Corsets: The Ride
I went up to the seat, and jumped in. It was a tight fit, as I expected. I pulled down the restraint and tried to pull it as close and tight to my body as I could. I sucked in my gut tried to pull my shoulders down and waited for the attendant to come over and attempt to snap the the seatbelt connector together. Chris was trying to keep me up about this.
Chris and I had waited for more than an hour for this, our first ride. Just to get to the parking lot took another hour or so as we had to fight our way through the people leaving early from the Texans game, and of course, the famous Houston DeathRail train. While in line Chris got called from work twice, and the ride broke down once.
All during this time I was wondering if it was even worth it. Why spend your money if you didn't know if you could actually ride anything, well, anything worth riding. I remember a few years ago trying to get on a ride and being to big to get the restraining bar to come down.
I watched, looking for anyone else in line who had similar dimensions to mine, but didn't see anyone of similar hight and build. My height makes it tough with shoulder restraints.
So after waiting all of this time, not doing anything else in the park but wait for this one ride, we finally got up to our turn. After getting in and trying to press myself into every nook and cranny and pull the swinging chest plate from above me (the ride, the Serial Thriller, suspends you from seats as you ride along the tracks), one attendant comes over and tries to connect the belt, which comes up from your crotch and snaps to the bottom of the chest place. He can't do it.
Chris kept trying to keep me calm, but it wasn't that I was mad, but that I was just down on myself. Down that I hadn't done more since the last time to lose weight and prepare for this. Sad that on this, my last trip to the park, I might not be able to ride anything. Since I couldn't see the connector, Chris kept telling me it was close. In a way, that was worse than if it was several yards apart.
The attendant actually called over another person to come over an press the push the chest plate into me, pretty much kicking the air out of me. Still, in the end, it was no good, and I had to get off the ride and stand to the side. I could feel the eyes on me, as we were in the front seats. Chris was trying to comfort me from afar, but it wasn't his problem, it was mine. I had to leave the area and go out the gate.
Just when I thought Chris was going to ride the ride, they made them all get off, and put them back in line as they checked it, so we were stuck, he on the line side, and I on the exit side, waiting for another fifteen minutes as they checked the ride over. Chris finally did get to board the ride, and had a good time, but I felt awful that I didn't get to do it. Still, what was I going to do? I couldn't suddenly drop the pounds there in line, even thought I'm sure I lost some water weight.
They have extenders on airplanes, why not on rides?
We looked at lines for other rides. Long, very long. it seemed that lots of other people had come out to the park before it closes for good, just to get one last ride. We looked at Greezed Lightning...longest I'd seen that line since the 80's. With time of the essence and there being one ride I wanted to try, lard ass or not, I knew we needed to get in line for the Texas Cyclone.
We jumped in the line at the right time, plenty of people were getting out of line because it had broken down, much like the Serial Thriller did earlier. Still, the line took some 45 minutes to get trough and the sun was setting as we got to the car.
I sat don in the car, and already I overfilled the molded seat area, and it was a bit uncomfortable. Luckily they had changed the cars on the ride from the last time I was there, and took our a seatbelt and a shoulder restraint. There was just a lap bar now, and I pulled it down...nothing, it wasn't clicking and I was worried that once again I'd have to get up and leave.
Chris knew I was worried because I was not very talkative in line. The failure on the last ride was still on my mind. Still seeing that I was about to get up and get out, he told me that none of the bars were locking yet. Finally, the bar locked in, and I was elated.
The Cyclone took off and away we went. The ride was almost as good as it used to be, except that the cars are still not as loose as they used to be, but the drops and turns are fun and exciting. Chris remarked later on how happy I looked while on the ride.
We got off, and I kind of wanted to do it again. The line had gotten longer, and we really wanted to try something else before the night ended. Of course the ride we got in line for not only took an hour for the line, it also was another I wouldn't fit in, because a bar comes over at gut level. Still, two cars away, the ride breaks down, and the night was over for us, not only because it was late, but also because Chris was getting several calls from work needing technical support.
So, six hours, $42, one ride. Not exactly the greatest trade off, really. It was good to ride the Cyclone again and it was good to spend time with Chris, but I guess there could have been a better fit. I guess I'll need to be a few more pounds slimmer before I go to another park. If they ever build a new one in Houston, they need to supersize the seats, because I'm not the only one in this town, the one that's won the title of the Nation's Fattest City three times.
Luckily the weather was nice.
Chris and I had waited for more than an hour for this, our first ride. Just to get to the parking lot took another hour or so as we had to fight our way through the people leaving early from the Texans game, and of course, the famous Houston DeathRail train. While in line Chris got called from work twice, and the ride broke down once.
All during this time I was wondering if it was even worth it. Why spend your money if you didn't know if you could actually ride anything, well, anything worth riding. I remember a few years ago trying to get on a ride and being to big to get the restraining bar to come down.
I watched, looking for anyone else in line who had similar dimensions to mine, but didn't see anyone of similar hight and build. My height makes it tough with shoulder restraints.
So after waiting all of this time, not doing anything else in the park but wait for this one ride, we finally got up to our turn. After getting in and trying to press myself into every nook and cranny and pull the swinging chest plate from above me (the ride, the Serial Thriller, suspends you from seats as you ride along the tracks), one attendant comes over and tries to connect the belt, which comes up from your crotch and snaps to the bottom of the chest place. He can't do it.
Chris kept trying to keep me calm, but it wasn't that I was mad, but that I was just down on myself. Down that I hadn't done more since the last time to lose weight and prepare for this. Sad that on this, my last trip to the park, I might not be able to ride anything. Since I couldn't see the connector, Chris kept telling me it was close. In a way, that was worse than if it was several yards apart.
The attendant actually called over another person to come over an press the push the chest plate into me, pretty much kicking the air out of me. Still, in the end, it was no good, and I had to get off the ride and stand to the side. I could feel the eyes on me, as we were in the front seats. Chris was trying to comfort me from afar, but it wasn't his problem, it was mine. I had to leave the area and go out the gate.
Just when I thought Chris was going to ride the ride, they made them all get off, and put them back in line as they checked it, so we were stuck, he on the line side, and I on the exit side, waiting for another fifteen minutes as they checked the ride over. Chris finally did get to board the ride, and had a good time, but I felt awful that I didn't get to do it. Still, what was I going to do? I couldn't suddenly drop the pounds there in line, even thought I'm sure I lost some water weight.
They have extenders on airplanes, why not on rides?
We looked at lines for other rides. Long, very long. it seemed that lots of other people had come out to the park before it closes for good, just to get one last ride. We looked at Greezed Lightning...longest I'd seen that line since the 80's. With time of the essence and there being one ride I wanted to try, lard ass or not, I knew we needed to get in line for the Texas Cyclone.
We jumped in the line at the right time, plenty of people were getting out of line because it had broken down, much like the Serial Thriller did earlier. Still, the line took some 45 minutes to get trough and the sun was setting as we got to the car.
I sat don in the car, and already I overfilled the molded seat area, and it was a bit uncomfortable. Luckily they had changed the cars on the ride from the last time I was there, and took our a seatbelt and a shoulder restraint. There was just a lap bar now, and I pulled it down...nothing, it wasn't clicking and I was worried that once again I'd have to get up and leave.
Chris knew I was worried because I was not very talkative in line. The failure on the last ride was still on my mind. Still seeing that I was about to get up and get out, he told me that none of the bars were locking yet. Finally, the bar locked in, and I was elated.
The Cyclone took off and away we went. The ride was almost as good as it used to be, except that the cars are still not as loose as they used to be, but the drops and turns are fun and exciting. Chris remarked later on how happy I looked while on the ride.
We got off, and I kind of wanted to do it again. The line had gotten longer, and we really wanted to try something else before the night ended. Of course the ride we got in line for not only took an hour for the line, it also was another I wouldn't fit in, because a bar comes over at gut level. Still, two cars away, the ride breaks down, and the night was over for us, not only because it was late, but also because Chris was getting several calls from work needing technical support.
So, six hours, $42, one ride. Not exactly the greatest trade off, really. It was good to ride the Cyclone again and it was good to spend time with Chris, but I guess there could have been a better fit. I guess I'll need to be a few more pounds slimmer before I go to another park. If they ever build a new one in Houston, they need to supersize the seats, because I'm not the only one in this town, the one that's won the title of the Nation's Fattest City three times.
Luckily the weather was nice.