Gratefulness.

This photo gets me every time. I took it while riding the train at Kiddieland on Opening Day, 2009. Little did any of us know that it would be the opening day of their final year. The image of this mom sharing a ride with her little boy renders me weepy because that little boy will never be able to share this same ride with his kids.

And that's why I'm writing this book. It's become my mantra. If my book can help keep one vintage park open one day, one year, one decade longer, then it's all been worth it. And I'm thankful for moments like these, watching the simple joys vintage parks bring to families, which keep me focused on my goal.

Thank you again to everyone who donated money toward my project on Kickstarter, to all those who check in on my blog, and to the multitudes who just ask from time to time, "How's the book coming along?" To all of you, I'm' eternally grateful.

Kiddieland, Melrose Park, IL. April 17, 2009.

Your fearless author tackles the unknown...

It's been one day now, almost the full 24 hours exactly, since my Kickstarter goal was achieved! Those of you who pledged, again, I thank you with the strength of a thousand smiling suns. The funds will be sent to me electronically on the 17th. And then the real fun stuff begins: planning the trips to the remaining fifteen parks. For those who are curious, here's a rough list: there's a park in New Orleans, a gaggle of parks in Southern California, a pride of parks dotting the East Coast. There's one single wan little park in South Dakota, two unique ones in Oregon, and one more park I can actually drive to up in Green Bay, WI. And there you have it.

Now, what we're coming up against, well, not soon but presently, is cold weather. Parks can't operate in cold climates - this past weekend at Silver Dollar City, plenty of signs bore witness to this, with the threat of ride closures if temperatures reached below 40 degrees. So the next parks I visit will be in warmer climes. Probably the Southern Cali parks, and that lone park in the Crescent City, a sturdy little city park, a survivor of Katrina.

I'll definitely keep you posted when the next trip is planned, which will probably happen after the Holidays, more than likely closer to February. Until then, boy oh, do I have some stories and photos to share. Like this relatively embarrassing one posted above (taken in June at Arnold's Park, IA).

Hey, what can I say? I give.

Home again, home again...

Our trip to the greater San Fran area is now a fond memory. I'm back at my usual job: auditioning for v.o. jobs, writing my Cotton Candy book, and attempting not to spend a lot of money until those voice-over jobs start pouring in again. An itchy economy is a pain in the dupah (that's Polish for "where the sun don't shine" or as Monty Python once called it, "the sit-upon").

I've got about half of the money I need to actually be granted my Kickstarter funding, but there's still a ways to go. I have 28 days and still a chunk of money to assemble. Now's a perfect time for you to pledge -- because if you do so today and pledge more than $20, I guarantee you the valuable parting gift of a snowglobe from the next park I visit. A snowglobe. Who doesn't love snowglobes? Even Charles Foster Kane was a fan.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/547218072/the-cotton-candy-roadtrip-a-book-about-the-magic-o

Hey! Get that Altruism Monkey off your back TODAY! One of THREE ways you can make me smile -- and get that warm, fuzzy feeling...

Today the dumpster was set out on our drive way. That's good because we can finally load in all our debris from the flood, the debris that was fermenting near our driveway, swiftly turning into a biohazard as the days progressed. The shiny green dumpster is here so the nice man who is working on our roof has a place to put the old crumpled roofing, some of which was damaged during the storm of 2010.

This morning when Ben attempted to make breakfast, he realized our stove does not work. Something went kaflooey with the electrical componenet which, upon closer researching online, I've learned may cost about $250 to replace, not counting the repairman.

So, if you're still reading this, could you please take some time to help me out because, yeah, things are a bit trying just now and money issues just keep cropping up. I'll definitely have your back later.

Here's what you can do:

Go to my Kickstarter site and pledge money toward my book:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/547218072/the-cotton-candy-road-trip-a-book-about-the-magic

Go to my Cafe Press shop and buy something cool:

http://www.cafepress.com/vintagepark

Go to the Pepsi Refresh Everything site and vote FOR FREE for Conneaut Lake Park's funding of the Blue Streak rollercoaster. If this park's coaster is put back into working order, this park has a chance of succeeding. If not, I'm not quite sure...

http://www.refresheverything.com/conneautlakeparkbluestreak

There are your options. Oh - you can also stop by our house on Sunday and help us paint. Contact me directly for further information.

Thank you for your attention. Oh -- and enjoy the nifty photo of the llama from the Conneaut Lake Park carousel. That's free, too, just for visiting my blog today!

Three reasons why you should donate to my project on Kickstarter...

For a $100.00 donation (if my project is fully funded), you will receive a recording of me on an actual rollercoaster. For reals. This is a big deal for several reasons:

1. Think of the gentlest kiddie coaster you've ever seen. Think of me on that coaster, waving and smiling, happily posing for the camera. Now, erase that thought because at 5'8" and roughly 140 lbs. I would not be allowed on that tame little ride. Nope - I'll have to suffer through an actual coaster, swallowing down my anxiety at just the mere sight of the thing.

2. My last name is Turlow. Growing up, kids used to call me "turtle". Not just because it's a slant rhyme of "Turlow", but because I moved slowly. I enjoy taking things at a moderate gait. I don't rush. I seldom voom. Rollercoasters are the antithesis of my inborn inclination for cautious, calm, "slow and steady wins the race"ness.

3. Having been informed of my proclivities regarding fast,fast,zoom,zoom, you now know that a video of Pam on a Coaster is a rarity, a collectible, a valuable commodity. I don't do this for the grins and giggles. I'll be doing this to earn that $100 donation. However, you'll more than likely have a regular jamboree of grins and giggles while watching me white-knuckle it on the coaster.

For that $100 donation, I will be your monkey, strapped into the seat, shot into space, hoping Mission Control will allow me safe passage home.

It's official. I'm seeking funding. Learn how you can play a part in upcoming "Road Trips"!

With voice-over work being slower than molasses in February (the adage is "molasses in January" but February is much colder, the official Armpit of the Year, and, ironically, the month I'm born in), I've decided to set up not only a Cafe Press shop of nifty swag you can purchase with my Road Trip images emblazoned on the front ( http://www.cafepress.com/vintagepark), but I've also registered with Kick Starter, a site which helps people fund their creative projects.

If you follow the link below, you'll be able to pledge toward my goal of $7,000, an amount which will aid me in finishing my Road Trips much sooner than the projected Summer, 2011.

Please donate, with the warm-fuzzy feeling of helping a vintage park live another day!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/547218072/the-cotton-candy-road-trip-a-book-about-the-magic