printersdevil78

I'm sitting tight too... but man, this is like waiting for a second Christmas!

On the plus side: I taught myself how to edit in Photoshop tonight. On the minus side: That's an hour of my life I'll never get back. Because I was pretty much already going to hell anyway.

1/21 : Disney's Animal Kingdom 1/22 : Magic Kingdom/Walt Disney World 1/23 : Epcot (with Natatomic) 1/24 : Disney's Hollywood Studios 5/31 : Kings Dominion 6/28 : Kennywood 8/2 : Seabreeze (with TPR) 8/3 : Darien Lake (with TPR) 8/3 : Martin's Fantasy Island (with TPR) 8/4 : Canada's Wonderland (with TPR) 8/5 : Marineland of Ontario (with TPR) 8/5 : Waldameer (with TPR) 8/6 : Idlewild (with TPR) 8/6 : Lakemont (with TPR) 8/6 : DelGrosso's (with TPR and sauce) 8/7 : Knoebels 8/8 : Hersheypark 8/14 : Six Flags America 8/17 : Six Flags Great Adventure 8/22 : Baja Amusements (with Big Mike) 8/22 : Trimpers Rides (with Big Mike) 8/22 : Jolly Roger at the Pier (with Big Mike) Still to Come 10/19 : Dorney Park

I'm probably just too stupid to understand why the financial world works the way it does... but how is everyone "losing" money they never had in the first place? Hypothetical example: I have $50 in my pocket. I also have a 401K worth $100,000, which I'm not going to cash out until retirement. The stock market tanks, and suddenly my 401K falls to $80,000. But I never saw any of that money. I couldn't have spent any of that money if I had wanted to. That money won't exist to me for another 35 years, over which time It's probably going to ebb and flow a few more times. Meanwhile, I still have $50 in my pocket. I guess I also don't understand why the banks are being made out as the bad guys in this current economic situation. Yeah, a lot of banks and mortgage companies gave out a lot of bad loans, which was incredibly stupid on their part... but they certainly aren't responsible for the number of people who have lost their homes on variable mortgages, etc. At some point people have to take responsibility for their own actions. Did absolutely no one in the United States over the past five years stop and think, "Hmm, I make $30,000 a year, and this bank is trying to give me a $250,000 loan with an interest rate that they can raise any time they feel like it. If I can't pay, they have the right to take my house away, and I'll lose all the money I put into it in the first place. You know what? Maybe that's not the smartest thing for me to do right now." Then again, we live in a culture where (and I'm speaking in broad generalities here) people will complain about having to put a quarter in a meter for 20 minutes of parking, but think nothing of dropping a couple hundred bucks every time a new cell phone comes out. I'm so confused.

This quote is apparently three years old, and it STILL made Orange Crush come out of my nose just now! (It burns, by the way.)

See, that's the difference between the UK and where I live. In the UK, they turn the local Pizza Hut into Pasta Hut. Where I live, they turned the local Pizza Hut into an abandoned building. Go figure!

Awesome pictures, Chris!

Definition of irony: I was watching Leno, and I turned it off about 15 minutes in to go to my computer and check TPR, thus reading about Big Mike's "Tonight Show" appearance during the very seconds I was missing it!

I am absolutely tingling with excitement for the 2009 trip announcements! And I'm not a person who tingles that often.

So is Trevor the one with his back to the audience?

Thanks for the positive comments, all. ^^^They're pretty relaxed about the "one person from each team must be on the track at all times" rule around here. They'd prefer if that was the case, but what are they going to do if that doesn't happen, not accept your donations? They were even more lenient this year due to the confined space. When we're at the baseball stadium, the "track" is actually the warning track and outside baseline areas. The two years I've been involved with it there, almost everyone is gone by midnight because it gets so cold. Because this was indoors and climate controlled, there were at least two dozen campsites left when I finally left just after 2 a.m. It really was a more enjoyable time in that respect. And yes, I suspect there were some college and high school kids that stayed the entire night. I know I would have if I was young and energetic and didn't have to work the next morning.

If you're only looking for Haunt tickets, the regular online ticket site is the way to go. However, if you're looking for full-day tickets, try this: On the KD website, click "Overview" under the "Tickets" tab and scroll all the way down. Under the "Corporate Partners" link is a box to type in corporate discount codes. Use "VAFUN." It's a code provided by the Virginia Tourism Department' s website; I found it accidentally earlier this year while looking for discount coupons. Voila: $20 off each adult ticket, bringing the price down to just $35 per person. Tickets for kids, seniors and little people are just $20 with this discount. Hope that helps. EDIT: Oops, just noticed the original posting date. Guess I was a little late on that one. Maybe next year.

I hereby refuse to visit any of the other top 20 threads on TPR until Big Mike has surpassed them all! Who's with me?

Last night/this morning was Relay For Life night in my little neck of the woods. For those who aren't familiar, Relay For Life is a nationwide fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Community members form teams, usually affiliated with businesses, schools or community groups, and raise money through individual activities during a 12-hour overnight celebration that includes entertainment, food, camping, etc. Team members take turns walking laps around a track that ostensibly connects the entire site into one giant anti-cancer community (hence the "relay" portion of the name). I probably haven't done a very good job of explaining the concept, but hopefully the photos will fill in any gaps. This year's theme was "Lights! Camera! Cure!" with a focus on movies. I was there with my Jaycees team. Anyway, hope you have as much fun viewing these pictures as I had taking them! ...but she also won a designer diaper bag filled with all kinds of baby stuff (most of which I've never heard of--she was especially excited over some kind of lollipops that help stop morning sickness or something like that). It should come in handy soon considering she's three months pregnant (though she was pretty excited about that oil change, too). That's all I've got. Thanks for reading! Kristin may have needed help with her TV trivia question, but luck was on her side the rest of the night. Not only did she win a raffle for a $30 oil change... Hey Spell Check? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG! And what's a trip to the movies without popcorn? I loved that they had a campsite themed to one of my favorite movies, "Rudy." Hi, Natalie! These pumpkin Incredibles were some of the coolest things there. Of course we found Nemo... and he was delicious! Chocolate, anyone? Christ United Methodist Church followed Indiana Jones on his search for the Lost Ark (no spaceships here). While the theming at our campsite sucked, some teams went all out. The local hospital cancer center made everyone who stopped at its "It's a Wonderful Life" tent ring one of the dangling jingle bells so an angel could get his wings. They decorated the walls with random movie posters. Some more random than others. Kristin: "You're going to post this picture on that amusement park website, aren't you? Now Diablo Cody's going to think I'm a freak." And I thought my friends never listened to me.... I won this stylish Fox baseball cap... but not without Kristin's help. Seriously, how am I supposed to know the name of the actor on "Two and a Half Men" who plays the dude who's not the dude that Charlie Sheen plays? (It's Jon Cryer, apparently.) Kristin was completely stumped when it came time for her question ("Who is the TV station's new sports director?"). They took pity on her and gave her a "Seinfeld" coffee mug anyway. For the record, we weren't 100 percent convinced that a fifth grader would have known that, either. Local TV personalities Lisa Bryant and Dennis Ketterer were on hand to host an "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" trivia contest. I'm on a weekly trivia team with Lisa, so it was quite a change of pace to see her asking the questions instead of answering them. No, buddy! Do NOT eat the money! We need that to reach our $1,000 fundraising goal (which we did). Travis seems to be enjoying this WAY too much! Oh, so pretty... I feel pretty... After the luminaria ceremony, we decided to dress Buddy as a girl to compete in the Miss Relay womanless beauty pageant (I told you he was about to play an important part in this TR)! Regardless of the indoor setting, officials made sure the traditional giant "HOPE" sign remained raised and illuminated throughout the evening. The Ocean City Pipe Band made a ceremonial lap around the track during the time the luminaria would have been lit had the event remained outside as planned. Some were lit anyway; glow sticks were used instead of candles. More bars in more places.... Dave took on bingo calling duties from that point on. Looks like Joanne thought he needed a little help.... The crowd picked up a little starting with our second game. Kaylee won our first bingo. For the record, our theme was "The Goonies," though filling the baskets with miniature Baby Ruths was about as close as we came to actual theming. The "crowd" for our first game was a little light, to say the least. Keep an eye on the one on the left; he's about to become a VERY important part of this TR! We did... but only for the first game. After that we gave Travis the rest of the night off. Would you trust a man wearing a Nestle Pure Life water headband to call bingo? We also wore badges in memory of loved ones whose lives were directly affected by cancer--both those who died and those who have so far survived. At Relay For Life, participants may buy luminaria to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have died of cancer. One of our most active members lost her mother to cancer earlier this year. She and several of her family members bought luminaria in her memory for our campsite. Unfortunately, we were unable to light them indoors. Our on-site fundraiser was a basket bingo every hour from 7 to 10 p.m. People in this area go crazy over Longaberger baskets. This was our booth. The banner in front was given to only the first 50 Jaycees chapters in the United States to register their Relay For Life teams this year. We really didn't think it was that big a deal when we received it, but a number of Relay officials stopped by to tell us how impressed they were when they saw it. Normally our Relay For Life is held at the local minor league baseball park, Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. Due to rain this year, however, the event was moved to the Crown Sports Center, a former cork and seal manufacturing plant-come-indoor youth soccer complex.

UPDATE! August 20th. - Official 2010 Announcement - See Below Kings Dominion to Introduce $25 Million Steel Giga-Coaster In 2010 Intimidator 305 will be the Biggest, Baddest and Meanest on the East Coast Doswell, VA. (Aug. 20, 2009) – The most exciting ride in Kings Dominion’s 35-year history will debut in the spring of 2010, as the amusement park introduces a mammoth 5,100-foot long steel Giga-coaster. Intimidator 305 takes it name from one of stock car racing’s most beloved and tenacious drivers, Dale Earnhardt, “the Intimidator™” along with the height of the coaster’s lift hill, 305 feet. Intimidator 305, only the second Giga-coaster ever built in North America, will be the tallest and fastest roller coaster of its type on the East Coast. The lift hill will stand a towering 305 feet at its highest peak; descend 300 feet at an 85 degree-angle and thunder along the track at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour during its three minute race to the finish. The trains, fashioned after Dale Earnhardt’s signature black car, will roar through six airtime humps plus three high-speed turns and the experience will have guests screaming for another lap around the track. “Intimidator 305 will break records as the single largest capital investment in the history Kings Dominion,” said Pat Jones, Kings Dominion’s vice president and general manager. “The numbers speak for themselves, at a cost of $25 million, a lift hill and first drop close to the height of the park’s landmark Eiffel Tower; you’ll have to see it to believe it.” Intimidator 305 will be located in the park’s Congo section and becomes Kings Dominion’s 15th World-class roller coaster. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will partner with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, owners of Kings Dominion, to bring the massive coaster to life. “We’re excited to see this new roller coaster celebrate the speed and intensity of the legendary career of Dale Earnhardt,” said Jeff Steiner, executive vice president and general manager of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. “there are millions of fans that still honor their racing hero and this is a very real way for them to connect with the spirit and passion of the Intimidator™.” Guests will have the opportunity to see the ride being built from the ground up during the remainder of the park’s 2009 season, as well as follow its progress by watching the online webcam, set up to overlook the entire work site. Those who cannot wait until 2010 may take a virtual ride on Intimidator 305, access exclusive updates, features, virtual renderings, ride statistics, and more at http://www.intimidator305.com. Intamin AG of Wollerau, Switzerland, a recognized industry leader in roller coaster development, designed Intimidator 305. The ride is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010. Ride Stats - Track Length: 5,100 feet - Maximum Height: 305 feet - Lift Hill Angle: 45 degrees - Length of First Drop: 300 feet - Angle of First Drop: 85 degrees - Length of Other Drops: 150 feet - Airtime Humps: 6 including S-curve transitions - High Speed Turns: 3 at ground level - Fastest Speed: Excess of 90 MPH - Ride Time: 3 minutes - Hourly Capacity:: 1,350 riders - Number of Trains: Two - Vehicles: Four passenger open design trains with overhead lap bars but no over-the-shoulder harnesses - Investment: $25 million About the Designer Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Gary Palmer, MD and Arnold Bernsteiner. Intamin is a major player in the amusement park attractions industry, supplying some 22 different styles of rides to a variety of parks. Intamin is well known for being innovative and creative with their rides. They were some of the first to create a magnetic propulsion system (Linear induction motors/Linear Synchronous Motors) and remain one of only a handful of manufacturers continuing to use such technology on roller coasters. Intamin also created the first hydraulic launch system. Intamin is known for their massive "Giga" (over 300 ft/91 m) coasters. Their designs currently occupy the top 2 spots of the Golden Ticket Awards.

They were probably thinking the same thing about the photographer. Not necessarily. At Confusion Hill, throw up probably goes up, like the tater on the kitchen table. And really, how much throw up could six or seven Cheerios possibly produce, anyway? I thought the chair at Confusion Hill WAS your Marilyn Monroe impersonation. The most action any of those guys got, maybe.... By the way, didn't we go on this trip like a year ago?

Ah, but you are mistaken. Linton's isn't in Salisbury or on the border of Maryland and Virginia (unless you count the waterways); it's in my very own hometown of Crisfield, Maryland (population 2,500)! I actually went to school with two of the owner's sons. That's really cool. Next time I see him, I'll tell him he has a fan in Nebraska!

^Thanks for supporting our local economy! (It needs all the help it can get right now.) What's the name of your crab place?

^^^^Yeah, actually, what are those two pinball machines on the ends? I recognize "Star Trek: TNG" and "The Addams Family" in the middle, but I don't think I've ever seen the two on the ends before. Cameron?

I'm lucky enough to be participating in a local haunt this year. I've been advocating for my local Jaycees chapter (of which I'm a part) to revive its haunted house for the past four years. This year, one member who owns a campground decided to do a one-night-only event on his property, and we're going to be the "scare-actors" in exchange for a donation to the chapter. Plus I get to help set up. Because I'm a nerd like that. I'm pretty excited about it! It's in an abandoned chicken house (I think the theme should be "poultry-geists," though I've been outvoted many times over). If you happen to be at Roaring Point Campground in Nanticoke, Maryland, this October 24, stop by and say hi!

Correct response: "My good ride op, tainted love is when sometimes I've got to (pause two beats) get away, I've got to (pause two beats) get away from the pain that you drive into the heart of me." They would have known EXACTLY what you were talking about then.

Yeah, Indianapolis steals a lot of things from Baltimore! Moving on, it's time for me to weigh in on the whole defunct park issue. In many cases, I don't think it's the quality of the parks that will be their downfall, but their location and land value. My home park, Trimpers Rides, came dangerously close to becoming condominiums at the end of last season due to high property assessments. The state legislature has since granted the park "historic amusement" status, which would lower those taxes... but who knows? This, more than anything, will be the downfall of Hard Rock Park, I think. I happened to be attending a convention in Myrtle Beach the day the big headlines were about the announcement of the Pavillion's closing at the end of that season, and I have no doubt land values played no small part in that decision. It suddenly became more cost effective to build and operate condos or hotels or whatever at that site than it was for the park to continue its operation. I think HRP is going to find itself in a very similar boat if it hasn't already. If HRP does continue to operate, I highly doubt it will continue to operate as HRP. From the music itself to the ride names, licensing alone must kill that park's bottom line. At the same time, Myrtle Beach is a prime location for an amusement park (not just the Pavilion tribute at Broadway at the Beach). I wouldn't be surprised to see a situation similar to the Six Flags sell-off of Darien Lake. All the commercial music theming would disappear, of course. But if people are going to an amusement park, they're going to ride the coasters whether they're called Led Zeppelin and The Eagles: Life in the Fast Lane or the Beach Blaster and Myrtle Mine Train (or something slightly less corny). Of course, if that doesn't happen, I suspect HRP will become a short-lived wonder like The World of Sid and Marty Krofft in Atlanta, Six Flags Power Plant in Baltimore or Blue Diamond in Delaware, only on a much larger and more public scale. As for DelGrosso's, I don't think they're going anywhere for the very reason Chris pointed out: It's all about the sauce! This place doesn't count on its rides to make money; it makes it from its food. Based on what I saw during this summer's TPR trip, they aren't into plussing the park, bringing in the next biggest/baddest roller coaster or paying a lot of college kids to come in and put on cheesy musical revues; it's a small family park that concentrates on the local community, many residents from which probably spend their entire workdays in that big, glorious sauce factory across the street. DelGrosso's is basically what Hershey Park set out to be back in the day, before branching out to compete after C.V. Wood started raising the stakes with places like Astroland and Freedomland (speaking of defunct parks). Anyway, that's my two cents' worth. Now that I've spent a paragraph talking about spaghetti sauce, I'm suddenly ready for dinner!

Sounds like a plan to me. Though I think I may be going to rehab for awhile first. That yellow butter-like substance is like crack for your arteries. I gotta have another fix!

Now that coaster season is over in my little corner of the world, this weekend was a time to sit back, relax and feast on crabs! The Salisbury Jaycees, the civic organization over which I preside, held its annual end-of-summer crab feast this evening, and I thought it might be a nice gesture to take TPR readers along for the ride. To make up for it, we purchased a star for the Make A Wish Foundation. And then we all went home, where I'm typing this TR. And now you're as up to date as I am! We all celebrated Dave's finally completing his transaction after having spent roughly 25 minutes arguing with the cashier about being charged an extra 35 cents for a "power boost" he didn't order for his milkshake. Newlyweds Travis and Joanne make an ice cream toast. Seriously, this is the kind of stuff we have to put up with until the "honeymoon" phase passes! Joanne: "Look sexy!" Me: "This is as sexy as I get!" And sure enough, they did! Three hours later I left the table to find the rest room, and when I returned I found this. These crabs are just super, man! Ditto. That yellow stuff in the bottle at the right isn't mustard, by the way; it's liquid butter-like substance. No time to pose. Must... eat... crabs. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! We now direct your attention to the center ring where you will find... crabs! Sure, the food was good, but it was the high-quality decor that REALLY won us over! Pincher's is the new crab place in town. It was pretty deserted tonight. It closes for the season in a couple weeks, but stands a slightly better chance of reopening in the spring than Hard Rock Park.

OMG, a $20 hot dog!? I had to open a currency converter to calm my heart rate! I'm better now that I know that $20 wiener is less than $2.50 U.S. (and that the $110 three-course meal is actually under $15). Those are better prices than the original Disneyland! ^^Barry, the first I heard of it was a couple years ago when a group of professors and students from the university where I work went to China as part of an exchange program with a partner university in Dongbei. They said tradition dictated that the oldest and wisest man at the table received the head as a special honor, as it is the part of the chicken that holds the knowledge. In their case, the head went to the interim dean of our business school. It's a Small World Hong Kong is now officially natatomic's favorite attraction!