Cedar Point 2011a

This weekend I had the pleasure to introduce a few people to one of the best things in the world: Cedar Point. This was the earliest in the season I've ever been and was rewarded with some pretty light crowds, especially on Sunday. Monday was a bit busier, and besides some school groups getting in a late year trip in, I can't explain why really. We used Saturday and Tuesday as travel days.

We stayed at the on-site Hotel Breakers, which really is by far the best way to do it. A bit of extra money per night gets you so much convenience, especially traveling with a baby.

Also, we lucked out incredibly with the weather. It was mid-20's for both days in the park and when we got up this morning to leave, it was a pouring thunderstorm. The nice weather also let us take advantage of the water park.

Some stats: 5 rides on Maverick (within the first hour and a half of park opening on Monday); 3 on Millennium Force and Magnum XL-200; 2 on Top Thrill Dragster, Power Tower, Disaster Transport and Iron Dragon; 1 on Raptor, Mean Streak, Blue Streak, Gemini, Sky Hawk and Wicked Twister. Unfortunately, the new Wind Seeker wasn't ready yet.

Now enjoy a photo from the Millennium Force line at dusk.

What Happened This Past Week

I took a "vacation" week this past week, and it included a 3 day trip to Cedar Point. We went down on Tuesday, got Starlight tickets, then had 2 day ride and slide tickets for Wednesday and Thursday. All the while, staying in Hotel Breakers, right on site. Being the last full week of the summer, lines were fabulously short. Many rides were walkons, including Raptor, Magnum and Gemini. Longest lines included Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster and Maverick, of course, but none were longer than 30 minutes. We even did the water park, which is a first for me.

I think I've decided that there's no reason to not go on weekdays... it's completely worth the vacation days and the crowds are just so much smaller. Also, staying at Hotel Breakers is completely worth the extra $50 or so just for the convenience.

Next year, I'd like to try weekdays in early June. I think the crowds could even be less at that time.

Goal over the winter: get back on the weight loss, so the rides aren't quite so tight. I got on everything alright, but some were close.

Barenaked Ladies Concert

I went to see Barenaked Ladies last night at Centre in the Square. I was really eager to catch them live since they became a 4 piece band. They certainly did not disappoint. Of course they played a bunch of stuff from their new album (which is pretty good), but there was a solid amount of their hits. I think my surprise favourite of the night was "Sound of Your Voice". The only song I had really hoped that they would play, but didn't, was "For You".

Of course, one of the things going into the concert was how were they going to be without Steven Page. Honestly, I can say except for one or two times during the concert, I didn't even really notice that something was missing... which I suppose means that there isn't. The only time I really noticed it was during "If I Had $1000000". Speaking of $1000000, someone actually threw Kraft Dinner on stage during the song. Really, guy? Really? I thought they got people to stop that like 10 years ago.

The crowd was a bit weird though. About a third teenagers, a third late 20's/early 30's, and a third seniors (for some reason). That, plus being in Centre in the Square, made the band work really hard to get people up out of their chairs during their songs... but they eventually succeeded. And kudos to them for doing it creatively (an impromtu rap which included the chorus of "get off your ass!"), instead of how I saw the Tea Party do it one time (they just simply said, "Stand up, this is a f*cking rock concert").

So, anyway, that was the third time I've seen them in concert. The first being at the Palace of Auburn Hills and the second at Bayfest. 3 very different venues. I'll see them again for sure.

So Long Demon Drop

I read this past week that the Demon Drop will be leaving Cedar Point after this year and moving to a park in California. Like so many rides at Cedar Point, I have good memories of this one. Back when I first went to Cedar Point, it was still relatively new and had quite the reputation (don't go on it after lunch... you'll throw up!). I always wondered how much money they made from the spare change falling out of people's pockets at the bottom.

While the Demon Drop doesn't have a large footprint, I hope that moving it will be part of making room for a new coaster sometime in the near future.

Cedar Point 2009

A week ago I got back from my most recent trip to Cedar Point. There were no new rides this year, but obviously there's still lots to do. We went on Saturday, did the starlight ticket, then 2 full day tickets on the Sunday and Monday. It had rained on Saturday, so by the time we got there the crowds were not very big. On Sunday, it was ridiculously not busy, and most rides had short lines. Strangely enough, Monday was much busier than Sunday. I had thought we went early enough in the year so weekdays would have low attendance. I had noticed the same phenomenon last year (although we went 2 week later), with Monday being more busy than Sunday. Next year, I think I want to try and do an even earlier trip.

So, here's the breakdown of this year's awesome trip: 3 times on Millenium Force (once at the front), 3 times on Top Thrill Dragster (once at front), 2 times on Raptor (once at front), 2 times on Maverick (once at front), twice on Wicked Twister, Magnum XL200, Mean Streak (twice too many), Power Tower and Sky Hawk. The others we only got on once. Also, I had a blast playing Deal or No Deal in the arcade and came home with a spiffy mug.

Reason 1701 I Love Garfield minus Garfield

It doesn't just speak to me, it speaks for me.

Garfield Minus Garfield

Patrick and Lindsay showed me this link a while ago, and I love it! It's Garfield Minus Garfield. Basically, this guy erases Garfield from Garfield comic strips, leaving Jon all by himself. Now, I've been a huge Garfield fan since I was really young, and I absolutely love this twist on the strip. The description on the website is perfect.

It is a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb

Anyway, I saw the strip posted today and I thought it was the saddest thing I've ever seen. So sad, that I couldn't stop laughing.

Cedar Point

How did you spend your long weekend?

I spent mine by taking a 3-day trip down to Cedar Point with my friend Dominique and her mom. The forecast had called for a threat of thunder storms for each of the days, but they barely materialized, and the down time for rides while we were there was minimal.

We started out on Saturday, bought some Starlight tickets at 5pm and got a walk-on to the Demon Drop, which was a good omen for the rest of our trip. The crowds were the smallest I've ever seen at the park, which made for some heavy duty riding.

The last time I was at Cedar Point was 2 years ago. That time, I was really looking forward to riding the Millennium Force for the first time. Unfortunately, back then, I weighed somewhere around 260lbs and wasn't able to squeeze into the seats. This was one of my main reasons for starting Weight Watchers last year. Now that I've lost about 37lbs I fit quite easily into the seats, which felt really good. There's still a long ways to go, but that was a great reward for the work I've done so far.

Anyway, back to the trip... We went to the park on the Saturday night, on Sunday and on Monday. We pretty much hit every ride at least once (except for the water rides and kiddie rides). Among the notables, I rode the Millennium and Top Thrill 3 times, and Raptor, Magnum and Wicked Twister twice. Also, I rode front row on the Raptor, Millennium Force, and Top Thrill Dragster.

The only drawback I would say is that I wouldn't stay at the Breakers Express again. The showers were not warm and it was less than convenient if we wanted to leave the park in the middle of the day. The only bonus to staying there is the early entrance... which we never took advantage of (seriously, we were there for 2.5 days... we were there plenty without getting that extra hour in). Even though it's a bit more expensive, Hotel Breakers is a great choice to make. If you're going to stay offsite, you may as well find an unaffilliated motel in Sandusky. That's my travellers tip of the day.

But I don't want to end on a bad note, so I'll end with my favourite rides. By far, my favourite ride was Millennium Force. It was high, it was fast, and it was surprisingly smooth. Maverick was a really fun ride... not the tallest or fastest, but it was quick and random. Skyhawk was my favourite thrill ride as I loved the feeling of staring right down at the sidewalk below. The only problem with it is that it's too short. Raptor in the front row is an all-time favourite of mine, and it still is great. And if you've never experienced the sheer accelleration that is Top Thrill Dragster, you owe it to yourself to do it at some point.

And the Mean Streak still hurts like hell.

I Had The Time Of My Life

Last Friday night, at the last minute, I went to see the stage production of Dirty Dancing in Toronto with Marty, Joel, and Pam. Marty had an extra ticket because, unfortunately, Felicity couldn't go.

Now I'm someone who had never seen the movie before (I didn't even realize that's where the line "No one puts Baby in a corner" came from) and I know that it holds a special place in a lot of people's hearts.... But seriously people, there's no need to cheer for lines that you know are coming before they're even finished being said. It ruins the potential impact of the scenes for people who have never seen it.

Other than that though, I had an enjoyable time. Thanks for the ticket, Marty and Felicity.

Week (or so) In Review

I haven't been posting much lately, but things have been happening, so this'll basically be 3 posts for the price of 1!

I got back from my cruise last week. I was another great time. This year we were on the ms Westerdam. It was, for the most part, the same ship as we went on last year, as they're both of the same class, so I knew my way around right off the bat (a good thing). This year, our stops included Half Moon Cay (Little San Salvador Island), San Juan, St. Thomas/St. John, and Nassau. The highlight this year was the Bioluminescent Bay Kayak excursion, in which we kayaked into a bay at night and saw how when the water was disturbed, it glowed. Way cool. And by the end, I had only gained 1.6lbs despite eating whatever and whenever I wanted... but of course, I was much more active while on the trip.

My second mini-post is to say that I went to the Winter Classic game in Buffalo on New Year's Day. It was the bachelor party activity for Marty. We had tickets up in the third level, so the play was quite far away, but you could still see the action. We tailgated before the game, and made Marty do ridiculous things. He was a really good sport about it... in fact, I think he enjoyed it a little too much. The crowd was really awesome and everyone was into the game. Unfortunately, the snow created frequent stop in play as they had to clear and/or fix the ice. But in the end, Crosby won the game in a shootout, so it was everything the NHL could have wanted.

And following that, yesterday Marty got married to Felicity. I was fortunate enough to be asked to be a groomsman (which marks my fifth time being in a wedding party). It was a lot of fun, and I got to meet a few new people. Congratulations to them, if they read this.

I can't promise more frequent updates... I'll try, but no promises.

Going Medieval

At the last minute, I was offered a ticket to go to Medieval Times tonight by Jessica to be a substitute for a bachelorette party (just don't ask). Not being a fool, I accepted, as Medieval Times is something I always wanted to check out. It was a really good time too... a good mix of cheesy theatre, choreographed battles, horses, and eating with your hands. Yeah, it was good.

But it also gave me a chance to really put my new GPS unit to work. After dropping my passengers off after the dinner/show somewhere near U of T, I told my GPS to direct me home. Along this route, I encountered not one, but two road closures in the city. As soon as it realized I wasn't taking the route it suggested, the GPS recalculted a new route... just like that. What a time saver not having to pull over and get out my map (hoping, of course, that my City of Toronto map is even in the car at that particular moment). Yep, I'm happy with that purchase.

It's Pronounced With A "V", Stupid!

I finally got to go down to visit the brand newest Wilson, Daefyd, on Monday. He mostly slept... what a lazy kid. Also, Randy and I got to deliver Patrick and Lindsay's baby pool winnings. Most people have paid up, so they got a nice little baby bonus from all you chronic gamblers. I took no pictures, so you have to trust me that money changed hands. Anyway, Daefy is a cutie (as babies tend to be)... and he only threw up a couple times... which was pretty cool of him. In fact, he was pretty cool and low-key the entire time... which is more than can be said about Spicy.

Because one should aspire to be in Hamilton as little as possible, I made the visit in conjunction with a trip to the Ti-Cats/Argos game. Now most of you know that I must cheer for the Tiger Cats forever, since I drank out of their Grey Cup back in 1999 (for those of you who don't know the story, or if you just want to re-read it, I direct you to the blog post retelling of the story here). However, they're awful and it was the Argonauts that were victorious on this day. I can't feel too too bad, because before the game I got to briefly chat to an Argo cheerleader before the game (as she was selling me one of their calendars... how am I to say "no"?). Yeah, that was pretty much a high point right there.

On My Way To Riches

Finally, for the first time since... ever, I won money at the horse track last night. I won BIG too! I think I came out about $4 ahead after all was said and done. I owe it all to my new strategy of... nah, I'm not gonna say... I don't want you all to move in on my new source on income.

Canada's Wonderland

Last Thursday I went to Canada's Wonderland with Joel. I witnessed first hand the gloriousness of going to an amusement park on a weekday in May. Besides a 20 minute wait for The Bat and a 15 minute wait for Thunder Run, everything was basically a walk-on (or at the most only waiting for 2 rides). Foolishly, we went a little hardcore in going from one ride to the next... without waits in line, we got wiped out really fast and left the park at around 4:30. But by early afternoon, we had ridden everything.

The company who owns Cedar Point now owns Wonderland after buying all the Paramount Parks. One would hope that some new construction would be on the way for Wonderland. While it does have a nice variety of rides, it lacks some super-spectacular rides.

Trebuchet: Reloaded

As I had nothing to do tonight, I finally got around to finishing the compilation video from Trebuchet Weekend '06. Now there are photos included as well as video footage from the firing position. Enjoy.

Trebuchet III - Long Distance Food Wasting

This past weekend, Dan, Rudy, Pat, Tim, Marc and I went back to tinker with our trebuchet and have a poker game. Just to get the formality out of the way, I won the poker game... my first this season. I'm back on top, baby! Anyway, with Tim and I both having our cameras, we expect to have some good angles of our shots. We just haven't gotten our stuff together yet... but soon! In the meantime, here are some of the raw video footage from this past weekend.

The first video on display is one of our first shots on Sunday: A canteloupe that flew 300 feet.


The second video is of a cabbage that flew 302 feet. "Nicely Done"!


This last shot is my favourite. I got up close and personal with this pumpkin that was fired about 230 feet.


Once we get our videos together and through some sort of editing, I'll post those. Hurray for YouTube!

And To Close Out The Month...

Time to finish off August with a bang. Guess where I'll be going tomorrow and Thursday. Here's a hint



That, of course, is the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. I haven't been to CP in about 7 years, so I'm looking forward to riding the Top Thrill Dragster and the Millenium Force for the first time ever. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning with Joel, Marty, and Pam and coming back late Thursday night. This'll also be the first time I've spent 2 whole days at a park. Sweet.

In other news, we could still use some bodies for our parking study next Thursday and Saturday. So, if you want to, send me an email at mbrouwer(at)ptsl.com.

Oh, and how do you like my new addition to the right?

Matt Wins the Stanley Cup!

Why not? Nobody else will win it this year.



Well, I suppose I didn't win it... But I did stand beside it on my trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame with Dan. Yep, Dan and I went to the happiest place on earth while the ladies wasted their time shopping. Good deal. Here are some other pictures.





The only drawback was that I didn't get to destroy the "lucky loonie". I hate that coin! Seriously, it was a good idea the first time, but now there's a lucky loonie for everything Canada is involved with. It's ridiculous! The mystique has been totally destroyed by everyone wanting to copy a good idea.

Oktoberfest!

Well, I went to my first Oktoberfest last night. I've lived in Waterloo for how many years? Seven? And this is my first one? That's sad, I know. But it was a whole lotta fun. I think there was beer, I can't seem to remember. I sure rolled out the barrel of fun, though!

Going to the Zoo....

Yesterday, Nory, Robin and I went on a tour of the Toronto Zoo with Zoo Expert/Teacher, Jen. This is a picture of Stripes the Giraffe. Notice the lack of stripes on Stripes. It was a really great way to spend the afternoon, made even better thanks to Jen's knowledge of practically everything there.