Sunday, August 2, 2009

Clippy's log - page 11

22/7 5:05pm. Wow - complete awesomeness. Apart from just stunt driving, they had a car that faces backwards (for stunts in reverse), one with a sidecar sort of thing for "remote control" stunts, one to split in half, and several that tip sideways on two wheels. They're all built from a shell up for stunt driving - even the engine isn't mounted in the bay, it's mid-mounted to make the car stable for handbrake turns. With roll cage and all there's not much room inside. The stunts are pretty amazing - they start off looking like the car wrecking scenes from James Bond but they always stay about a foot away from any obstruction - even if that happens to be another car moving at 70mph!

6:40pm. We've just finished up. Grand finale was two roller coasters - neither of which had much to do with the advertised theme but (so I'm told) were loads of fun. They have strict rules against carrying anything so Krista kept me and Traal company while the boys took the rides. Now we're heading out to the tram thingy to go home. Elise hasn't contacted us yet, but hey, who leaves work on time?

8:05pm. We're back at the hotel and wondering what's going on. Then Elise rings and says she was asked to stay late, and can't make it to dinner. We'll see her in Buxton but Jodi won't - so she sends a big hug over the phone. We go to dinner at a place called IHOP - International House of Pancakes. Rather Good, by all accounts. Then back to the hotel and it's party time!

10:30pm. Alumsaye and Yubae arrive from up north - welcome aboard! So mini-Threshcon consists of Morvinia, Marah, Midga, Rosuav, Tsii, Alumsaye and Yubae. It's a party like any other - no booze, just chatting about anything and everything. Even Rosuav joins in, which seldom happens even in G&S circles.

1am. The girls are driving home so they bid us farewell, and the party gradually breaks up.

23/7 9:30am. The boys wake up slowly and are just reaching the point of full consciousness when Jodi and Krista knock and say the pool is open. The result is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Rosuav hesitates long enough to pick up Traal. Midga just goes, knowing how much I hate getting wet.

1:55pm. The boys come back, to grab the stuff and check out. Then they go back to the pool to stay wet until flight time! I can't deny it looks fun - water slides, fountains, and a "lazy river" which has a current so people can float around the perimeter of the pool without any effort. Midga is just having the time of his life like he did on the roller coasters; Rosuav is trying to persuade us that he's really just making a scientific study into the dynamics of water slides.

4:30pm. We have to get to the airport so it's time to dry off, dress and get going. Bye bye pool. During the drive Krista and Jodi start singing in the front seat - very beautifully. The boys try to join in but can't match up.

7pm. We're on the plane, and slightly worried about some mist/fog/smoke coming out of the air con. It started with wisps and built up to a good level for aerodynamics testing. Rosuav notifies the FA and she says "Yes it's been doing that all day, we're not sure why". A fob-off answer but it says what we need to know, which is that the plane can fly just fine. Time for a few words in general about Allegiant Air - they're the Aldi of airlines, run like a flying bus company. Passengers have to take off their own rubbish and the plane flies again about half an hour after unloading. No movie, pay-for catering, small planes (we got MD-80s both ways, that's a DC-9 really), limited routes, and it seems to work well.

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