Nrthwnd

Having just returned home from the TPR Scandinavian Tour, I taped the TONYS and proceeded to watch them this past Monday night, even though I kind of already found out, while on tour, that Billy Elliot had won for Best Musical. But other than that, I really didn't know who won what until four nights ago! That said... I agree that the sound for the opening number, and in a few other spots, musical and non- was ridiculous. I mean, I know and realize that they are tight with rehearsal times at Radio City, what with every show on the boards having it's own schedule to deal with, etc. But jeez! I just thought that this should have never happened, of all things. But then, I do remember that awards shows are sometimes notorious for their 'sound problems' when it comes to live numbers and such. Still, it was sad to 'hear' that happen, right out of the gate. And - I didn't tape enough to the end of it all! ARRRRRRRRRRGGHHH!!! Hmmmph. Liza was about to announce the nominees for Best Musical and then - the tape stopped and that was that. So not only did I miss the whole deal happening after she announced that Elliot had won, but then there's this closing number that Harris did, I am really wanting to see/hear. Did it show up on YouTube, or can somebody post that closing segment here? Thanks in advance for any of the above, made available. And Geoffrey Rush's acceptance speech was just awesome!

I Want You Back - The Jackson 5

After riding Tranan a few times, and then asking around... It took them what - 7 years before another dive coaster was ever produced, after Oblivion at Alton Towers? And of course, the ones that followed, were probably improved on (IMhO) for both styling, themeing, capacity and safety. Yes? No? I think it's very possible that we won't have seen the last of this coaster. And for the meantime, it was a really cool coaster to ride! Keeping balance, and swinging around under (or over, depending) the track, having all the technical workings of each car (canoes?) literally beside each of us... Great ride. Hope they do just that, improving and upping the possibilities with it.

My thoughts and condolences (sp?) go out to her family and friends, Ryan O'Neal who stuck with her throughout a lot of the bad 'stuff' in her life, and to the actress herself, who actually proved that through some great acting roles, she wasn't just another "airhead blonde." Gods bless and keep her safe.

^ (translated to:) Hotel Gasten was great to go through - actually, twice for myself. Once, after the attraction had just opened for the day, and later on, when a few of us thought the Hotel's Staff would be more.... um... "warmed up" for our arrival? And before that, an informative and great "backstage tour" for us, with a couple of looks at what was waiting for us... but with Lower Lighting, heh heh. And we who dared enter it's cobwebbed hallways and byways the second time, felt it was better than our first time, but that's okay! Both times were awesome enough, lol! Here's a Tack to the management and deadly-serious staff at the Hotel Gasten! It's a must see-and-experience at Liseberg. (EDIT to say V Thanks.)

Great TR start, Chuck. Copenhagen is looking just as good as it was, when Josh and I toured up and down only one street after arrival at our first hotel, lol. And maybe you guys should've just slapped Olov around a bit from time to time, so you could bring him up (or is that down?) to your (then) "jet lag level" etc. etc. Just a suggestion. Looking forward to more. But never the same.

Here's a writeup I found, all about Norse Gods and of course that wonderful one we call BALDER... http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/norsegodspictures/a/baldersdeath.htm Enjoy. And (edit here) he was known as the God of Truth and Light! Not thunder, as so many of us would like to believe, lol.

Great TR, Mike. Always fun to see how everybody ends up in your postings. And it was once again a great play-sure spending some riding time with you, on some of these great coasters we got to ride on the Scandi Tour. Hope to see you again on another TPR Tour! And thanks for the pin too!!!

Warm days, but now the rains are starting to fall here. Well - just get my rain poncho out, before heading out to the home park, lol.

Life in general, at times.

Best - TPR Tour Song - Ever.

After riding Balder an absolutely amazing number of times back in 2006, I was really expecting for there to some (any) kind of 'lackluster-nous' to it on this tour... How happily wrong - wrong - WRONG I was! Can we go to Liseberg every and any Europe tour we ever do that brings us even barely close to this wonderful great park???? Plplplplplplease?????? The creation of an OBG {Outdoor Beer Garden} for us before riding it (and Kanonen bless it's sweet little top hat), was also another amazing time I will never ever forget, thanks to the park's wonderful staff and owners, and the Alveys.

For my three cents right now, after having been home one day, from this utterly awesome and thoroughly (another) amazing TPR Tour... Bleah. Feel sad and slightly depressed already. It was all wonderful; THANKYOU ELissa and Robb and everybody on the tour for being a part of this one for me. You are ALL an amazing bunch of crazy coaster-perverted peeps and it was a huge play-sure doing it again and once again, (sort of) testing the limits of several countries' culture and food choices, LOLOL! ...and Ice Bat knows no fear!!! My Trip Report and general sighing/posting to follow - eventually. But for now, miss y'all (and The Tour) already, everybody. (And an EDIT to add that once one has done SCAD TOWER... well, I just can't seem to get enough of "height" now, heh heh.)

Mmmm. Something different, credit-wise.

It's running between $1.00 and $1.05 CDN per litre here, where we are. I was hoping it would go down more, but not so, at this time.

Woo hoo! Just finished baking my first-ever batch of BISCOTTI! And it wasn't that hard to do, either. Yum!

^ A lot of people I knew who had ridden the ride before it got "Wonka'd", Mark, said that they liked the first one much better than what replaced it. The Glass Elevator simulator was a neat trick, though. I think that's what was the main appeal for me, to wait in line for it. And I'm glad I did. And once was enough for me.

^ That's quite the assortment of choices your school (?) is planning on choosing from. Hmmm. Urinetown or Assassins? I hope whichever one you eventually get to do (I enjoyed Ragtime when it played here in Vancouver), will be a unique theatre exerpience for you all. But - I'm pretty sure that Glee isn't coming back to the regularly scheduled lineup until this fall. I think that's what the preview was all about. With a "Coming This Fall" tag to it. I also checked our weekly guide for next week's shows, and Glee isn't listed there at all. So - gotta wait until then, heh heh. But, I think the show will be well worth it with all the stuff they showed us in that preview.

Saw Glee. It was great. In the episode, the previous year's winner of the club competition doing "Rehab" was very very funny. Looking forward to it when Glee comes back this fall for it's premier season.

I am so glad I got to go to Astroworld in October of 1992. Got the same all-Six Flags Parks-composite Guide Book, too in fact LOL! I went there Columbus Day weekend, after the new stand-up Batman had opened that summer season. The whole park was pretty well put together and I really enjoyed what I think was/is still one of my fave suspended cars coaster... XLR8. Mmmm. Thanks for the great memories of a really nice park, I felt, Shane. Edit - oops. Forgot to ask. Where was that sleigh ride, in the park? And was it like a railed bobsled ride like the Matterhorn in DL? Or something different? And what (if anything) replaced it? I pretty sure I didn't see it there, in 1992, lol.

Mmmm. Nice. Sweet and awesome. That's wonderful! Congratulations to you both. Many many happy years ahead of you, all with their respectable (ahem) ups and downs and spirals and corkscrews and loopsss.....

1 2 3 4 Feist.

Just found out... Happy International Museum Day ! Now go out right now and learn something new in a big austere building.

4 3 2 1 K-Os

Trippy. Very trippy.