Balloons! The 2009 Edition

(I wrote this last week and didn't post it at that time. Not sure why but here's this year's balloons recap.)

This year's Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta kicked off on October 3 . Paul's cousin and his wife and almost-4-year-old daughter were in town on their way to Ruidoso and stopped over on their way in order to see the balloons. Because I love the balloons, I was happy to go with them and Paul (happily? begrudgingly?) tagged along with us.

Figuring it up, this is probably the 10th time I've gone to the balloons in the past 12 years. This was the *craziest* year I've ever seen at the balloons. Not the balloons proper but getting to the balloons was an ordeal. We left my inlaws' house (where Doug, Michelle, and Beth were staying) a little before 6:00. We took our normal route (Tramway) over to the balloon field. We got stopped near the casino. And we ended up sitting for almost TWO HOURS. Generally, there are cops out directing traffic and the lights at the intersection of Tramway and I-25 have been overridden to allow for better traffic flow. This year, there was none of that. Well, cops were there but the lights were still cycling normally. Grrr. . . Talk about frustrating. We were discussing skipping the balloons as it was nearing 8:00 before we even neared the parking lot and just heading to breakfast. Thankfully, the weather was cooperating and the balloons were hanging around for quite a while.

Driving to the parking lot after 8:00, we missed the first two waves of balloon launches. Paul and I had been telling Doug and Michelle about our friends who never quite make it to the field before the first balloons go up. We were laughing that this is what they must see--it is pretty but nothing like being on the field.
Walking down to the ticket booth--it was definitely the farthest out we've ever parked and not at all like the time with my parents when my dad insisted we leave the house before 5:00 and were the second car in the parking lot.
At the ticket booth finally but we missed the bees taking off.
Watching the balloons as we got our tickets, we spotted the jack-in-the-box. I don't know if we'd seen him before but he was a fun balloon to see.

Finally on the field with the third wave of balloons going up. Lots of balloons from the previous waves were still in the air near the field. I don't think the "Box" was working but the wind wasn't blowing so the balloons hung around. I think we saw one I {heart} NY balloon that went up with the first wave as one of the last balloons still in the air.

Doug, Michelle, and Bethany on the field. We waited until after watching the balloons go up to get our burritos and hot chocolate so that Beth could enjoy the whole experience. She was definitely a trooper during the long wait in the car. We kept promising her that it would be worth it in the end.

Paul goofing around on the field "enjoying" the balloons.

YAY! I LOVE THE BALLOONS! (Totally cheesy posed picture courtesy of Paul)

More balloons just hanging around as the last goes up.

Love the witch balloon. There was troubles getting several of the special shapes balloons to the U.S. from China where they'd been for a balloon rally a couple of months ago (they were stuck in customs). Darth Vader made it but not until later in the week.

Bethany has a couple of Zebras by the tail. She was given the "job" to cheer and wave whenever the balloons took off which she took very seriously and did a very good job of doing.

10 years married and we still like each other pretty much OK.