Unidentified Flying Object

Posted by Tasha on January 7th, 2011 in Culture

Downtown Balloons

Sometimes, in an effort to do Tulsa from every possible angle, my little family and I find ourselves willing to do crazy things.

Crazy things like fly a video camera suspended from two giant balloons through downtown Tulsa.

My sweet husband found The Geek Dad book in his Christmas stocking this holiday season. If you all have this book at home (and something tells me many of you do), flip to page 103. My bet is that there you’ll find a tutorial on how fashion a box that will not only hang suspended from helium-filled balloons, but that will also snugly hold a Flip camera.

Cue the lightbulb moment.

Downtown Balloons

Off to Ehrle’s Party Supply in search of balloons we went.

Downtown Balloons

The folks at Ehrle’s are, I guess, somewhat accustomed to this type of zaniness. They didn’t even give us “now exactly what planet are you from?” looks or accuse us of citizen espionage when we told them our plan. When we asked if they could help us figure out how many balloons and how much helium we’d need to lift an 8-ounce box and camera, they happily – enthusiastically, really – did some quick product research to help us.

Downtown Balloons

Ehrle’s hooked us up, y’all.

Downtown Balloons

Two three-foot, bright orange balloons in hand (or rather, squished between us in our tiny car), it wasn’t long before we were downtown and ready to get our mischief on.

Downtown Balloons

Here’s what I had envisioned: Our balloons-and-camera-and-kite-string contraption floating gracefully somewhere along the 10th story level of Boston Avenue between 5th and 3rd Streets, a la the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Downtown Balloons

Or, a la Tulsa’s Christmas/Holiday/Festivus Parade of Lights.

Whichever, really. What was important to me was the view – my idea of it, at least.

Downtown Balloons

But Boston was its usual windy self, and it was just too much for our lightweight, floaty little parcel.

So we moved northeast in search of calmer atmospheric conditions.

But alas, my dream, it wasn’t meant to be – at least, not in the way I had envisioned it.

But we had fun anyway. Here’s video proof (warning to those who watch: There’s lots of pavement and nausea in your future).

Our advice? Every once in awhile, take the time and have the courage to pursue your crazy, impulsive urges, especially where flying or floating is involved.

Even if it means the suits downtown pull out their phones, dial up the police and rest their thumbs on the call button when they see you doing it.

At least it was just a camera attached to our balloons instead of an exploited, manipulated young child.

Downtown Balloons

Wait…what?

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2 Comments to Unidentified Flying Object

  1. Tasha's Dad

    On January 7, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    1

    I KNEW that Sarge would get a kick out of that book! Glad you all are enjoying it!

  2. TravelingSpork

    On January 7, 2011 at 10:59 pm

    2

    Must try AGAIN!

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