CodeMash 2016

The Evil Genius family got a terrific chance at a basically free vacation, when Mr. BTEG's company arranged to send him to CodeMash, a convention for computer developers, that is held yearly at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH. Mr. BTEG got a four-person room, and since that entitled him to up to four waterpark passes, the Musician, the Dancer, and I came along. It was not only a great opportunity for a vacation, but family participation is encouraged with KidzMash, "a free family track for the spouses and families of attendees."

The Good:
Free-to-us getaway, as noted above

The Musician and the Dancer got time to interact with all kinds of adults in technology fields, and take part in activities such as helping Daddy build a NodeBot. Most of the KidzMash activities were designed for much smaller children, but the girls were very welcome in anything that was not an official lecture or class. The Musician's outgoing and vivacious personality really shone through here. Since the Dancer is still thinking of studying STEM in college, it was a fantastic chance for her to get a closer look at technology opportunities, and meet lots of adults in the field. They also got to do some fun things like play Settlers of Catan.

Parts of the waterpark were really fun. The girls enjoyed the wave pool. I got to ride the Zip Coaster, a kind of roller coaster in a water slide tube, which was fun for this roller coaster enthusiast.

The Bad:

I got bored with the water park very quickly. I enjoy the lazy river ride at Great Wolf Lodge, and expected to find a really great lazy river at Kalahari, since it is a much bigger water park. But it wasn't really any longer than the one at GWL, and it was chilly! GWL likes to stress how warm their waterpark is, and I can see why now that I've been in the Kalahari one. Not only was I shivering in the lazy river, but there are several places where water splashes down on you, which does not help with the chill. Another reason I didn't enjoy the water park as much as I would have liked was because:

The air was very dry. After only several hours in the park, my legs were dry and itchy. I would have liked to have gone on the Zip Coaster again, or tried out a few other things, but I didn't want to make my skin irritation worse. I do have sensitive skin, but even though Mr. BTEG hadn't gone in the water park yet, his hands were drying out after a couple of days. I can see that they would not want to have the area outside the water park feel overly humid, but they went too far and dried the air out too much, especially for the winter months.

The food was so-so. One of the fun things about going to an indoor water park like GWL or Kalahari during the winter months, is that everything is self-contained: your lodging, your meals and entertaining activities. It's great fun not to have to venture out into cold or snow for a few days. I'm a picky eater, but even so, with all the different places to eat in Kalahari, there was nothing special for any of us. We quickly discovered that the food options were essentially the same. The food at the cafe by the arcade was the cheapest and lowest quality; the upscale restaurant was the most expensive and best quality, but that was about it. Mr. BTEG found the catered lunches for attendees much more interesting than the restaurant food. Also frustrating was that one of the restaurants, the buffet, was closed for the week, although the park was at or close to maximum capacity for the entire week. This leads us into:

The Ugly

On Wednesday night, Mr. BTEG, the Dancer, and I went to the mid-priced restaurant to grab something to eat. There was a line to be seated, despite the restaurant being half-empty. The hostess mumbled something about everybody from the convention coming in to eat. Well, what did they expect? They had a very good handle of how many people were at the hotel, given that most people got a water park bracelet. This is the 10th year that the convention has been held at Kalahari. The schedule includes lectures during the day, and social activities at night. Many people are going to come for dinner in between those times. There are a few other outside restaurants in that area, but really, shouldn't Kalahari want you to stay and eat at their places? Plus, as I mentioned above, although the weather has been blessedly snow-free, it was rather cold. It was a very appealing option to just stay inside.

After a wait to be seated, we then had to wait for our waitress, who had probably just come on shift. We sat and watched the line to be seated wax and wane, until we noticed the table behind us was getting food. Unfortunately, the people at that table had decided to leave a while ago. At this point we realized that not only had we ordered our food before that table, but it had been forty minutes since we had ordered, and we hadn't even received our appetizer in that time. The manager did give us our entire meal for free, but the whole thing was just a big mess that should have been avoided by having enough staff on hand.

The first night, the Dancer and I grabbed something small in the cafe that was next to the arcade. It was dimly lit, and there was some kind of pipe making noise the entire time we were there, that made it difficult for the Dancer and I to hold a conversation. The cafe didn't look any brighter any of the other times we walked past it, which we did a lot, because:

You have to walk through the arcade to get to the water park. Not only is this over-the-top marketing to try to get you to play games in the arcade, it was unpleasant to have to wend your way through arcade games to get where you were going, every single time. The Dancer and I especially found all the lights, noises and garish colors to be over-stimulating.

The lazy river decor was literally ugly. There were about ten hyena statues placed at intervals around the lazy river. Hyenas are ugly animals, and that was pretty much all there was to look at going around the lazy river. At one point, there were a couple of hyenas that looked ready to take on an alligator, which wasn't really much fun to look at either. I don't know; it was like they got some hyena statues cheap and just decided to throw them there.


So to sum it up, the girls and Mr. BTEG did have a good time at the CodeMash part of the week. I got bored and came home Wednesday night; they will be there until late tonight. I was expecting Kalahari to be so much more, since it is so much bigger than its neighbor down the street, Great Wolf Lodge, but it really wasn't. It probably is at least more fun in the summer, when all the outdoor activities are open too. It was refreshing to get away for a couple of days at least (we got there Monday night) so there's that.

More Dreaming

So since we've talked about our dream *vocation*, what would your dream *vacation* be? The more I think about it, the more I realize that sitting around on a beach somewhere is not for me. My dream vacation, and this is not a surprise for those who know me, would be to hit all the major amusement parks in the U.S. I want to ride on all the top roller coasters in the country! So far, besides all the biggies at Cedar Point, and that is saying a lot, I've only ridden the Beast at King's Island and GhostRider at Knott's Berry Farm, as far as top-flight roller coasters.

Yes, I love spinning in tea cups, and boat rides, and ferris wheels, and especially roller coasters, better than lying quietly in the sun. Am I insane? :)

My Take on the Virginia Tech Shootings

This is partially in response to my blog friend Jau, since her latest post set off this whole long ramble. She suggested we should limit "tools with which people can express intense anger and misery." I pointed out that now that guns are illegal in the U.K., there's a call to ban kitchen knives, as they are responsible for a large portion of the current violence there, perhaps as much as half. People will turn nasty and violent. It's sad, but it's a fact of life, has been for the thousands of years that humans have been around, and always will be. The first recorded sin in history, after eating the forbidden fruit, was a violent murder.

Secondly, if Clayton Cramer is correct, the two guns that the shooter owned were a Glock 9 mm and a .22 caliber pistol. These are semi-automatic weapons, not automatic weapons. At some point, the shooter probably had to change the magazine on his gun, although he probably could have done it fairly quickly. And many gun owners will argue with you about their right to own automatic weapons just as much as their right to own semi-automatic weapons. The reason we own weapons is not just to protect ourselves from the thief who breaks in at night, but to protect our liberties from a tyrannic government, if need be. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Founding Fathers saw that their system of government might not last and that tyranny might raise its ugly head once more.

Clayton Cramer also implies that since Seung-Hui was a resident alien of the United States, there was no reason why he could not have owned these guns legally, although he was not supposed to have them on campus, but hey, that didn't stop him. I would like to know where Jau got her information that gun shows are exempt from background checks. I purchased my gun at a gun show, and you'd better believe the person from whom I purchased that gun did a background check on me. A federally-licensed firearms dealer must always run a background check before selling a firearm. Any exceptions there may be, such as LEOs and people with a CCW, are just another form of background check. Any hobbyist can set up a table and sell his collection at a gun show, but those people are probably being watched to make sure they are really hobbyists and not firearms dealers. And anyone can sell a firearm to anyone else in a private sale, which I do not believe the government should ever regulate. The government has no business in private sales. In any case, do we know where Seung-Hui purchased his firearms or have any reason to believe he owned them illegally? Let's not bring up situations that may not even fit this story, and are unlikely on top of that. The MSM may love to put out scare stories about gun shows, but a gun show is not someplace to just go anonymously load up on all the guns you want. I've been there; I know.

Lastly, Jau asks, "Why must being an American include the fairly frequent and not very remote possibility of being mowed down by lunatics?" Well, first of all, because Americans have rights and freedoms, guaranteed by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Do we want to destroy those any more?

Secondly, I really do not believe the possibility is "fairly frequent." According to this page, "The Swiss, New Zealanders and Finns all own guns as frequently as Americans, yet in 1995 Switzerland had a murder rate 40 percent lower than Germany's, and New Zealand had one lower than Australia's. Finland and Sweden have very different gun ownership rates, but very similar murder rates. Israel, with a higher gun ownership rate than the U.S., has a murder rate 40 percent below Canada's. When one studies all countries rather than just a select few as is usually done, there is absolutely no relationship between gun ownership and murder." Yes, shootings like this are spectacular and they make the news, but how often do they really happen? To me, this is like the scare stories on roller coasters every time a roller coaster death or accident occurs. You are more likely to get into an accident on the way to the amusement park in your car, than get hurt on a roller coaster.

Thirdly, these sorts of shootings don't just happen in America. See Montreal, for example. I agree with Clayton Cramer that there was no way to prevent this person from obtaining handguns except a complete ban on handgun ownership, which will never happen. Please also read this link on Clayton Cramer's blog where a Virginia Tech student who has a CCW wishes he had the same right to protect himself on the campus of Virginia Tech as he does elsewhere in the state - and he wrote this last August. Perhaps if someone else on campus was legally carrying a firearm, this tragedy may not have reached such huge proportions. I know I will never, EVER give up my right to carry, nor to own firearms, nor to protect myself and my daughters, if need be, by using a firearm. Call me a whacked-out gun nut if you like, but I believe I have presented facts in a reasonable manner in this post.

Get This Party Started

Hey ya'll! Through the lovely Kate, I found The Ultimate Blog Party, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom, and decided I wanted to take part, 'cause I love a good party! I'm going to *try* to do something interesting every day with the party theme; we'll see how it goes.

My name's Barb; I'm married and have two lovely daughters, the Scientist, who's 11, and Wildchild, who's 8. When I'm not homeschooling them, I try to find time and energy to sew and cross-stitch. I usually end up sewing for my daughters

and dolls, theirs and mine!


I also love roller coasters, music, ice skating and reading a good story. I'm looking forward to having a good time this week. I can use something to lift my spirits!

I Think I'm in Love

I just hope I don't have to travel to Japan to ride a roller coaster like this. For those of you who can't or don't want to view the YouTube video at the bottom of the page, each set of seats on the train swings independently of the others. I've seen computer-generated video of a roller coaster like this, but this is the first one I've seen IRL.

For "live" fun a little bit closer to home (at least for me! ;) ), check out these POV videos of Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, Magnum XL200 and Raptor. Ah, Cedar Point dreams... May 12 isn't that far away!!

What's Life if You Never Get to the Point?

Okay, I know several of my readers do not like Kevin Keane, but c'mon, he spent a good bit of last night's show talking about Cedar Point! He took his family there on Tuesday, and hopes some of our struggling Tribe players were also there getting some much needed R&R.

I love Cedar Point. It's in my blood. I hope there are roller coasters in heaven. I know Kennywood has been advertising heavily here in the Cleveland area, and it looks like a nice little park, but it can't touch Cedar Point. Cedar Point was recently named "America's Favorite Amusement Park" by the readers of Theme Parks Magazine for the second year in a row, along with a bunch of other awards. Cedar Point had three roller coasters in the list of top four steel roller coasters! Cedar Point's Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster are experiences not to be missed, and even in her 17th year, Magnum XL-200 still consistently ranks in the top 5 of steel roller coasters.

Cedar Point also was named by the international readers of Amusement Today in 2005 as the "Best Amusement Park in the World" for the eighth consecutive year!

Of course, Cedar Point is well known for her roller coasters. In this photo, you can see a few: Wildcat, Millennium Force, Mantis, Iron Dragon and Corkscrew. There are sixteen coasters total.

Two are kiddie coasters.


And speaking of kids, Cedar Point has two Kiddielands, Kiddie Kingdom and Camp Snoopy, plus a play area behind the Snoopy Boutique where kids can play more quietly for a break, ride a miniature train, maybe even hear a story.




There's a nice assortment of thrill rides, both old-fashioned like the Matterhorn, and brand-new, like maXair and Skyhawk.

If you get warm, there's two water rides.

For those who want a calmer visit, Cedar Point still has lots of traditional rides, and shows featuring not only singers and dancers, but some featuring divers or ice skaters! You can find lots of shopping, include a casual stroll along the Frontier Trail. There's tons of food options, and Cedar Point always ranks high in the entertainment and food categories, as well as park cleanliness and friendliness of staff.

So have fun! Ride early, ride often! You and your kids will sleep well that night!

You Know You Grew Up in Northeast Ohio When...

you know the four seasons: Winter, Almost Winter, Still Winter and Construction! Ha. Still, the crocuses are blooming in my front yard, and the robins and Canadian geese are back. Since spring is here, can summer be far behind? So what do you look forward to about summer? I look forward to going to Cedar Point, Roller Coaster Capital of the World, on America's Roller Coast! I look forward to not having to wear a heavy coat everywhere. At least we did not have a lot of snow this winter, so I got to skip the boots. I look forward to once again seeing neighbors who have spent the winter holed up inside, like we did! And at the risk of having a bunch of you showing up here a lot this summer, I am looking forward to swimming in our pool. It's not enormous, but big enough to hold several adults or a lot of kids. I float on a raft, and the kids splash and play. Ahhhh.

What I am not looking forward to about summer: being in church without air-conditioning. And feeling sorrier still for our pastors in full robes and other clerical garb. I still like going to church though!

Buckle Up

Although you will notice "Lutheran theology" on the list of interests in my profile, I'll probably never be known as a "Lutheran blogger," someone whose blog mostly consists of theology and Lutheran issues. I'm just a "blogger with a Lutheran perspective." Tonight I decided that this relates to another one of my listed interests, roller coasters! I looooove riding roller coasters! I've also been a reader of several roller coaster newsgroups and bulletin boards. I've picked up a lot of information and jargon like "traditional out-and-back" and I've had my own humble opinion on things like the wood vs. metal debate. I've even learned about roller coaster safety, why I can strap myself into a vehicle that will reach 120 mph and go over 400 feet into the air, and trust that I will reach the ground again in one piece. But I don't get into discussions myself. I won't ever be one of those people going on about maximum ride capacity per hour, or the minute details of how a roller coaster works. In the end, I just love to ride!

In similar fashion, I enjoy finding out and want to learn how God wants me to live, and about what it means to be Lutheran. Of course, I attend church. I try to read the Bible and learn from it. I've had a few deep discussions with other Christians, and I listen earnestly when those I trust discuss matters of faith. I read online conversations between Lutherans and Lutherans, and Lutherans and non-Lutherans, from which I've learned a lot, like the discord within the LCMS, and how many are leaving for the ELCA, or the WELS, or Eastern Orthodoxy, or something else entirely. I try to show my faith to others by my actions, and just about everyone who knows my family at all, knows that we are Christians. But generally, I don't get involved in talk about the intricate details of theology.

I'm not trying to trivialize faith here, just share my own personality quirks with you, my loyal reader. It's more important than anything to be sure why you believe in the Christian faith, and in specific matters of doctrine. You need to find out why you can undoubtingly place your trust in Christ as Savior. The worst that can happen to you on a roller coaster is that, against incredible odds, you could die. Eternity, however, in the words of Prince, "it means forever and that's a mighty long time".

I think in the end, it's just my Evil Genius* coming out! I will "observe, calculate, discern and decide," yes. But then I want to trust in God and enjoy the ride!

*Unfortunately, the original quiz doesn't seem to be around any more, but you can read about being an Evil Genius here.