*** CRANKYCON 2009: September 19, Saturday, Jackson, New Jersey! *** [:o)}

...I haven't been to six flags in years.  Is the Scream Machine (aka whiplash my neck) still there?

I recal the batman ride having a line too long to make the ride worth it.

Splash waterfalls, are you dumb enough to stand on the bridge?

The log flume, Heh, as they float down the rivers of british columbia with my best girlie by my side we'd sing, sing, sing!

Congo Rapids, the ride is pretty dry unless you're the two people who get stuck under the waterfall.

Shockwave, I'm quite sure this one is gone, but you used to stand up on it.

Then there's that small non-loop coaster that almost touches the water.

Then there's Rolling Thunder, the wooden oaster

Don't froget about the typhoon, it's like the gravitron, but the floor drops down a foot or two.

And don't forget Freefall, you loose your keys on that one and your lunch too.  stick with the parachute jump if you can't handle it.

The looping Starship; is scary, stick with the buckaneer for a similar effect.

He'd love to meat you!

I do have family in Miami but they live in Kendall which is far from downtown where the concerts are, but i don't think i'll go now, a friend called me to invite me to go to Argentina with him.

We don't have a date for the trip yet, but i think it will happen on april or may.

The ride needs to stop right before it gets to that first rise. Just the anticipation would be thrill enough.

"Hey, look what we just avoided going up! Whew! that was close!"

The authors of a few reports I've read imply that this is the first car/plane. I remember a car/plane that was based on a pinto (Also a Popular Mechanics story). The wings were easily detachable and were towed in a trailer behind the pinto. It's inventor was killed during a demonstration flight which put somewhat of a damper on sales.

I don't like heights. When I worked in the offshore Louisiana oilfields 30 years ago, I had on occasion been required to connect iron fifty feet up in a derrick. My unease with heights was obvious. It was suggested by a coworker that riding roller coasters could make me more at ease with heights. Result: To this day, I'm still uneasy with heights, but I love roller coasters.

Dan, come on up and join us in New Jersey. A Car/Plane couldn't possibly be as much fun as a ride in the Kingda Ka.

Ya know, a car/plane is one thing, but a flying car is another. What I want to know is, where's my flying car? Check out Kevin Smith's take on that.

I can't imagine having an actual conversation with any of you.  Movies would certain cushion the blow.  That said, I will try my mightiest to be there.

ps Coaster, have you actually met Mucus?  If so, you are my new hero in his stead.

Geez, man (I was going to say Christ, man, but I know that won't work), I just got back from there at the end of July. Now you tell me I have to go again? I've got so many people to visit out there that I'd have to cash in early from Six Flags just to hook up with 'em all.

Although, it is only 2400 miles one-way, and I could ride the route in my sleep.

Last summer, I hied my tired old ass out to D.C. one more time. Unfortunately, I was behind a massive summer storm that constantly kept getting in my way, and I couldn't punch through it. My best day was 500 miles, and a trip that should have taken me three days took an ungodly amount of time.

Of course, it was worth every tired mile to finally arrive at destination, and the sights and experiences, as always, were amazing, both en route and on arrival.

No tenting for me though. I've had my fill of that, although I suppose were I in the south I could probably manage a night or two. Of course, that means that I'd have to actually carry a tent with me. Then I'd need a nice fancy air mattress and silk sheets and shit - you know, because the ladies hanging out at all the campgrounds expect it to be that way. Spoiled bitches.

I left my gps at home last summer, and wouldn't you know it, when I crossed the border at Buffalo and got back into Canada, I got lost. Old ground covered there back in the '60s, but some of the highways are all new now. Unbeknownst to me, I was on the right track, but I just wasn't able to figure it out until dark. An unruly Best Western saved the day.

I'm working at an airport for the winter. Damn but if I didn't have to get another security clearance for that. How times change, yet remain the same.

Tomorrow I'm off to Vancouver for a week to cast a foot in the bay.

At this point, it's doubtful that I'll be making the Joisey Journey CrankyCon, but I never know. I'll see how it goes.

that you're welcome to add 2400 one-way miles to your trip and head west. I can probably borrow a bed for the second bedroom, and you can stay as long as you wish - providing you don't stake any claims to the itinerant women in my life.

With the amount of time I plan to spend in strip bars and bars of all kinds, especially in small southern towns, these tips are bound to come in mighty handy.  I can close my eyes right now as I'm writing this and damn near savor the taste of those pickeled eggs and draft beer that await me....

His sister lives in Tulsa.  Perhaps he wasn't even coming here to visit me.   (sniff)

It took the Disney bunch 20 years to design and build Space Mountain.  When they were finished, they had one kick ass coaster for the time.  However, it was deemed too fast, so the Disney people slowed it down.  When the Six Flags Over Texas guy, Wynne, heard about it, he thought there would be a niche for a park with real thrill rides.  Indeed, people traveled from all over to ride, among others, the Judge Roy Scream.  

I'd have to agree. 

On a side note, when I traveled down to Arlington with some young coworkers, and told one of them that the judge Roy Scream was once this country's premier coaster, he looked at me with a more than bored expression as we plunged down it's mighty seventy-one foot hill at a blazing 53 mph and said, "You're kidding me."

But as for your contention, you may have trouble making me ride it, too.  Man, that's one tall-ass ride.

Great to see you!  Glad to hear life has been good to you.  Unfortunately, Di, Karen, and Aron haven't posted here since forever. I can promise you what will be there is the world's tallest fastest coaster. But then again, you used to not like roller coasters. Did that change? If it did, than 0 to 128 MPH in 3-1/2 seconds with a 418-foot drop STRAIGHT DOWN awaits you.

E-mail me at the usual, mrcoaster@cox.net to let me know what motel you've booked.  I'll keep you apprised of any side trips. 

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Peeler bars. 

Wouldn't that be the day!

I soo wanted to attend this event. If not at least to cross the country to meet a bunch of strangers that share a common interest, but to get back to the east coast that I've missed for almost 3 years. I would literally kill for an authentic cheesesteak, bagel, new york style pizza or calzone, chicken salad hogie wth everything or even a lobster roll.

Unfortunately, I have been training over the past 5 months for my very first marathon on Oct 4th.

That and football season just started.

Have fun! Next time have Crankython in Portland, Or. We could all go running, or hiking, or mountain bike riding, or snowboarding, or microbrewing.

...what...what were talking about again?

- as I'm sure you already know - that I am unable to attend. I had a plethora of places I wanted to revisit while riding the Keys, but, alas, it is not to be. Somehow, I'm sure that most, if not all, no longer exist, but that's all right. They live on as exaggerated adventures in my fading memory.

Enjoy, and in Key West give a wave on your way by and bellow a hello to the tiki-bar peelers for me - although I am certain by now that it is their grand-daughters who dance on.

And it will probably be just Dan and I.  

Croatia sounds cool. 

I was wondering, with all the places you've been to, how many languages do you speak besides English?

I know it sounds fishy but we'll have a good time. Besides I'll need some help keeping Coaster from eating the exhibits. He wants to meat the manta ray.

Good to see you again, Mr. T, even if it is just on Crankyland.