Living in Brighton, where Kraft doesn't exist.

Over a month ago I published two blog posts that explained how I made it from sunny Southern California all the way to Brighton, Surrey, UK. What I could do is say that this is the third installment of that blog series, but at this point that would be like saying this is Half Life 2 - Episode 3 instead of just calling it Half-Life 3. And I'm not gonna be like Valve and just put it off until its 5 years later and all we want is to SEE GORDAN FREEMAN'S CROWBAR AGAIN AND NOTHING ELSE.

Wow. Sorry about that. I imagine none of you know what that was all about. If you do, thanks for being a video game nerd. Moving on.

I'm currently in full writing mode, which doesn't happen often. Got sweats on, cup of tea next to me (thanks UK), and tonight's random music is Bob Marley. So if this blog starts getting a little weird, it's just the music.

The Royal Pavilion is one of the nice places to see in Brighton

England - it's the place where people love to drink tea and football carries an entirely different meaning. I figure I should start with the day I got off the plane, which happened to be September 11th. I walked through customs, which was a fun experience in itself. When I showed the customs officer my VISA to work in the UK he asked me what kind of VISA it was because he'd never seen it before. As usual, all I needed to do was mention some type of cool attraction he'd been to that Merlin owned and I was stamped through. Instead of taking the tube into London and a train to Brighton, I tried looking at the bus depot first to see if there was something more direct into Brighton, and luckily for me there was. The bus only took two hours from Heathrow to my hotel right next to Brighton's beach.



Before you all start saying things like: "Oh, from one beach to another Nick!" or "You're life is so hard!" keep in mind that Brighton's beach consists of stones and pebbles, one operational pier, and one pier that's burnt down not once, but twice (and the rumor is that the other pier did it). As I found out later that afternoon, the water in the English channel is COLD, and I don't mean "stop your complaining and put your head under to get used to it" cold, I mean put on your full body wetsuit because the water is 50 degrees.

Ever wondered what a twice burnt down pier looks like?

My first three days in Brighton were primarily spent looking for a place to live. Any moment I could spare I was on the computer contacting every flat that was listed within my price range, which kept growing every day. Brighton isn't a very big city, but people commute in from other locations around the city. Problem is, quite a few people drive from outside the city, as the busses take a long time. I toured a few places, one was too far away, one had over 15 people trying to get the lease, and one was literally right next to my hotel, only a 15-20 minute walk from work. Price was a little steep and I would be living with a 45 year old woman, but I was living in a safe place 5 minute walk from the city center (or centre if you're feeling European) with someone who knew a lot about Brighton. More pros than cons, and I quickly moved in after four nights in the hotel.

During this time, I was also starting my new job at the Brighton SEA LIFE Aquarium, which happens to be the oldest operating aquarium in the world. My first week of work was really positive - I was working at what was easily the smallest attraction I've worked at so far which creates a sense of everyone working together to solve problems. The first three weeks was all about learning as much about everything as I possibly could. I'm the Entertainments Manager at SEA LIFE, which means I'm in charge of all educational aspects of the attraction - talks, conservation, interaction with staff. It's easily the most challenging job I've had with Merlin thus far and has certainly come with a bit of trial by fire, but as with any other challenge, I do my best to meet it with 100% of my effort. I've learned a ton more than I ever figured I'd learn about fish, turtles, and other sea creatures. I help feed giant sea turtles almost every day, and I lobby our curator to let me snorkel with the sharks almost on a daily basis.

On one of my first days on the job I was told that the attraction needed large scale renovations, large enough to potentially close the center over winter. I wasn't sure what to think of this really at first - I'm here for six months trying to learn how to become a good entertainments manager, how can I do that if I have no one to manage? A couple weeks later it was confirmed that we would close on October 31st and hopefully open again in late February. I've got plenty of tasks to complete while we are shut, and I'm hoping it will be a positive thing in the end. I'll have an opportunity to create real change in Brighton - almost like opening a new attraction, which is something I'd be quite interested in for the future.

London Eye by night.

All things work aside - living in Brighton is certainly different than California, Wisconsin, or New York City. First all - I haven't driven a car in two months now. Bear in mind, after driving about 45 hours in a week before I left this hasn't been all a bad thing, but it does present its own specific challenges. There are a lot of theme parks and attractions in the UK, and I can't just hop in a car and drive to them on my days off, it takes more planning. The good news is that the UK has a really great rail system, and I only happen to be a 57 minute train ride from London where you can get a train literally anywhere but America. So far I've been to a couple of theme parks, and had a trip around London, not bad for two months over here.

I can't say I have extensive travel plans for the rest of my stay here, but I can confirm that I'll be spending christmas with the one and only Natalie Hunter in Paris, France and the UK. It's hard to believe that I've been here almost two months already and it's less than two months until we'll be meeting each other outside of Heathrow to start our holiday together. It's also hard to believe that I'm spending one of my favorite holidays in Paris with Natalie Hunter. Let's just say I'm really hoping these next two months go by quickly so I can go ice skating on the Eiffel Tower and listen to christmas music by the fire.

I really do like Brighton. It's a city that's small enough to travel around on my bike (Big shout out to Gumtree.co.uk, England's Craigslist for the cheap bike) and has quite a bit to do. Brighton Pier is a tourist trap, but features a few roller coasters. While I don't doubt that the coasters themselves are safe, the fact that they are are many large steel structures sitting on a 120 year old pier that shakes when it's windy out, I rode them once I don't really feel the need to ride them again. There are countless pubs and shops to explore here as well. One thing Brighton is "famous" for is the Laines, which are windy narrow streets that could never fit a car through them lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. You can find anything from Warhammer to fine Jewelry in the Laines, and its pretty easy to get lost if you don't know where you are going. Let's just say while most of America is laid out in a Grid, Brighton is laid out however the fisherman in the early 1800s damn well pleased for it to be laid out.

THINGS THE UK DOES RIGHT
-Hard Cider

Is that a horde of Zombies? Crap - why did I come to Brighton?

-Sunday Roasts
-Flapjacks
-For the most part, their sense of humor
-Zombies

THINGS THEY COULD DO BETTER
-Have buffalo wings
-Spelling - why would I spell color "colour?"
-Mexican food. You don't wanna know how it tastes here.
-Airtime on their roller coasters.
-Make the left shift key on the keyboard bigger. It's impossible to hit with my pinkie finger.

For anyone who was keeping track, 6 out of the 10 things on that list are food related. Kraft macaroni and cheese doesn't exist here, which is pretty disappointing to be sure. I have found alternatives, but let's just say that I eat more pasta packets than I want to mention. They are cheap, and living in the UK is expensive. Like, more expensive than it was to live in New York, which is pretty lame.

After just under two months of living in another country, I can say that I've adjusted to life over in the UK pretty well. If this was the first stop on my little Merlin Tour I think I would have had a hard time. This isn't like studying abroad where you are surrounded by other people going through the same experiences in a program designed for it. It's showing up in a new country and figuring everything out yourself. Things could really have been a lot worse - Skype is a godsend as a cheap alternative to contacting people back home. And the people I work with are closer to my age than anywhere I've worked before, which means a bit more socialization (yeah, I spelled it with a Z, so what England!) in Brighton itself. That doesn't mean I don't miss the hell out of the people back home. Wisconsin is still my home, and I always felt like I could book a plane for not a ton of money to get back there for a long weekend if I wanted. That's tougher here - travel takes longer and it's way more expensive, so there is no going home for six months. Luckily I have some really great people who are coming to visit me (in addition to Natalie my parents and sister will be here in January to visit the UK and Ireland, right - I'm going to Ireland! Kiss the Blarney Stone!) and I really appreciate them coming to see me.

It's safe to say that I'm really trying to invest most of my time here in work - trying to get the most out of this experience that I can take back with me to make myself all the more marketable when my program ends in March. Once March rolls around it'll be up to me to secure a job in Merlin myself. Obviously I plan on starting that search quite a bit earlier and will have the support of the people I've worked with already, but all things considered - I'm already excited to find a place to live for longer than six months. I'm excited to potentially be starting the next chapter of my life after this year and a half has changed so much for me. I can't wait to be with Natalie once she graduates. I also can't wait to hopefully reconnect with the people I've lost a bit of touch with since graduation. Speaking to someone once a month on Facebook isn't exactly what I'd consider the best case scenario for a friendship, and I hope it doesn't have to stay that way.

Some people have disappeared entirely - I hope we can get past whatever has separated us and watch the Brewers on opening day (with or without Prince Fielder) because life is just too short.

Every time I move it teaches me to appreciate everything I already have - the UK is no exception, infact it's an even bigger reminder about all the good things I've got. Family - Friends -Girlfriend - Bdubbs - Playstation.

If you're still reading this far you've probably already realized that the Bob Marley ended a long time ago and all sense of organization in this post was lost when Billy Joel started playing in his wake. Currently its New York State of Mind (the slow version), which is one of my favorite songs. I would like you to know that I miss all of you dearly, and if it were up to me I'd be teleporting to Eau Claire or Milwaukee or Carlsbad tonight. I'd be judging Bradley next weekend and reconnecting with those who have lost that contact in the last 18 months - and I'm not saying that to whine that life here is terrible, because it isn't, and I'm doing just fine with or without Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. It's what one of my biggest role models said to me in May when I first heard that I might be moving abroad - "If you have the chance to live abroad for a set amount of time - do it, because it will help you appreciate where you grew up all the more."

He was right. I like being here, I like learning to live in new places because I think it helps me grow as a person, but it's Wisconsin.

Don't Get Comfortable - Installment Two

Well well well. You're still reading? Silly people. I promise this entry will be shorter than the last as we are only dealing with a few days this time around. Here's how the story rolls on...

I believe I left you with a pretty good cliffhanger the last time, so I'll try and start right where I left off.

First of all - even after indulging in the greatest mexican food in California for awhile, Burracho's white queso and hot salsa is still amazing on a burrito. Absolutely delicious.

Second of all - I totally forgot about the few hours I got to spend with my sister in Rivers Falls before getting into Eau Claire. We went to RFFR (River Falls Family Restaurant) and had some pretty incredible cheese curds. Really good stuff seeing her. I wish I could more often.

On Tuesday morning I woke up around 7AM and honestly had a hard time leaving Eau Claire. I knew that I wouldn't be back for a long time, and there are just still so many of my friends who still live there. It also meant that I was leaving my girlfriend. Saying goodbye for months. There are so many different forms of communication out there today (thank jesus for the internet), but nothing will ever replace face to face communication. Nothing can replace an in-person laugh or smile, or the touch of someone else's hand to your own.

Needless to say, I planned on leaving at 7:15, but didn't leave until atleast 8:30. Most of the time was spent just standing at the car.

After the goodbye it was time for a quick stop at Starbucks for some 4 1/2 hours of sleep fuel and it was off to the races towards Milwaukee. I needed to go to the Department of Homeland Security Immigration Office in downtown Milwaukee and convince them to have my biometrics (which really just turned out to be a big word for fingerprints) read on the spot, as I was "encouraged" to get everything sent overnight to New York City to have the British Consulate sign off on my work Visa within 48 hours so I could actually...ya know...go to England and start by Monday. Luckily after driving some 32 hours before this having 4 hours in the car was relatively painless. I cranked up some tunes and sped home. The weirdest part was the 65 mph speed limit, as I'd been used to 75 (and sometimes 80) speed limits on the way home.

I ended up driving straight downtown and parked across the street from the building which was right next to MSoE's campus. I walked in and asked the gentleman behind the counter if I was able to have biometrics read, and he seemed very confused that I wasn't on his list. He eventually agreed and gave me a little buzzer as you'd receive at a restaurant and told me to have a seat upstairs. When I got upstairs I was met by a giant waiting room that would put the DMV to shame. It looked more like a huge airport gate than anything else with CNN playing on all the TVs and a guard in the corner making sure no one used their cell phones. The good news was there was only 4 other people in the room with me. How long could it take for people to get fingerprinted?

Apparently nearly three hours.

After becoming an expert on Tuesday's top stories on CNN (Rick Perry was "very" concerned about the Texas wildfires) my number finally got called. I went downstairs, gave them my passport, and about 10 minutes later I was back outside. Sadly my two hour meter was far gone and a $21 parking ticket clung to my windshield. (Mom or Dad - if you're reading this, I forgot to pay that. Might be in my car somewhere?) After some lunch I had to go to Walgreens to get a UK style passport photo taken. You'd never imagine how strict the guidelines for a UK passport photo are. There can be no glasses, no smiles, no obstructions whatsoever. I look like a serial killer on my visa.

After all that was done I printed out all my applications, got my photos and passport together and went over to Fedex it all to NYC for the next morning. Luckily for me, I wanted to stop in New York on my way to England, and because I physically needed to pick my passport up there, it gave me an excuse to stay a whole day in the city. More on that later.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and went to my parents house and had a shower. That night was spent with my parents and eventually the one and only Sam Simonson. Just spending time at home with my parents is always terrific. I try and speak with them a couple of times per week, but as usual, nothing can replace face to face communication. Sam picked me up later and we went down to Moe's Irish Pub for some garlic cheese fries (YES) and a beer. As always with that guy, 3 hours flew by and it was like no time had passed at all.

The next two days I spent in Wisconsin. Meeting up with some of the few friends I kept in touch with from high school. Watched the Packer's season opener against the Saints at a friend's house which was great, except for the Drew Brees lighting the packers up for 400 yards thing. But aside from the Packers awful secondary, it was a really nice couple of days back home. I had loads of cheese curds, custard, and fun with family. Friday morning my flight left Milwaukee at 5:40AM connecting in Charlotte and then JFK. Flights went really well with no problems. Even JFK wasn't a horrible place like it usually is. After living in the city and flying out of that airport it makes things considerably easier to get around. I was also lucky enough that my friend lived just a few subway stops away from the airport. The bad news was both of my suitcases weighed 49.5 pounds (well done, right?) and there are no elevators in her station, so it sucked to carry those up the stairs.

Being back in New York was totally amazing. It honestly felt like I had never left. I still knew the subways, I knew how to get around and how things worked. I had a couple of friends who I spent all my time with and I ate way too much food. I was introduced to a bar that gives 5 shots for 10 dollars (seriously, you show me this NOW? I lived there for six months!) and this place called S'Mac, which made some of the best baked Mac and Cheese I've ever had. It was really nice to see some of my friends from the city and just experience that type of life again. It really is something you won't find anywhere else, and while I don't know whether or not I'd want to live there for a long time, it's something I do enjoy.

The next morning I went into Times Square and visited my first "real" job site with Merlin, Madame Tussauds New York. I sort of walked in un-announced, and it was really cool to see some reactions of the guys over there. The attraction itself looked fantastic and most people seemed in high spirits.

I know it was only a day and a half back in the city, but it was really fantastic and I'm glad I was able to go. I managed to pick up my passport from some skyscraper on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, and I had a plane to catch at 6:30PM out of JFK. I grabbed my bags, and made it to the airport just under 2 hours before the plane took off. Being September 10th on the tenth anniversary of September 11th, I imagined that security lines would be atrocious, but I was through in five minutes and at my gate.

Made some calls. Said some goodbyes. And walked onto the plane. I managed to book a hotel in Brighton for my first night in the city, but I didn't have anywhere to live, no means of real communication, wasn't even sure how I was getting from London to Brighton in the first place. For the first time since I got this job I didn't want to go. I didn't want to get on the plane.

It was definitely the feeling of going into the great unknown. In a middle seat.

Don't Get Comfortable - Installment One

Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure.

I think every blog entry should start with a Portal reference. Or atleast a Valve game reference of some kind. Don't you just want to keep reading? The nerdom is taking you...

This is the story of a 23 year old guy who had an epic adventure of moving. It's a three part blog entry, and goes into some major detail. This is my one and only disclaimer.

So, about two weeks ago life was pretty normal. I had gotten used to living in a nice 3 bedroom townhouse/apartment/condo thing with two other lovely people, heading to the beach in Carlsbad, California atleast once a week, and soaking in that great So Cal weather. And as my job tends to do, the more comfortable I am the more they seem to take me not just outside my comfort zone, but generally upside down and around 2000 miles away from it. This most recent episode included a 2400 mile road trip (which was more fun than you could imagine), a full day and night in New York City, and a red eye flight to London with no real idea on how to get to my final destination - Brighton, which resides in Sussex within the United Kingdom.

There is a lot to write about, so please bear with me. I promise huge insights into my life are to come.

Let's start back at the beginning. What seems like a year ago, September 1st. The day I moved out of my place in California and left what I only know now was the greatest Mexican food I'll probably ever eat. I was lucky enough to have a co-driver with me as the Kia Soul started its 2nd march across the country. Her name is Natalie Hunter, and I think she's pretty amazing. To many people 35 hours in a car doesn't sound like very much fun, but with her I had more fun than I could have ever imagined, and made some great memories along the way. The first of which was Las Vegas. Driving to the Midwest from California is a bit of an odd journey, unlike driving East from Wisconsin where there are rest stops and hotels every 10 miles, there are large expanses of land that are practically uninhabited in states such as Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and if I didn't know better, Nebraska. Because of this, you need to plan your trip accordingly.

Day one only featured a 5 hour drive to Vegas because after Vegas there isn't another town with a hotel for hours and hours, plus the Vegas hotels are way nicer and way cheaper. We stayed at the Flamingo, and while that place may be a bit older than other strip hotels, the price was definitely right and we had a great time even if it was for only one night. The pool at the hotel was great (and had great features like a waterslide and one group of people with a blow up doll) and we were able to get a picture with the famous Welcome to Vegas sign. Sadly it was only one night, but we had some serious driving to do the next day, as Denver, CO was the next stop on the trip and was approx. 14 hours away.

If you've never driven between Dever and Vegas, I'll let you in on a secret. It's absolutely beautiful, and probably one of the best drives anyone can get on the interstate, but its also the most desolate. There are two expanses of highway in Utah that have warning signs because there isn't a gas station for so long (both 121 miles and 65 miles respectively). And driving through the mountains of Colorado at night can be a bit unnerving, but amazing (we'll get to that later). What amazed me the most about the landscape was the large portions of Utah without any people. The landscape was full of colors on one side of the spectrum, full of vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. The rock formations would look so odd and wild as they have been shaped by the wind for thousands of years. The entire day's journey was really just story after story of driving up and down beautiful eroding mountains. Had a few stops to enjoy the nature around us as well, including a small river gorge in Arizona (we were in the state for all of 20 miles, but it was gorgeous), a few overlooks in Utah, and one incredible stop in Colorado.

When we really started getting into the Colorado Rockies the sun was well on its way down the horizon, which was disappointing as the mountains there are beyond beautiful. The dark did have its advantages though. Right before you descend into Denver on I-70 one must first pass through a large tunnel that takes your car right through a mountain. There is an exit on the east side on the tunnel that has a state road which takes you to the top. After just five or ten minutes driving up this road we were atleast another 1000 feet high, and away from any real light pollution; even the moon was trapped behind the side of the mountain. As we got out of the car I thought to myself that I've had some pretty good stargazing before, and while the middle of nowhere Wisconsin does offer a nice view of the heavens, nothing prepared me for the sight I had at the top of that mountain. As I got out of the car I was greeted by a cold breeze and the sent of pine trees. It had been a long time since I had the real smell of nature, (Southern California is a glorified desert) and the smell was absolutely welcome. As I looked up I realized that I didn't need a flashlight to see anything, the stars took care of that just fine. The Milky Way was so bright and beautiful that my breath was taken away. I had been used to not finding the Big Dipper because light pollution was so horrible, but that night my biggest issue was finding it among so many bright stars. After about five minutes of gazing, I saw what had to of been the most amazing shooting star. It was so bright that its tail was yellow as it burned in the atmosphere. It streaked across the night sky - one side to the next - and made me so happy that despite a later drive into the city, that we got to have that experience. I'll say this: I've never seen the sky look like that before, I hope I get to see it again just like that someday.

Around 20 minutes and a couple shooting stars later we were both shivering, but smiling. The drive was another 45 minutes into Denver where we acted as if we'd both had too much to drink: Eating Taco Bell and passing out shortly there after. For sitting on your ass the whole time, driving really takes it out of you. The next day we were set to drive from Denver to Omaha, Nebraska. Personally, I thought that drive would be a breeze as the last time I drove to California my first day included a drive from Milwaukee to Denver, about six hours longer. I have no idea how I did that, because Nebraska's landscape is simply mind-numbing. Stopped in Kearney on the way before descending into Natalie's aunt's house in Omaha. I met quite a bit of family and had a really good night. They were all huge cornhusker fans, so I made sure to give them a wonderful Big Ten welcome with plenty of smack talk about how the Badgers will take them down later this year. Hopefully that pans out.

As the night came to a close we drove to what Natalie called "The Cove", which is where her Aunt and Uncle have a house on a lake. It was absolutely beautiful, and theres nothing better than waking up in the morning and taking a walk out to the dock and breathing in the morning air. Another piece of nature that just doesn't exist in New York or California. Back in the car, it was just six hours up to the Twin Cities, where I'd stay a day with Natalie's family before making the trek back to Milwaukee. At this point, I was about ready to be out of the car, but an old friend, speech, saved the day as I was able to help brainstorm for Natalie's inform. I miss writing speeches. (Karen/KJ, if you're reading this, I'd love for you to send some speeches my way to coach)

Once into Minnesota we were able to meet Natalie's parents at a really cool Italian restaurant which featured a live band and people ballroom dancing. I can't remember the name, but it had a really cool atmosphere and even better food. My pasta was amazing. Played (and won) some cribbage, and went to sleep once again.

Made a huge mistake and checked my work email in the morning to find that there was a hell of a lot of work that needed to be done on my Visa (not the credit card) to the UK that was due to be finished by Friday. I needed a new UK approved photo, a biometrics test (what?) and a couple of long applications filled out ASAP. Needless to say, there was only so much I was able to do from Natalie's house and some of it had to wait until the next day. Still: major annoyance.

After saying some goodbyes to family I was back in the car with my eyes set on Eau Claire, Wisconsin. For the first time in 4 days I was driving alone, (but I still had Natalie's aunt's snacks in my car, so I felt good) but I was able to stop and chat with Karen Morris really quick, which was better than fabulous. As per usual with Karen Morris, what was meant to be a 15 minute stop to see her new house and such turned into an hour and 15 minutes of catching up. She's a great person, and Jack has grown up so much! The night included lots of hugs, laughs, and burrachos. I slept on the floor of my old house (Oh my god what the hell happened to that place) and luckily didn't contract any new diseases by morning. I had to wake up real early to get to Milwaukee ASAP to try and convince the Department of Homeland security to allow me a biometrics test despite the fact that my actual appointment was 4 days later in Waukegan (earliest time available). That was bound to be a challenge.

At this point it was Tuesday. I've still got to get a UK visa, have a night in New York, and somehow make it to Brighton before Sunday afternoon. More to come later.

From a 737...

If I had a nickel for everytime I thanked God for twitter, I'd have atleast two dollars by now. A few weeks ago while perusing my tweet stream on my phone I saw a deal from Air Fare Watchdog's (follow @airfarewatchdog) twitter feed advertising a one weekend cheap flight from San Diego to Minneapolis. After a quick chat with my boss granting me a long weekend I had my flight booked less than an hour later for only $220 round trip, direct, taxes and fees included. How'd I get so lucky? Its not always clear why airlines cut rates for specific weekends, or when their seemly impromptu airfare sales go live, but two things are for sure: You need to be flexible, and you need to jump on a deal when you see it.

For those of you that don't know of Air Fare Watchdog or other deal hunting websites, but love to frequent sites like Orbitz or Priceline looking for cheap or impromptu deals, I'd highly recommend switching. These websites take all of the great deals currently listed by all carriers and keep that data in a central location. So instead of checking numerous websites a few times a week, one could check a single website (or follow one on twitter) to see when great deals are to be had.

I got particularly lucky to find such a solid deal out of San Diego, which is a relatively small airport, (especially with LAX just a couple hours north) but for any of you who are located in a major city with a large airline hub, these deals can come up more frequently. Last winter when I was living in New York there were fantastic international travel deals where one could get a round trip flight overseas for literally less than $500. So for those of you on a budget but looking for an adventure, its worth a check.

Now that I've promoted the hell out of a couple airline websites, I'd love to give an update on Southern California. Since moving nearly two months ago (wow) I've been lucky enough to hit my 200th roller coaster, tried surfing, and learned a lot about California's ridiculously large selection of labor laws. As mentioned earlier, I just visited Eau Claire this weekend, and that was really fantastic. I haven't been in Eau Claire since August and it was a real treat to see everyone throughout the weekend. I didn't get into town until 1AM Friday, but lets say that everyone was in a good place when I got there and we definitely didn't go to sleep right away. Wisconsin was good enough to snow twice while I was there (It's May, Wisconsin. Figure it out) and cancelled wiffleball, but all in all it was a fantastic weekend. There was Killer Bunnies, a near tattoo experience, and dancing outside near the Chippewa River.

Some exciting news. I normally try to keep most of my personal life off the internet whenever possible, but Laura was offered a job to be a camp counselor down here in California this summer. She will still be almost two hours away from me, but that's definitely better than 2000 miles. It's a really cool camp too, and she gets to go see a live show in LA every other weekend. Not a bad deal if you ask me. Looking forward to seeing her again in a month. :)

Quick Reminder: The Green Bay Packers are still NFL champions. The Vikings have still yet to win a Super Bowl. Thank you.

One thing I didn't really expect moving to California and starting this job was how I would spend my free time. The fact is this is the first job I've ever had where I've had a set schedule. For the most part I'm scheduled Monday-Friday, and I'm usually back home by 6PM or so each day. I make dinner, then I have no idea what to do with myself. I try and stay productive, I mean, I beat Portal 2 in a couple of days. That's good, right? I know, I need to get a life, but I promise I don't sit at home all the time.

The fact is I feel incredibly lucky and blessed with where I am right now. Yeah, there is a toddler kicking the back of my seat on this airplane, but I'm also flying over the Colorado River right now. I still get pretty damn excited when I see the ocean on my way home from work every day, and just laying on the beach listening to those waves puts me at ease no matter the problems I may have encountered during a day. Sometimes its tough not to get caught up in what I like to call So Cal Bling, or the idea that your status symbols defines who you are. It is certainly a different lifestyle out here, where people may not be as stressed as they are in New York, but they don't seem as happy with themselves either. Always needing something better, more expensive, higher class. Judgement may be all over the place, but just focusing on how damn lucky I am makes all uncertainty disappear. It's beautiful out here, and something is seriously wrong if you aren't able to enjoy it.

What I'm thankful for today: I get to enjoy a relatively quiet 3 ½ hour flight instead of a 2 ½ day road trip to cover the same milage. Also seeing my family/girlfriend this weekend. That rocked too.

So for a recap of those blog post in my best Nick Miller forgot his speech voice:

Guys guys guys, Twitter, airplanes, Wisconsin, Packers, Girlfriend, California, symbolism, COME ON!

Love you all.

I don't know what it is, but I love photography.

I think palm trees would be nice to take pictures of.

Steel Coaster Poll 2010

Well, here's a proud moment in any coaster dork's year. Just finished my ballot for the 2010 Steel Coaster Poll done by Mitch Hawker. He's been running what many call the most comprehensive and accurate polls for steel and wooden coasters since the 90s. Honestly, if it weren't for the Alvey's this poll could probably tell you the top ten coasters in the world correctly every year.

Everyone's ballot is different, and I tend to differ from the norm a bit among enthusiasts. Don't pay attention to the y's and numbers on the right. This is a complete ranking of my steel coasters. Honestly though, after around #50 things sorta meld together as "mediocre" or "bad"


NAME FOLLOWS THIS LINE (LEAVE THIS LINE A S IS IN Ballot)
~"Nick.Miller"

RANK THE FOLLOWING RID ING SENSATIONS <-LE AVE THIS LINE AS IS
Abrupt Airtime________ ___________________ __,y,y,1
Floating Airtime______ ___________________ __,y,y,6
Lateral Forces________ ___________________ __,y,y,5
Out of Control Feeling/Directional Change
_,y,y,2
Positive G's/Loops____ ___________________ __,y,y,4
Sensation of Speed____ ___________________ __,y,y,3
COASTER NAME PARK LOC <-LEAVE
X2 Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,1
Favorite Wood Coaster Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,2
Magnum XL-200 Cedar Point OH,y,y,3
Bizarro SF New England MA,y,y,4
Maverick Cedar Point OH,y,y,5
Tatsu Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,6
Dueling Dragons-Ice Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,7
Diamondback Kings Island OH,y,y,8
Millennium Force Cedar Point OH,y,y,9
Dominator Kings Dominion VA,y,n,10
Riddler's Revenge Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,11
Alpengeist Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,12
Apollo's Chariot Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,13
Nitro Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,14
Afterburn Carowinds NC,y,n,15
Nemesis Inferno Thorpe Park UK,y,y,16
Saw - The Ride Thorpe Park UK,y,y,17
Raging Bull Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,18
Revenge of the Mummy Universal Studios FL,y,n,19
Silver Bullet Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,20
Talon Dorney Park PA,y,y,21
Mantis Cedar Point OH,y,y,22
Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,23
Top Thrill Dragster Cedar Point OH,y,y,24
Stealth Thorpe Park UK,y,y,25
Firehawk Kings Island OH,y,y,26
Mystery Mine Dollywood TN,y,n,27
Goliath Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,28
Superman - Ultimate F Six Flags Great Am IL,y,n,29
Viper Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,30
Fav Half Pipe Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,31
Batman The Ride/Clone SF & Other Parks **,y,y,32
Deja Vu Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,33
Mr. Freeze Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,34
Gemini Cedar Point OH,y,y,35
Revolution Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,36
Flight of Fear Kings Island OH,y,y,37
Avalanche Kings Dominion VA,y,n,38
Voodoo Dorney Park PA,y,y,39
Flight Deck Kings Island OH,y,y,40
Demon Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,41
Sierra Sidewnder Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,42
Superman - Ultimate F Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,43
Pony Express Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,44
Raptor Cedar Point OH,y,y,45
Scream! Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,46
Bizarro Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,47
Fav Vekoma Invertigo Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,48
Mamba Worlds of Fun MO,y,n,49
Volcano: The Blast Co Kings Dominion VA,y,n,50
Batman - Dark Knight SF New England MA,y,y,51
Incredible Hulk Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,52
Nighthawk Carowinds NC,y,n,53
Patriot Worlds of Fun MO,y,y,54
Griffon Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,55
Hydra the Revenge Dorney Park PA,y,y,56
Dueling Dragons-Fire Islands of Adventu FL,y,n,57
Wicked Twister Cedar Point OH,y,y,58
Iron Wolf Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,59
Loch Ness Monster Busch Gardens Euro VA,y,n,60
Vortex Carowinds NC,y,n,61
Flight of Fear Kings Dominion VA,y,n,62
Ninja Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,63
Steel Hawg Indiana Beach IN,y,y,64
Superman The Escape Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,65
Dark Knight Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,66
Vampire Chessington UK,y,y,67
River King Mine Train Six Flags St. Loui MO,y,n,68
Space Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,n,69
Big Thunder Mountain WDW Magic Kingdom FL,y,n,70
Backlot Stunt Coaster Kings Dominion VA,y,n,71
Backlot Stunt Coaster Kings Island OH,y,y,72
Rock n Roller Coaster Disney's H Studios FL,y,n,73
Runaway Train Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,74
Shockwave Kings Dominion VA,y,n,75
Wild Thing Valleyfair! MN,y,y,76
Fav Wild Mouse Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,77
Fav Galaxi Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,78
Whizzer Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,79
Fav Spinning Mouse Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,80
Steel Force Dorney Park PA,y,y,81
Excalibur Valleyfair! MN,y,y,82
X:\No Way Out Thorpe Park UK,y,y,83
Vertical Velocity Six Flags Great Am IL,y,n,84
Steel Venom Valleyfair! MN,y,y,85
Manhattan Express New York New York NV,y,y,86
Fav Loop-Screw Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,87
Dark Knight Six Flags Great Am IL,y,y,88
Skull Mountain Six Flags Great Ad NJ,y,y,89
Montezooma's Revenge Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,90
Ninja Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,91
Adventure Express Kings Island OH,y,y,92
Gold Rusher Six Flags Magic Mo CA,y,y,93
Colossus Thorpe Park UK,y,y,94
Tennessee Tornado Dollywood TN,y,n,95
Iron Dragon Cedar Point OH,y,y,96
Cedar Creek Mine Ride Cedar Point OH,y,y,97
Spongebob Squarepants Nickelodeon Univ MN,y,y,98
Fav Intamin Bobsled Any Park Anywhere **,y,y,99
Vortex Kings Island OH,y,y,100
Anaconda Kings Dominion VA,y,n,101
Fav Powered `Coaster' Any Park Anywhere **,y,n,102


I know what you're thinking. Nick, how they hell did you rank Manhattan Express over Colossus. My answer is this: atleast I expected Manhattan Express to suck, Colossus blew it.

In the words of Brittany Favre...

So this afternoon while I was intently checking twitter looking for updates from AFA (more on that later) I saw a tweet from Brittany Favre (yes, I follow her, but its only because someone else showed her to me. I admit its a little weird, and can't really explain why I do it) that was titled "Life is good, Long time, No Blog." and I instantly agreed with her.

Life is good. And I haven't blogged in ages. 

I want to start by congratulating my amazing blugolds. They placed 9th in the nation at AFA. Best place since I think anyone can remember for the school, and an incredible feat for any team to achieve. If anyone can do it, its these guys, they have determination and drive like no one has ever seen. They set their own goals high, and they believe in themselves. I was so proud to be an alumni this afternoon at work as I saw UWEC in 3 finals. I kept talking about it, and none of my coworkers understood, but it didn't matter. They rock. 

So I moved to California about a month ago, and I love it. Last Friday I was sitting outside having a drink with my roommate's friends and realized that I was outside, surrounded by palm trees, little bonfire going, sipping on a cocktail. It's like I'm on vacation, but I'm not. It's an amazing feeling to be able to jog on the beach 3 days a week (thats right firecracker four, you better watch out because I'm coming for you) while the sun goes down. The sunsets are absolutely incredible here. 

Photo Credit: rcdb.com

And as I'm living on the west coast for the first time, you better believe I've already been to a few theme parks. Knotts Berry Farm was pretty lame in my opinion. Back quarter of the park wasn't even staffed the whole day and the rides were meh at best. Glad I only paid half price, and I don't feel the need to go back. Think I'll drive the extra hour and head to Six Flags Magic Mountain. Was lucky enough to head there yesterday to ride some of the baddest coasters on the planet. I'm serious about that as well. X2 is the first and only 4D coaster in the United States, and its also my favorite roller coaster overall. The cars spin independent of the train, which means one second you could be facing forward flying forward, and suddenly be upside down going backwards while the train drops 90 degrees. I was able to ride the coaster back in 2004 when I was in high school, and after riding it again yesterday I can gaurentee that the ride hasn't lost a step. I didn't know where I was when it was finished. Totally mindblowing. And they added fire. Bonus. 

Small side note, I hit 200 different coasters this weekend. Yeah, I'm a huge dork, but we all need hobbies. Also, Tatsu was amazing as well. #5 steel coaster. 

What can I say? I love powerful Stormtroopers.

Okay, back to things that are interesting to more people than me. Legoland (still theme parks, but I also work there, so it doesn't count) unveiled Star Wars: Miniland last week which look absolutely incredible. There are scenes from all 6 films made totally out of LEGOs. I was lucky enough to help out during the unveiling, which meant seeing members of the fighting 501st. For anyone not aware, the 501st consists of fans who dress up in incredible costumes from the Star Wars movies. I met about 10 Jedi (including Darth Maul and Qui-gon-Jin, who were chatting when I saw them, kinda funny) countless storm troopers, and a few rebels as well. Even Darth Vader made an appearance, but I didn't approach him. It's important to stay as far away from the force choke as possible.

Other than sweet dorky events, work is going pretty well. I'm learning as much as I can about California Labor Laws, and as it turns out, there are a ton of them. Way more than I thought, so it's kind of important that I learn them. So I'm not at fault for a lawsuit or something. Yeah.

Proof that I should have netted by 3rd BoC.

I'm not sure what else to blog about to be honest. I know I've got opinions about stuff. For example, last week on April Fools woot.com had one of their vintage Bag of Crap April Fools jokes. Where they make all their fans insanely mad trying to win a Bag all night long. This years joke was a flash game that didn't really work for the first 6 hours or so. You needed to beat a certain level to win a bag, but when I beat level 4 when all I needed was level three I was not awarded my bag.

What I really don't understand about the whole thing is the amount of people that were upset that woot's servers, which constantly crash whenever a BoC goes up for sale, would work better during this game. It's April Fools, and whether or not the game was designed to crash, it was pretty funny to read the comments. :)

I'll do my best to blog a bit more in the future, and not just about myself. There are other things going on in the world that obviously my opinion thrown onto the interwebs as well, so look out for that.