The dead zone…

Here I again find myself in this time of each year that drags on so slowly; this portion of the calendar that separates winter from spring (at least in my latitude). Roller coaster season is still but a month or more away, although I will likely be invited to participate in the media day for the new coasters opening at Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens. These events generally take place a week or so before the park opens for the year, and I can attend because of my coaster club membership. But I’ll probably pass, as said club is having an event at both parks coming up in mid May. I do plan on attending that. The only real advantage one gets from going to a media day is to be able to ride a new coaster before most everyone else does. That, and you might see yourself on TV.

This time of year I am often seeing snow drops and other very early flowers coming up and beginning to bloom. Sometimes the daffodils are a few inches high. But not this year, as the cold has been unrelenting. I did see a snow drop at my mom’s the other day that had buds, but it has the advantage of being close to the house and therefore sheltered. Plus, it and some other early flowers are on the east side of the house and therefore get all of that bright morning sun.

Currently there is also little going on with regards to the construction of the new Key Bridge. Essentially they are just drilling holes in the river mud to try and determine where best to place the piers. A necessary step, but there’s not much to see. The next dramatic part will come later this spring when they begin dismantling the remains of the old bridge. This will apparently include blowing up the piers that weren’t leveled by the ship once the road deck is removed.

There is, however, one thing that does have the effect of lifting my spirits this time of the year – the sun is coming up earlier and going down later. Extra sunshine is nice, even if the air is below freezing. Another thing that is perhaps helpful is that I am often able to get a lot of indoor stuff done, as there is little to do outside.

I am also thinking about the upcoming bungee jump I have reserved for later this year. I do not have a date for that, as the opening day of the attraction has not been announced. Essentially, what I have is an “early bird” reservation that will allow me (and whoever else bought one) to have a choice pick of dates and times. My plan is to do this after the first coaster conference (Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion) but before the heat of the summer sets in. Being outdoors when it’s hot and humid isn’t my cup of tea. Which is why I prefer spring and fall coaster events. I’m not sure if I’ll do the bungee jump before I go to Cedar Point (that park’s event is traditionally the first weekend of June) or after. It’s likely I’ll do it sometime in mid June, before the summer heat really gets going. I think about this upcoming appointment occasionally, especially as I watch videos of other people jumping. I’d like to think that my history of riding coasters and other thrill rides will give me an advantage. Some people absolutely freak out and shake in their shoes as they perch upon the ledge, but I don’t think I’ll do anything like that. Being a thrill ride enthusiast, I plan on displaying as much of a “poker face” as possible. Showing extreme fear is unacceptable. That happened a couple of times on two different coasters, and my riding companions noticed. Not that I’d be without any trepidation at all, but I think I’d have just not as much as someone who doesn’t ride coasters. Regardless, that gives me something to look forwards to and to mentally plan for.