to the Mountain for a day of riding (especially to hit X before it closes for upgrades). So, I was wondering what kind of crowds I could expect tomorrow (November 23, the Friday after Thanksgiving). I always go on a Friday in May, before schools let out, and the crowds are very reasonable. However, I have never been on a Friday of a holiday weekend like Thanksgiving. So, can anyone out there throw some advice my way? Thanks a lot! I searched the forums, but found nothing on this particular topic. Please forgive me if this has been addressed before. Happy over-eating, Doug "Mmmmm, carbohydrate overload" Heim

Not at all, go right ahead. I'd love to see it once it's done.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. They have included a lot more ska/punk into their CDs lately (ugh!). But, when they play traditional Ska/Jazz, it's perfection. Unfortunately, since they are in Japan and nobody here has really heard of them, they don't really come to the US much. They have been here once in 2004. Evidently, enough people knew of them to sell out the House of Blues in Hollywood. Best show I have ever been to! -Doug

I think that CD is in the process of manufacturing wheel specifically for the Statix trains. If I'm correct, you will not be able to use Scorpion train wheels on your Statix trains. The new wheels (which are not yet available) will be specifically for that purpose. For your other questions, I have never painted my Dragon, so I couldn't give you much info on that. It is pretty darned easy to make a custom layout. The sharper you want it to look, the more time you'll end up putting into it (but it's fun time, I promise). You should have plenty of track to work with. If you decide you want more, expansion packs are available. Hope this helps. Welcome to the world of CoasterDynamix. Enjoy your upcoming addiction -Doug "Hmmm, I think I'll go work on my model now" Heim

Yep. As Vekoma Fan Boy quoted, about a month. I used to build my designs a lot quicker than that. But, they were certainly sloppier looking. The longer I own it, and the more I build, the more of a perfectionist I become. So, now it takes me about a month. My current design has been in progress for a month now, and I have only built the pre-drop and first drop into a mostly completed cobra roll. However, this is taking me much longer than usual as most of my time is devoted to my graduate program (man, they are keeping me sooooo freakin' busy). -Doug

I've had plenty of low crowd days at SFMM to marathon any number of rides. However, the rides at the Mountain don't seem quite a re-rideable as, say, CP. That said, my record (though not an incredibly huge number) is 12 times on Thunder Dolphin in just under an hour. There was NOBODY at La Qua. I would just get off the ride and run right back on to the same train. I would have kept going, but the ride broke down. -Doug "Yep, I broke Thunder Dolphin" Heim

I agree that credits seem to be a personal thing. I certainly keep track of credits, but only to a certain extent. I have never ridden a kiddie coaster, and I have no desire to (until I have little ones of my own to join on said kiddie coasters). For me, it's more about quality over quantity. For example, I went to Fuji-Q Highland last July. My friend and I rode only Dodonpa, Fujiyama, and Eejanaika. While there were certainly many more possible credits waiting for us, we simply wanted to ride the big three, we weren't interested in waiting for a small suspended or a wild mouse. Personally, I don't really feel the need to say "I have ridden X number of coasters". I would rather be able to say "I have ridden both of the 4th Dimensional coasters the world has to offer. Still, I totally understand the idea of credit whoring. If I was at a new park with some credit whores, I would enthusiastically join in on the fun. -Doug

Such an extraordinary shot. Absolutely professional looking. Well done! Thank you for my new desktop background. -Doug