Up, up and away...

[greyjoy]

...in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon!

Anyone who has spent more than an hour in my company knows that I loathe flying. I hate the entire process, from the packing to the airport, and from the taxi to the landing. I'm a nervous flier, too, unable to quite trust that the hundreds of people who must perform their jobs perfectly in order to keep my

Comments

[ashkitty]

Oh, me too! I LOATHE the entire process of flying. (There's a reason I'm going to the UK three days early so I can sleep off the flight in London before I have to actually be anywhere.) But the balloon thing looks brilliant!

[greyjoy]

The flying process--that is to say, the ordeal--really has become hideously stressful, hasn't it? Between ticket prices, airport security, baggage tomfoolery, delays and the mildly mind-freezing horror of being suspended in a cramped metal tube for eight hours (you ARE taking the direct SEA-LHR flight, yes?), it's a cause of significant anxiety. Bleah.

[ashkitty]

It's hideous! And I was never fond of it anyway, because I get headaches from the pressurised air and hate being cramped and just am generally uncomfortable for several hours! I'm not going SEA-LHR, but almost--I'm hopping from Seattle to Vancouver and flying direct from there.

[angelmcc]

Wow!! How cool are you? That is so amazing. I bet it was glorious!

Flying has become a pain in the ass, I agree. For me, it's the tight confines and the nasty air. Ack.

[greyjoy]

It was glorious, truly. We were very fortunate to have such a splendid morning, too, with the gentlest of breezes to carry us along. In changeable or higher winds, it could be quite terrifying, since the pilot has little control over where the thing goes! But generally these tour balloons fly only when the weather is conducive to a safe and comfortable flight.

[greyjoy]

Parachuting: no, thank you! But I might try parasailing next.

Dinner: yes. Scheduling's the challenge right now, as work devours my life. Still, let's work it out via email and see what we can make happen.

[the_doctor]

Wow--go you! I haven't seen a hot air balloon since my childhood in California--color me jealous!

[greyjoy]

The Woodinville area is a popular recreational ballooning spot, so they're not difficult to find in the summer months. Contact me if you want the reservation information!

[ennui_13]

PLEASE take your blunderbuss next time ... or at least a gear spanner.
Spit as you go over Wal-Mart.

[greyjoy]

I gargled as we sailed over Costco, does that count?

[ennui_13]

Depending on what you gargled, I expect you earned a few points.