Page 12 - Free the Idea Monkey

(Fail) Foreword

DO-IT-YOURSELF ASTRONAUTS; IDEA MONKEYS AND YOU

Larry Walters had always wanted to fly, but poor eyesight kept
him from becoming an Air Force pilot. So to make his dream come
true, he got creative.

The equation was pretty simple:

Balloons
+ Lawn Chair
+ Beer
= Flying Fun

Larry acquired (I haven’t a clue how) 45 weather balloons and
filled them with helium. Then he attached the balloons to his favorite
aluminum lawn chair that, for the time being, he had tied to his Jeep.

He reasoned that he could float above his backyard for awhile
in what he decided to call Inspiration I, have a few beers and then
shoot the balloons with a pellet gun so that he could descend gently
back down.

Like most brilliant idea people, Larry believed that overcompli-
cating his concept with unnecessary details—such as asking what
could go wrong—was a waste of time. He was an activator and it
was time to fly. He grabbed a bunch of sandwiches, a six-pack, his
pellet gun and a camera. He untethered the lawn chair and ...

(Cue the something-bad-is-about-to-happen music.)