Pandemonium and Bravery

Gotta give my five-year old some big credit today. Big roller coastin’ credit.

Today, during our visit to Six Flags New England, he rode Pandemonium. It’s the biggest, fastest, and probably coolest roller coaster he’s ever ridden.

A different kind of spin for Tim

He decided he wanted to be brave. No pressure from us to ride, but we certainly provided the opportunity. (Our rule is that the kids always have the right to refuse to ride something they deem too scary.)

Here’s a video of our visit to the park. Well, the 30-second version:

Oh yeah. Tim loved Pandemonium. He can’t wait to ride it again!

The storm before the calm

We’re heading out to the Springfield, MA area tomorrow. It’s just a day trip to Six Flags New England for some relaxing roller coaster rides before we get too busy. The summer schedule is getting hectic, between my last grad school class (Digital Video Production), a capstone project (kinda like a thesis), and the political campaign (petition signature collections start on Tuesday).

And yes, coaster rides are a source of relaxation for me. There’s something about a 200-foot drop at 70+ mph that just removes the stresses of life. Well, at least for me.

We’ve been planning this little trip for a few days now. So, when I saw Springfield in the news, my ears perked up. Yesterday, like many others, we were stunned to see the video of a tornado in downtown Springfield. It’s just a few miles upriver from the amusement park. Check out this video from the AP:

Though not a huge twister by tornado alley standards, it was still quite damaging. I gather that four people died and many others were injured. We are praying for all the folks affected by this storm and the other devastating storms that have impacted so many communities this Spring.

Riders… start your coastin’

I’m sure that running for county legislature is going to interfere with roller coaster ridin’ this summer. (For our family, that’s a pretty big sacrifice.) Might as well get in some coastin’ before then.

We were going to head over to Six Flags New England today. However, an Easter party for the boys and some wet weather, (including some sleet!), kept us at home. I did get some yardwork done, though. The annual application of grub killer and crabgrass preventer is soaking into the lawn right now.

So, we’ll head to SFNE after church tomorrow. Timothy might even be able to add a couple new coasters to his count. Ellen and I should be able to add one, too.

But this is what I really want to ride:

Bizarro - Six Flags New England

Thats a 208-foot tall, 77 mph, mile of intense airtime.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Nowhere Near a Millionaire

It’s true. I’m nowhere near being a millionaire. Briefly, though, I did have the responsibility for over a million dollars in payroll cash while serving in the Navy as a disbursing officer. And no, I didn’t get to keep a dime of that.

Still, I was intrigued by today’s Postaday2011 suggested topic:

What would you do with a million dollars, tax free?

Well, first I’d grab my head with both hands to stop the spinning. Since I don’t play the lottery it’s highly unlikely that I’d find myself with that kind of money. Yet, it’s the concept of tax-free income that would most likely cause my cranium to rapidly rotate.

Like one of my favorite bloggers, at least 10% would come off the top for church and other charitable giving. Then it would be time to pay off the debt… house, student loans, etc. Most of the rest would go into savings or investments.

But before I bore you to death, I will admit that my wife and I would probably take a small chunk of the money for a whirlwind trip across the country (continent?) to ride a as many roller coasters as possible.

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Yeah… that sounds good.

The Ups and Downs of Voting

Every now and then, I need a break from the political rhetoric that I often write about on this blog.

So today, I’m writing about voting!

Wait, don’t run away.  I’m serious.  Your vote counts.  You may be surprised that I’m asking you to vote early and often.  I’m even going to tell you to vote for something on the blue side this year.  (Dang… there go all my Republican friends.)  You see, life has so many ups and downs that it is often compared to a roller coaster.  I guess voting can be like that, too.

Better yet, let’s all vote for a roller coaster.

I’m encouraging my friends to vote to Repair and Reopen the Blue Streak on the Pepsi Refresh Project.  The Blue Streak, located in Conneaut Lake Park, is great ol’ wooden roller coaster built in the 30′s.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t been operating in recent years, and it could use the $50K from Pepsi to restore this historic ride to operational status.  Trust me, as a roller coaster enthusiast who has ridden 327 different roller coasters, the Blue Streak is a great ride.  Check out the pictures below that I took during a visit to Conneaut Lake Park a few years ago.

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There’s only a few days left to vote.

Screaming after this vote is encouraged… as long as it’s on the Blue Streak!