A Smurfy Trip to KI

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

Everybody's gotta die sometime. That's life.
- Archie Bunker

On Saturday, August 22nd, Laura (my fiancée) and I planned to go to Kings Island with our friends Matt, Brandy and their 1 year old son Zackary. It would be Zack's first visit to Kings Island. Since we're all really close friends, Laura and I wanted to be there since they are among our favorite friends and Kings Island is our favorite park.

On Tuesday, August 18th, Laura's father died. His name was Tom and he was 63.

Kings Island at that time was the last thing on our minds, but after days of coping; we thought that a trip to KI would be a great way to get a break from the heartache and stress that comes with the loss of a loved one. And what better way to help cope with a death than to watch a young life experience something for the first time.

I’m not afraid of death but dying scares the hell out of me.
-Jack Cleary

Here's a run down of the roster for this trip.

There's me:



There's Laura:



There's also Matt, Brandy and then there's Zack:



Zack has got to be one of the cutest kids I've ever seen. When he smiles and laughs, he lights up the world. You'll notice that when he laughs, he really opens his mouth wide and shows off the funny little gap between his teeth.



We arrived at Kings Island around 11:00 AM. The park didn't seem too crowded yet at that point but it was still relatively early. The first thing I did was take a picture of a person taking a picture of us.



I still haven't looked the picture up to see how it turned out from his end. After that we headed toward the part of the park where Zack would start his riding career.

Death -- the last sleep? No, it is the final awakening.
- Sir Walter Scott

Four days earlier we were all sitting in the living room of Laura's mom's apartment staring at each other. Laura's brother and his wife were there. I had left work early to be with them but felt like I was an intruder. I was the outsider. I had known her father for the years that Laura and I have been together but I was not one of them, experiencing the pain the same way they felt it. He was going to be my father-in-law in November when Laura and I get married; but he was not my father. I felt like the a rock with no emotion as tears fell from their eyes.

Zack's eyes lit up when we entered Nick U. I don't know if he'd ever seen a place so big full of so much color. The first thing we took him to ride were the Sportacoptors. The line was pretty long, but he kept us entertained as he gazed around at the various rides. He seemed especially interested in Avatar, but since he is only 1 and is new to walking; he could only really ride things where someone could be there to hold him up.

Finally he got his first ride:


Zack and his Dad on his first ride

Laura and I rode in our own car and I snapped off a pick of Diamondback. I wonder if anyone has ever posted a pic of DB from this spot:


After his first ride, we went over to the Theater where the Columbus hockey team was giving out t-shirts and flags. We got a shirt for Zack and I got myself a flag and signed up for a drawing. We then headed over to the Festhaus to have lunch. We had finished and were about to leave when the lights went down and the County Line show started. We weren't really that interested in staying but Zack made the decision for us:



He lit up when the music started and the singers came out so we couldn't leave. He was dancing and loving it:



I think we watched Zack more than we watched the show. After it was over; we went out to see what else we wanted to do.

They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad to realize I'm going to miss mine by just a few days.
- Garrison Keillor

The morning after Laura's father had died, we were in Routsong Funeral home discussing the arrangements that had to be made. It was all very surreal to go from the shock of his passing only hours before to speaking to a person who was basically treating the death as a chance to push off some merchandise. They had a necklace/charm called a 'Thumbie' there. They would get a mold of the deceased loved one's thumb print and mold it into a little golden charm to be worn or displayed. I couldn't help but think they needed a better name as a Thumbie sounded like something sold at Girl Space in Kinds Island. After writing up the obituary, finalizing what would be on the death certificate and paying for everything, we were out on the street and wondering if we had made all of the right choices.

Back at Kings Island I decided to try to win Laura something at one of the games in Coney Mall. I'd never won the quarterback toss, but I threw $5 down to give it a shot (actually 3 shots). The first two footballs hit the player in the head but the third went through the hole. Laura wanted the Bengal bear with the beanie cap and we gave it to Zack to watch for the day.

We were on our way back to Nick U. when we noticed that Zack had fallen asleep:



This gave Matt and Brandy the chance to ride Diamondback for the first time. Laura had felt sick the last time she rode so she stayed with sleeping Zack. The queue was pretty much full, but it only took about 40 minutes to get through. Matt and Brandy waited for the first seats while I rode in row 12. It was a great ride. Matt and Brandy loved their ride as well. When we got back to Laura and Zack he was wide awake and playing with the Bengal bear. Since we were in the area, we went for a ride on the train:


Laura and I on the train

While we were returning on the train it started raining pretty hard. We all huddled in the middle for shelter and when the train came back to the station everyone gathered under the roof where the line usually is; hoping it would stop soon. While waiting we kept ourselves busy with stories and jokes.

I won't mind dying if I can tell St. Peter a joke he hasn't heard.
- Red Skelton

Tom loved jokes. The worse the joke was the better he liked it which rubbed off on his kids as all 3 tell them as if they are a badge of honor. Tom also loved old muscle cars. Last year his sons and I went to the Cincinnati Car Show. He and I got a picture together with the new Camaro which had not come out yet. We planned after that outing to go to the big Detroit auto show this year. In January he found out that his heart was weak and he was going to need triple bypass surgery. Because it took months to recover, he was going to miss the auto show. I played it off as no big deal. I told him, "Eh, the way the car companies are in trouble right now, they probably won't have any good cars this year anyway. 2010 will be better." After his surgery he stayed at our house to recover, which he did quite well; in fact the doctors believed he may be able to go back to work after a couple months recovery. But things went downhill from there.

After the rain cleared we went to get some ice cream. Zack was about to have his first taste of blue Kings Island ice cream. He opened his mouth ready to bite:



Then he tried it:



I'd like to say he enjoyed it, but I don't think he was ready for something cold at that point so it wasn't the best first impression. After the ice cream we went up the Tower:


Laura on the Tower with DB in the background


Diamondback from the Tower

From up there I wondered where Tom was and if he was looking down at us looking down at Kings Island.

Afterwards we rode some more rides including Zack's first ride on a carousel:


Zack and his mother, Brandy


Laura wearing Zack's hoodie and Zack obviously thinking she's weird

Then he rode the Dora trains:



Since only 4 could ride at a time, I stayed back to take pictures:



As they waved to me I thought about Tom's horrible transformation from man to patient to victim. How after his heart surgery and his brief recovery he started to get very weak. He was then diagnosed with cancer in the bladder. The doctor didn't think it was life threatening at the time, but the bladder would need to be removed. Then he had pneumonia and became too weak for the surgery. He then went through chemotherapy and it was discovered that one of his heart valves was leaking. Ultimately, after months in and out of the hospital he was diagnosed with lung cancer and was given 3 to 18 months.

He died one week later.

Against you I will fling myself, unvanquished and unyielding, O Death!
- Virginia Woolf

After the train we rode Timmy's Air Tours. I then won a stuffed dog for Zack from a game where you try to catapult a rubber chicken into a cooking pan. The last ride was on Scooby's Haunted Castle. After the news that Snoppy will be moving in to replace Nick and Scooby, it's a little sad that Zack will be back to ride more next year and everything will be different. Just as when Laura's brother was married; Tom said in the video camera that he would be back for the next one (Laura and mine).

That’s not going to happen now.

But just the same, we left Kings Island having had a fun time. Zack left with memories he may or may not remember and a cheap stuffed dog that he may or may not have by next year. We went back home to our quiet house where Tom spent a majority of his last months and where he had told Laura that he was glad she was marrying me. Life continues on as it always had though there's a part of it now gone forever. But we will keep the memory of Tom in our hearts and we will continue down life's road with heads held high awaiting life's next adventures.

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."
-Winnie the Pooh

[rotag]

Nice tr. The playing field is constantly changing & one should make the most of what's givin. For as one life ends another begins, so enjoy it while you can cause the moment may never come back around again.

[The Interpreter]

Kings Island. Families. Friends. Change. Transitions. Life. Death.

And I'm crying right now, and I don't care who knows it.

Thank you for posting that beautiful trip report. You two are going to have a most happy marriage. It's obvious you care and love deeply.

And lucky is Zack to have you all as friends...

[IslandAddict]

Kings Island. Families. Friends. Change. Transitions. Life. Death.

And I'm crying right now, and I don't care who knows it.

Thank you for posting that beautiful trip report. You two are going to have a most happy marriage. It's obvious you care and love deeply.

And lucky is Zack to have you all as friends...

Aww... its okay, Terpy. *backpat*

But nice Trip Report. Sorry to hear about that.

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

Thanks guys. Not much of a trip report as far as wait times and ride experiences. I wanted to document a child's first trip and also talk a little about Laura's dad's final year. Still not sure whether we'll be trying to have kids or not, so I have to live vicariously through friends and family for now.

[Mr. Coastermania]

Im sorry for your loss.Know that you and yours are in my prayers.I hope Kings Island made your day and i know it made your little ones day.Great trip report and thank you for the great picures.

[Beast79]

Very nice trip report, makes you look at how we all enjoy life and the sadness we encounter when some one's final chapter come to an end.

[Scooby_Doo]

I read you TR and I gotta say it made me weepy great TR it's the best one I have read in a long while.

Congrats and I'm sooooo sorry for your loss.

[standbyme]

It is amazing to me how you mixed your loss into a fun trip report and it came out perfect...I agree with Scooby_Doo, it really is one of the best reports I have read on here in a long time.

Sorry for your loss.

[mtl2013]

I am so sorry for your loss. You, and your family are in my thoughts. Thats was great though, how you tied in the trip, with the sad news. It is good that you are trying to "deal" with the loss of a loved one.

-condolences to you and the family

-matt

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

Thanks folks, I appreciate your thoughts.

[Kawana]

Excellent TR. Thank you for reminding me that its not just about our day to day stresses and such. Thank you for sharing your life with us, hopefully it helped you out a bit. I'm glad you guys had a fun day, sounds like it was much needed. Thanks again.