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I just posted about Coasting for Kids on the Outlook Bulletin at my work place. We'll see what happens next.

^I believe they have three trains, but usually run two.

^Batman sliced it off with with his Batarang.

^^Sounds like a great activity for TPR Quest at East Coast Bash--the first one to find a protractor and measure Drop Tower accurately gets five points! ^Why would anyone be in a hurry to get on Anaconda?

^What if the person says "you sunk my battleship," falls in the water, and is eaten by a shark?

^the Tivoli is more of a "family" coaster than the Zamperla Roadrunner ride. I actually did feel a bit ashamed when I whored the Zamperla, but not when riding the Tivoli.

^"The Black Forest . . . strong, it is, with the Dark Side of the Force."

^Very interesting comparison--thanks for sharing it.

Cobra was the weirdest inverted coaster ever--not as horrible as I'd feared, but bad enough. And hitting that SCAD Tower net on that rainy day was like landing in a swimming pool.

^Whoa! I think that's the biggest donation anyone's received yet.

And how did you determine this? By unrolling a very long tape measure from the top of the tower? I think Drop Tower is a lot of fun (but I tend to like these rides in general).

I'm not a fan of Kingda Ka, either--a one-trick pony. I really enjoy Great Adventure's coaster collection (esp. El Toro), but I've always found the park a bit odd--particularly the strangely themed Blackbeard's Treasure Train. (I guess it's meant to go with Skull Mountain--rather like that ride.)

^I was a bit surprised when I saw the shirts, as the pun was a little tacky for Busch Gardens. Then again, they probably understand their audience.

Somebody in the flick has to say, "You sunk my battleship!" Otherwise, the movie is a complete waste of time.

^At the hard hat tour last month, they did mention that the park had been testing it; but at that point, they were justy starting to install the themed elements in the show building. I imagine there's been more testing, but not during operating hours.

Mach Tower's seats were vibrating during Passholder Preview Day, but I don't think they have since then. Personally, I think the drop works better without the vibration--the drop's more of a surprise that way. The virbrating seats were always a bit odd. But enough of Mach Tower. Are we ready for another Verbolten update? If so, great! If not, well, you're getting one anyway. BGW has added more touches to the station since our Easter update. Here's a look at what they've been up to. Guten tag, Verbolten. It costs extra to stay in the Creepy Vines from Hell Suite at the Black Forest Inn. They've added quite a few new signs. Looks like the wait is approximately 32 days, 1 hour, and 45 minutes. You're welcome. Looks like Gerta and Gunter are nearly ready to open for business. If you're a tourist and feel that you lack a "center," here's the place for you. Here's one for all of you with a lighting-fixture fetish. The signs for the boarding area are up--I like how they're made from old mufflers and tailpipes. The Verbolten trains are quivering with antici . . . pation. The water-filled dummies have already ridden Verbolten; therefore, they're cooler than anyone else here. OK, I made a mistake last time. The steel boxes where you can stow your gear are here. Gerda and Gunter don't miss a trick, do they? Unflattering photos and video footage can be purchased here. Not even the gift shop is safe from the evil of the Black Forest. More creepy vines. Speaking of creepy, they've been working a bit on the Gunter Mobile. The bike has been moved since last week! Oh my god! Where is Gunter, anyway? Oh, there he is. There's still tweaking to be done on the first launch, . . . . . . the second launch, . . . . . . and the bridge. The car out front is getting more and more overgrown. This makes Beemer Boy sad. You know, it's gotta be tough to shift gears in this heap. You can tell its springtime at Verbolten when the Porsche is in bloom. Gerda and Gunter welcome you to Oktoberfest. But they're still putting some finishing touches on the place. The bridge from the Rhine River Cruise. The first launch from far away . . . . . . and up close (zoomed in from the Rhine River). There's new Verbolten merchandise, too. Klassy. Klassier. And the countdown continues . . .

It looks like a solid invert--the theming is a definite plus.

Now that you mention it, I heard that they had changed food providers (or something).

I'll probably amble over to BGW for a few hours tomorrow.

^The BBQ place is pretty good, and you can't go wrong with the smores (although the richness could cause all your arteries to slam shut).

Fear of repairing bicycle tires?

Or switch to Knott's--the food's better there, too.

Every now and then (well, probably a bit more often than I care to admit), I enjoy watching some absurd movie from my childhood or teenage years. Tonight it was At the Earth's Core, which had everything a geeky 16-year-old guy in the 1970s would want in a movie: 1. Rubber-suited monsters; 2. Big, papier mache puppet monsters; and, of course, 3. Caroline Munro. Naturtally, because it's a fantasy flick made by Amicus in the UK, Doug McClure and Peter Cushing have to be in it, as well.

I was lucky enough to see Angela Lansbury and George Hearn in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street years ago. The Tim Burton movie is pretty good, but the original stage production craps all over it. Into the Woods (another Soundheim show) is also great. I was fortunate to catch Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady and Richard Burton in Camelot, too.

But would stick your head in Doc Brown's mouth for a photo? I think not.