The Big Vacation Part 1

As warned, I went on vacation. And what a vacation it was! Full of triumph, tragedy, and terrors unknown to the ken of most. As it stands, the whole thing went very well, with a few exceptions.

Tuesday- I get the glass repaired in the front-right window of my car. This is a joy. I gladly vacuum the shards from the seat and beneath it (and anywhere else the stuff managed to migrate). I even find out work will reimbursh me for the damage to the window because I was on the job when it happened. Just have to wait for that check to come in, and life is peaches and cream again.

Wednesday - We hit the road. By we I mean... myself, Derrick (older buddy, works at Borders, little hung up on the ladies), and Brent (game and art-loving co-planner of adventure). We're on the road by 5:30 in the morning, and never have to slow down. Our first stop is Magic Mountain.

MM is celebrating their 50th year, and they have a new ride: Tatsu. This ride is awesome. They strap you into shoulder harnesses, then orient you parallel to the ground. The whole ride has you spinning and twisting in the closest thing I've ever felt to flight. Whole thing is completely smooth, and a real joy to be on. Hit all the good stuff in the park (Xtreme, Deja Vu, Goliath, Scream), and saw a very-cool Chinese Acrobat show and mediocre Batman Stunt Show. (Derrick and I are also fairly certain we saw Corbin Berson from LA Law). Also, due to poor foot support, I about managed to destroy my feet. But still, I got through the day. We retire to the hotel (after some confusion about where it is, exactly), and have just enough time to sleep to get started the next day.

Thursday - Universal Studios is in easy less-than-an-hour away. We arrive totally ready to go. The Mummy Ride is awesome (and this is my first time on it!), and several of the shows had been revamped since the last time I'd been (especially the special effects stage, Waterworld, and Shrek 4D). Still, it surprises me at exactly how small it really is. Lots of fun had, still, and pictures taken. Also picked up my glorious-new Snakes on a Plane t-shirt.

Back at the hotel, hilarity ensued. A toilet managed to get plugged, and comments about it are still ensuing today. I was the hero - the only man who could walk to the front desk and get a plunger.

Friday-Sunday - The San Diego Comic Con. The show was absolutely massive. Three days spent, and I'm fairly certain I didn't come close to seeing everything. I attended a few panels (mostly to hear about Hellboy Animated and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, among other things), but there was no shortage of cool, one-of-a-kind swag to be had. Tons of strange folks in all sorts of outfits, and even got to meet somebody I knew only over the interwebs. I may cover all this in more detail later, but it's some of the most fun I've had being an absolute geek in a long time.

By Sunday night, we were back home, safe and sound. And surprisingly, there was pretty much zero drama the entire trip. Vacations are awesome.