Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon
I was watching a PBS special not too long ago and was struck by something that was said. Before you think that what I'm about to post is some earth shattering or ground breaking observation or epiphany, think again. The special was about hot air balloons.
I have to mention why I was even watching public television in the first place. I'm not fortunate enough to have cable or satellite TV. Being the TV junkie that I have become, this may come as a surprise. I have had both cable and satellite in the past and thoroughly enjoy flipping up and down the channels stopping briefly by Comedy Central, TLC, E-TV, SoapNet, and the FoodChannel along the way to see what's cooking, or being redecorated, or who got kidnapped or faked their death, who Jon Stewart is funning, or what celebrity overcame drugs and bankruptcy. However, I moved over the summer and where I live now is in the boondocks so we can't even get cable TV (or high speed internet for that matter UGH!). We could get a satellite, but I just haven't made the move to obtain service yet. Besides it's just one more bill that I would have to keep track of and fork over the money each month to avoid collection calls and interrupted service.
Anyway, I get about 10 channels now-PBS,CBS,ABC,NBC (although you have to get the rabbit ears just right to pick up ABC upstairs and it still has fuzzy sound), 2 WB stations, FOX, 2 UPN stations, Shop at Home Channel (I need that pressure washer and quitled vest), and two PAX stations (which I think are being called I TV-you know the one that shows Diagnosis Murder starring Dick Van Dyke, some of the most high quality mystery programs since Matlock and Murder She Wrote). The choice of stations is limited, but the reception problems are even more annoying, but that's an another story.
Back to the balloon....Well, I was watching the special on PBS about hot air balloons (yes, nothing better was on I assure you) and they were talking to this guy about hot air balloons and their deep significance to American life. I kid you not, but the hot air balloon expert goes on to describe how the hot air balloon is so meaningful and prolific by stating this:
"I'm sure if you look through people's old family photographs, you're going to find at least one picture of a hot air balloon."
What?!?
I started thinking back to the boxes of family photographs that my Mom used to keep when we were growing up and the box that I now have in my closet that I keep telling myself that I will eventually organize and scrapbook (Who am I kidding?). Was there any pictures of hot air balloons in there? I couldn 't recall one instance of taking a picture of hot air balloons at all. I have never ridden in a hot air balloon either. In fact the only experience I have had with hot air balloons might have been just a hallucination.
There used to be this place in western NC called Green Acres that would put on small music concerts. It was someone's land that had a little tin roof shanty built over a stage. The seating area included old school house desks and chairs, old sofas, and the most comfy arm chair you even sank your ass into. I saw some great shows there-Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Sam Bush Band, Duckbutter (the greatest party band of all time), Guy Clark. Needless to say since we were all allowed to camp out there after the shows, it was always a party with lots of drunkenness and campfires and drunkenness. Oh yeah, did I mention the drunkenness? We had just had one of those nights and were snugly asleep in our tent when at the crack of dawn we were rudely awakened to the sound of:
PSSSSSSSSSSST! PSSSSSSSSSSST!
PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST
What in the the hell is that? In our hangover stupor we unzip the tent flap to witness a hot air balloon either trying to land or trying to take off in the field about 50 feet from our tent.
PSSSSSSSSSSST! PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST!
We rubbed our eyes and looked again at the bright yellow, orange, and red hot air balloon that was drifting off the ground, blinked again, realized the hot air balloon was not a figment of our imagination, and then went back to sleep.
Now, if I had a camera, I could've snapped a picture. Just so I could know for sure that this really happened and wasn't part of some strange dream I was having.
And then that hot air balloon expert would have totally made sense to me.
I have to mention why I was even watching public television in the first place. I'm not fortunate enough to have cable or satellite TV. Being the TV junkie that I have become, this may come as a surprise. I have had both cable and satellite in the past and thoroughly enjoy flipping up and down the channels stopping briefly by Comedy Central, TLC, E-TV, SoapNet, and the FoodChannel along the way to see what's cooking, or being redecorated, or who got kidnapped or faked their death, who Jon Stewart is funning, or what celebrity overcame drugs and bankruptcy. However, I moved over the summer and where I live now is in the boondocks so we can't even get cable TV (or high speed internet for that matter UGH!). We could get a satellite, but I just haven't made the move to obtain service yet. Besides it's just one more bill that I would have to keep track of and fork over the money each month to avoid collection calls and interrupted service.
Anyway, I get about 10 channels now-PBS,CBS,ABC,NBC (although you have to get the rabbit ears just right to pick up ABC upstairs and it still has fuzzy sound), 2 WB stations, FOX, 2 UPN stations, Shop at Home Channel (I need that pressure washer and quitled vest), and two PAX stations (which I think are being called I TV-you know the one that shows Diagnosis Murder starring Dick Van Dyke, some of the most high quality mystery programs since Matlock and Murder She Wrote). The choice of stations is limited, but the reception problems are even more annoying, but that's an another story.
Back to the balloon....Well, I was watching the special on PBS about hot air balloons (yes, nothing better was on I assure you) and they were talking to this guy about hot air balloons and their deep significance to American life. I kid you not, but the hot air balloon expert goes on to describe how the hot air balloon is so meaningful and prolific by stating this:
"I'm sure if you look through people's old family photographs, you're going to find at least one picture of a hot air balloon."
What?!?
I started thinking back to the boxes of family photographs that my Mom used to keep when we were growing up and the box that I now have in my closet that I keep telling myself that I will eventually organize and scrapbook (Who am I kidding?). Was there any pictures of hot air balloons in there? I couldn 't recall one instance of taking a picture of hot air balloons at all. I have never ridden in a hot air balloon either. In fact the only experience I have had with hot air balloons might have been just a hallucination.
There used to be this place in western NC called Green Acres that would put on small music concerts. It was someone's land that had a little tin roof shanty built over a stage. The seating area included old school house desks and chairs, old sofas, and the most comfy arm chair you even sank your ass into. I saw some great shows there-Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Sam Bush Band, Duckbutter (the greatest party band of all time), Guy Clark. Needless to say since we were all allowed to camp out there after the shows, it was always a party with lots of drunkenness and campfires and drunkenness. Oh yeah, did I mention the drunkenness? We had just had one of those nights and were snugly asleep in our tent when at the crack of dawn we were rudely awakened to the sound of:
PSSSSSSSSSSST! PSSSSSSSSSSST!
PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST
What in the the hell is that? In our hangover stupor we unzip the tent flap to witness a hot air balloon either trying to land or trying to take off in the field about 50 feet from our tent.
PSSSSSSSSSSST! PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST!
We rubbed our eyes and looked again at the bright yellow, orange, and red hot air balloon that was drifting off the ground, blinked again, realized the hot air balloon was not a figment of our imagination, and then went back to sleep.
Now, if I had a camera, I could've snapped a picture. Just so I could know for sure that this really happened and wasn't part of some strange dream I was having.
And then that hot air balloon expert would have totally made sense to me.
posted by amyd | 10:25 AM
1 Comments:
probably not- I love taking pictures but am way too lazy to be any good at it.
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