Applications...

Headed to our nations capital today to apply for our marriage license... We will be LEGALLY married by the end of July. Then comes the planning for the Church wedding and reception down the road. We had a great day together and it made it even better to come home and find out NY followed in DC's footsteps... It's a big day for all of us, to have the option to Legally marry someone we love REGARDLESS of their gender, and a big FUCK YOU to those opposed!!!!!!!

It's official!

After 7+ years together, last night my boyfriend proposed and asked me to marry him. I gladly said yes. So we are now officially engaged and I couldn't be happier. Looking forward to what is to come!

Contest winning!

So my local amusement park, Six Flags America opened 4 new waterslides this past Saturday. They had a contest on facebook about a month ago to name the slides. The Attraction is called Zoomazon Falls and they wanted the names to be related to the Amazon. I was very excited when my name, Sloth Splashdown made it to the top 8 for a final vote. I was contacted last week and told that mine was one of the 4 top winners and was invited to bring a guest for the opening ceremony and be the first to go down the slide I named. It was a very cool experience. Not only because I had actually won, but because I finally brought my hubby to the park for his first time. It was a great day, we spent half of it in the waterpark and half of it on the coasters. I thought it was very cool that they not only let me be the first to slide down my slide, but my hubby got to go down right after me. It's very cool to know that my home park has something there that I named.

Gripe Session

Just something this weekend that really bothers me. There is a horror movie convention in town with a lot of the cast members from the Friday The 13th series... My favorite series in horror. I was really considering going until multiple friends of mine informed me that a lot of the actors charge for an autograph or a picture.. Anywhere from $5-$40.. I'm sorry, but that's total bullshit. First off, while us horror geeks know who they are, most people wouldn't, so they need to stop acting like they are Brad Pitt or something. 2nd, they need to appreciate their fans, not take advantage of them. I'm not a person who is very well off financially, and I don't wanna have to spend more money on top of the admission just to get to meet or get my picture with some of these people. I would like to think that if in some way I would ever become famous, I would appreciate my fans, and not expect them to pay me to get a picture or autograph. Who do they think they are? I just hate how everything anymore has to come with a price tag. We've bought your movies, even bought t-shirts or posters for them, but you are not God. Get off your high horse and just be thankful that people still appreciate you for the handful of movies you made 20 some years ago.

Six Flags Great Adventure

So Friday 5-20-11 I went to Great Adventure with my sister... It started out crappy, but ended up a great day. The first 90 mins it rained so hard that all the rides were closed. After that it rained on and off a little, but not enough to close the rides, even got a bit of sunshine from time to time. By the last 3 hours there were almost no lines, so we got some re-rides in.

El Toro- Rode this one 2 times. I sat in the back seat both times. This is an AMAZING coaster and by the 3rd airtime hill quickly took my #1 spot of all time! (Sorry I305). I absolutely loved this coaster.. I would have rode it more, but by the end of the day it was only running one train, so the line was a bit longer and I wanted to get some Re-rides in.

Kingda Ka- The tallest in the world, and 2nd fastest in the world. I had to experience this one. Being launched from 0-128mph in 3.5 seconds, the launch leads you up an element called a tophat... which happens to be 456 ft tall.

So I have 2 opinions of this coaster. I rode this 3 times. the first 2 times were in the first and second row. I loved it! I couldn't believe how intense this ride is. The wind, barely able to keep your eyes open, and the view as you first look down and begin to spiral back to the ground. I have never ridden a coaster where after it was over my heart was pounding and I had jelly legs. I think if this ride was more than 17 seconds it would be too much to take... Ok so the other opinion, the 3rd time I rode it I sat towards the back... totally different experience.. By the end of the launch the car was shaking so bad that my head was banging against the restraints uncontrollably. It was WAY too rough. I did not enjoy the ride in the back car. For the future I will only ride on the front or close to it.

Nitro - This was an amazing ride. My first B&M Hyper, and now I see what the hype is about. My ass spent more time off the seat than on. Intimidator 305 got bumped twice, because even though El Toro got my #1 coaster, Nitro has taken my #1 Steel coaster. I rode this one twice, also in the back row... If I had more time I would have done at least one more round.

Superman -Ultimate Flight- I cannot tell you how disappointed I was in this coaster. I only had ridden one flyer before. Vekoma's Batwing at SFA. I love Batwing, but I thought Superman was so boring. There are barely any exciting elements in this coaster, the g forces on the pretzel loop are very uncomfortable, and waiting at the brake run entering the station was uncomfortable just hanging there.. I was glad I didn't wait long for this one.

Green Lantern - This was only open for passholders which was good and bad. Bad because my sister couldn't get on, but good because there was NO line. My sister knew I wanted to ride it so she told me to go ahead.. and I did, twice. I never got to ride it as Chang, so it was a new coaster for me. I loved it. It was a great smooth ride. My only other stand up is Shock Wave, and Green Lantern beats the hell out of that one. Faster, Smoother, Better elements, and a much more comfortable restraint system. I'll add some pics here, but if you want to see more check them out on my FB page.

Batman - I like this coaster, but it's nothing special. I rode it once. I think this is the common opinion.

Bizarro - I rode this once before in 2000 when it was Medusa... I remember liking it then, but for some reason this time it seemed so much better. It keeps its speed well while traveling through many elements without being rough. The visual effects are awesome as well. I had to ride this one twice. I don't get the point of the speakers though... you can really only hear them on the lift hill and brake run.

There are other coasters at the park, but with the limited time we had... I wanted to re-ride the big boys.

So Far So Good....

I know it's been a while since my last post. Been kinda tiring with starting my new job. Training wasn't hard or anything, but since I started working again I've been sleeping a lot.. I guess I got a little out of shape while I was off lol. So far I like my new job, and starting in May I get a really good schedule. Sun-Wed, so my 3 days off will be in a row. I am also in an exceptionally good mood today because with the off season being over, I FINALLY got a coaster fix! After my plans to go to Six Flags America on opening day got shut out by rain, I ended up going yesterday by myself. I was having an ok time, then I ran into a couple enthusiasts, and after talking, it turns out they are friends with a lot of the coaster enthusiast friends I have made online. I ended up spending the rest of the day riding with them. Turned out to be a great day!

Good news... and giving up vices

So I got the job that I interviewed for and I start on monday. So that means relief for me and the hubby. Also, last week I started using blucigs, a brand of electronic cigarettes. I'm proud to say that I've only had 3 real cigs since I started. This is definitely an easier approach to quitting. I'm still getting nicotine, but without all the added poisons of real cigs. I'm hoping to be off nicotine all together by my birthday this summer. I shopped around for a while for the best e-cigs, reading reviews and all. The blu cigs got really good reviews, but I have to admit the blue tip is what sold me... damn attraction to pretty blue lights lol.

The Light at the end....

So I think the light at the end of the tunnel is showing. After a 2nd interview, I think I've got the job that I wanted. Also, to my surprise I got approved for unemployment. In the 4 years I was at my previous job, I never knew of anyone to get unemployment after being fired. They would bring a corporate lawyer in to fight it.... After hearing opinions from friends, I'm not alone in thinking that means they didn't have a valid reason to terminate me. Along with all that, this week I received my 2 weeks vacation pay. So for right now the financial stress is at ease. Now I just need to get myself motivated. I've been out of work for almost 3 weeks now and I'm going stir crazy, and the sad part is, I've gotten lazy at the same time. The house needs some major cleaning. Whether I feel like it or not, I have to get the house cleaned tomorrow. We have company coming over this weekend. Looking forward to this weekend as well, the local bar's Bear Night is Friday. I'm excited about it because even though I liked doing the Jello shots, this will be my first bear event in 3 months where I'm not working and can have fun with my friends. Also my best friend is going to be the dj. So other than dreading all the cleaning I have to do, this week has me in very good spirits. Thank you to everyone for the comments of support. It really means a lot.

Rare Form

I know you guys don't know me personally, but from pics you have seen, I'm usually scruffy, long gotee, with some piercings... Today you see me in rare form. Trimmed up, dressed nice, and no metal. I've been told I clean up nice. I'm about to head out to a job interview... Wish me lick guys!

Sometimes... people surprise you!

I know I'm not alone when I say that for the most part I don't have much faith in humanity. A lot of people are selfish, rude, bigoted, ignorant, or all of the above. Every so often it takes a random act of kindness from a stranger to restore this. One instance that stands out in my mind is from about 5 years ago. I was driving with a lot on my mind. It had just finished raining and the road was wet. In having a lot on my mind I failed to see the vehicle in front of me stopping to make a left turn. I rear ended this van, totaling both my vehicle and the other. I was 23 years old at the time. It was my first accident and I was all shook up. Luckily I was not injured other than a small bruise on my shoulder from the seatbelt. There was a man at the intersection who saw the whole thing. This man was so kind and seemed so concerned about me, making sure I was ok. Even though I told him I had a ride coming, he did not leave the scene of the accident until my partner showed up. He wanted to make sure I had a ride back home. I was put aside by this. I couldn't believe this complete stranger was kind enough to do that, not to mention the fact that he was VERY hot lol. To this day I wish that I knew how to contact this guy to tell him how much of an effect this had on my life and how much it meant to me.

This week another occurance happened that surprised me as well. As I posted before, I lost my job last week. To sidetrack a little, I am a member of a roller coaster enthusiast group called Negative G. I had known from a chat conversation with the man who runs the site that he worked for a company in Illinois which also has a location here in Hagerstown Md. I emailed him the other day asking him questions about the company because I was planning on applying there. This man, without ever having met me in person, nor having a sexual interest in any way (Straight, Married, Children, etc) Gave his supervisor my name and contacted human resources with the company to try to help me out. I also put him down as a reference on my application. After a phone conversation today, I was scheduled an interview this coming Friday. Even though I don't know what the outcome of this interview will be, I'm just amazed that someone who I have only talked with online has done all this to try and help me find a job.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't do the same for someone else. I like to think I'm a goodhearted cub and I like to help people when I can. It's just nice when people go out of their way to help you when they don't even know you. As a Christian I thank God for these things.

On a more serious note....

I know I don't really post much about life issues. I'm normally not a person to share my drama with people outside of my inner circle of friends, but this cub has a lot on his mind this weekend. I've been working for a certain distribution warehouse for almost 4 years now. It's the first job I've ever had that I really liked. I also had an awesome small crew that I work with on 3rd shift. However yesterday I was let go, or as the manager worded it "separated from the company". Even though I enjoy my job there have been a lot of pressures lately. My partner has been on disability for a while due to back surgery. So with the stress of taking care of him at the time of the surgery, and feeling the pressure of being pretty much the sole provider in the household (disabilty doesn't pay much) and the managers at work really cracking down on production, I pushed myself too hard to meet and/or exceed the production standards that were expected. To top that off, I worked in the freezer, so needless to say with it being cold, you wanna get the job done and not waste time. In pushing myself too hard, I was making small mistakes here and there. Nothing that could cost the company any money, mostly just keying freight into the wrong slot... something inventory control can fix in a matter of minutes. However even with having the highest productivity of anyone on my shift, the manager found this to be in excess. I can understand them not wanting people to make mistakes, but isn't that why inventory control is there?? I just find myself very frustrated. There are so many people in that company who lie, cheat, and steal, and here I am, honest, and hardworking, and I'm the one who gets fired for making mistakes. When things like this happen, it just makes me wonder why I even bother. I'm a nice person and an honest worker and I get shit on, yet the people who are crooked seem to always end up ahead. Now I'm the one left wondering how long it will take to find another job, I'm the one who is going to have to start over, possibly at a job that I hate just so bills can get paid, and I'm the one who is sitting here this weekend, with so much on my mind that my head could explode. Meanwhile, others keep their jobs and continue to cheat the company and steal... I'm not trying to be a martyr here, it just seems like further proof that nice guys really do finish last.... This cub could really use a bear hug.

Fahrenheit!

I thought this was a good coaster to share for 2 reasons... It's a great ride, and it features some unique elements. It has a completely vertical lift, straight up the hill, the drop is at 98 degrees (The reason for the name). A first drop that slants inward is a crazy sensation. The airtime is great and you cant see the track. It also features a rare inversion, the Norwegian Loop. The pretzel looking loop in the pic below. This great coaster can be found at Hersheypark.

Buried

So last night I was pleasantly surprised... I wasn't sure if this would be a good movie, I mean it's 90 mins of a guy buried alive in a coffin. I rented it anyway tho, because I love Ryan Reynolds. I'm glad I rented it, because this movie was amazing. It is literally 90 minutes of a man named Paul Conroy who is buried alive in the desert in Iraq with only a few things; A zippo lighter, a flashlight, a glowstick, a knife, and a cell phone. A lot of the movie is phone conversations he has trying to get help. With the battery running low, and air running low, phone calls from the man who put him there, and tension building, this movie keeps you captivated all the way to the end. I highly recommend this thriller. I don't think many actors could pull off this one man show like Ryan did, it's a real credit to his talent.

I Spit On Your Grave

I finally got the chance to see this remake this weekend. I'm a fan of the original, even though it is a little hard to watch. I personally liked this better than the original. I've noticed a pattern with the remakes of 70s exploitation films. The rape scenes are made less brutal, while the revenge scenes are much better. I'm a fan of gore, and violence in movies, but tend to find rape scenes a little hard to watch. They were brutal in this movie, but not as bad as the original to me. They definitely tried to keep in theme with the original, especially with the main title sequence while she is driving. It had the overall feel of the original as well, but with a score. The original had no score, which I think made it a bit more haunting. The revenge scenes in this one are way more "HELL YEAH" tho. I even cringed at some parts, and I don't do that often. I recommend this to fans of the original and other 70s exploitation films.

Jello Shots?

I know most of you have probably been to a bar before where they have someone selling jello shots. My local bar.. The Lodge, asked my friend Ben and I to be the Jello Shot Cubs for this month's bear night. It was a pretty fun night, getting to be flirtatious with people, helping the bar make some extra money, as well as some extra money for me. I wouldn't want to do it every time, I did miss getting to hang out with my friends all night, but I would definitely do it again.

The Walking Dead....

As much as I love pretty much anything to do with Zombies, due to not having cable, I was just now able to catch the first season of 'The Walking Dead. This show is amazing. I think I like it better than any zombie movie I have ever seen (probably because it isn't over in 90-120 mins). The first season is only 6 episodes, I'm really hoping the 2nd is a full length season (12-24 episodes). I definitely recommend this to any Zombie fans!

Devil

So I recently saw M. Night Shyamalan's newest movie 'Devil'. Despite the previews, I was skeptical about the movie at first. I know he didn't direct it, but he did write it. I love his earlier movies, but hated 'Lady In The Water' and 'The Happening'. This movie totally redeemed him in my opinion. This is probably one of the best horror movies I have seen in a while. For those who don't know, it is about 5 people who get stuck on an elevator, not knowing that one of them is the Devil. The whole movie isn't just in the elevator, it is also about the people outside of the elevator trying to get them out. It may not be gory, or have intense action or explosions, but it keeps your interest the whole way through. It definitely has the M. Night feel to it, and as can be expected, there is a twist at some point, but I won't spoil that for you. The added bonus... the detective (shown below) and the one passenger (the last pic) are very nice to look at. I definitely recommend this to any fans of horror/suspense.