Day 2-Oct 6th

NO amount of sleep would have been enough to help me recoop from my 1st day as a Raptor ride op. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs seems to hold out fairly well proving that all the riding I do must benefit them. My fingers (especially dispatch and controls) were SCREAMING! Jeff and I met early to head for breakfast, ask him about his $657.75 breakfast! High point of day was we were no sooner talking about Mr Kiznel and I was telling Jeff that he knows me, when who comes walking our way but Mr Kinzel. I stopped and shook his hand and said hi, and yup, he still remembers me and even asked me if I was on Raptor again!! I introduced him to Jeff and my head was about 10x it's normal size after that! :) Our daily walk around park done and off to Raptor we went. Typical lack-o-guests Sunday so alot more time was spent fastening seat belts to empty seats. Any ride op would have to agree that we would rather have a guest in the seat, easier to do belts. I opted to stay at entrance over a couple rotations which allowed me to see and talk to a ton of my GTTP buds. I also saw Mr Skyward but thankfully he didnt look my way! ;) The high point of working last night for me was the last hour or so. I did spiels and then got controls. There were ALOT of people who introduced themselves to me saying they knew me from here and even some who just screamed out my name but I have NO clue who they are! I had a BLAST on spiels adding my own stuff ("MY personal fav ride on earth") Having DJ on controls at the same time helped too since he would egg me on. You can just about imagine me when I noticed Mr Skyward in seat 2-1 when I was on speils. He waved at me nicely and I pointed him out to Jeff who was on load 1 at that time-we both cracked up! When it was my turn for controls I really had a blast. One time instead of saying the usual "ready" said "Talon is ready" the crew CRACKED up!! I really do like controls, as it is one of the most important positions. Jeff was on dispatch when I was on controls at night's end and I looked at him and thought, if you would have told me 6 months ago that you were going to find yourself back in that blue suit, on Raptor's controls and Jeff would be on dispatch, I would have told you you were CRAZY!!! This is ALL Jeff's fault!!! ;)
The Raptor crew ROCKS I adore them even more than the '00 crew. They are easy to work with and accepted me from the get go! One of my most awesome of moments was low zone walking after park closed, found the lazer that triggers the strobe lights on Raptor, threw hat into lazer beam and made strobes go off! TOO cool! :)
So despite feeling like I do today....you bet I will be returning next weekend too. You know where to find me! Be sure you stop by and say hi!!! :) Raptor rules! :)

Jo
2000/2002 Raptor Crew
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It's all about getting around the barrels, or over the fences, right leads, no faults, fastest time and looking pretty when done. What's so hard about that? :)

*** This post was edited by LuvRaptor 10/7/2002 11:14:19 AM ***
*** This post was edited by LuvRaptor 10/7/2002 11:17:32 AM ***

She dragged me into this, don't let her fool you... ;)

I tell you, I knew that ride hosts had a tough job, but wow. I have to say that I gotta give props to everyone who does this through the whole season! By the end of the night Sunday, I could tell my body just wasn't ready for it. But I stuck it out, and I will definitely be back again next weekend. For as hard as the work is, I haven't had a job where I really had that much fun! I'm ready to leave work today to go take a nap, though, that's for sure.

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Jeff Shumway
99 Mitsu GSX 13.9 @ 94 mph - whoops, wrong board...

2002 25 minute MF rides: 1
2002 45 minute waits on Raptor platform w/o riding: 1
2002 trips to the point: not near enough
2002 Raptor Crew??? Oh yeah, you know it...

Jo, I was going to say one of the about 20 times I rode raptor yesterday (by the way, it was a GREAT!!!! DAY!!!!). But I would've felt like an idiot. Anyways, I didn't realize that there were so many GTTP's up there this weekend :)

Hey Jo,

Where's the 30 minute wait? Matt and I were wondering where everyone was. ;o)

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Jeff Tobe
tobejeff@pilot.msu.edu

*** This post was edited by Tobe 10/7/2002 6:54:46 PM ***

Haha, yea - we were trying to steal a nut from somewhere else in the park to fix your sign too, but unfortunately the ones on top of the rebar for the supports of "Dragster" would have been much too big! :)

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Sorry I didn't get to stay till the end this year, it would've been a great time. Hopefully you get to work with Dana, she's just awesome. Just ask DJ what is Frank Sinatras' favorite ride. That was one of my favorite spiels this year, along with the Ghostbusters one, but you'll have to see those for yourself... I'm sure he might be willing to demonstrate some of the things we did with the loose article box this year too.

The "Patented Cobra Roll Light Trick" was a favorite thing as well. Just don't look directly at the strobes, I learned that the hard way.

If the bolt is missing from the sign, check the front of the ride's 'black box.' I bought a whole bunch of nuts and bolts for it earlier in the season.

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2002 Raptor Crew
"Hey, Cool. My voice is on the lift"

The crew this season ROCKS! Although I could do without DJs "yippie skippy" thing. DJ was always a character! I knew most of the crew just from riding Raptor this season so that part was easy. As for the wait sign, if the guests would keep their hands OFF the sign it the time wheel thing wouldn't keep falling off. Every single time I fixed it or changed the time, some guest would just HAVE to touch it. I'm glad they're not like that with us too-blech! But I will check the black box this week for more nuts and bolts - thanks for the info! :)
I'm actually looking forward to returning this week!

It was nice to finally put a face with a name Jo. I rode Sunday after I got off work and you were on speils. You must have been the most energetic person I've heard all season. Way to go girl :)

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Annie

CP & LE RR Crew '01
Swings and Swans/CP & LE RR '02

"Who throws a shoe?? Really!! You fight like a woman!!"

Hey so that WAS you walking from the back of the park past MF on Sunday. I was going to say something when I was walking to MF at about 9:50 but wasn't sure if it was you or not. Well actually, I just couldn't in my head figure out why you'd be walking from the BACK of the park to go to Raptor, so I figured it wasn't. Daily walk around the park, wow. I don't even like the walk TO Millennium Force from the entrance.

Edit: Yes, almost two weeks later, I didn't go this past weekend. Birthday ahoy!

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Natalie
Mine Ride '99
Thunder Canyon '00
Millennium Force '01
*** This post was edited by Ride of Steel 10/16/2002 8:49:12 AM ***

Yup that would have been me Natalie-it's a pretty safe bet you'll see me every morning doing that (if no Louie's the night before! :)) I saw Jeff 2 weeks ago and told him to be sure to tell you hi. I'm sorry I havent stopped by MF on Friday nights to say hi but when it's running you know where to find me! ;)
Besides Flora our other roommate sucks btw I keep praying she'll term out every weekend I go...no such luck! :(
Sam may be heading to park next weekend, I'll make sure she stops by and says hi!
Happy belated birthday!!! :)
Love ya man!

Jo
2000/2002 Raptor Crew
Raptor flights: 654 :)
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It's all about getting around the barrels, or over the fences, right leads, no faults, fastest time and looking pretty when done. What's so hard about that? :)

I haven't worked a Friday night yet hehe.

And only one roommate too, and only closing weekend she'll be there, AND she drives with me so it's someone I know.

Edit: Thanks :o)

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Natalie
Mine Ride '99
Thunder Canyon '00
Millennium Force '01
*** This post was edited by Ride of Steel 10/16/2002 4:09:26 PM ***

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