Day 6 - The Return
Put notes here. Ride back was pretty pleasant and I got more reading and vid-watching in. Got back at what, 5-ish and Sis picked us up and we went to dinner.
Aerinravage's GamerCard
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Capital Hill - Day 5
Day 5 - Busch Gardens
We left our place at about 8 and arrived at BG at just after 10. After sternly-delivered directions to not get lost or be late, and a review of the meal coupons we were handed, we were set loose. It was Ape, Younger, K & K, and A in our group. Thankfully, all members of our group wanted to ride rides, so there wasn't a lot of "sitting out". Except for me on water rides. I'm not fond of water rides, /especially/ flume-style rides with no seatbelts.
SO, I'll skip a lot of the walking around bits and cut to the fun. First up was the Loch Ness Monster. It was a pretty neat ride except for one thing - as with Space Mountain and a number of older coasters, the headrests are too low for my head, locating closer to my neck just above my back. And on one of the quick drop/climb sections, I got whiplashed and my neck actually *snapped* - chiropractor snapped. It hurt, it was unpleasant, and I was afraid I'd pass out. And this was the first ride!
After that I wasn't so sure about the rest of the day's activities. I was *already* hurting from load/unload duty and not enough sleep. So it was with unease and a growing headache that I approached the next ride, the Griffon. You may remember that I've mentioned my dislike for "negative-G" rides, right? Guess what Griffon is? Not only does it feature a LOT of negative-Gs, it also starts with a literal straight-down drop. A lot of people describe drops on some coasters as "straight down" but unless it's 90', it isn't. This one is. And it goes on from there!
The ride itself was very smooth and other than the loopy stomach, I enjoyed it. Enough to go again with the whole crew. I kept myself calm by playing the "Zi'Tah" music in my head. I noted that some of the "drop towers" resembled Rock-It's towers, and figure maybe I can handle that one now...
Did we have lunch here? The food coupon covered pretty sizable meal options, and we chose the Canadian BBQ joint to use the first one. I picked the hot-dog kid's meal and added a large slice of lemon cake for dessert. It was surprisingly good. Everyone else grabbed big BBQ platters and I wound up with some leftovers ^^ I also got a "thing" which I want to send to LK for a housewarming present when he moves in a month.
Next up was Alpengeist. It looks a lot like Ice. It rode a lot like Ice too, but it was rougher than Griffon. Honestly, I gave it a ~meh~. I think the gang went on some water stuff at this time.
Then, the highlight and disappointment of the day. Apollo's Chariot. A ride that pretty much answers the question, "How much negative-G can we expose riders to?" It's a deceptively simple layout with two long "vomit comet" sections with a fast twisty bit in between. It's also two minutes long!
In keeping with the G-force application, AC uses "thigh t-bars", meaning a thick padded bar comes between your legs resting on your upper thighs. Pulled tight, you can get it almost to your hips, locking you in tightly. Ape tried the "test seat" and made it, but when we got on board, she was bumped because her bar wouldn't click three times. The test seat didn't say anything about minimum clicks ><:
I wound up riding three times with the rest of the group. I even threw my arms up at one point, which is really out of character for me. But I did feel horrible for Ape. She would have loved it I think!
Most of the rest of the day was spent on simpler pursuits, some basketball for A, and an attempt on their "4D" ride a'la Spiderman. We got on line despite the ride being down. We waited but I saw that time was nearly out if I was to make it to Celtic Fyre. So I bolted and hustled to Ireland and walked into the theater with literally like 2 minutes to spare.
CF was pretty good, and the lead sure did look like Seth McFarlane. From there, I went shopping in the Irish store, and found a neat cross to use with my cosplay. I walked out of that store just as the rest of the gang caught up with me. They reported that the 4D ride was pretty lame, with too many gratuitous 3D scenes. I reported I had a great time at the show q:
We all looked in the "magic" shop and there were some pretty interesting witchy/goth statuettes and they were reasonably priced too. From there, we dashed to England to eat. And found a monstrous line. I waited for probably 30 minutes and wound up snapping at several kids who seemed to be cutting in. I later apologized to two of the group moms (not from our group) but dang...
Anyways, our food wait was seemingly lengthened by the fact the buffet pipeline would snag or fill at bad places, especially the salad pick-up, causing the cashiers to be either flooded or idle... But we got the food. And it was really good! We had to take ours with us because we were too close to deadline. Ape didn't get to eat at the park at all - she went to a souvenir shop to grab a shirt.
On the ride back, I finished Cast in Secret, book 3 of Michelle Sagara's Elantra series. I had read #2 on the way up and look forward to the next volumes. Also on the way back, we got word that they were ordering pizzas for our last night. By the time we got in, packed and settled, it was pretty late for pizza, but I partook anyway. It was good, too!
We left our place at about 8 and arrived at BG at just after 10. After sternly-delivered directions to not get lost or be late, and a review of the meal coupons we were handed, we were set loose. It was Ape, Younger, K & K, and A in our group. Thankfully, all members of our group wanted to ride rides, so there wasn't a lot of "sitting out". Except for me on water rides. I'm not fond of water rides, /especially/ flume-style rides with no seatbelts.
SO, I'll skip a lot of the walking around bits and cut to the fun. First up was the Loch Ness Monster. It was a pretty neat ride except for one thing - as with Space Mountain and a number of older coasters, the headrests are too low for my head, locating closer to my neck just above my back. And on one of the quick drop/climb sections, I got whiplashed and my neck actually *snapped* - chiropractor snapped. It hurt, it was unpleasant, and I was afraid I'd pass out. And this was the first ride!
After that I wasn't so sure about the rest of the day's activities. I was *already* hurting from load/unload duty and not enough sleep. So it was with unease and a growing headache that I approached the next ride, the Griffon. You may remember that I've mentioned my dislike for "negative-G" rides, right? Guess what Griffon is? Not only does it feature a LOT of negative-Gs, it also starts with a literal straight-down drop. A lot of people describe drops on some coasters as "straight down" but unless it's 90', it isn't. This one is. And it goes on from there!
The ride itself was very smooth and other than the loopy stomach, I enjoyed it. Enough to go again with the whole crew. I kept myself calm by playing the "Zi'Tah" music in my head. I noted that some of the "drop towers" resembled Rock-It's towers, and figure maybe I can handle that one now...
Did we have lunch here? The food coupon covered pretty sizable meal options, and we chose the Canadian BBQ joint to use the first one. I picked the hot-dog kid's meal and added a large slice of lemon cake for dessert. It was surprisingly good. Everyone else grabbed big BBQ platters and I wound up with some leftovers ^^ I also got a "thing" which I want to send to LK for a housewarming present when he moves in a month.
Next up was Alpengeist. It looks a lot like Ice. It rode a lot like Ice too, but it was rougher than Griffon. Honestly, I gave it a ~meh~. I think the gang went on some water stuff at this time.
Then, the highlight and disappointment of the day. Apollo's Chariot. A ride that pretty much answers the question, "How much negative-G can we expose riders to?" It's a deceptively simple layout with two long "vomit comet" sections with a fast twisty bit in between. It's also two minutes long!
In keeping with the G-force application, AC uses "thigh t-bars", meaning a thick padded bar comes between your legs resting on your upper thighs. Pulled tight, you can get it almost to your hips, locking you in tightly. Ape tried the "test seat" and made it, but when we got on board, she was bumped because her bar wouldn't click three times. The test seat didn't say anything about minimum clicks ><:
I wound up riding three times with the rest of the group. I even threw my arms up at one point, which is really out of character for me. But I did feel horrible for Ape. She would have loved it I think!
Most of the rest of the day was spent on simpler pursuits, some basketball for A, and an attempt on their "4D" ride a'la Spiderman. We got on line despite the ride being down. We waited but I saw that time was nearly out if I was to make it to Celtic Fyre. So I bolted and hustled to Ireland and walked into the theater with literally like 2 minutes to spare.
CF was pretty good, and the lead sure did look like Seth McFarlane. From there, I went shopping in the Irish store, and found a neat cross to use with my cosplay. I walked out of that store just as the rest of the gang caught up with me. They reported that the 4D ride was pretty lame, with too many gratuitous 3D scenes. I reported I had a great time at the show q:
We all looked in the "magic" shop and there were some pretty interesting witchy/goth statuettes and they were reasonably priced too. From there, we dashed to England to eat. And found a monstrous line. I waited for probably 30 minutes and wound up snapping at several kids who seemed to be cutting in. I later apologized to two of the group moms (not from our group) but dang...
Anyways, our food wait was seemingly lengthened by the fact the buffet pipeline would snag or fill at bad places, especially the salad pick-up, causing the cashiers to be either flooded or idle... But we got the food. And it was really good! We had to take ours with us because we were too close to deadline. Ape didn't get to eat at the park at all - she went to a souvenir shop to grab a shirt.
On the ride back, I finished Cast in Secret, book 3 of Michelle Sagara's Elantra series. I had read #2 on the way up and look forward to the next volumes. Also on the way back, we got word that they were ordering pizzas for our last night. By the time we got in, packed and settled, it was pretty late for pizza, but I partook anyway. It was good, too!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Capital Hill - Days 3 & 4 Placeholder
Day 3 - DC B-Day
Day 4 - DC C-Day
I have some handwritten notes plus Ape's photolog to go by...
Day 4 - DC C-Day
I have some handwritten notes plus Ape's photolog to go by...
Monday, June 21, 2010
Capital Hill - Day 2
Day 2 - DC A-Day
(confirm sched with pic timeline and itinerary)
Our four-day forced-march adventure begins today. For the next four days we will be up at dawn and on the move until dusk. We will eat mostly buffets and food court meals. We will have little time to actually enjoy things because we (the adults) are supposed to be chaperoning, not sightseeing. Do not worry, Dear Reader. We managed to take in quite a bit...
Our first stop in Washington was near the Pentagon Mall to collect our tour guide. This lovely woman called Dale, who reminded me greatly of my beloved former boss, got on and took charge. She had three days of adventure planned out for us and she wasn't going to waste time. Unfortunately, the kids did, and our schedule got pretty messed up. But more on that later.
Our first stop was the Capitol Building and a walk around it. I'm not going to include much of Dale's commentary here because honestly, I couldn't remember it all if I tried. The woman was a walking factbook on D.C. During her time with us, she'd be feeding us an awful lot of history and trivia about the places we were going. I kept wandering around behind the throng of children to get close enough to hear her. This of course, meant I wound up in a *lot* of the "official" trip pics ^^ It seemed I was one of the few adults who really wanted to listen in. I do know that a number of our group has previously visited D.C., so, maybe they knew this stuff.
There was a classic VW coupe (Karmann-Ghia?) on the grounds and one of the tour medics went to take pics. A guard came up swiftly but after some chat about VW fandom, he relaxed. Before we made our way towards the Supreme Court, we were passed by a rather large Amish group. I mean no disrespect here, but just how did they get here? I am under the impression that there are differing levels of "observance" in the Amish faith, much as there are in others. Was this group OK with motorized transport? To Ape and Younger I mused: If I was going to board a motorized conveyance for the first (and possibly last) time. I'd be in a Hummer limo.
We didn't actually go into the SC. In fact, there was no getting near it. Also, some journalists were camped out on the lower steps. When asked, one gent said they were waiting for Sonia Sotomayor news. Oh! Well, it didn't happen whilst we were walking by. DJ climbed the stairs and *immediately* one of the three visible armed guards walked down from his post at the top. DJ got the pic he wanted and scooted, the guard walking through his just-vacated position moments later. The guard continued past, to the journo area. But it sure seemed to me he was making a subtle point.
Late in the morning, all 11 buses in our armada assembled for a group shot. We hope to get a copy soon. While assembling, a man was "escorted" out of the shot by two of the photographer's assistants and I heard him protesting that he wanted some notice in writing while apparently complaining about not being allowed to be there. I never did ask if it was a real incident or if he was friends with the crew.
We got to take a quick tour of the Library of Congress. Remember me saying how my two years with the local library system was my fave job (well, before my present one)? Imagine going to the "mother library"... It really was incredible. I had no idea the place was so ornately decorated! The roof mosaics, the frescoes, the statuary, all of it breathtaking!
(confirm sched with pic timeline and itinerary)
Our four-day forced-march adventure begins today. For the next four days we will be up at dawn and on the move until dusk. We will eat mostly buffets and food court meals. We will have little time to actually enjoy things because we (the adults) are supposed to be chaperoning, not sightseeing. Do not worry, Dear Reader. We managed to take in quite a bit...
Our first stop in Washington was near the Pentagon Mall to collect our tour guide. This lovely woman called Dale, who reminded me greatly of my beloved former boss, got on and took charge. She had three days of adventure planned out for us and she wasn't going to waste time. Unfortunately, the kids did, and our schedule got pretty messed up. But more on that later.
Our first stop was the Capitol Building and a walk around it. I'm not going to include much of Dale's commentary here because honestly, I couldn't remember it all if I tried. The woman was a walking factbook on D.C. During her time with us, she'd be feeding us an awful lot of history and trivia about the places we were going. I kept wandering around behind the throng of children to get close enough to hear her. This of course, meant I wound up in a *lot* of the "official" trip pics ^^ It seemed I was one of the few adults who really wanted to listen in. I do know that a number of our group has previously visited D.C., so, maybe they knew this stuff.
There was a classic VW coupe (Karmann-Ghia?) on the grounds and one of the tour medics went to take pics. A guard came up swiftly but after some chat about VW fandom, he relaxed. Before we made our way towards the Supreme Court, we were passed by a rather large Amish group. I mean no disrespect here, but just how did they get here? I am under the impression that there are differing levels of "observance" in the Amish faith, much as there are in others. Was this group OK with motorized transport? To Ape and Younger I mused: If I was going to board a motorized conveyance for the first (and possibly last) time. I'd be in a Hummer limo.
We didn't actually go into the SC. In fact, there was no getting near it. Also, some journalists were camped out on the lower steps. When asked, one gent said they were waiting for Sonia Sotomayor news. Oh! Well, it didn't happen whilst we were walking by. DJ climbed the stairs and *immediately* one of the three visible armed guards walked down from his post at the top. DJ got the pic he wanted and scooted, the guard walking through his just-vacated position moments later. The guard continued past, to the journo area. But it sure seemed to me he was making a subtle point.
Late in the morning, all 11 buses in our armada assembled for a group shot. We hope to get a copy soon. While assembling, a man was "escorted" out of the shot by two of the photographer's assistants and I heard him protesting that he wanted some notice in writing while apparently complaining about not being allowed to be there. I never did ask if it was a real incident or if he was friends with the crew.
We got to take a quick tour of the Library of Congress. Remember me saying how my two years with the local library system was my fave job (well, before my present one)? Imagine going to the "mother library"... It really was incredible. I had no idea the place was so ornately decorated! The roof mosaics, the frescoes, the statuary, all of it breathtaking!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Capital Hill - Day 1
Day 1 - The Departure
Today's plan? 14-odd hours on a bus. With 32 kids, 12 parents, plus Al the driver and police officer. Dear Lord, please give me the strength...
Up at 4:15am, at the Stadium at 5:30, helping another dad (let's call him DJ) load the holds with luggage, chairs and sundries. Actually, this Dad Duo would be a pretty constant thing on this trip. More on that later. On the road at 6am.
We were on the hook for breakfast and lunch today, then all other meals would be provided. Last night, Ape packed our bag with snacks, fruit, and, for me, four sammies. Two deli meat standards, paired with PB&J. Shortly after our departure, I ate my breakfast pair, while Ape commented on the coffee fashionistas. I read for much of the first leg, digging into Cast in Courtlight. I think I'm going to really like this series, provided it doesn't go off the rails in the later volumes, the way Piers Anthony's seem to.
Lunch was at a South Carolina rest stop. As one of only two dads on the trip, restroom security fell to DJ and me. Yay. It didn't help my mood that this particular facility smelled and I inadvertently stood watch long after our patrols had finished, as other busloads of patrols had been filing in the whole time. And many of the kids (of all groups) were fond of shaking water off their hands and much of it landed on me. If you don't know my feelings for being sticky or dirty, guess.
About an hour before dinner. Bus Seven decided it didn't like its transmission and Al stopped us at a rest area. When Bus Seven the Second arrived, we piled on without the items in the holds. Later at dinner (Country Buffet) we had to wait while Bus Seven the Second returned to the rest area for our things, and then back to us. All told it wasn't a big wait, as the dining progress was slowed by the fact the building was prolly full to Fire Marshall capacity of 510. My dinner? I did a sampler: bourbon chicken & rice, a chicken nugget, pizza slice, corn, mac & cheese, and a roll. Plus ice cream and lots of mini orange slice candies - nom!
Arrival at the Best Western was at 9-ish, and after unloading, check-in, long elevator lines and settling the boys (Younger, a friend we'll call K, and another boy whose parents were unable to travel with us, A) it was just after 10 when Ape and I finally had time to breathe. I really don't remember what we did, besides maybe some TV and web surfing... Bed by midnight.
Today's plan? 14-odd hours on a bus. With 32 kids, 12 parents, plus Al the driver and police officer. Dear Lord, please give me the strength...
Up at 4:15am, at the Stadium at 5:30, helping another dad (let's call him DJ) load the holds with luggage, chairs and sundries. Actually, this Dad Duo would be a pretty constant thing on this trip. More on that later. On the road at 6am.
We were on the hook for breakfast and lunch today, then all other meals would be provided. Last night, Ape packed our bag with snacks, fruit, and, for me, four sammies. Two deli meat standards, paired with PB&J. Shortly after our departure, I ate my breakfast pair, while Ape commented on the coffee fashionistas. I read for much of the first leg, digging into Cast in Courtlight. I think I'm going to really like this series, provided it doesn't go off the rails in the later volumes, the way Piers Anthony's seem to.
Lunch was at a South Carolina rest stop. As one of only two dads on the trip, restroom security fell to DJ and me. Yay. It didn't help my mood that this particular facility smelled and I inadvertently stood watch long after our patrols had finished, as other busloads of patrols had been filing in the whole time. And many of the kids (of all groups) were fond of shaking water off their hands and much of it landed on me. If you don't know my feelings for being sticky or dirty, guess.
About an hour before dinner. Bus Seven decided it didn't like its transmission and Al stopped us at a rest area. When Bus Seven the Second arrived, we piled on without the items in the holds. Later at dinner (Country Buffet) we had to wait while Bus Seven the Second returned to the rest area for our things, and then back to us. All told it wasn't a big wait, as the dining progress was slowed by the fact the building was prolly full to Fire Marshall capacity of 510. My dinner? I did a sampler: bourbon chicken & rice, a chicken nugget, pizza slice, corn, mac & cheese, and a roll. Plus ice cream and lots of mini orange slice candies - nom!
Arrival at the Best Western was at 9-ish, and after unloading, check-in, long elevator lines and settling the boys (Younger, a friend we'll call K, and another boy whose parents were unable to travel with us, A) it was just after 10 when Ape and I finally had time to breathe. I really don't remember what we did, besides maybe some TV and web surfing... Bed by midnight.
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