Saturday Part 3

I've really slacked off, here's to blogging for the first time in two months!


Part 3: A Thirteen Dollar Soda
It's a little bit strange how the beginning of my 2010 trip mirrored my 2009 trip. Last year, Acacia and I had first ridden the Sasquatch, and then gotten on the Boomerang, which is just what my Uncle Russ and I were doing. It makes sense though, seeing as these two rides are closest to the park's entrance.
So Uncle Russ and I got in line for The Boomerang Coast to Coast Coaster. It was warm and a little muggy, and I was very thirsty. My Uncle and I planned the rest of our day. After this could I get a drink? Maybe we could go to Splashwater Kingdom soon?
As we got closer to the ride, (the line can be very long) we got to watch people get on and off, and watch their reactions. One teenage girl was loudly protesting having to sit in the very last car, for when it ascends, it sits at the very top of the coaster. I understood her aversion to the seat, but wished she would protest more quietly, as I found her loud "Oh hell no!'s" to be very obnoxious. Eventually she was coaxed into the car, and the ride started. When it was over, I could hear her voice above all other shouting "omigawd omigawd". I cannot pass judgment here, as I have often found myself saying some very silly things on thrill rides. Confessing my love for Harry Potter comes to mind.

Just before we were to get on the roller coaster, one of the women behind my Uncle and I collapsed. She was still conscious, but the heat was making her ill. I had noticed that she had been crouching a few minutes before she collapsed, but I hadn't thought she was sick, just tired of waiting in line. But here she was, sitting on the metal steps leading to the roller coaster, looking very faint and flushed. My uncle had turned around, and was offering her his water, as was her companion. The ride attendants put everything to a halt and called the park infirmary. During this whole scenario, I stood still and silent, not sure what to do or say. I'm very socially awkward. The Park EMTs came along, but I don't know if they took her away or not, for it seems after they arrived all the ruckus had settled down, and my uncle and I were boarding the roller coaster.
After we were secured, the ride began its ascent. This is the worst part of the ride, because it takes so long. I tried to keep from panicking, and somehow found myself engaged in conversation with my uncle, when I would normally be closing my eyes and praying fervently.
Finally, the rattling sound of the chains pulling us upwards, ended, and we sat at the top of the coaster. There was an eerie silence, a calm before the storm. And then we were rushing, rushing down hill, the wind in my face, my stomach dropping to my feet. My screams were more joy than fear.
For eleven long years, I had been terrified of this roller coaster. Then last year, in 2009, I rode the coaster with Acacia, finally conquering my fear. Now, here I was, enjoying the object of my girlhood terror with wild abandon.
We went through corkscrews and loops, and then repeated the process backwards, and still my whoops and cries remained those of excitement.

When we got off the coaster, I had hoped we would get something to drink, but instead we trekked all the way to Ghost Town so we could ride The Steamin' Demon.
The Steamin' Demon is a favorite of mine, it is a relatively short ride, but it is fast and it is very exciting. Last year I hurt my head on it, when my ears got boxed by my shoulder restraints, while going through a corkscrew.
This year, I was eager to ride the coaster, but worried about hurting my ears again. So when we went through those particular corkscrews, to avoid hitting the restraints, I craned my neck outward, like stretching a chicken's neck over a a chopping block. It strained my muscles, but at least my ears didn't get boxed!
We may have ridden the coaster a second time, though that second ride may have come later in the day. As usual, my memory is as fuzzy as a squirrel.

Afterward, we went to get some food and drink. We went back to Storytown, where my uncle ordered from the Papa Johns stand and I bought a thirteen dollar soda. Why did I pay so much for soda? Because the soda came in a special lime green collector's cup and with purchase of said cup and a special wristband, I could get free refills all day long. Any refills I got on future trips would cost me 99 cents. My uncle asked me if I was hungry, but I told him I was too excited to really eat anything, and instead opted to buy some Dippin's Dots. Unfortunately, the stand was some distance from the pizza stand, and I had to cross a small bridge to get to it. But I wanted ice cream, so I made the trek to get my chocolate ice cream pellets, which cost me five dollars and fifty cents. It was a bit of a juggle carrying my giant soda and my ice cream, but luckily the fantastical cup came with a handle, so I could loop it over my wrist like a hand bag, while I carefully carried my precious Dots back to my uncle's table. I was terrified of spilling, or having someone bump into me (people at amusement parks can often be very rude or inattentive and plow into innocent bystanders.). But my ice cream and I made it unharmed, and I sat down with my uncle, so we could enjoy our respective goodies.

I ate my delicious frozen dairy treat, despite the fact that it was quickly melting. My uncle enjoyed his pizza. He managed to get me to eat some bread sticks, which were pretty tasty.
As I ate my bread sticks, I noticed some ducks and geese lurking behind an iron fence. These ducks and geese lived along the banks of The River Dee (that delightful little body of water that runs through the amusement park), and the iron fence kept them from bothering the park guests. It's against the rules to feed them, but I ignored the little sign posted on the fence and threw pieces of bread to them. The geese and ducks ate the bits voraciously, and I hoped to god I wouldn't get caught. But I'm probably not the first nor the last person to feed these birds.

After we ate, I think we decided to ride the Steamin' Demon again. During the ride, I had a small anxiety attack and wondered if I had mislaid my wallet. This was my one and only moment of panic during this entire day (which is a record for me, I once had five anxiety attacks in one day when I went to Salem). It was difficult for me to enjoy the ride while worrying about my wallet, so I was eager for the ride to finish, so I could get off an check my purple backpack. Luckily, my wallet was right where I had left it, and while my backpack was open, I let my uncle deposit his phone and his wallet in there for safekeeping.
After our second ride on the Steamin' Demon, I am almost certain that we rode The Canyon Blaster. It's a family coaster so it's not very exciting, but we rode it anyway. I don't remember if we rode it after our first or second trip on the Steamin' Demon. I suppose it doesn't really matter does it? I always try to make these memoirs as accurate as possible, but what's the point? I'm the only one that reads these, after all.

It was hot, and we decided that it was high time to visit Splashwater Kingdom and cool off. This is what I was looking forward to, since I had enjoyed the water park so much last year. I wanted to fulfill the promise I had made to myself. The promise to ride all the slides at the Great Escape that I had never been on before. Would I be able to achieve that goal?


Coming up next...things get very soggy, and I have a traumatizing experience on a water slide.