Well, doggone if I'm not finally stepping out of the rarified realm of ride theory and back into the real world of ride practice. Over the thanxgrubbing holiday weekend, I'm going to Knott's Berry Farm for the first time in a couple years. Joy of joys for this cantankerous old atheist, I'll be on Amtrak (in a sleeper berth) thru the actual holiday. Curse the luck though, the cheapest flight back was on Alaska -- the Christian airline -- and I can look forward to scripture on my cocktail napkin. That's okay though; it'll give me something to grumble about. In fact, it already has.

Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be meeting up with my brother Paul, Chris Merritt (whom you have met on this blog before) and, oddly enough, my well-to-do cousins, who will coincidentally be in the area for their annual, week-long family Disneyland vacation. I talked them into a day at Knott's, because their 9-year-old is a budding coaster nut, and he's tall enough to ride everything there, including my personal favorite wooden coaster, Ghost Rider.

My brother and most of the cousins are vegetarians and since I had to call Knott's today to get some info on their annual passes anyway, I asked if there were any good vegetarian options. The woman on the phone laughed! I did too, since I know the whole Knott's empire is founded on Cordelia Knott's fried chicken dinners. I am a carnivore (how could I not be, given that the word has the same roots as "carnival") who lives in Oregon, where the majority of my friends are not only vegetarian, they're frickin' vegan, so I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth into Knott's pretty-darned-good country barbeque and slightly-overrated-but-still-tasty fried chicken.

Also, a I'll be making a side trip to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Hanging out with my brother, riding Roller coasters and going to museums; this is gonna be great.