August 9, 2011

Birthday!


To celebrate my 23rd, the Goulds ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Inner Harbor (though we didn't realize it was my birthday lunch until we got there and decided we wouldn't get to go out again for my actual birthday). As it so happened, it was National Cheesecake Day (silly holiday, but works for me), so everyone got their cheesecake for half price. My birthday cheesecake didn't end up being free (the guy working was new so I don't think he really understood the system yet), but I tried something different - chocolate coconut creme - and I'm so glad I did because it was delicious!

Evan and Courtney had been married for a month, and Whit and I had just gotten back from Colorado, so it was the first time all of us got to hang out as a family. It was so fun! It's different having another girl around but I like it and I'm glad Evan gets to be with her. :)
all the Goulds :)
For my actual birthday, Whit took me to Kings Dominion, one of my favorite places!
I know a lot of people don't like KD, but I love it because of all the memories it holds. My family used to get season passes, and when I was older I got to spend a lot of time there with friends. One summer my brother worked there and my cousin Jef came up to visit for 2 weeks, so we both got season passes and hung out there like every day. I am getting better, but I used to randomly think about Kings Dominion in like March and then not be able to stop day dreaming about going until the summer. It's so fun! It also makes the smell of hot asphalt and smoking more appealing, hahah.
us at the Dominator
Kings Dominion has new ownership now and besides the two new roller coasters, it's pretty lame now. They had to change a lot of the names of rides that were copyrighted by Paramount (like the Tomb Raider and the Italian Job), and the park overall just doesn't really have a theme. (Seriously, one cardboard cutout of Charlie Brown and Snoopy cups is not a theme.) The new coasters are really good though - I can definitely tell a difference between them and the other ones. Whit loves them (he is a theme park connoisseur) so now he enjoys going to Kings Dominion a little more than he used to.
waiting in line for the Volcano
One of my favorite rides is the Volcano. Unfortunately it breaks down a lot, and we waited for about half an hour before having to leave. My absolute fave is the Anaconda. It's so perfectly succinct - hill, picture, loop, another loop, hill, corkscrew, another corkscrew. I always wait until the very end of the night to ride it because no one is ever in line then. We jumped in one of the back rows and never got up for four straight rides. I wanted to see how long we could stay without getting up, but all the jerking from sitting in the back was getting to Whit's head.
The other new ride is the Intimidator. Its name accomplishes its purpose, don't you think? It's significantly higher than any other coaster in the park at 305 feet, and rivals the height of the Drop Zone (where you fall 272 feet straight down). It's the tallest roller coaster Whit had ever ridden, and he's been to a lot of theme parks. The lift hill is that 45 degree angle you see going from left to right, leading into the 85 degree angle drop. The lift hill is SO fast. You hit the top faster than you do going up the lift hill on that wooden roller coaster you see below that's one-third the height (the Rebel Yell). Whit and I played a lot of Roller Coaster Tycoon this summer, and the ratings on this thing would be off the charts. It's so intense. It's made to be a tribute to Dale Earnhardt which is very fitting. There's a picture showing the ride and it only consists of high speed turns and hills where you're getting air time. I don't think it's good for your body; like, I wouldn't ride it more than two or three times a month because it whips you around so much. Most people black out around the first turn (it's immediately after the 305 foot drop and it curves upwards). I normally black out on rides, but I did a lot better this trip because Whit taught me to tense my muscles instead of relaxing on loops and helixes. However, the first time I rode the Intimidator I was not thinking about tensing up. I pretty much started crying on the lift hill when I felt how steep it was and then looked around and we were way above the tops of the trees when we were only about halfway up, so I blacked out for like 5 seconds going around the hill, and the rest of the ride was so intense I was just trying to keep it together. When we got off I said I wouldn't ride it again until next year, but after we walked around a little I was just so pumped up I had to ride it again! It created so much energy and intensity like when you just need to go for a run. After that ride though we had to recover so we rode the ferris wheel.
I also had a little party for my birthday so I could make cupcakes, go to Casa Grande with people, and play games. We played Pit (always a winner) and Boxers & Briefs. Thanks so much for wishing me a great day and/or hanging out with me! I had a great birthday this year! :)

1 comment:

  1. i'm glad you had such a good birthday! :) i rode the intimidator and loved it but definitely blacked out - which scared me at first - and i bet it is horrible for your body just like you said! anyway, hope the move is going/has gone well… miss you guys.

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