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.

18 weeks

Yeah, my eyes are closed and it's not a great picture because I was goofing off with Paul and Michelle (Paul's cousin's wife) about this being Baby's first Balloon Fiesta. But that's 18 weeks and Baby is definitely making himself known. A coworker came into the library with her class this week (she'd been in last week as well) and told me, "I'm going to be really embarrassed if you're not but are you?" I said yes, yes I am weirdly fat. I'm also starting to feel Baby more although it's not very strong movements--just an odd sensation every so often. I saw the OB this week--it's probably the first time in my life I've ever been congratulated on gaining weight. I still feel really good--lots of energy, nothing too bad as far as food aversions or cravings. I still feel the need to take naps every afternoon but I felt that way even when I wasn't gestating.

I find myself thinking in terms of how old Baby will be when we do __fill in the blank__. It's crazy to imagine we'll have a 6-month-old in tow if we go to the Balloon Fiesta next year.

Balloon Time

Paul and I went to the Balloon Fiesta yesterday morning. The Thursday and Friday launches are my favorites because the special shape balloons go up first and since I didn't have school yesterday, I'd told Paul I would probably go to the balloon field by myself (I was going to go with a friend but her husband had emergency gall bladder surgery earlier this week so she understandably bailed). Paul felt bad that I'd have to go by myself and since there have been quite a few weekends with him working, he took a few hours off in the morning to spend the time with me. We took along one of his coworkers who is new to town.

It was a lovely morning--warm enough that no heavy bundling was required with a bit of a breeze on the field. That breeze on the field meant higher winds aloft, apparently. The balloons never went up too high and were blowing pretty quickly to the north as soon as they launced. Sadly, there was one fatality as a result of a balloon crash. Looking through the pictures we took, I do have pictures of that particular balloon while it was inflating. Such a sad tragedy that all of us on the field were oblivious about having happened. Paul and I commented while we were watching the balloons that the winds were picking up on the field and we were surprised the officials had gone ahead with the Key Grab competition. We first heard of the crash when we got back to the car to head home about 8:45, leaving early so Paul and Will could head to work.

Because of the wind, I don't think as many balloons went up yesterday and the ones that did didn't hang around the field too long. It was harder to get good pictures of the balloons this year. Of course, I still managed to take about 75 pictures. Here is the first balloons of the morning inflating.
Just before lift-off.
The first balloons taking off. The balloon that crashed resulting in the fatality was the flat-top (it's a tetrahedron) balloon just in front of the Smokey Bear balloon (which, incidentally, was involved in a dramatic crash about four years ago when it got entangled in transmission towers and the pilot and two young passengers had to climb down the ladder).
Some of the special shape balloons start to take shape.
The Darth Vader balloon standing up. We tried to get closer but there was a mob of people near this one and the other shapes so we opted to stay to the edge of the balloons and the crowds.
Will and Paul
So, I asked Paul to take a picture of me, meaning, of course, me in front of the balloons. He was so please with himself when he took this one. @@

the "When Pigs Fly" balloon
The Killer Bee balloon appeared to be attacking the green thing balloon.
The bear balloon stands up.
"Gizzmo"--one of my favorite special shapes balloon
Out on the field with all the special shapes inflating.
The witch's house balloon.
The first time in three years that I managed to be on the correct side of the bees when they took off holding hands.
The "Darth Vader" balloon up in the air.
The Cathedral balloon was new this year.
Carmen Miranda
Watching the balloons all float away.
The start of the Key Grab competition
Watching the Key Grab competition.
After last year's whirlwind of visitors, the house was unusually quiet this year during the Fiesta. Paul's friend Jeff and his wife and daughter came into town for the balloons (which were cancelled this morning because of the high winds) but they stayed with their family. We saw them for dinner and visited yesterday.

Oh, and apparently, we really should have gone last Saturday to see the balloons. It seems a certain ABQ native was back in town, visiting the balloon fiesta with his family. Paul said there is no way I would have seen him in a crowd of 15,000 people but apparently, he doesn't understand the power of my Doogie-ometer.

The Annual Posting of Balloon Pictures

The first Balloon Fiesta I attended was in October 1997. Paul still makes fun of me because I thought I'd be super-cool and wouldn't need much film for my camera (this being before digital cameras). I had a dozen or so pictures left on a roll--that would be plenty. I ended up buying two more rolls of film that morning.

I still enjoy going to see the balloons and get almost as excited each year. It's a rare year that we don't make it down to the field at least one morning. We even debated going to the balloons on the Monday morning before we left for our honeymoon in 1999 (that being one of the rare years we missed). I think the other one or two times we haven't gone is because we didn't have visitors. But please, if you'd like to come book early because Casa Bookworm isn't very big but apparently (at least this year), it's very popular.

I do insist on rallying the troops to leave the house by 5:30--5:45 at the absolute latest. Otherwise, you get stuck in traffic or get stuck out in one of the way-out parking lots. I never understand people who think they can leave the house 15 minutes before the 7:00 start--at that point, you might as well stay home because you'll watch most of the mass ascension from your car in traffic. Of course, one year my parents, Paul, and I took it to the other extreme and left the house at 4:30. Doesn't take long to make it down to the field at that time of day and we actually got there well before the ticket booth opened at 5:00. But we had primo parking. (And yes, all those times are A.M.)

This year, Amy, her family, and I went to Friday Special Shapes Mass Ascension which is followed by one of the key grab races. It's definitely one of my favorite days to attend and the weather was perfect.

Benjamin and Abigail bundled up to watch the early morning glow of the Dawn Patrol.
The sun comes up and so do the balloons. Just a sampling of the Special Shapes--I'd not seen the green guy before and the Beer Stein was new last year (one of the off-years for us so this was the first I'd seen it).
The Scarecrow and Angel balloons make a stand as they are inflated.
"Luke, I am your hot-air balloon." Darth Vader was the new balloon this year, coming in from Belgium. Stormtroopers made up the chase crew.
The popular Bumble Bees that take off holding hands and give a little kiss in the air. Abigail was disappointed that they separated in the air.

Benjamin needed a better view but his white-knuckle death grip on his dad's head didn't allow David much of a chance to see balloons.
Angels we have heard on high....

She was actually enjoying herself but definitely would have enjoyed, say, a 9 o'clock start time a lot more.
Never thought I'd actually get to see a shuttle launch. (Ha!)
The Key Grab Competition gets underway. The balloons launch from a field to the north and then come over a small rise. Three of the five keys were grabbed by different pilots. The balloons keep coming.
Amy, Abigail, David, and Benjamin
The final balloon stragglers. By this time, we'd headed off in search of mini-cinnamon rolls and more hot chocolate.
To kill a little time while the parking lot emptied, we wandered around some of the booths at the balloon field. Benjamin modeled one of the hats and looks smashing while doing it.

Then we headed back home for much needed naps, another thing I insist on rallying the troops to do. Unfortunately, the wind picked up in the afternoon so the Glowdeo that evening was cancelled. We talked about going to another mass ascension but, as fabulous as the balloons are, there is something about those early mornings that is a bit of a deterrent.