Valleyfair, the Big WOW
Tuesday after work, Lauren and I met up with Walsh and Sarah for a night at Valleyfair. Walking up to the park, it felt like no time had passed since my days of working the Games department from 02-05. With every passing year, there are fewer and fewer employees I remember from my days there. This year, the only person I recognized was Jeff, now in his second year as the seasonal manager. But that’s not very surprising considering like 97% of the employees there are high school and college students doing summer jobs. Even the occasional Rod Washingtons or Kurt Hagens had short-lived VF careers.
As usual, I was up for going on most any ride except the Looping Starship, which Walsh and Sarah agreed was a wise choice by me after getting off the highly uncomfortable ride. Renegade remains my favorite ride there. Riptide is fun but a little too intense, flipping upside down with water spraying directly up my nose. Wild Thing is beginning to lose its edge a bit, and Thunder Canyon used to seem a little wilder. Steel Venom is still fun, and the Tilter is always a classic!
Flying to Buffalo
We’re a bit nervous about our flight to Buffalo tomorrow. Every time I’ve ever flown, I’ve made sure to reserve specific seats on the plane, but this time there are none available for either of our flights. This makes us nervous because we either may be forced to miss the flight or not be seated together. It’s the last flight of the day from MSP to BUF. Hopefully a couple passengers with assigned seats either don’t show up or are enticed by the airline’s ticket voucher/hotel offer to give up their seats, because we won’t be able to give enough notice to cancel our hotel and we’ll waste money on our rental car. Someone, say something reassuring so I don’t worry about this.
Lauren has the agenda all planned out for the Toronto trip, which will include lots of visits to her old U of T stomping grounds. Of course the point of the trip is her friend’s wedding. The Blue Jays/Rays game on Sunday will be a highlight as well, and one more stadium I can check off the list. (Other stadiums past and present visited—Metrodome, Target Field, Kaufman Stadium, Chase Field, AT&T Park, Wrigley Field, Miller Park, Yankee Stadium (old), and RFK Stadium.)
After this trip, I think it’s safe to say we will be going into serious money-saving mode for the fall/winter. It’s been lots of fun traveling this year with trips to Jamaica and Niagara Falls (and for me, Las Vegas) but if we ever want to be homeowners then we’ll have to cut down a hair on our escapades.
Ryan Glanzer Blog 
I just looked and there are 7 or 8 seats on the flight. Plus there are 5 in first class. They are just trying to squeeze more money for a guaranteed seat from new ticket bookers. During pre-boarding, they will move 5 of the highest mile elites to first class, and you will have a large selection. Nothing to worry about.
What about Comerica Park and the old Tigers’ Stadium? Do you have to see a game there for it to count?
My rule is I have to at least go inside the stadium, if not for a game then for some other reason. If I counted the ones I saw from the outside the list would be a lot bigger!
Don’t worry honey, I will get a very fancy job in Toronto and we will have no trouble buying a place when we move there! I know you are apprehensive about it now, but once you see the city through my eyes you will have no choice but to agree that it is the greatest city in the world. Even Brett Favre agrees.
I am slightly annoyed that you didn’t mention how we realized on Tuesday that our wedding day was also Favre’s 40th birthday. WHAT is your problem….????