My most recent Kickstarter update

Back in mid-November, the universe beckoned and I was granted my Kickstarter goal. I leave updates from time to time for the backers. This is my most recent update.

Friends, I bet you've been wondering, "What will that Pam put our pledged money toward? When will she conquer her next park? And when do I get even more swag?" Come on, you know you have. Well, let me amaze you with the details!

In mid-February, Ben and I will take off to ports south and west, Southern California to be exact. And there I'll visit a total of five parks! We'll begin our sojourn in San Diego at Belmont Park, an eighty-five year old waterfront pier park, one that's recently declared bankruptcy. I've emailed back and forth with the PR director and he assures me the park will be open when I visit. But beyond February, it's future is dubious. Consequently it's SO important for me to make Belmont a part of my RoadTrip.

My next park will be the Santa Monica Pier, so that makes two oceanside parks in one trip. And what will the last three So Cal parks be? The Holy Triumvirate of 1971, the three places I visited with my mom forty years ago this upcoming summer: Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. You may ask, "But Pam, they're all so well-known!" Yes, they are, but they're also all over forty and, more importantly, that 1971 trip made such a huge impression on me, forming me into a Mid-Century fan even at a tender age. And it was the only "girls' only trip" I ever took with my mom. Mom's been with me in spirit during every single Cotton Candy park I visit, so I can only imagine her input while I revisit "our" parks a scant few weeks from now.

Your generous donations are making this five park journey possible, and will continue to aid me in April when I take in the park that withstood Katrina. But more about that later.

For those of you who pledged the amount that entitles you to postcards from three parks, be sure to check your mail in latter February!

Peace to all -- Pam

Twins.

Visited Dad yesterday and noticed a book on one of his sheelves: Riverview: Gone but Not Forgotten 1904 - 1967 Chuck Wlodarczyk. Paged through it for a bit, reminding myself of the magic of the long-gone park. It closed before I had a chance to ever visit it, so all I know baout the park I've learned through my parents' stories -- and this book.

There's a selection of photos of the Shoot the Chutes, a log flume-liek ride. Truly, I feel I have seen this ride in person, when I visited Kennywood Park. I remarked at that time tht the ride was so very similar to photos I'd seen of the Riverview ride. What makes the comparison even cooler is that Mr. Wlodarczyk mentions Kennywood in his book, about how it's a great traditional amusement park.

So enjoy the photo above, confortable in the knowledge that Riverview's spirit, maybe just a ltitle of it, is alive and well in Pittsburgh.

Nutria... for those who like them

At Storybook Gardens and Timbavati Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI, you can get up close and personal to some nutria. I've always liked these little rodents. I came upon my first nutria at the Berlin Zoo when my friend Marie squealed, "Look! Nutria!" and I thought she was hungry and saw a snack stand for the creamy yogurt-covered Nutria bars sold in Germany (Note: there are no such things as creamy yogurt-covered Nutria snack bars, nor are they sold in Germany).

Anyway, I just learned that these seemingly gentle creatures are a blight on the Gulf Coast, eating crops and generally getting in the way.

Doesn't seem fair; they are so darned adorable.

Everything old is new again...

Tomorrow I start work on a new v.o. demo. Much needed -- I won't even mention how old my current one is. It's still a good representation of what I do, but I've grown a lot in the last fjkaieowhfl years and I'd like my new demo to reflect that. Plus, I want to connect with some new agents, so a fresh demo is always a good thing.

I'll probably use a few pieces from my old demo, because they still show off a certain facet of my v.o. work magnificently. Got me thinking about old and new, reworking the old into the new, and creating, through a certain type of alchemy, something even grander.

Which brought me to Knoebel's Amusement Park in PA. Where they take old rides and rework them. Or utilize vintage blueprints of rides to create something that's akin to stepping into a time machine.

Witness the above photo. this is the "new" Flying Turns ride, still under construction at Knoebel's, based on the famous Flying Turns ride from the 1920s which used to thrill visitors to Chicago's defunct Riverview Park back in the day. Including my parents.

Sunday on the Blog with Photos!

While heading up to Hoffman's Playland, Seabreeze and Darien Lake parks in New York, we stayed the night at Kate's Lazy Meadow. Kate Pierson owns the venue. She's the Mid-Century Goddess of Fun.

This is one of walls that divides the room we stayed in. That's my head among the pieces of brick-a-brack.

From under the giant duvet...

Sometimes it would be nice to just find an extra big, extra fluffy duvet, full of a down-like substance, and bury one's self underneath it for a day or two.

I mean, some folks hop a plane to get away from it all. Others might get in their cars and simply point it in one direction and say, "I'm going to travel for 100 miles and wherever I end up, that's where I'll stay the night."

Those are both really good options. But what's drawing me right now is a giant comfy blankie full of a down-like substance.

I might bring some hot tea with me, for extra coziment. Or not -- cuz then I'd have to get up and pee.

No, just the duvet, extra large bed, and me, curled up underneath the quilty like Miss Suzy the squirrel (Google it; it's a kid's book from the 60s).

Why am I retreating? Well, I had a great day with two v.o. sessions, so that's not why. No, I'd like to retreat, just for a bit, before launching my next phase of Cotton Candy details to the world.

It's also nice to find yourself enveloped in flannelly-warm goodness when you think you may have let down someone. Or when you made a decision that is just no fun any way you slice it.

That's all you need to know right now.

(yawn.....) off I go.

Separated at birth??

From the "Too Scary for Words" file: a photo of myself in front of "Laughin' Sal", part of Santa Cruz Boardwalk history.

You tell me..... just a little too eerily similar? I'm shuddering as I write this.