Adventureland

Zakk told me that I couldn't post about this because, "You always post. Let me do it for once.". By the time Zakk gets around to posting about this, it'll have decended into obscurity, so I'm stepping to the plate and I'm going to write about it. Nobody cares if you wait too long, Zakk.

On Wednesday, August 1st, Nick, Carl, Gavin, and I went to Adventureland for Zakk's birthday (which is the 1st). It was incredibly hot that day... the heat index was around 110, while the actual temperature was about 95. So it was hot. Damned hot.

The first ride of the day was the Mixer. Think of a flat platform like the Falling Star, make that platform spin, then have the whole boom arm spin, and you have a good idea of this ride. I chose to not ride this ride... the only one I sat out on the whole day. As the ride began to move, Zakk unleashed a constant blood curdling scream. He screamed and screamed and screamed shriller and louder than any girl could ever do. This was actually even funnier watching it from the street... because people were actually stopping and looking at the ride from which these loud screams were eminating. Some of the faces were absolutely priceless.

Things went fairly normal again for a while, until we came up on the Silly Silo. That's just the circular room where you spin very fast so the centripetal force holds you against the wall. Carl decided not to ride this one... evidently his ride on it last year ended with him puking all over himself and his shoes, so he abstained from it, the only ride Carl didn't ride. It was our group of guys and like 3 girls on the entire ride, so not many. The operator was a real dork and said some of the stupidest lines I've ever heard, but he challenged us to try and hold our arms out in front of us as long as we could. Gavin, Zakk, and I held on until the end of the ride, but then our arms felt really weird. Nick immediately started complaining of feeling horrid, and no sooner did we step out of the circular room, did Nick lean over the balcony and let loose with some projectile vomiting. He even had puke come through his nose... I guess he hasn't honed his technique much or something, but it was absolutely disgusting, but funny too. Gavin and Zakk and Carl started cheering!

The last thing of major interest from our trip would have to be our adventure at the Temporary Tattoo booth. When we got there, a girl named Betsy was working, and let's just say she wouldn't have made it for thirty seconds at a Hy-Vee store. Carl decided on a tattoo that said, "Bad Girl" and asked Betsy if she'd put it on his ass. She only made a grimacing face and Carl then decided on his upper arm as a good place for it. Betsy did it, without saying a word. Then Nick picked a fairly large tattoo out and asked to get it on his upper arm. Betsy made a half-assed effort and failed to get the whole thing to go on his arm. Nick made wisecracks about his arm being too muscular and too large and again, no response from Betsy.

Finally, Betsy removed the tattoo from Nick's arm and gave him his money back (but not before trying to pocket two dollars). Karen arrived to take over for Betsy, and Nick cracked that Betsy was sure "loaded with sunshine" or something to that effect. Karen smiled and laughed and was really friendly and got things taken care of. She even redid Carl's tattoo that Betsy screwed up for free. The best part was when Karen put one of those tattoos that are supposed to go around the belly button around Gavin's nipple. That was incredibly funny and Gavin tipped her a dollar for it.

All in all, a fun day. :)