25th Birthday

For my birthday this year I ventured up to the Gardens after more than six years since my last visit.

Actually, I can barely remember my last visit there.  I've only gone twice in my life before last weekend.  The first was in middle school with Amanda...the only thing I remember about that is my dad sitting behind the two of us on the Loch Ness Monster, taunting us saying that the ride sounded broken.  A second later we were down the first drop and Amanda was screaming and laughing while I was adamantly professing how much I hated her for making me ride.  The second visit was in high school...I think...all I remember about that visit was crying in the line for the park's newest coaster: Apollo's Chariot.  As you might have noticed--I was not a fan of roller coasters.  It wasn't until I encountered The Hulk at Universal Studios that I made the switch to roller coaster enthusiast (and thus began the slow climb to adrenaline junkie).

That being said, it was great to be able to return to the theme park that held memories of salty tears and frozen lemonade with a fresh new out look on roller coasters...and fell in love.  Who needs a man to put butterflies in my stomach when a roller coaster can do the same?  

It was slightly rainy and cold which lends itself to perfect theme park conditions: NO LINES!!  We walked right onto to every ride (with the exception of The Curse of DarKastle which is an indoor ride) and several times we got right back on without a moment to blink.





Sadly, the Big Bad Wolf is no more: (It's being replaced by a new ride set to open next year)

 

Then

Now

But there is this:

The Griffon.












and yes.  That is a 90 degree drop

Best part?  They hold you over the edge facing straight down for six agonizing seconds before you dive to the ground.

The Griffon is fantastic.  And not nearly as rough as it looks.  Definitely a thrill though.  We got on, loved it, and rode it again immediately, only this time we clambered into the front row.  When they drag you over the side and you're in the front row, all you see is the sky.  No coaster beneath you, nothing.  You can spread out your arms and legs (if you dare) and it's as if your suspended in mid air.  Absolutely fantastic.


It was the best birthday I've had in a long time.  I was nervous about turning 25...it used to sound so old.  But I realized something.  I'm young and have no real commitments which opens me up to a world of endless adventures.  So Happy 25th to me!
 

The Magical Box

Do you remember when you were little and a large box contained an unexplored world of wonder?

You could get inside a box and be anywhere in the world.
You could be an astronaut in a rocket ship on your way to Mars to start a new life.
You could be a princess locked away in a castle while dragons wage war outside your walls.
You could be a warrior hiding out in a treehouse, with your bows and arows
You could be Harry Potter hiding underneath your invisibility cloak (oh wait.  that was when I was 12. <insert awkwardness>)

It's such a simple thing.  A box.  And it's amazing to think of how much fun and creativity it contained when we were young and let our imaginations run wild.

But as we grow older, so many of us loose that gift of uninhibited imagination.  Personally, I love moments when I can get swept away in imagination (most likely why I enjoy reading so much) and it was a fun surprise to find a large box in my living room the other night.  Ashley and I immediately became children again, jumping in the box to relive a moment from childhood.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Roald Dahl

The Homeless Helper

Yesterday I inadvertently let my car run out of gas.  Now, if that had been Batmen-my old car-I wouldn't be so upset about it.  But we're talking about my baby, Phoenix--my pride and joy.  (Seriously, if I could get away with carrying pictures of him in my wallet I would. I freaking love this car.  My dream mustang.)

So, there I was in downtown, in my church clothes, stranded and stuck in the middle of the road.  Of course as soon as the numerous people standing around noticed I was in need of help they all rushed to my side.

False.

Instead the numerous people sitting on their porches and walking the streets watched me as I preceded to push my car, by myself, to the side of the road. In fact one of them even came up afterwards and commented on the fact that my car was crooked.  For an excruciatingly long ten minutes I waited for Ashley as person after person walked by.

Once she got there a homeless man walked up and immediately offered his help.

How many times have I heard people complain about homeless people? At least once a day.  Growing up in a small town, I never saw homeless people...it wasn't until I moved here that I saw homeless people on a daily basis.  They are everywhere, and for every homeless person I see, there are ten other people complaining about how awful they are.  But who helped me when I needed it?  The people sitting on the porches of their houses?  Or the man with no porch to sit on?

I wish dresses grew on trees...