Just went back for the first time in years and some of the additions/updates are awesome. For any of you thrill seekers, Steel Vengeance (used to be the Mean Streak but is now steel tracked and smooth as glass) is probably the best roller coaster I have ever been on.
DISCLAIMER - this may get "off-the-track" a little, but it reminds me of a time in my youth, which some might find entertaining.
My Uncle Joe (husband of my Dad's older sister, Gloria) took us along with his children (our older first cousins) during the summer one year back in the early/mid 70's.
Just a bit of background.....My Uncle Joe was one of those funny guys (without even trying) and wisecrackers.....who in the middle of a wedding ceremony/Mass where the priest comments about the temperature of the church....would just state (in a way to echo/reverberate so all could hear)......"
That's because you need a new heat pump!" or if an old relative like Carmine came up to us and said "
I used to be a boxer" and he heard about it - he might respond "
Ha.... oh, he used to box oranges down at Cavelli's market on 145th."
He worked hard his whole life. Regardless, he loved his wife, his children, and his nieces and nephews more than anything....
So, back to the main story. I get to ride the Blue Streak with Uncle Joe - waiting in line......and then what do you know, we're in the front row!
My older brothers and sister and my cousins are a few cars behind us. My Uncle Joe is all smiles - "Ya ready?!" I'm thinking....."umm.....stewardess, I'd like to change seats please." Off we go.....and to me, it's like we're climbing forever.....mind you, all my previous roller coaster experiences were in the middle or back, never in the first car. Finally to the top, and there's Uncle Joe next to me - hands up, the whole works, and I'm thinking "Holy *(&^%#@!!!!" So we're flyin (or so it seems), and Uncle Joe's glasses and case are in his front shirt pocket and suddenly become airborne! Time appears to stand still.....he lunges to get them, succeeds, and I'm instinctively lunging to hold on to him.....in a flash we're back settled and enjoy the rest of the ride without any further "major" incidents. Somehow, all my faculties remained, blood returned to it's normal state, and in the end it was a thrilling ride, but that was a crazy millisecond or two.
After we get off - he casually mentions to me - no need to tell your Aunt Gloria about that, I don't want her to fret. I instantly knew what he meant as I could just hear it - "
Ohhhhh Joe, what were you thinking? And with your nephew right there." She'd about have a seizure or a heart attack on the spot. Of course, he'd have never heard the end of it if he'd lost his glasses either.
Ahhhh, the joys of family fun......and my Aunt Gloria? - made the best fried/roasted chicken you can imagine - a secret Italian family recipe (or so she said).
Thank you for the indulgences here in trying to follow along. And now, back to our main programming, folks.
