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[theautomatedparkingcompany]

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[carlakennedy]

Expansive Garage in Austin Idea for a large, attached, three-car garage in the country

[beansprean]

Lil comic from chapter 1 of Alethophobia by @jay-auris! Character designs by the incredible @pejntboks!

(ID in alt and under cut)

ID: 1a. Distant shot from behind a white van parked on a patch of gravel and dirt with its rear doors wide open, pine trees in the distance against a darkening sky. Human Nandor is rummaging around in the equipment in the back of the van, muttering angrily to himself. He is wearing a green flannel with rolled sleeves over a white tee shirt tucked into cut off blue jean shorts, white knee socks, and hiking boots. The side of Guillermo's face appears in closeup in the foreground, looking at him. 1b. Shot from inside the van as Guillermo comes up behind Nandor, both now facing the viewer. Nandor has his graying hair down and hanging messily in his face as he scowls, sweat beading on his forehead. He wears a silver medallion around his neck, orange tasbih prayer beads around his right wrist, has two orbital piercings with silver hoops and a silver conch stud in his left ear, and silver vertical studs on his right eyebrow. He continues glaring at the equipment and shuffling it around with his left hand as he thrusts a camera bag out behind him with his right, snapping, "Leave Laszlo to pack everything like an overgrown child. Here, pull out the extra batteries so I can put them in the actual fucking battery cases we own." Guillermo looks down at the bag in surprise as it is thrust towards him, hands coming up automatically to take it. He is wearing a black tee shirt with a gray symbol on the chest under a sleeveless unzipped dark blue hoodie with red trim, black leggings, red sneakers, a black fidget ring on his right middle finger, and a silver cross around his neck, tucked into the shirt. 1c. Close up of Guillermo as takes the bag and removes the batteries, aiming a concerned look at Nandor as he does so. He asks, "Are you okay?" 1d. Waist up of Nandor from Guillermo's POV as he straightens up and wrestles his hair back into a messy bun with quick, angry motions. Still glaring down at the equipment, he snarls, "I dislike long car rides; I dislike being out of the city;" 1e. Reverse shot, close up of the back of Nandor's head with its painful looking bun in the foreground as he continues, "I dislike laszlo's laissez-faire attitude towards the security of our expensive equipment..." In the background, Guillermo frowns as he observes Nandor's hair.

2a. Repeat. Guillermo interrupts Nandor's venting by pointing toward his hair and asking, "Can I fix that?" Nandor's head in the foreground turns toward him, asking, "Huh?" 2b. Wide shot facing the rear of the van as Guillermo says, "Your hair, just- c'mere." Guillermo takes Nandor by the shoulders, turns him around, and pushes him down to sit on the bumper with a small, unassuming smile. Nandor looks shocked and not a little flustered, shoulders tense under Guillermo's hands. 2c. Close up on Nandor as Guillermo pulls the rubber band from his hair and lets it loose around his shoulders, covering his eyes. Guillermo combs his fingers through the strands and Nandor stills, expression hidden but cheeks going red. 2d. Close up of Nandor's face from the nose down in profile as Guillermo's hands gather his hair behind his shoulders. 2e. Close up of the back of Nandor's head from Guillermo's POV as he pulls all of Nandor's hair together neatly at his crown.

3a. Close up on Nandor's side, elbow to hip, as Guillermo's right hand leaves his head to tap two fingers on Nandor's jeans pocket. Nandor pulls his elbow away in surprise. 3b. Repeat. Nandor's other hand obliges, pulling a second rubber band from his pocket and offering it to Guillermo, who hooks it onto his finger. 3c. Waist up of Guillermo as he steps back with a hesitant grin, hands clasped together at his sternum. He says, "There. Better?" 3d. Close up of Nandor's right hand as it lifts his phone and unlocks it with a thumb. His phone case is a Lisa-Frank-esque close up of a white horse with purple, blue, and pink spots on a backdrop of a blue sky with clouds and a rainbow.

4a. Bust of Nandor as he raises his phone up to take a look at himself in the camera, expression now softened from his earlier frustration. His hair is now twisted up into a neat, round bun at the crown of his head, one stubborn strand loose at his temple. He raises his eyebrows, liking what he sees, and says "Huh. That's very good. How did you do that?" 4b. Zoom out to knees up, Nandor still perched on the bumper of the van. Guillermo stuffs his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and leans back against one of the van doors, flushed and grinning as he aims his gaze elsewhere. With a humble shrug, he replies, "Sister taught me. She said that if I wanted to impress a girl one day, I should learn how to do basic styles." Nandor lowers his phone and drapes that arm over his raised knee, left hand palming the other to balance himself as he turns his torso towards Guillermo with a grin. He says, "Well, color this girl impressed." /end ID

[cosmerelists]

Cosmere Characters at Disneyland

As requested by @jellybeanzrock :)

Listen...I'm sure that SOMEONE on tumblr already did a post like this but I CANNOT find it. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, let me know so that I can link it! I think it was maybe about roller coasters...?

Anyway, here's my take!

1. Steris: Arrives with the perfect plan

Yes, it is in a binder.

Steris: Breakfast: acquired. Steris: We are all sunscreened, we have full water bottles, and we're already 8 minutes ahead of schedule. Steris: According to the plan, this is the optimal time to use our Fast Pass for Space Mountain. Wax: Space Mountain just closed for repairs! Steris: Tch. Turn to Plan C, everyone. I was ready for this.

2. Shallan: Mostly wants to sketch the wildlife

Shallan: Guys, stop! There's a new cat over there! Kaladin: Are you sure? It looks just like all the other cats. Adolin: Are you blind? That one's a tabby. The last one was gray, and the on before that was orange! Kaladin: ...Tabby and orange are different? Shallan: Both of you, hush! You're going to wake him!

3. Lightsong: Won't leave the Tiki Room

[Full disclosure: This is my wife's favorite "ride."]

Llarimar: Your Grace, are you sure you don't want to do...anything else today? Lightsong: This is the only part of the park that's empty and air-conditioned, Spook! Lightsong: Plus, I like the singing birds. Lightsong: They remind me of home.

4. Adolin: Gets too into the Mickey ears

He really should have brought an extra, empty suitcase.

Kaladin [eyes narrowed]: Those aren't the ears you were wearing yesterday. Adolin: Well, duh! These are my breakfast ears. The ears are sunnyside-up eggs! Shallan: He'll change into his midmorning ears after. Adolin: Plus, I have some fun ones for lunch! Not to mention my afternoon ears, my slightly fancy dinner ears... Kaladin: You have a problem. Adolin [waving a hand airily]: You just hate fun.

5. Kaladin: Just really likes the Soarin' Ride

[Full discloser: that is my favorite ride]

Syl: ...You know this is kinda an old man ride, right? Kaladin: I like it. It's peaceful. Syl: We're not even flying! We can fly for real! Kaladin: I like the part where they spray orange-blossom scent. Syl: I can't believe I bonded an 80-year-old man...

6. Syl: Really likes the characters

[Light spoilers for Wind and Truth -- just skip to #7 if you want to avoid!]

Syl: [full-size, now wearing a princess dress] Syl: Children keep asking for my photograph! Syl: I'm not sure who "Elsa" is, but I think I'm flattered!

7. Vin: Just really likes the Tower of Terror ride

It's the one that's just a huge vertical drop.

Vin: It's like jumping off a tall building, only there are more people around you, screaming. Elend: And nobody dies! Vin: And nobody dies.

8. Lift: Is mainly interested in eating every type of churro

She heard there were seven unique types, and she's determined to eat every one.

Wyndle: T-This is reminding me of you and the pancakes in Yeddaw. Wyndle: ...There isn't a dangerous Herald hunting us, is there? Lift: No, but I think that giant Mouse was lookin' at me funny.

9. Kelsier: Keeps ending up where he's not supposed to be

Kelsier: Why would they even HAVE a "forbidden" island clearly visible called Discovery Island if you're not supposed to sneak over to it? Kelsier: It's like they put up a big flashing sign that said "Secrets Here! Come and get 'em!" Dockson: I can't believe you got us kicked out of Disneyland. Kelsier: They started it.

10. Gavinor: Is the most serious child at Disneyland

Gavinor: [Gazing at the Haunted Mansion, unsmiling.] Dalinar: Do you want to go on that ride, Gavinor? Gavinor: Okay. Gavinor: Do you think one of the ghosts might be my dad? Dalinar: ... Dalinar: I don't think mouse ears can fix this.

[matchadobo]

KIDD; biker kidd au

summary: fluffy stuff abt this hot headcanon of mine that he'll look so biteable as a biker WHAHDUAHDHS LMAO warning/s: borderline nsfw since some nsfw stuff are mentioned but not there is no occurrence of the actual thing, all fluff!!, super hot kidd ahead nGgghhhhHHh

just imagine, this fucking fridge of a man in a bike with a helmet

you'd always be delighted when he picks you up after work with the bike

he'd look so hot leaning on the bike while waiting for you

you'd have your own helmet and he loves putting it on for you, giving you a kiss before locking the helmet

he'd let you sit behind or in front of him, but he likes it when you're infront. he feels your ass more 😫. pros for behind is that he gets cuddles, would always have a hand on your leg

for the first time when you were shy enough to join him in his bike but is painfully required to hold onto him. you'd insist in holding the other edge of the bike even when he insists on you holding onto him, he'd fucking convince you so much to do so mf engineered for you to be in that position!! so when you would be too shy to comply, he'd start up the engine and move instantaneously a little so you can fucking fall behind him and subconsicously hold onto him. he'd be smirking and tightening your grip saying "hang tight, princess. don't want you falling further than you already have."

the feeling of the breeze on your skin while his arms are caging you and you have the free view of the road

he'd always do the thing where the bike goes vertically (IDK WHAT IT'S CALLED), you'll be scared at first but as he does it more often it's an adrenaline rush for both of you

his favorite position on the bike is when it's parked and you're sitting infront of him and facing him. he'll stare you down, lift your helmet, and give you a kiss that'd last a little too long

he'll love pretend-fucking you in the bike, where whenever it stops he'll just playfully thrust into you with a hand on your hip. always relishes on your flustered reaction, not knowing what to do with yourself. gives you a pat on your helmet after

you'd love to play on his bike, pretend like you'll drive it and leave him. mans will be pouting with that usual scowl

he likes taking you on mountains and parking it there on his previously mentioned favorite position, watching the view or doing something more than kissing 🤪

i just think this fits him so well than having a car, he metal like that

just imagine HIS ARMS while maneuvering that shit 😩

whenever you're in front of him, his titties are such a good cushion on the ride, it's so soft!! even when you're behind, you'll be clutching on them and squeezing

if you're down, he'll teach you how to ride the bike. just expect a very non-patient teacher 😞 so expect to get yelled at (affectionately). he'll even take you out to canvas on finding your own bike, secretly thrilled he'll have you as a biking partner

he loves customizing his bike, he fixes and replaces parts on his own. he'd love saying, "hey baby, look at my new fucking tires.", "look at my cool rims and headlights, love" with a proud, nerdy grin. always cooped up on his garage, tattered with grime and motor oil or some shit, always shirtless in the process. it'd be a hot spectacle tbfh!! you'd have to physically drag him out and ask him to take a bath.

he'd participate in races from time to time, bringing you as his little cheerleader. would use the cash prices for dates afterwards and use the remaining for bike work

would get your name somewhere in the design of his bike

during long trips, whenever there's a chance to stop due to traffic or stop lights, he'd let out a heavy breath and remove his hands from the clutches, you'd massage his shoulders and arms. he'd moan silently ij reliefwhile rubbing your thighs as a thank you, leaning his head down a bit on yours

he also loves (begrudgingly) when you ask him to bring you to places you need to go to. especially when you go out to your friends, he loves to show your friends that you bagged a fucking stud like him but more so show off his bike

omg i have been so absent AKASJDHAHD there was just a lot happening with my life plus this was the only hc i can properly execute, i don't want to post anything half-baked!! i hope this one somehow makes up for my absence ><

[sorencd]

TWO OF US

pairing: neil perry x f!reader

summary: it's both your first time baking cupcakes, how hard could it be?

word count: 1.7k

a/n: i had fun with this one ehrhhr I JUST LOVR NEILD SO MUCHWRHRHRHDH

masterlist

the sounds of pages flipping in the room could be heard. you were lazily draped on top of neil, your stomach resting on his legs as you laid down horizontally and he was sat up right vertically—putting you two in a cross-like position. it was a rather boring day, the only thing keeping you occupied was your latest issue of 'little archie' while neil was busying himself with a book he took from your shelf. 

you placed your comic book down to your right as rested your cheek on the bed, taking a good look at neil. he could sense your eyes on him while he was reading so he took his attention off the book to check if you indeed were staring at him. neil smiled as you made eye contact.

"is there something on your mind?" he probed, reaching over to you on poke your side. effectively making you shriek and flinch away. 

you whined at him and rolled over, now facing the ceiling. "neil, i'm bored." you complained as you racked your brain for things to do with your boyfriend. you already went to the park, the library, the beach, his dorm, the children's playground, the theatres, the record shop, restaurants, everywhere. you two have already gone to every place under the sun for a date. 

"what do you want to do?" he asked, gently placing his hand on your stomach to draw light circles on it.

you turned your head to the left to stare at your bookcase this time, inspecting the titles of each book that was on display. as you were about to reach the last bottom shelf, you noticed a title that caught your eye. 'baking for beginners', it was the cookbook that your mom gave you a few years ago. she was trying to get you into baking but you refused─ saying that it was boring and you were pretty sure you'd just burn anything you put into the oven. but now that you're with neil, maybe things would be different.

you lifted yourself up onto the bed and focused your attention on him once more, who was staring at you the whole time with a grin on his face and watched you do your thing as you went deep into thought.

"what's on your mind, sweetheart?" 

"let's bake cupcakes." you stated with a bounce in your tone and a smile on your face. "some sweet delicious, scrumptious, tasty vanilla cupcakes!"

neil raised his eyebrows as he looked at you with a questioning expression, "you know how to bake?"

"no… but i do have a cook book right here! it can't be that hard to follow instructions." you confidently exclaimed as you got out of bed to grab the cook book.

neil scooted onto the foot of the bed to get closer to you as he watched you kneel down to grab the book, he propped his chin on his hand that was being supported by his knee. "that sounds pretty similar to what you said when we went hiking."

"yeah, and we turned out fine!"

"we got lost." he smirked and crossed his arms. "it took us two hours to get through the forrest." in your defense, the map looked the same even when you turned it upside down and you couldn't tell the difference. it wasn't until neil noticed that the compass which was written on the corner of the map didn't look right, and only then were you two able to find the right path.

"that's not important! we do not speak of such irrelevant matters! besides, we got to the end of the trail at the end of the day!" you tutted and reasoned, ignoring the fact that you two could've gone lost forever. at least you had each other though.

he laughed heartily and set the book he had in his hands onto your bedside table to stand up from your bed, "alright, let's bake some cupcakes."

on your way to the kitchen, you passed the living room where your dad was watching television while your mom ironed his work clothes for the next day, eyeing the two of you.

"mr. and mrs. (y/l/n)." neil politely greeted as he tried bowing while you were hurriedly pulling on his arm. 

"where are you two off to?" your father asked sternly, but still had a loving tone to his voice. you were used to his way of talking to you. he might sound harsh, but he really just deeply cares for you.

"we're going to bake cupcakes!" you shouted back, quickly disappearing into their line of sight. you heard your mom chuckle and respond, "please take care of her, neil!" which you rolled your eyes to.

after you both entered the kitchen, you pulled out two aprons from the cabinets and handed one to neil. while helping you put yours on, you were looking at the ingredients needed for the cupcakes. you had all of them, of course. since your mother was big on cooking and cutlery.

"so it says here to.. preheat the oven to 375°f. how do you heat up an oven?" you diverted your attention from your cook book to stare at your boyfriend with a sheepish look. maybe this wasn't easy as you thought.

he chuckled at your question, walking to where the oven was and maneuvered the knob that was on the control panel. "you turn it on like this to heat it up." he demonstrated.

"i knew that."

"of course. just wanted to make sure that you still do." he gently smiled, giving into your delusions. you snickered and you both got to work with him greasing the muffin cups and you sifting the cake flour and baking powder together. when he finished greasing, he went to your side to help you out.

neil started cracking the eggs into the bowl so he could add the butter, milk, and vanilla together as instructed in the recipe but not without telling a horrendous egg pun when he tilted his head to where you stood. you had a focused expression on your face which he thought was cute, but, he noticed that it also had an excessive amount of cake flour. he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion─ how could you sift flour that messily? he watched as you roughly shook the sifter side to side, resulting in the cake flour going almost everywhere.

you raised your head as you heard neil's laughing, who was standing next to you.

"what's wrong?" you paused, setting down the sifter.

your boyfriend continued laughing, the air continued to be filled by intimacy and amour. "there's a bit of something on you." he exclaimed as he reached over to wipe it off, "the flour is supposed to go into the bowl, love." 

while neil was dusting your cheeks though, you felt a slimy texture spread across your jaw.

"is your hand wet?" you quipped, moving your face away to gently grab his wrist. it had traces of egg white on it, and most of it was on you.

you hurriedly grabbed a paper towel to remove the egg whites with a laugh, "EW EW EW!" you shoutted, trying to get the substance off of your cheeks. and instead of helping you, he laughed even louder.

"are you trying to make cake on my face instead?!"

"i didn't know i had eggs on my hands!"

"you did that on purpose! under the guise that you were doing something sweet for me... i trusted you, the love of my life..." you over dramatically exclaimed and turned your head to the side, putting on the facade that you were hurt.

he waved his hands defensively, desperately trying to clear his name and that he truly only wanted to clean your face up. maybe. "no! i would never do something as vile and cruel as smearing egg whites onto your beautiful face! believe me, my fair one!" he said while suppressing down the smile that was so close to getting out, trying to maintin his serious act while raising his still-egg-white tainted hand in the air.

you two shared a laugh, neil quickly washing his hands to help you clean your face since you were still trying to wipe away the gooey substance. and to your surprise while he was washing you up, he put your face into his hands and cupped each of your cheeks, giving them a gentle squeeze. before you could ask him what he was doing, he leaned in to kiss you. in return, when he pulled away, you took a hold of his face as well. with your hands still dusted of cake flour and kissed him again, you had a cheeky look on your face after what you accomplished. 

“now you’re messy as well.”

"that's alright, i could be messy for an entire decade and i wouldn't mind. as long as i get to be messy with you."

you lightly shoved him, scrunching your nose as you laughed at his remark. you felt like there were butterflies in your stomach, you wanted to kick your feet in the air and gush about all this to your friends. neil was the only one who could make you feel that way. "you're so lame, like really lame. that was so lame of you. i like it though."

"i love you too." his lips curled into a broad grin and continued to help you clear each other off. as soon as he was done, neil put the bowl with the dry and wet ingredients side by side and faced you. 

“so what’s next master chef?”

“it says here to mix these two together then put them in the muffin cups.”

“okay, should be easy enough.”

he lifted the bowl with the wet ingredients and slowly poured it into the other bowl, you saw that the wet ingredients weren’t going down quicker as you expected. 

“is it supposed to be… that super thick?” you worryingly asked, fearing that you two did something wrong. how could you mess up baking cupcakes?

“no.. i don’t think so. maybe you should add more milk.” he proposed, setting down the bowl and handing you the carton of milk. he grabbed the wooden spoon as you added the milk into bowl and stirred, also adding the dry ingredients in.

“i think i added too much milk.” you admitted, the mixture was now too runny. it was supposed to be just the right amount of thick.

“try adding more flour.”

you followed neil’s suggested and lifted the cake flour box, it was lighter than you expected. there wasn’t much flour left, since almost half of its contents went to your face. but it’ll have to do. 

“now its too thick again.” you deadpanned as you shook your head, “i’ll just add a bit more milk..”

when neil finished stirring, you poured the finished batter onto the muffin cups and he placed the tray of soon-to-be cupcakes into the oven before setting the timer. you both sighed in relief and felt fulfilled, since you two saved the cupcake batter you almost screwed up.

 neil decided to play around with your small dog that entered the kitchen a few minutes earlier when he heard the commotion, and you made a little snack out of the excess batter. obviously, you took pictures as he did. the two most adorable boys you loved in the world together, a sight to behold.

when you heard the timer ring, you took a pair of mittens from the drawer and gave them to neil, letting him take the cupcakes out. the sweet fresh aroma the cupcakes gave off filled the kitchen air, the scent of vanilla making you salivate just from its fragrance.

“these look delicious!” neil cheered with a puppy grin on his lips, happily setting down the tray onto the counter top to let it cool.

“ah shoot! we forgot to make the frosting!”

“it’s alright my love, we can just enjoy it as it is.” 

the two of you munched down on the cupcakes as soon as they cooled, even offering some to your parents. it wasn’t too bad for your first time, they weren’t perfect either. but it’s something you and neil made together, and that alone makes you happy.

“we should do this again.” he suggested, finishing off the last crumb of his cupcake that he was eating. 

“definitely. let's bake a cake.”

© sorencd . 2023 ─ do not copy, repost, translate or claim any of my works as your own.

[chromatic-lamina]

Actually, it is Gonbe's birthday, and I haven't seen any fanart, so have an excerpt from Doctor Death Doula (also, check out Ale's beautiful art, yet again, which accompanied it). {The story really isn't about Gonbe, but it is set in Water 7, and is canon adjacent. But we all know that Law isn't really a death doula (but he could be one), and that Kokoro will rival Kureha in age). The story is uplifting, despite the premise (or actually, because of it).

Background for the scene below, Kokoro is an ailing ex-speakeasy singer, and Law and his crew have their own jazz group that practices in the loading docks around the port when they're deserted and when they're not out caring for others. Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe come to check them out and jam.

"It's a cat," Bepo said, "Cats and jazz don't mix." Yet another of the North Blue crew, the Mink helped Ikkaku set up her kit. Why was a cat coming to watch them play? It was gonna wreak havoc with his allergies. "Sure they do, Beps." Shachi patted Bepo's upper arm. Bepo put the be-bop in Bepo-pop. They might let him scat later. "Jazz cats, cool for cats, hep-cats." "Autocrats," Penguin volunteered, righting his bass, plucking a few notes, tuning. The cars on the major road, a few blocks over, rumbled in the background. "Cats, not crats, Pen," Ikkaku said, tapping a cymbal then pinching it lightly to mute the sound.

More below the cut!

Law's work van, phoenix tail feathers detailed in blue and yellow along the side and curling around the back, pulled up. Bepo approached the opened side door. Law exited from the driver's side and secured the wheelchair lift. Bepo stepped back and that girl—a meteor of energy—tumbled out, pigtails vertical. A rabbit hopped after her, then away towards the loading docks on the other side of the road to sniff at the ivy. Bepo sneezed. "Gonbe!" The girl ran after her pet. "Stupid cat." Figured, Bepo thought, and wiped the back of his paw across his nose. Kokoro's laughter filled the van, and Bepo usually heard it directed his way for being a bear (Kokoro's words). If Law wasn't available, Bepo went in his place. She didn't have anything against Minks, which was cool because Bepo had nothing against mermaids. Kokoro, (flask tucked into her bag), regally navigated the wheelchair down the ramp and Bepo pushed her to their set-up. Law removed his gear from the vehicle, dumped it, then parked further up the road. Walking back, hands in pockets, the breeze lifted Law's black shirt, swelling the bronze heart that flanked the side seam. Chimney raced over just as Penguin counted them in, Gonbe on her shoulders. Ikkaku picked up the bassline, Shachi introed the melody and Law led from it. A big band tune without the big band, the song was brass-heavy at the start. The weekend was empty. Swing filled the street. Eight bars in, everyone dropped a decibel or two or stopped playing altogether. Kokoro sang. Gonbe jumped off Chimney's shoulders and onto her lap, and the quick flare of pain Law saw in her eyes over the pistons of the trumpet didn't hide her joy. Chimney sat on Penguin's foldout seat and swung her legs. Ikkaku and Penguin shared glances. Kokoro's pitch and phrasing tugged smiles from their faces—she sure had a set of pipes on her. Shachi, head down, concentrated on his fretwork. Chimney joined Kokoro on the second verse. Ikkaku kicked in on the third. Some songs were universal.

Doctor Death Doula

[tacoma-narrows]

Have you ever heard of the impulse? I rode it at Knoebels

I have, and I love it! Knoebels is sort of one of my home parks (I live abt 2 hours from it) and I like to think of it as the park I grew up/found my love of roller coasters at! So needless to say, when I heard they were getting a modern, inverting steel coaster for their 2015 season, I was very excited! And I love how they did it! Having it right at the front of the park as one of the first things you see coming in, with its vibrant colors scheme was a great choice (though I will say I do miss the bumper boats it replaced lol)

But I think Impulse is great for what it is! Love the airtime you get from the vertical lift to the vertical drop, and all the forces it has! Great negatives on the aforementioned drop, along with fantastic hangtime on the vertical loop and heartline roll, then nice positive Gs on the helix at the end! My one critique would be for it to have better restraints that don't tighten on your thighs throughout the ride, but since the ride as a whole is fairly short, it's not a huge problem for me ^^

Overall, Impulse ranks at number 52 out of 170 on my rankings! Between Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America and Hydra at Dorney Park!

I almost rode Impulse when I was at Knoebels about two weeks ago with my friend (see this post hehe) but I didn't have time. Would love to give it another spin next time I'm out there!

Thanks for the ask! :D

Here are some of my own photos of Impulse too :3

[twilightdomain]

ID: two panels of a sketched comic. the first shows the silhouette of park chul-moo in the arched doorway of a room that is much darker than outside. dialogue from him reads, "I was wondering if you'd turn up." the second panel looks over his shoulder from behind, showing a hooded figure seated cross-legged on the floor in front of him, lit by the doorway but with their head bowed and hands bound in front of them. dialogue from chul-moo reads, "Again." end ID

this got. so long. it's under the cut. an ode to my favorite plot-relevant renown heart.

ID: a sketched, dialogue-heavy comic of guild wars 2 characters in two long vertical pages. the first two panels are the same as those above the cut.

The next shows the lower half of the hooded person's face, which is pale with faint scratches and bruises, and grinning nastily under a thin mustache. A loose bandana is pulled down below the chin so it hangs around his neck and he wears the shoulder guards of medium jade tech armor. Dialogue from him reads, "Like a bad penny."

The panels begin to overlap with each other. The next shows Chul-moo's face and shoulders from the front, looking unamused with slightly gritted teeth. Two merging dialogue bubbles from him read, "And what do the Kestrels think they stand to gain by wasting my time? We're the only reason Tetra hasn't already blown this whole forest to smithereens."

In the next panel, the hooded man (it is Ratthew the Vile) tilts his head up, revealing a truly scummy smile framed by strands of loose hair and topped off by several worse scratches and bruises. His dialogue is in two bubbles connected to him both here and in the next panel. It reads, "Oh, don't worry. There's another outsider doing the same in the Speakers' camp right now. And I guarantee they're not being as friendly about it as me." He says the last part in a large panel with a solid dark background that extends vertically behind the two above it. Both figures are shown from the side, facing each other and starkly lit by the doorway. Chul-moo's arms are crossed, and Rat looks up at him, still smiling, with his bound wrists held in front of his chest.

The second page starts with two panels side by side, simpler than the previous one. Chul-moo is doodled with raised eyebrows and wide eyes, gesturing loosely and saying "Great!!" Then with lowered eyebrows and holding his hands emphatically, saying "Why don't you go help with that then."

The next panel shows him again, drawn with the original level of detail, slightly backlit by the doorway. He has lifted one hand from crossed arms to wave it in the air, eyes closed with an irritated smirk, saying "I can even give you some pointers," and in smaller text outside of a bubble, "Please get our bread oven guy out of there."

The next panel shows most of Rat's seated form from the front and the edge of Chul-Moo's crossed arms from behind. Rat's smile has become more unassuming and friendly, his one blackened eye shut and head tilted slightly. His hands are still tied so he gestures slightly with his thumbs, saying "Well... The company here is so much nicer..."

The next three panels are the same size and shape, stacked vertically to the right of the previous one. The first two are close ups of Chul-Moo's eyes, first glaring down with one raised eyebrow, with no dialogue, then looking to the right with an unreadable expression, saying, "Is that right?" The third is a blank dark box with white text that says "Maybe we've been too forgiving then."

The next two panels are close-ups of hands; The first is Chul-Moo's armored fingers over the opposite elbow of his crossed arms, the pinky finger tapping slightly. The second is Ratthew the Vile's bound hands, seen from the side, with all the fingers comfortably folded besides the pinkies which are sticking out slightly. Dialogue extending across both panels says "Or if you mean it... Why not join us for real?"

A jagged tail leads from the last dialogue bubble to an even more loosely-drawn final panel with no frame or shading. It is being emitted by a boxy radio on a large table, surrounded by Kestrel Ayumi, Detective Rama, and Gorrik, who are all wearing varying concerned or weirded-out expressions. Ayumi is saying, "The little Krytan got caught again. I thought you said he'd be good at this?" Gorrik replies, "He should be! The Marshal said he did this stuff all the time! Maybe he's sick?" Another bubble from the radio says "—What a generous offer—." Rama says "I'm gonna be sick if I have to keep listening to this." end ID

something something first conversations. phew! this was a pain in the ass. thanks for making it this far.

[usafphantom2]

XB-70 Valkyrie

XB-70 Valkyrie in Cruise Configuration

The No. 1 XB-70A (62-0001) is viewed from above in cruise configuration with the wing tips drooped for improved controllability.

The XB-70 Valkyrie, with a planned cruise speed of Mach 3 and operating altitude of 70,000 feet, was to be the ultimate high-altitude, high-speed manned strategic bomber. Events, however, would cause it to play a far different role in the history of aviation.

To achieve Mach 3 performance, the XB-70 was designed to “ride” its own shock wave, much as a surfer rides an ocean wave. The resulting shape used a delta wing on a slab-sided fuselage that contained the six jet engines that powered the aircraft. The outer wing panels were hinged. During take off, landing, and subsonic flight, they remained in the horizontal position. This feature increased the amount of lift produced, improving the lift-to-drag ratio. Once the aircraft was supersonic, the wing panels would be hinged downward. Changing the position of the wing panels reduced the drag caused by the wingtips interacted with the inlet shock wave. The repositioned wingtips also reduced the area behind the airplane’s center of gravity, which reduced trim drag. The downturned outer panels also provided more vertical surface to improve directional stability at high Mach numbers. Attached to the delta was a long, thin forward fuselage. Behind the cockpit were two large canards, which acted as control surfaces.

XB-70: World's Largest Experimental Aircraft in the 1960s.

The figure standing on the ramp provides a size comparison with the XB-70A aircraft.

As impressive a technological feat as the XB-70 represented, the aircraft was under development at a time when the future of the manned bomber was uncertain. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, many believed that manned aircraft were obsolete, and the future belonged to missiles. As a result, the Kennedy Administration ended plans to deploy the B-70. Two experimental XB-70A prototypes were under construction at North American Aviation when the program was canceled.

At the same time there was growing interest in an American supersonic transport (SST). Jet airliners had cut flight times by more than half in comparison to propeller-powered aircraft. A Mach 2 or 3 SST would make a similar improvement over the new subsonic jet airliners. The Flight Research Center (FRC-now the Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA.) had several SST studies underway during the early 1960s. NASA’s Douglas F5D-1 was used for landing studies, a North American F-100C was modified to simulate SST handling qualities, a North American A-5A was used to simulate an SST for tests of the air traffic control system, and a Lockheed JetStar was modified as an in-flight SST simulator.

On the Ramp: XB-70

The XB-70A is shown parked on a ramp at Edwards, California, in 1967.

The XB-70 Valkyrie seemed to be a perfect testbed for SST research. It was the same size as the projected SST designs, and used similar structural materials, such as brazed stainless steel honeycomb and titanium. Thus, the XB-70A’s role changed from a manned bomber prototype to one of the most remarkable research aircraft ever flown.

The XB-70A number 1 (62-001) made its first flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base, CA, on Sept. 21, 1964. Tests of the XB-70’s airworthiness occurred throughout 1964 and 1965 by North American and Air Force test pilots. The Flight Research Center prepared its instrument package. Although intended to cruise at Mach 3, the first XB-70 was found to have poor directional stability above Mach 2.5, and only made a single flight above Mach 3. Despite the problems, the early flights provided data on a number of issues facing SST designers. These included aircraft noise, operational problems, control system design, comparison of wind tunnel predictions with actual flight data, and high-altitude, clear-air turbulence.

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, wind-tunnel studies led engineers at North American Aviation in Downey, CA, to build the second XB-70A (62-207) with an added 5 degrees of dihedral on the wings. This aircraft made its first flight on July 17, 1965. The changes resulted in much better handling, and the second XB-70 achieved Mach 3 for the first time on Jan. 3, 1966. The aircraft made a total of nine Mach 3 flights by June.

At the same time, a joint agreement was signed between NASA and the Air Force to use the second XB-70A prototype for high-speed research flights in support of the SST program, selected due to its better aerodynamics, inlet controls, and a much superior instrument package, compared to the first aircraft. The NASA research flights were to begin in mid-June, once the North American Aviation Phase I tests of the vehicle’s airworthiness were completed. NASA research pilot Joe Walker was selected as the project pilot. The flights were to evaluate the aircraft on typical SST flight profiles, and to study the problems of sonic booms on overland flights.

These plans went awry on June 8, 1966, when the second XB-70 crashed following a midair collision with NASA’s F-104N chase plane. Joe Walker, F-104N pilot, died in the accident. North American test pilot Al White ejected from the XB-70 in his escape capsule, but received serious injuries in the process. Co-pilot Maj. Carl Cross, who was making his first flight in the XB-70, was unable to eject and died in the crash.

The deaths of Walker and Cross, and the destruction of the second XB-70 had major consequences for the research program. The second XB-70 had been selected for the Phase II tests, which were to be conducted jointly by NASA and the Air Force. With this aircraft now destroyed, only the first aircraft was available. Given the aircraft’s shortcomings, the Air Force began to doubt that it would be able to meet the Phase II test goals.

The first XB-70 was undergoing maintenance and modifications at the time of the accident to its sister ship. It did not fly again until Nov. 3, 1966. Col. Joe Cotton piloted it, while NASA research pilot Fitzhugh Fulton served as co-pilot. The flight reached a top speed of Mach 2.1. Between November 1966 and the end of January 1967, a total of 11 joint Air Force/NASA research flights occurred. Cotton, Fulton, and Van H. Shepard of North American Aviation were crewmen on these flights. A top speed of Mach 2.57 was the highest attained during the remainder of the XB-70 program.

These flights were made as part of the National Sonic Boom Program. The XB-70 flew at differing altitudes, Mach numbers, and weights over an instrumented test range at Edwards. The “boom carpet” area was determined and the overpressure measured on two specially constructed housing units. The tests showed that a large aircraft, such as the XB-70 or the projected SST, could generate overpressures high enough to cause damage. Moreover, when the XB-70 made a turn, its shock waves converged, and often doubled the overpressure on the ground.

Following these tests, the XB-70 was grounded for maintenance that lasted 2 1/2 months. The Air Force had concluded by that point that the XB-70 program should be turned over to NASA as soon as possible. FRC director Paul Bikle and Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) commander Maj. Gen. Hugh Manson created a joint FRC/AFFTC XB-70 operating committee on March 15, 1967. This was patterned on similar committees established for the X-15 and lifting bodies. The NASA XB-70 program continued to receive Air Force assistance, in terms of aircraft support and Air Force test pilots.

The first NASA XB-70 flight occurred on April 25, 1967, by Fulton and Cotton. By the end of March 1968, another 12 research flights had been completed. The pilots included Fulton, Cotton, and Shepard, as well as Lt. Col. Emil Sturmthal and NASA research pilot Don Mallick. The flights acquired data to correlate with an Ames ground-based SST simulator and the JetStar in-flight SST simulator at FRC. Other XB-70 research goals were to measure its structural response to turbulence; determine the aircraft’s handling qualities during landings; and investigate boundary layer noise, inlet performance, and structural dynamics, including fuselage bending and canard flight loads.

The XB-70 underwent modifications after a final flight on March 21, 1968. During research flights, the XB-70 pilots had frequently experienced trim changes and buffeting during high-speed, high-altitude flights. These resulted from clear-air turbulence and rapidly changing atmospheric temperatures. For a specialized research aircraft, these characteristics were little more than annoying; on a commercial SST, however, they would be uncomfortable for the passengers, increase the pilots’ workload, and shorten the structural fatigue life of the SST.

XB-70A Rolls Out After Landing

The XB-70A No. 1 is shown rolling out after landing, employing drag chutes to slow down.

The XB-70 was fitted with two small vanes for the Identically Located Acceleration and Force (ILAF) experiment. The vanes rotated 12 degrees at a rate of up to 8 cycles per second. This induced a structural vibration in the XB-70 at a known frequency and amplitude. The XB-70’s accelerometers detected the disturbances, then signaled the aircraft’s stability augmentation system to damp out the motion. When XB-70 research flights resumed on June 11, 1968, the ILAF proved its ability to reduce the effects of turbulence and atmospheric temperature changes.

Despite the accomplishments of the XB-70, time was running out for the research program. NASA had reached an agreement with the Air Force to fly research missions with a pair of YF-12As and a “YF-12C,” which was actually an SR-71. These represented a far more advanced technology than that of the XB-70. In all, the two XB-70s had logged 1 hour and 48 minutes of Mach 3 flight time. A YF-12 could log this much Mach 3 time in a single flight.

The final XB-70 research flight occurred on Feb. 4, 1969. Fulton and Sturmthal made a subsonic structural dynamics test and ferry flight. The XB-70 took off from Edwards and flew to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, where the aircraft was put on display at the Air Force Museum. The first XB-70 made 83 flights totaling 160 hours and 16 minutes, while the second XB-70 logged 46 flights in its brief life, totaling 92 hours and 22 minutes.

@kadonkey via X

[theautomatedparkingcompany]

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[catnipster69]

A Little Pampering

Heavy clouds obscured the sunrise, promising a rainy day, which was fine because Dean intended to fall straight into bed anyway. They rolled into the motel parking lot after an all-night hunt, dirty and bruised—even the Impala was coated in dried mud—and Sam woke from his nap when Dean shut off the engine.

Dean dragged his feet as he approached the motel door. After attempting the key a couple of times with his eyes closed, Sam grabbed his hand and worked the key free. Eyes still closed, Dean stumbled into the room and started to tip towards his bed.

Sam grabbed the back of Dean’s collar and insisted, “Dude, don’t even think about skipping a shower.”

“Shuddup.” Dean was a good five degrees from vertical and starting to get strangled by his collar, so Sam grabbed Dean under the arms like he was a giant baby and manhandled him into the bathroom. “OK, OK!” Dean batted ineffectually at Sam.

“You’re acting like a giant baby,” Sam tutted. Then he started unbuttoning Dean’s shirt and stripping him. When Dean was down to his underwear, and his jeans were puddled around his boots, Sam turned on the bath. “Babies take baths.”

Dean lifted one eyelid to look at his brother askance, then he sat on the toilet lid and held out his booted feet. In for a penny, in for a pound. Sam unlaced Dean’s boots and pulled them off, followed by his jeans.

Sam checked the water. “Not too hot for baby. Come on.” He hefted Dean up from a sitting position and bent down to pull off Dean's boxers.

Dean’s boner sprang free.

Sam sighed. “You’re so predictable.”

Dean grinned. He got a thorough washing and went to bed clean and happy.

[tryshredder]

The 7 Most Affordable Ski Resorts in The United States

Resorts across the United States are starting to open up for the 2023/24 season.

The seven most affordable ski resorts in the United States. | Image: Brian Head Resort, Edited By Alfred Arnaud

Despite the anticipation for the upcoming season, nobody looks forward to opening up their wallets for all of the expenses of the ski and snowboard season. With inflation on the rise and many resorts jacking up their lift ticket prices, finding an affordable spot to book your next ski or snowboard vacation can be a challenge. To help you and your wallet out, we narrowed down the seven most affordable ski resorts in the United States.

Whitefish Mountain Resort | Image: TripAdvisor

#7 Whitefish Mountain Resort, MT

Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort in Montana, just south of the Canadian border.

The mountain boasts over 3,000 acres of terrain and receives nearly 300 inches of snow each year. The resort offers night skiing and has terrain for all different ability levels, making it a very family-friendly resort.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $97

Megapass: None

Vertical: 2,353 feet

Skiable Acres: 3,000

Lifts: 12

Closest Airport: Glacier Park International Airport

Website: https://skiwhitefish.com/

Palisades Tahoe | Image: Palisades Tahoe

#6 Palisades Tahoe, CA

Palisades Tahoe, located on the Sierra Crest in California, receives more than 400 inches annually and has fantastic skiing throughout the entire season.

Situated about 20 minutes from Truckee and about an hour from Reno International Airport, Palisades Tahoe is a great mountain to go chase a powder day or enjoy the groomers with the family. Although the ticket prices start at $179 per day at Palisades Tahoe, the resort is on the Ikon Pass, which allows unlimited days for skiers and riders who have the pass.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $179

Megapass: Ikon Pass

Vertical: 2,850 feet

Skiable Acres: 3,600

Lifts: 29

Closest Airport: Reno-Tahoe International Airport

Website: https://www.palisadestahoe.com/

Bridger Bowl | Image: Visit Bozeman

#5 Bridger Bowl, MT

Bridger Bowl, Montana, is located just outside of Bozeman and is a small but impressive mountain.

The mountain gets around 300 inches of snow each year, and when it does snow, it is low-density blower snow, what many Montanans refer to as “cold smoke.” Bridger Bowl is a locally owned, non-profit ski area that places emphasis on providing locals with fabulous but affordable skiing.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $77

Megapass: None

Vertical: 2,700 feet

Skiable Acres: 2,000

Lifts: 8

Closest Airport: Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport

Website: https://bridgerbowl.com/

Arapahoe Basin | Image: Evo

#4 Arapahoe Basin, CO

Arapahoe Basin is your best bet if you are looking to ski affordably in Colorado.

Arapahoe Basin’s base area has activities and terrain for the whole family, but head up the mountain a bit and you will be instantly immersed in challenging terrain. Located just over 60 miles outside of Denver, the Colorado Arapahoe Basin is a popular Colorado ski and travel resort.

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $79

Megapass: Ikon

Vertical: 2,530 feet

Skiable Acres: 1,428

Lifts: 9

Closest Airport: Denver International Airport

Website: https://www.arapahoebasin.com/

Mt. Baker Ski Area | Image: awalkandlark.com

#3 Mt. Baker Ski Area, WA

Mt. Baker Ski Area in Washington receives on average over 600 inches per year, which is the highest average snowfall in the United States.

Situated approximately 130 miles north of Seattle, the mountain provides skiers with the quintessential features expected from a locally owned and private resort.

Adult Lift Ticket: $91

Megapass: None

Vertical: 1,500 feet

Skiable Acres: 1,000

Lifts: 10

Closest Airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Website: https://www.mtbaker.us/

Taos Ski Valley | Image: Ski New Mexico

#2 Taos Ski Valley, NM

When most people think about New Mexico, skiing is not the first thing that comes to mind. Taos is located just 72 miles north of Santa Fe and offers some of the most challenging and intense terrain.

Over 40% of the marked terrain is expert terrain. The Blake Hotel is a great place for out-of-town guests to stay. The hotel has 80 rooms and is well-known for its excellent spa services, impressive art collection, and reasonable prices.

Adult Lift Ticket: $95

Megapass: Ikon

Vertical: 3,281 feet

Skiable Acres: 1,294

Lifts: 13

Closest Airport: Santa Fe Regional Airport

Website: https://www.skitaos.com/

Brian Head Resort | Image: Brian Head Resort

#1 Brian Head, UT

Brian Head, located in southern Utah, takes the top spot on our list of the most affordable ski resorts in the US.

With lift tickets as low as $29 and located within close proximity to major cities and states (four hours from Salt Lake City, Utah, and three hours from Las Vegas, Nevada), the resort is the perfect destination for those looking for a weekend excursion out of the city.

Adult Lift Ticket: $29

Megapass: None

Vertical: 1,548 feet

Skiable Acres: 650

Lifts: 8

Closest Airport: Cedar City Regional Airport

Website: https://www.brianhead.com/

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Cedar Point Trip Report 6/27/24 and 6/29/24

These visits were part of a three-day trip across Ohio, Michigan, and western Pennsylvania. We spent Thursday, 6/27 at Cedar Point from 1:00 PM to close at 10:00 PM, then we came back for a little while the morning/afternoon of Saturday, 6/29. More details of the stupidity of this trip are at the bottom.

Coaster Thoughts and Rankings

1) Steel Vengeance (x 2 rides, including 1 night ride)

I have been absolutely dying to get back on this ride since doing Iron Gwazi, ArieForce One, and Wildcat's Revenge to see how it compares, and it easily holds up as a top-tier RMC. It is an INCREDIBLE ride. The drop and the outerbank are basically equivalent on SV and IG. Both drops are fantastic, and both outerbanks give ridiculously strong and sustained ejector. All the zero-g rolls on SV are pure fun, and the ones inside the structure are even more disorienting as you see the supports flying all around you. The stall is maybe my favorite inversion on the ride. It's not a long, extended stall like the one on ArieForce One. It's much quicker. But instead of just suspending you in midair for several seconds, it tries to break you in half if you're not prepared, turning you into it smoothly to the left, then whipping you out of it violently to the right. Also if any enthusiast is truly complaining about this ride being repetitive, I think they are a poser. SV gives a ridiculously long, seemingly never-ending ride time with fantastic elements throughout, and instead of just having dead space between the big elements, it fills every one of those transitions with ejector airtime pops. That is an enthusiast's dream. It is MY dream. I'm not sure how this could genuinely be viewed as a flaw. I will say that SV does run very differently when it's just opening for the day and when it's warmed up. My first ride came just as the ride was re-opening after being down for a while, and it was noticeably slower than its full potential. But my night ride? Oh my god. It was otherworldly. It was so dark. The ride was absolutely flying. The airtime was truly insane. The bugs were pummeling me in the face for the whole ride, so instead of yelling, I was making muffled screaming noises with my mouth closed. Lol. It was an incredible experience. I wish I could have gotten more rides. Marathoning this thing is my dream.

2) Maverick (x 1 ride)

The ordeal I went through just to get back on this ride is ridiculous. We waited an hour and a half for it, and when we were literally next in line to board, it went down. We had to do a special, unplanned second day at the park just for this ride, and then we had to wait three hours for a storm to pass to finally get on it. But it was worth it. I can't believe how good the tiny, beyond-vertical drop is. It gives some crazy ejector. The S-bends are whippy, the hill afterwards gives good air, the inversions are fun. But the second launch is incredible. It has to be the best LSM launch I've done. It is so punchy, and I love the way you come to a full stop, then shoot out of the tunnel at full speed into the wild second half. I am obsessed with those overbanked S-turns!!! The angular whip is ridiculous!!!! There's nothing like it outside of I-305 and Skyrush with the old restraints. Then there's one last airtime pop before the brakes. I love this ride, and I hate that I couldn't do it more than once this trip.

3) Magnum XL-200 (x 3 rides)

I cannot get enough of this thing. I kept saying that as soon as I got back to CP, I would go straight to row 3 of Magnum for my first ride, and that's exactly what I did. All three of my rides were in the third row, and the popular idea that this is the magic row for airtime seems to be true. I know this ride has its haters, and even people who like it often only praise the ending run of hills. But I think the entire ride is awesome. The lift hill is so slow and gives you plenty of time to take in the amazing views. The drop is fun, and the first two camelbacks give some air. The pretzel turn is so stupid and so awkward that it absolutely rocks, like the fastest and most unhinged mine train ever. The return run of repeated small bunny hills is an experience like no other, with the pure ejector getting sharper, more abrupt, and more hilarious with each hill. Getting ridiculous airtime like that in the darkness of those tunnels is even better. I love this ride, and unless/until I get on TT2, it's the EASY number three in the park.

4) Millennium Force (x 1 ride)

I was among those calling this ride foreceless after my first ride in the cold in October 2022. This was my first really warm, summer ride, and I thought it was very good. The views from the lift hill are incredible, and the drop is huge and lots of fun. The turn after the first drop packs some good positives and made me gray out a little. There are three good airtime moments, with the two big camelbacks giving particularly nice, sustained floater, and the last bunny hill giving a quicker pop. But I think the best aspect of the ride is how well it holds its speed throughout the entire duration, with low-to-the ground turns between each of those airtime moments. I also really like the minimalistic restraints, which make the speed and airtime that much wilder. I personally am not in love with this ride, but I think it's a lot better than many people say.

5) Raptor (x 1 ride)

This has been one of my more anticipated coasters to re-ride for a while, because I was super underwhelmed by it after my one and only ride in 45ish degree weather in October 2022. I figured it wasn't running at its full potential, and boy, was that correct. My ride on this trip was so much better. It was flying through the layout, and the midcourse was barely hitting. It has a nice, long layout. The vertical loop is forceful, and the zero-g roll, the cobra roll, and the corkscrews are all super snappy. But what really makes this ride stand out are all the low-to-the-ground turns between elements in the second half, particularly the long helix finale that feels like it might rip your feet off. Raptor is not nearly as unhinged as Alpengeist, which still reigns supreme for me, but it is definitely up there in terms of great, forceful B&M inverts. I also go back and forth on whether I prefer Raptor or Millennium Force. (Also, I have to mention that my restraint came up one notch on the lift hill. I pulled it back down, and it was fine. I wonder if this is the sort of thing that happens to people that makes them freak out and think their restraint isn't locked anymore at all. Interesting.)

6) Rougarou (x 1 ride)

My hot take for the day is that Rougarou is better than Gatekeeper. I really liked it when I rode it on my first trip, but after seeing how much everyone hates on it, I thought maybe it was a fluke. But no, I enjoyed it just as much this time. It has a really good drop and a really, large, forceful vertical loop and dive loop. The second half is what most people seem to hate, but I love it. The fact that this ride was originally built as a stand-up gives it a unique layout and a unique feel compared to other floorless coasters. Where other floorless coasters would have a cobra roll, this ride has the inclined loop. It also has unique transitions/profiling, including some fun, swooping turns between elements and some weird moments like that snap to the right after the inclined loop (which I love) and the snap to the left into the midcourse. It's just a weirder, more aggressive ride than a lot of B&Ms, which is something I really enjoy.

7) Gatekeeper (x 1 ride)

This is just a fun, relaxing ride. The wingover drop is one of the more enjoyable hangtime type of moments that I've experienced. All the other inversions are very graceful and floaty. The near miss elements are fun. The one camelback even gives a little airtime. I find the vests on this ride more tolerable than the ones on Wild Eagle for some reason. It's a good ride, but not one I'd ever call great.

8) Wild Mouse (x 1 ride)

Hey, new credit! I went out of my way to make sure I did this, and it was significantly more fun than I thought it would be. The spinning is good fun and it's a very smooth, relaxing experience. But I will say the restraints are ridiculous. They are like lapbars in a way, but they are so bulky that, on a smaller person like me, they come up to the chest. They give me a similar claustrophobic feeling to the B&M vests.

Trip Details

This trip began Wednesday night, 6/26. We left after I got off work to do part of the drive. We had quite a time getting there, as it was raining, and we had set the GPS to avoid tolls. We ended up on some sketchy back roads in West Virginia that weren't even wide enough for a car to pass in the other direction, in the dark and in the pouring rain. But we made it out and to our stop at a hotel in WV. We completed the drive to Cedar Point on Thursday morning, 6/27, and got into the park at about 1:00 PM. The park was open until 10:00 PM. The park was INSANELY busy. Like an idiot, I thought it wouldn't be that bad because it was a Thursday, but I severely underestimated the power of Cedar Point to draw a crowd. It wasn't as bad as a weekend would have been, but there were still 60-90 minute waits the whole day. We got on Magnum first with probably only about a 30-minute wait. Then we got lucky timing Steel Vengeance, as we got to it right as it was opening after being down and only waited about 15 minutes. But then our luck drastically changed. We tried to get on Maverick. We waited for probably about 90 minutes, we were literally behind the air gates to board the next train, and the ride went down. I don't think I have ever been more infuriated at a park. We wasted an hour and a half of the day standing in a line for no reason. When you such a tight schedule to make a stupid trip like this work, that really hurts. We got pretzels at Auntie Anne's after, and I just sat down and contemplated just going home, because I was so distraught over the Maverick ordeal. Lol. We finally got up and got in another hour-long line to ride Millennium Force, then waited 50ish minutes to ride Raptor. By this time, the Magnum line had died down to about a 10-15 minute wait, and we got two more rides. Then we finished the day with an incredible back row night ride on Steel Vengeance.

I was only planning one day at Cedar Point, but I wasn't going to drive all the way here and miss Maverick, so we had to come back. Lol. We left our hotel in Toledo early and drove an hour and fifteen minutes to CP. The park was set to open at 10:00 AM, and we got there bright and early for season pass holder early entry around 9:15 AM. We were able to walk right on Gatekeeper for one ride. My plan was to knock out Wid Mouse, a new credit for me, before the crowds. But right as I was about to get in line, it started raining and storming, and all the rides closed. I couldn't believe my luck on this trip. The next part of my plan was to get straight to Maverick to be right there when it opened with the rest of the park at 10:00. But of course, it continued raining and storming. We stood in line at the entrance for a while when it looked like it might clear up, but then it started pouring rain again. We gave up and went to eat some taco bowls at the restaurant in the back. I can't remember what the place was called. The food was pretty good, though. We waited and waited, and I was stressing, because we were losing valuable time that I needed to get to another park that day. But I didn't want to leave without getting on Maverick. The rides FINALLY opened around 12:00, and we FINALLY!!!!!! got on Maverick around 12:30. Then we got on Rougarou pretty quickly, because apparently, it takes a lot for this thing to get a line. I needed to leave, but I really wanted that Wild Mouse credit, so we waited about 30 minutes and got on it for our last ride at CP. We finally left CP around 2:30-3:00 PM.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Hi Lofty,

Today the boys are having an adventure ( but not in the way we thought 😉)

Adventure Park

“So we’re going to the park again?” Shadow asked from the backseat of Mel’s car as they drove down the small road through the woods.

“Yes, but it’s a different kind of park. You’ll see it when we get there.” Nancy answered from the front.

Shadow looked at Orik sitting next to him with a slightly green tint to his face. “Do you know if they packed a picnic? I really liked that!” The other boy shook his head weakly, the look on his face made clear that he didn’t want to think about food right now.

Mel pulled into the parking lot and Nancy pointed her to an empty spot. The Links got out of the car and Powers' complexion slowly returned to normal.

“Come on!” the girls were quick to take them to a line that was already quite long, hoping in the back of it and getting their bags in front of them, making sure to pull out little slips of paper, a pass of some sort perhaps?

By the time they were finally greeted by the dull monotone of the teen checking all the slips of paper Orik had recovered enough to become curious as to why they were being forced through an inspection in order to get into this ‘park’

They were allowed through the strange spinning prongs blocking free entry forward and were greeted with a brick laid plaza a huge sign in bright almost eye searing colors taking a place of pride in the center.

“- oooh i forgot they have the coaster with a loop! we have to take them on that one!” Mel exclaimed

“Maybe we should go on other rides on our way there? since that’s the other side of the park?” Nancy suggested.

“No! We have to get in line now before it gets bad!” Mel argued

“Stuff like that always has long lines,” Nancy conceded

Thus the confused heroes were marched through a world of color, smell and far too many people at once for either of their tastes, finding the journey to be disorienting, both quickly losing track of which they were going or where they’d come from.

Eventually the boys stood in front of the roller coaster and looked upwards to see the tracks. the numbers on the sign said the wait was 15 minutes, and the girls had seemed excited? so Shadow supposed that was a good time based on their talk of long lines and hot sun. a strange cart rolled overhead, with people screaming and the unsettling groaning of the tracks under the weight making the heroes look up with apprehension.

“Are you sure … that’s safe?” asked Power in a hesitant voice, clearly still unsure what he was looking at.

“Has to be. they can’t keep running it otherwise!” Nancy was squirting sunscreen onto her arms and applying a generous layer, before turning and lifting her bottle in a silent offer for the boys.

Shadow took the bottle and shivered a little at the cool sunscreen on his skin, trying to apply it in an even layer, but leaving some stray white streaks on his arms in the process. He felt a pit growing in his stomach, this was nothing like the other park the girls had shown them! and he wasn’t sure he liked the look of the strange carts ahead, with the bar that trapped people inside the vehicle and the flaming skulls painted on the sides.

Finally, they were up front and an empty cart was in front of them. Nancy and Mel directed the boys to the front seat, and filed into the one behind them, making sure to put their bags in the provided mesh to keep them from getting lost.

The boys startled as a voice boomed around them, giving instructions and introducing the Terror Twister in a dramatic voice.

“Is it too late to leave?” Power asked in a small voice, upon which the cart jolted, beginning to move forward along the track and up the incline.

They were facing the sky as the cart went near vertical in the final portion of the artificial hill. “Here it comes! came Nancy’s delighted cry, hands already raised in preparation.

“here what co-” Shadow had the words stolen out of his mouth as they crested the hill, dropping at great speed at the ride began in earnest. The boys got over their surprise quickly, then looked at each other in bewilderment at the screams behind them. This was far less exciting than riding a dragon or fighting in a war.

When the ride was over the boys turned to see Nancy sporting a blush from excitement while Mel looked a little green.

“ooooh the loops always get me,” Mel muttered looking for the nearest bench to catch her breath on.

The boys exchanged a look and Shadow asked “Why were you shouting?” Nancy looked at him with a confused frown. “It was exciting! Did you not like it?” The boys looked at each other and then shook their heads. “Riding a Dragon was exciting. You said that this is safe, so this is not that exciting. It wasn’t even dangerous.” Answered Shadow.

Nancy bit her lip, deep in thought. “I think I know something that you’d like more.”

Several minutes later the boys sat in a brightly colored cart and were driving through a colorful world with singing fish and mermaids. When they arrived at the exit and met with the girls, both boys were smiling. “Who would have guessed that they would like a children’s ride more than a roller coaster?”Mel muttered and the girls dissolved into giggles.

@nancyheart11 Aowjsbsofhfbewoebr LOL FOREVER that Shadow’s fine in the car but Power’s car sick HAHA even on vacation he still gets the short end of the stick 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The boys getting nervous about the roller coaster and then being like 🤨🤨 after actually being on it is great, and them loving the kid ride just made me say “awwww” out loud and giggle AHHHH THIS CONTINUES TO BE ADORABLE THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️

[go-top-business]

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