O.K. My brother insisted we go watch the Final Ascension today, which is something like Judgment Day with balloons, I think. It certainly comes like a thief in the night (well, 7 a.m.) and he was pretty sure we needed to be there, as this is the last day of Albuquerque’s International Balloon Fiesta.
I have walked outside my hotel room every morning to watch as many as 78 (I lost count there) ascend from the field across the highway, and yesterday morning — the only morning I did not tote my camera — a balloon touched down in a small clearing behind the hotel, and they traded one passenger for another.
It was very cool and very fast and more frenetic than I thought it would be. From afar, those balloons look like dreams floating by, but in reality they’re a lot louder and lot more precarious than your childhood dreams.
Still. I was in. I set my alarm, woke up dutifully and started to shower when I realized I’d set my alarm to Godless Northeast Time, two hours before I needed to get up. I went back to bed, set the alarm to I-don’t-know-when and slept right through it. I hope it was lovely. Dang.
UPDATE: Text from Bro. Tom: Stinking thing was cancelled because of high winds. I only wish I was kidding.
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Dating Jesus 
Bummer…on both ends.
Yeah, but it would have been a BIGGER bummer had I hauled my carcass out and not seen some stinkin’ balloons go up. The town’s a ghost town now. Everyone connected with the fiesta has cleared out.
True. So, when do you clear out, too? You are returning to Godless Northeast Time, aren’t you? (it’s not so bad)
I am back on GNT Tuesday evening, late. I have had a lovely time and now it’s time to come home and have a lovely time there, too.
GNT?