I'm Going to Eat a Hissing Cockroach. Really.

I've always been a huge fan of riding roller coasters. For a number of years, I was an avid member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts. So when I heard about a promotional event at Six Flags, Great America, I became very excited.

Each year during the month of October, the Six Flags parks have "Fright Nights", a Halloween-based theme going on. It's a lot of fun and the weather is always cool, if not downright cold. (Coasters run faster in cooler weather). This year, the Six Flags here in Chicagoland is having a promotional event where if you eat a live Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, you and three friends get to skip to the front of the lines for the entire day.

I'm so gonna do it!

First of all, the idea of not having to wait in any lines all day is sheer heaven to a coaster hound like me.

Second, I have a history of eating weird things and have always been curious about strange delicacies. For example, when I was ten years old, I noticed that our elephant-ear plants in the flower garden smelled like bananas. I broke off a stalk and began chewing on it.

As it turns out, they're poisonous.

My entire esophagus began burning really badly and I had trouble breathing. I had to be flushed out with lots of milk. Stupid kid.

When I was a kid, my family would always eat at Valerio's italian restaurant when we'd venture to San Antonio for the weekend. The house salads came with an anchovy on top of each and everyone in my family would automatically give all their anchovies to me. I loved 'em. Still do.

I've eaten fried gobbler testacles. They're featured in my home-town's annual Turkey Fest each year. I only tried them once. They're really nothing but a grey, chewy thing.

So, the idea of eating a big, live bug in order to have quick access to a dozen roller coasters is kind of a no-brainer. Besides, I'll enjoy the attention.

I get to bring three friends. (The Hag already said 'no'). Any takers?