Balloon Fail

 Sometimes when I write these blog posts I'm not quite sure what to title these stories.  Balloon Fail.  Nothing tragic happened.  I completely spaced last week that the 4th of July was this week!  June was a little crazy and flew by fast.  Though, the fireworks that went off in the neighborhood over the weekend woke me up to our proper time of the year.

I didn't really partake in any of the festivities.  And with my Dad having had surgery a couple weeks ago I didn't think he would be volunteering this year.  He did, which I found out Monday night.  Tuesday morning I texted him just after 7:00 in the morning to ask how he was doing, and he mentioned the balloons we're beautiful.

The hot air balloons!!

The last few times I tried to see them launch the wind was too strong, so they were grounded.  Seeing the balloons over a decade ago when I was going to BYU during the Summer is still one of my favorite 4th of July memories.  Seeing a sky full of color is such a delight, and I've been wanting to see it again, but keep having bad luck.

So I hopped in the car, and just before 8 I was in Provo.  Sadly many of the balloons were landing, but I still was able to see a few of them in the sky.  The drive to Provo was very pleasant, the roads clear, the morning air a nice warm with touches of cool temperature.  Making the effort was nice, and I don't regret trying.

Maybe next year, right!!?

 My Dad got a good picture while the parade was setting up.

This year my 4th of July was pretty chill.  Spent several hours researching my Stufflebeam ancestor who fought in the war: John Stufflebean.  (Glad the N was cemented into an M a couple generations later.)  Discovered John may have started the war as a Hessian.  Still researching what that means, but I have reasons to doubt this accusation made by distant relatives.  I'm forming a for and against argument for fun.  John's story is really quite interesting.

 My brother Steven and I got fireworks.  We debated splurging on one of those $50 20+ shot boxes in gold, but the instructions said to make sure there's a 25 meter clearance, and we knew we wouldn't have that space.  We chose safety and not burning down the neighbors house and went with smaller fireworks.  Our neighbors, on the other hand, went with the gusto.  A great neighborhood show that lasted well over an hour or two.  Good fun.

Anywho, the 4h is over!

And we're closer to Christmas than last years New Years.

Crazy Sauce.

 

Helping With the Parade

 I know this is so passé, heh, which I've got quite a few more "old" posts coming up, but I really wanted to blog about this!

This last 4th of July I volunteered with the HAM radio group at the Freedom Parade in Provo UT.  I've only been to it a few times, even being in it about a decade ago dancing on a float with the LDC choir, but this was my first time volunteering.

 It's crazy how many people stay the night!!

 Where I worked, shadowing the second person in charge, relaying messages and so forth with my Dad.  I was at the point where the floats, bands, and VIP merge into the Parade, which was amazing!

 There are Three things that always brings a HUGE response from the audience: BYU, the Veterans, and the missionaries.

 Mike Lee, who is one of Utah's Senators, was in the parade, as was Jason Chaffetz who walked beside his vehicle.

 Ciera Pekarcik, the "Smart" Miss Utah from the Miss America line of competition.

We had to use air balloons thanks to the expense of Helium . . . which is attributed to politics and shortages . . . which leads me to mention that we didn't have a fly over thanks to the sequester . . . because fly overs and White House tours are what the government chooses to cut . . . 

Anyway, I had a fantastic time and can't wait to help out again.

Battle of the School Parade Floats!

I wonder how many places in the Country have three Universities within 45 miles of each other?  It seems kinda unique.  The close proximity also causes a lot of stereotyping, envy, ridicule, competition, inferiority complexes, superior outlooks, etc, and I've felt them all.  At the Freedom Festival Parade on the 4th all schools made a showing.

 Brigham Young University is my alma mater, so of course I'm naturally biased.  And I love how patriotic the float was.  Though, I must comment, Athletics got two mentions on the float.  BYU is kinda obsessed with sports, and being the academic I am, I kinda rebelled against it.  (The only football game I attended was one in which I volunteered concessions for charity, and I didn't see the game but for a sneak second.)  The School of Music did get a highlight!  Made me proud.

 I love Utah Valley University.  Before BYU I attended this school in their UVSC (Utah Valley State College) days.  The campus has a wonderful feeling, and I love how everything is connected.  UV is relaxed (unlike BYU where it's stress central with abundant over achievers), but that doesn't mean the school is easy.  Au Contraire.  Some of my best academic experiences came from the school, and I went through serious UV withdrawals while at the Y.

I hate the bad rap the school gets in the valley.  There's so many academic snobs here!  (Comes with the competition, I guess.)  On one of the worst blind dates I've been on (well, that's not saying much), this guy stated UV was just an extension of High School.  He went on and on as I watched, and when he breathed for air I gleefully went in for the kill and sang UV's praises. 

 Now the biggest competition is between BYU and the U of U (University of Utah).  They both look down on UVU as if the school doesn't exist, while UVU insists that it's relevant, which it is.  The Football team at U of U is now a member of the PAC 12, after all, and they shower the fact.  (BYU doesn't play on the Sabbath, which limit sports opportunities.)

 U of U is where my brother Michael and Krista met while going to school.  All three of my brothers have degrees at UVU.  And I graduated from BYU.

I really love all three schools.

The pursuit of knowledge is important regardless of where you go: University, State College, Junior College, or self-learning through books.

In Which a Hot Air Balloon Lands Close to Home

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There's this wonderful tradition here in Utah Valley.  It surrounds the 4th of July as part of the Freedom Festival, and unfortunately I've only seen it a few times: The Balloon Fest.  Hot Air Balloons floating above Provo, dazzling the sky with various colors.

I don't even remember the year I first found out about it, by accident.  Orem is at a higher elevation then Provo, so when traveling on University Parkway next to the boarder where the two cities meet, there's a point where Provo suddenly comes into view, the Valley majestic.  Out of no where there seemed to be hundreds of hot air balloons floating in the sky.  Never had I seen anything like it.

Then a few years ago I woke up early to watch the balloons fill up and lift off.  It was then that I learned that the weather has to be perfect, no upper wind, for the balloons to launch.  The drive seemed to be for naught, as they all decided the risk wasn't worth it, until one lonely balloon decided to make a try for it and rose.  My Mom, brother, and I were on the south side of the Valley when we noticed this, and decided to chase it.

As the balloon drifted we noticed it getting closer and closer to where we lived, so much so that by the time we pulled into our driveway, the balloon grazed the top of the trees in it's quick decent, landing in a nearby park.  We ran and saw the relieved piloteers get out of the basket.  For them regret came no sooner then taking off, feeling the tug of the wind, quickly scouting for a safe place to land.  Surrounded by power lines our park was a risk, but the wind danger proved more dangerous.

Neighbors quickly gathered as we all watched the balloon deflate and packed away.  It was incredible!  I took pictures, but unfortunately that was on an older phone, lost to time.

This last weekend I really wanted to see the balloons, and being up early to help with the parade should have been a sure bet, but it rained early that morning, much to the dismay of the overnight parade campers.  So I was quite determined to wake up early the next day, but with a lightening storm coming through, waking me up at three in the morning, visions of balloons fleeted from my mind.  I didn't want to make the effort if they were going to be grounded again, so I gleefully slept in.

. . . maybe next year.