Guest Post: We All Have our Happy Places...

Today's post is a guest post from Gloria, who writes at EdgeofGloria and at Recovering Bankrupt. You'll find links to both of her blogs at the end of this post, so go give her a read after you've read this post, about some of her favorite places. I'm happy to welcome Gloria and I hope you enjoy her post. I did.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I was thinking about favorite places. I was inspired by something I read on Elaine's blog, I was just thinking. I complain a lot, but there are some places that really make me happy. Here they are, in no particular order.

My bed: I do need a new mattress, but I love my bed. The box springs are Stearns and Foster, which used to belong to my parents, which give you an idea of how old it is. They probably bought it in the mid-50s. So the mattress is shot, but I love my bed. I have a down comforter, and I like having my room on the cool side so I can snuggle under the comforter. I use the comforter even in the summer; where I crank up the fan, and sometimes even the air conditioner, so I can slide underneath. I use a CPAP machine, so sometimes I pull the comforter over my head, blocking out the light, but totally being able to breathe.

My house: I hate it sometimes, but I love it. It's familiar, as I never left the house I grew up in, and now I own half of it. It's the only place I've ever lived. It's conveniently located, and I love my backyard. Sometimes I sit in my backyard and grill out, and I look up at the sky through the trees, and I feel blissful.

Cedar Point: This place is an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. I love roller coasters, and Cedar Point has some of the best in the world. Millennium Force is the best, in my opinion. It's a very smooth coaster (steel) and the first hill is so steep, (it's an 80 degree angle) it feels like you are moving inward towards the base, instead of outward. It doesn't go upside down, so there's no over the shoulder harness. Instead, you are held in by a seat belt and lap bar. I always try to sit in the front seat. Since I usually go by myself, I have the whole row to myself. I spread out my arms, and flying down that first hill, I feel like I'm literally flying like a bird. It's fast (93 miles per hour) and the overbanked turns really do make me feel like I'm swooping around like a bird. There are two hills that are zero G, so I feel like I might come out of my seat when I hit those. I feel so happy when I ride this ride. It's the closest I can get to feeling like I am a bird that can fly.

Right after I am done with this ride, I feel like I can enjoy the rest of the park. I usually don't play skill games, but I might try a few video games. I enjoy walking on the beach of Lake Erie. It's fun to see what people are wearing and what prizes they've won. I usually try to avoid the food. It's quite expensive, and this last time I went, I packed a bunch of stuff to take with me. I did break down and have a Coke and some French fries, but the fries weren't that great. I take lots of pictures, and those are my souvenirs. I've been broke for the last four years or so, so I've had to watch my money when I go to Cedar Point. It's usually enough for the ticket, gas there and back, tolls (it's easier to navigate the turnpike than to try and figure out the highways to get there) and enough for a small meal. And that's it. This time, I had a little more money, so I had a snack, and also paid to play a ring toss game. I didn't win anything, but because I bought a hatful of rings, I got to keep the hat. At least I got something out of it, which is more than what you get from most skill games.

But Cedar Point also reminds me of trips I took there from childhood. Some of the rides and things they had back then are long gone, but I'm so glad my parents took me there. For a long time, I didn't go to Cedar Point because I didn't have anyone to go with. But then I decided I didn't need anyone to go with me. So I started going by myself and enjoying it very much. I just wish I could bottle the feeling I get from riding Millennium Force and take it whenever I needed to.

Cedar Point is open through the end of October, and of course from about mid September until they close, they have Halloweekends. I always enjoy the tombstones of rides/attractions they no longer have. I'm sad they got rid of the Funhouse before I got old enough to enjoy it.

But there it is, some of my favorite places. Check out my blog for some candid opinions of what makes me happy, sad and pissed off. Edgeofgloria.blogspot.com. I'm also writing a bankruptcy blog, and you can check that out at recoveringbankrupt.blogspot.com. Thanks to Elaine for exchanging guest posts with me, and I hope you will see more in the future.