Rollercoaster

Carol and I took a day off work this past Wednesday and went to Kings Island for a day of sun, fun, and coasters. We chose this day in the middle of the week because we knew that most of the kids would be back in school, and the park wouldn't be very crowded. It paid off; there were maybe a couple thousand people there, and we didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes for any ride, even the newest one, The Diamondback.

The Diamondback is 230 feet high, the first drop is 215 feet at a 74 degree angle and is almost a mile long. It whips you around at 80mph through twists and turns, but since it's a metal coaster, it's a very smooth ride with very few bumps or rough spots. Take a look for yourself.

It's a very nice ride, but I prefer The Beast. The Beast is the greatest wooden coaster ever built. It's almost 2 miles long, most of it through dense woods and it follows the natural terrain so it's up and down and twist and turn. 70mph in a wooden coaster - you feel it. You feel the track, the bumps, the ratchets. You get thrown around, bounced up and down, and moved HARD. There's nothing like it in the world. Then when you think it doesn't get any better, up ahead you see two dark tunnels - it's a double helix that you're going to sail through at breakneck speed...

So what would you prefer? The nice, smooth ride with few jolts? Or the rough ride with thrills, excitement, and dark places that you can't see out of right away, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel? Me? I'll take the rough ride every time, because I know in this world I will have trouble, but I know who has overcome the world.

Inked...

Yep, I did it.

I got inked.

Kevin Combs, a man with an amazing talent, at Skin Addiction in Hamilton did mine and Carol's. If you're considering a tattoo, go see Kevin before you see anyone else. Seriously, he is an artist.


The building on Main St. Looks pretty much like one would expect, but it hides the amazing artistry inside.

I think that dude on the couch was there for his first tattoo

I head back to the torture chamber Kevin's workspace, and I found waiting for me...

Carol! She was getting the finishing touches on her tattoo. She told Kevin what she wanted, a cross and a sparrow, and he took the simple drawing she did and turned into a masterpiece.

After seeing the work Kevin did on Carol, and the canvas he painted on Ryan, there was no doubt Kevin would be the one to jab a sharp needle into my arm for two hours.

The seat I would spend the next two hours in. It's pretty comfy, you should go try it out.

The prep - gotta shave the hairs off the arm. I thought about asking him if he would do my legs as well, but that would have been kind of silly since I wasn't getting a tat on my leg. Yet...

The start. It didn't hurt, more like a sharp itch. We've all heard the horror stories about people being in extreme pain, but that just wasn't the case. Right, Helen, Fran, and Kelly? ;)

I asked Kevin if it was too late to change my mind now. He laughed and said yeah, it was too late. I asked him if that really has happened, people who decide after it's started that they don't really want a tattoo. He said it has, and just tells them that they might as well finish it.

See that smile? It really doesn't hurt. Sure, it's a little uncomfortable, but it's nothing a tough manly-man like me can't handle.

Nope, doesn't hurt a bit.

See the detail in there? It's truly amazing what Kevin can do with ink, skin and needles. Go see him, go see him now!

The outline and shading are finished, it's time for the color. Still no pain.

Look at that. Amazing.

So pain-free I decided to take a nap. Kevin had his Mountain Dew, so he didn't need to catch some zzzzs.

And we're done. Me and my beautiful bride-to-be.

That's Kevin. He has a God-given talent, and I'm amazed at the artistry he creates. If you're considering a tattoo, go see him. He can take your image and make it a wonderful work of art.

You Finish

“If there were no ______, then we would not have ________”

Be creative!