It's Gone

As probably all of you know, Back To The Future -- The Ride closed down yesterday night at Universal Studios Hollywood. This means that the only BTTF Ride still in existence is in Japan.

I want to slap whoever was in charge of that. If not for the Ride, I would have never gotten into Back To The Future. Back in January 2000, I went to Universal Studios Orlando for the first time. Back then, I was a crazed Marx Brothers fan, so the highlight of the trip for the younger me was encountering the Marx impersonators. But I also rode the BTTF Ride for the first time. I quite enjoyed it, even if I didn't get all the references and stuff. A few months after our vacation, I was talking about the Ride with my dad, and I mentioned that I'd never seen the movies. Mom and Dad decided to rectify that oversight.

Heh. They've been paying for it ever since. I got so immediately obsessed that whenever we went to Blockbuster, I just HAD to rent at least the first one. Always zeroed in right on their little patch of real estate. My parents finally bought me the VHS box set as a middle-school-graduation gift (you know, the one with the Secrets video). Shortly after that, I started writing fanfic, and well, the rest is history.

I'm not sure how many times I got to ride the Ride. It's in the double digits, I'm sure -- I always made sure to go at least twice whenever we visited Universal Studios. God -- I could be out of it the entire drive down there, but the instant I started seeing those Universal signs -- the instant I knew I would soon be riding the Ride again -- I'd perk up like that. Mom and Dad preferred the beaches, but I LIVED to go on that Ride. My favorite year was the year we went down around my birthday, and I wore part of my Docette2015 costume. That was the year I got Einy, and the year I discovered I shared a birthday with one of the employees. I don't remember his name, but they brought him out, had us sing the birthday song, and I couldn't resist saying that it was my birthday too. So they invited me up front and let me show off my costume a bit. That was fun. There was also the year I got to meet the Doc impersonator -- God, I was so shy, even around a fake! He was great, though, and I managed to get in a quick kiss on the cheek. :)

I couldn't be there for the closings. Money concerns, you know. And now, knowing that I'll never be able to ride the Ride again -- knowing that my fantasy vacation of going to California to ride the Hollywood version as part of a BTTF vacation is never going to come true --

Boys, I need a hug.

One Die-Hard Fan's Blog About the Closing He says it better than I could.

( Pictures of Me and the Ride )

"That Must Be The Old Indian Name For It"

Plan concieved! Push DeLorean with train! Push to Shonash Ravine! Bridge not there, Marty say. Bridge there in future, Doc say. All that matter. Think fourth-dimensionally.
Doc meet Clara. Doc fall head over heels for Clara. Marty concerned.
-D: Getting bored with the same old recaps every time, are we?-
*shrug* Variety is the spice of life, or so they say.
I've kept my promise to OckDoc -- Chapter 1 of "The Gift and the Curse" is up at FanFiction.net. Chapter 8 of "V.D." is also ready.
-OD: *patpat* You did good, girl.-
-VD2: So now what's on the schedule?-
Getting the DVD cut of "15th Surprise" done, along with Chapter 11 of "Boy Genius." Also my latest drabbles88, which I'm slowly reworking to death.
-DW: MUST you?-
It's not bad!
-DW: It's still a tad disturbing!-
-HD: *a bit grumpily* When has 'disturbing' ever stopped her?-
Hesh up, I'm doing fanart of you, aren't I?
-OD: *tentacles playfully poke* Depends on if you can actually FINISH this particular piece.-
*rolls eyes* I really want to -- it is the tea table scene, after all.
-RPD: What about Sims?-
Gonna see if I can get in the Von Nostrands and the Furkin before I get Bon Voyage this weekend -- that should complete the current play cycle. Gotta remember to back up soon.
-RPD: Trust me, we won't let you forget.-
-TD: We're almost to the end of "A Note of Madness," aren't we?-
Yup. Ending's bothering me again -- it's rare that I have a concrete stopping point. I've really gotta fix that little habit of mine.
-TD: *evil grin* I'm sure my Uncle Klaus could help.-
Ha ha ha. Both that and "Corpse Mask" are going pretty smoothly, though.
-TTV: Glad to hear it. Now would you mind not playing embarrassing fan videos of me?-
Victor, that's like asking me not to BREATHE.
-TTV: *looking annoyed* Oh, for -- do you get off on my embarrass- *turns even paler than usual* Don't answer that.-
*evil giggles*
-VD: *pats Victor on the back* You get used to it eventually. Sort of.-
-M2: *hums "The Internet is For Porn"*-
Indeed it is. :p
Anyway, I have a drabbles88 to whip into submission.