A Moment of Sincerity...

This time of year, in spite of my innate cynicism, I find myself thinking...

I'm thankful for the folks that design rollercoasters, dreaming up new ways to make wood and/or steel fun.

I'm thankful for the engineers, who make sure that those dreams have some grounding in reality.

I'm thankful for the builders, for, um, building the rollercoasters.

I'm thankful for the maintenance folks, who make sure that, if I'm sane about it, I won't kill myself in my quest for fun.

I'm thankful for the parks. All of them. The competition. The atmosphere that here is a place just to have fun.

I'm thankful for the riders. Because, let's face it: If we didn't ride 'em, they wouldn't build 'em.

Most of all, though, I'm thankful that I live in a society willing to put that much energy and expense into having fun.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Just cut to the chase and say Happy Thanksgiving! ;)

I am cynical and thankful for this thread from last year. ;)

Ah, coaster related thank you's that sound inappropriate at the dinner table:

I am thankful for for RCT, for helping me pass the time on weeknights when I can't sleep.

I'm thankful for Coasterbuzz, for helping me get through the boring tedium that is work.

I'm thankful for X, Nitro and SROS, for allowing me to dream of trips I have to make next year.

I'm thankful for living near a Six Flags park that actually knows customer service and capacity.

On a serious note though, Happy Holidays everyone.

Be thankful that you will be enjoying a holiday feast this weekend. Alot of people aren't even fortunate enough to have that.

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nasai said:
I am cynical and thankful for this thread from last year.

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I could just copy and paste what I said last year and it would work, except this year I am thankful I had Janis for 9 1/2 years :-( and thankful I now have 8-month old Timbers and Kumba. :-)

And the old Tempo is still running (sometimes).....LOL!

And I am thankful that my parents are spending time with my bro before he goes off to war. :-(

And many thanks to the Dragstergasms this year.....;-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Tina

*** Edited 11/27/2003 12:12:32 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Tina, you stole my line from Raising Arizona! That is my fave line of all time! How dare you? ;)

Happy T-day!

I'm more thankful for coaster friends than the coasters themselves. I'm happy to have met so many cool people through something that I really like.

I'm also thankful for a roof over my head, for a warm house, food on the table, family and friends, and for Jesus.

Oh and I'm thankful that I live 30 minutes from GAdv. or I'd explode and for Intamin! ;)

Rob: Another good hangman idea "rhythm"

Well, from a non-Thanksgiving celebrating country here I'm gonna throw in my tuppence;) worth.

I am thankful for my family who are precious to me and to the great friends I have made - online and off - you know who you are and no doubt there will be many more to come!

I'm also thankful that in the past year I have found the strength to make many major changes in my life after several years of disability. Oh and the decision to come over to the US for Coaster Con next year when Coasterqueen and Invy will knock Thelma and Louise off the planet with *our* road trip!

I'm thankful for my kitty Chloe (aka Da Claw) for being a sweetheart (usually;)) and keeping me going through the tough times - extra kitty treats will be provided!

Oh - and for g'dar ;) almost forgot that one heh heh

-Jim (man that was *tough*:))

Oh and Tina? Be a dear and give Rob back his line - you kids play nice now ;) *** Edited 11/27/2003 6:09:41 PM UTC by Invy***

Na, Rob will get over it. ;-)

G'dar? Is that Gatordar? Heh.

Jim, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into next year for our road trip. Coaster Con is just going to be part of the madness. ;-) Actually, I am not even going to tell you all the parks and places I am taking you too.....you will just have to literally wait and see. ;-) You think you are *just* going to visit parks?

<--------evil laugh.

I am thankful that Da Claw is letting you fly over here! She may not let you come back. :-)

Thelma and Louise will have NOTHING on us, except we will pick up a lot more hunky cowboys(and maybe not hold up any liquor stores..lol).

-Tina

(who's had one too many already for Turkey Day) *** Edited 11/27/2003 6:36:49 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

I used to do one of these letters to the Supervisor's list each year at the ISP I used to work for... but since they decided to replace all of us with "outsourcers" I will start a new tradition here:

I am thankful that despite losing my job this year, my wife and I have been able to keep our house, still eat, and even go ride the occasional coaster. Ah, my wife, what would I do without her? To borrow a phrase from D&D, I rolled high on Wife. :-D

I am thankful for good friends, both in the "real world" and on the Internet - lively discussions, honest exchanges of opinions, and the ability, every once in a while, to make Moosh laugh. ;-)

I am thankful to B&M for their "big kid seats" on their floorless rides. NOW PUT THEM ON THE INVERTEDS! Man, the perils of being tall... and a bit round as well... :-)

I am thankful to S&S for putting a decent, not spectacular, but DECENT wooden coaster in my state that I can ride more than two weeks out of the year.

I am thankful to Knott's Berry Farm and the crew of the Xcellerator who managed to get me on even though I am... um... a little big. Also, their getting ANOTHER new coaster... so I guess I am thankful to B&M twice! MAybe... if I shirnk in a couple of directions I might even be able to ride it. :-D

I am ... well, not thankful per se, but happy that I finally managed to get my wife on X. Her comment at the end of the ride was priceless... "Is it over?"

Ah... I am thankful for www.brettspielwelt.de for all my boardgaming needs.

I would usually close these things with specific shout outs, but since I don't know many of you yet (fairly new to the family as it were...) let me just say a general WE ROCK! to the whole group and gosh I hope I can come see you all at a BuzzCon.

-Robert "Escher", Seattle, WA.

Coasterwise, I'm thankful for the amazing parks out there that I never would've heard of had I not gotten involved in the enthusiast community. I'm also thankful for the company of those who ride with me -- for the many good friends who I've gotten into coasting, and the many friends I've met through coasting. And thankful for the fact that, this year, finally, a certain particular promise/dream will finally reach reality, as its culmination is now inevitable.

On a more personal level, I'm thankful for everything that has occurred to me over the past three months of my life. I'm thankful for being accepted into and attending one of the finest schools in the world, receiving an amazing education and being in the company of some of the most talented and intelligent people on Earth. I'm thankful for a loyal and caring circle of friends who truly miss me and care about me and will have my back through thick and thin. I'm extremely thankful, despite my reluctance, for being separated from my precious for two months, because that time has made me realize just how much I took for granted and how much her love means to me in my life. And, in particular, I'm thankful for the realization that my family really are three of the most important people in my life, and that despite what a jerk I've been to them, and all that I have to make up to them, that they're still here for me through it all.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

I am thankful for my sanity after some sweeping changes in my personal life. The fact that I landed on my feet didn't hurt either.

I am thankful for the cutest, smartest and most hilarious little girls on the planet. If you ever thought I was funny, you ain't seen nothing. You don't even hear a fraction of the stuff they do. Trust me, it's funnier than anything you've ever seen here. But you'll have to wait for a sitcom's writing staff to hire me first..

I am thankful for the few I have let behind the Ray-Bans. How thankful they are...well I have no clue. Actually, I think it's more of a practiced obliviousness. Anyway, they still hang in there.

Okay, the tryptophan is kicking in now. That'll do.

-'Playa *** Edited 11/28/2003 5:42:50 AM UTC by CoastaPlaya***