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.

The slow (and a little sad) return to normal

After a very busy week filled with visitors, our last guests left this afternoon. Amy, David, and the kids arrived on Thursday evening and we filled the weekend with a whole lot and not much at the same time. We went to the Balloon Fiesta on Friday morning for the Special Shapes mass ascension. Abigail's reaction was pretty much what I'd expected--and very much like her Uncle Paul's--this whole balloon thing would be a lot neater if it wasn't so danged early in the morning. Thankfully as the balloons went up, the crowds thinned out and we were able to let the kids run around while watching the Key Grab. And after seeing a couple hundred hot air balloons floating by, Benjamin now does a *fabulous* impression of the sound of a propane burner.

Saturday, we went to the children's museum where I think the favorite thing was the elevator. It's probably the size of my living room, with a couch, three chairs, and plenty of room to walk around inside. It only goes between two floors so there isn't really much need for it but I think Abigail would have ridden in it the entire time we were there. We were also able to get in a good hour at the park behind our house where Abigail and Benjamin made new friends and so did Amy and I. As Amy and I were watching Benjamin, a lady that was also there with her two-year-old commented on Amy's Texas Tech shirt, as she is also an alum. She and her husband just recently moved to ABQ and as we were chatting, we learned that she graduated from high school in Canadian with our cousin. (And Scott, Laurel S. says hi.)

And now, Paul and I are working our way through the extra laundry created by a week's worth of guests and cleaning up sticky fingerprints left behind by our four littler visitors. Jubjub doesn't know what to do without little people trying to sneak in pets (which I think even The Cranky One has to admit he liked) and, in the case of Benjamin, following him around meowing. It was hectic week and a little frazzling and overwhelming with all the extra people but this afternoon, as we were heading out by ourselves for the first time in eight days, both of us agreed that we're so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family visiting us.

We just hope they don't all decide to do it at the same time again next year.

He can't catch a break

I was completely wrong about the almost-2 yr. old Beth--she found Jubjub absolutely fascinating and insisted on "I will pet the cat!" while following him up the stairs. She did manage to catch up with him and get a few pets in before her parents pulled her away from our very surprised, but surprisingly only slightly annoyed, cat. Perhaps Jub was just shocked at the nerve of this little being since most of our littler visitors have been firmly instructed to "Do Not Touch Jubjub." But Jub didn't meow, he didn't hiss, he didn't bite. He just sat there, staring at her and us. (Of course, when Beth was done petting, Jub sulked away under the bed to clean himself.)

We had a really nice visit with Doug and Michelle--Paul was excited because they both enjoy playing board games so we were able to play two different ones while visiting with them. In the past year or so, Paul has started collecting a variety of different board games--unusual but fun ones you don't find in "normal" stores. We have quite a few 2-player games but it's fun to play the ones that need more players which we don't get to do very often.

Good times and now we're ready for Guests #3.

Into the groove

Back to work after a quick trip to Lubbock for a rather unexciting, lopsided football game (thankfully in Tech's favor), the arrival of the first of our Balloon Fiesta visitors, and Monday off. I'm finding it hard to get back into the flow of work. Perhaps because I'm anticipating another day off on Friday when my sister and her family come into town. Perhaps because I know it is a slow week in the library with few classes scheduled. Maybe I'm just having a hard time getting started on this chilly morning.

We've had a nice visit with our friends so far. Their oldest daughter, Kelly, is 3 and, as is usual for the littler visitors in our house, obsessed with getting the cat to like her. Yesterday, while she was supposed to be napping, I heard little feet pattering upstairs and our bedroom door shut. Upon inspection, I found Kelly, dressed in her Cinderella dress and holding her pink fairy wand, laying in our floor, trying to convince Jubjub that she was nice and could pet him. No deal, kiddo. We don't get to pet him often, even when dressed in our princess finest (which Paul looks fabulous in, by the way).

Chris and Karen are leaving on Wednesday morning, leaving just enough time to change sheets and wash towels before our next guests arrive that afternoon. Paul's cousin Doug, his wife, and 2-year-old daughter are stopping at our house on their way to Ruidoso. We've never had them visit so it should be interesting. Not that we don't like them; it's just difficult when you don't know what kind of houseguests people are. High maintenance who require lots of our attention and energy? Easy-going enough for us to point in the general direction of the kitchen and let them fend for themselves? Some place in between? At least they have cats so hopefully Bethany won't even notice Jub slinking around the joint.

In the mean time, things are picking up a bit with library patrons and I really should use this time to get some book-ordering related work done. Enough dilly-dallying on a feels-like-Monday Tuesday morning.