Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Life's like a Roller-Coaster

So apparently my hubby is quite the roller-coaster enthusiast. I caught a glimpse of this when we were engaged and he told me "If we're going to get married you have to like roller-coasters." I replied that yes I did like roller-coasters, I had been on quite a few growing up. I thought to myself "how often are we actually going to be on a roller-coaster anyway?"

That's where I assumed wrong. For you see, any time my hubby can get on a roller-coaster he will! We went to Vegas for our One year anniversary. We had a lot of fun walking the strip, staying on the 10th floor of a hotel, and trying out a few nickel and penny slots. But when he asked me to go on the roller-coaster up on top of the "Seattle Space Needle" I laughed! "That things WAY up there!" I told him I'd do the New York, New York ride instead. But he thought that was piddly. The last day we were in Vegas we went to a outlet mall south of town, but when we were done instead of heading back up to the strip he headed the car south. Apparently there's a small little town called Primm, Nevada that has a "really cool, roller-coaster"! He pushed, pulled, prodded and dragged me onto that old rickety thing. As we stood in line the cars would rush along the tracks over our head. Somehow I ended up in the car all strapped in. You know how some roller-coasters start out nicely, just go up a hill or something before you go tumbling down to your death? That didn't happen on this one. We started high and the next thing I know I was going down the track that felt almost perpendicular! It went by really quickly so I guess thats a good thing. Unfortunately I think my newlywed hubby was a little disappointed with my roller-coaster riding!

I guess all the roller-coasters I had been on previous to being married were really tame! I really am terrified of heights. I don't mind being up at the height but the idea of coming down really fast that scares me. I even have a hard time jumping off the roof of the house boat at lake powell into the water below. Or when I went bridge jumping at college! Thats another story. The thing is, that even though I am deathly afraid I somehow convince myself to do it. Don't I deserve some love for that?

We lived in North Phoenix practically next door to DeVry when we were there for school. Not even a mile away was Metrocenter mall. Being that we were college students, and it was always really hot outside a lot of our free time was spent walking around the mall. Also right there in the mall parking lot was Castles N' Coasters amusement park. Its right there on I-17 so it's very easily seen. It's one of those things not easily missed. When I moved down to AZ I "knew" that we would be going there sometime during our three years in Phoenix. We did some miniature golfing while there, that was a lot of fun, but difficult to be patient when there were people in front of you you're waiting on and people behind you waiting on you. One mild winter day my hubby decided we needed to go on some of the "coasters" referred to in the amusement parks name. This was about a year after our Primm, Nevada ordeal. I "forgot" about the experience (just like a mom forgets about child-birth when she gets pregnant again). We went on a few of the small rides, and I think we decided to skip the wooden roller-coaster, for some reason I think it was my hubby's idea. We stood in line for the metal loopty-loop coaster. I don't like going on rides that make me go upside down but I was ready for it. (I thought!) We get into our seats and make sure we're buckled in tight. The car slowly starts to move, it gets hooked and we begin the jerking pull up to the top. Next thing we know we're screaming down, then back up, through the first loop, my head gets slammed against the back of the seat. Between the first and second loop my head went forward and it didn't go back against the headrest before the second loop. I went through the second loop with my head forward. I got off the ride with intense pain in my neck! Three chiropractor appointments and 6 months later it finally got fixed.

That was my last roller-coaster ride. I haven't been on another roller-coaster since. But that doesn't neccessarily mean that it was out of my hubby's system. My hubby, my 16 month old son and my 6 month pregnant self went to Orlando with my parents and grandparents. I watched as my hubby went on ride after ride with my dad at MGM studios and Epcot Center. I was a little bummed that I didn't get to go on the rides, but also probably secretly a little relieved at the same time! Two months later my hubby left me 8 months pregnant with an 18 month old for a week so could go to Cedar Point, Ohio with his dad and brother.

So it must have been like a song singing in my hubby's heart the other day when he saw his two children pretending to be on a roller-coaster when riding in the car. They've done it with me a few different times but this was the first time HE had been able to witness it. We have a sporty little car that we tend to like to take corners fast in, and jump over speed bumps and that kind of thing. When we go around a corner we hear a duet of "woah" and "wow" from the backseat. When we go over speedbumps they throw their hands in the air. When we speed up the on-ramp they throw their hands in the air, lean and yell. Now when we're all in the car together we're "encouraged" to throw our hands in the air over every bump, and scream on every turn. It made my hubby so proud of his children's newly discovered love without it being "learned" he had to brag to his brother on the phone that night!

One day my hubby will have his roller-coaster riding partners, and it won't have to be me trying to suppress my fear and look happy while standing in line!
Posted by ABQ Mom :: 8/22/2006 07:53:00 AM :: 4 Comments:

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