Some Good News WORLD’S COOLEST UNCLE BUILDS NEPHEW A ROLLER COASTER IN HIS BACKYARD
E ven as the initial worry about the pandemic is dying down, many people’s daily activities are still affected by COVID-19. However, absent some of the normal ways we spend our time, that also means that people have continued to stretch their creative muscles to both amuse themselves and entertain the people around them. Take, for instance, the hobby mechanic who built a roller coaster for his nephew in their backyard.
While that might sound impossible, Charlie’s knack for mechanics (he skipped a few years at school to study math and science at university) and Leigh’s engineering background made it possible. They built the entire coaster in eight days. The finished product was a 230-foot long coaster named Big Dipper. Leigh and Charlie used PVC pipes for the rails, scrap metal for the frame, and 462 wooden bearers for the slats. The cart was made from a large chopping board. They tested it with hay bales and let Calden’s stepdad and mother ride it, just to make sure it was safe. Calden loved it, but Leigh and Charlie were exhausted because the coaster was human-powered. That meant to get to the top of the first, 3-meter high hill, they had to push Calden up. The roller coaster was a success not just because it worked, but because it gave Calden something to be excited about in the midst of the pandemic. Leigh hopes that Calden’s roller coaster designs and Charlie’s math degree will mean more personalized roller coasters.
Wales residents Leigh Downing and his son Charlie wanted to do something special for Leigh’s nephew, Calden, after learning he was upset about how the lockdown was preventing him from spending time with his friends during the summer holiday. They knew that Calden loved designing roller coasters on the computer and with his marble roller coaster set, so they figured the best way to alleviate Calden’s summer blues would be to build him his own, life-size roller coaster. SUDOKU
NIBBLES WITH NUG
WARM SPINACH AND SUNCHOKE SALAD
Inspired by FoodAndWine.com
Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes will give your spinach salad a little something extra!
INGREDIENTS •
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 lb sunchokes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
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1 lb leaf or curly spinach, stemmed and large leaves torn 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced 4 oz clothbound cheddar, crumbled (1 cup), divided
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15 garlic cloves, peeled
Pinch of crushed red pepper Kosher salt and black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil until nearly smoking. 3. Add sunchokes, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Move skillet into the oven and roast for 25–30 minutes, until sunchokes are just tender. 5. In a large bowl, add the prepared spinach. 6. Remove skillet from the oven and add vinegar and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, then pour mixture over the spinach. 7. Toss gently until spinach is wilted. 8. Add apple and half of the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. 9. Transfer to a serving bowl, toss, top with remaining cheese, and serve.
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