Comfy?

tough life being a cat...

Last First Day of School

Tomorrow at 9am begins my last year of school... ever.


I know I've been terrible about updating lately, but the cross country drive followed by 5 days at home (that were populated by Dad's Birthday and a Wedding with Meredith), an insanely tight but extremely satisfying tech of Hedwig, culminating in a drive back to Pittsburgh to get the house ready for the year while working at ScareHouse and having a grad welcome back BBQ...

yeah, all that (and a bunch of stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting) kept me from my usual updates. Now that I'll be back to a regular-ish schedule I should be able to update more often.

Still no definitive Busch news for anybody following that via my blog

Busch Buyout Update

Disney may have interest in Sea World
Aug 10, 2008

According to reports, Disney is among those showing interest in purchasing Sea World following InBev's takeover of Anheuser-Busch.

InBev has announced their plans to sell off Busch's theme parks division following their takeover which could take place as early as November.

The report mentioned Disney among those bidding for Sea World as well as Blackstone owned Merlin Entertainments which operates the London Eye, Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds. Bids are also expected from Spain's Parques Reunidos, owned by private equity firm Candover, and Gulf state conglomerate Dubai World.

According to InBev's bankers "We've been approached by several companies but this deal will be based on who can bring the money to the table to fund the debt needed."

from wdwinfo.com

Coaster Superlatives

A fun-filled day at Cedar Point with some good pals has inspired me to solidify my list of top coasters.

Shout-out to Polar Express at Storyland. Its a great, quaint little park in Glen, NH which has the honor of being the first park I ever went to, and this ride has the honor of being my first favorite coaster.

wood

10) Le Monstre
La Ronde (Montreal, Canada)

9) Gemini
Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) - though it does have a tublar steel track, I say it counts.

8) Roar
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA)

7) Racer
Kennywood (Pittsburgh, PA) - love the figure-8 track, brilliant.

6) Cyclone
Six Flags New England (Agawam, MA)

5) Yankee Cannonball
Canobie Lake Park (Canobie Lake, NH)

3t) Gwazi
Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL)

3t) Mean Streak
Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)

2) Giant Dipper
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (Santa Cruz, CA)

1) Thunderbolt
Kennywood (Pittsburgh, PA)


steel

10) Manhattan Express
New York, New York Hotel Casino (Las Vegas, NV) - may or may not be worth $12, but the ride has a great backdrop and some fun maneuvers.

9) Revenge of the Mummy
Universal Studios Florida (Orlando, FL) - sometimes you want a theme park to be Bambi and Cinderella, and sometimes you want a mummy to eat your soul.

8) Space Mountain

Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) - Who would have thought that simply placing a wild mouse roller coaster in the dark could be so amazing? Though it tops out at a whooping 35 miles an hour, Space Mountain will always be in my top 10, and the upgrades to the Disneyland version with on board audio are perfect...

7) Phantom's Revenge
Kennywood (Pittsburgh, PA) - Riding this coaster in the complete dark of a Phantom's Fright Night with the crisp fall air of Pennslyvania whipping in your face is a must-have experience.

6) Superman: Ride of Steel
Six Flags New England (Agawam, MA) - up 208 feet on the lift hill and then down 221 feet. Wait, what?

5) The Hulk
Islands of Adventure (Orlando, FL) - "I think this time it might work...."

4) Maverick
Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) - Solid pre-ride theming and really amazing fighter pilot-like manuevers make Cedar Points newest offering a ride for the ages.

3) Dueling Dragons
Islands of Adventure (Orlando, FL) - two completely different tracks, amazing queue, and my personal favorite type of coaster-- hanging, make this an easy choice for a top ten list. The ride smoothness and design put it in the top three.

2) SheiKra
Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL) - coming around a 180 degree turn at a height of 200 feet gives you a great view of Tampa, and then you get a great view of the 90 degree drop as you're precariously held there staring straight down for 5 agonizing seconds.

1) Millennium Force
Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) - I truly, honestly felt like I was flying. Nuff said.