From: Skistz@aol.com Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 01:31:06 EST Subject: Re: Float To: JUDYBRADT@aol.com, tmkelly@excelonline.com, balloondeco@fooledya.com What you are doing is great and sounds really interesting, I am happy for your success. The concern I shared is based on experience, naturally we did not get this experience without "going for it", that is what business is all about. Perhaps my statement should have also been prefaced with, "I hope you don't take it the wrong way". As I said, I don't want to discourage attempting anything, only to incourage learning one step at a time in order to be proficient in the skills you need prior to displaying in such a large venue. In this instance round balloon decorating, by itself, was a new frontier and no mention was made about any knowledge of topiary structure and design. Everyone has a different learning curve so perhaps even in such a short period of time before the venue it is possible to have learned enough to be successful in the attempt. We started out in our local parade for "Western Week" towing an 8 ft. decorated trailer behind our Suburban. The next year we changed to walking units and were successful. The following year we used our riding mower and created a shell of an 8 ft. gold armadillo to go over it. We flat towed my Montgomery Wards 18 h.p. mover with this golden chunk of balloons over it 6 miles at 3 mph (because the bearings on the mower were going crazy at any higher speed) to the site. In all these cases the weather was very cooperative and our skills were adaquate for this venue. The next venue was for Dallas' Childrens parade in Dec. of that year. This was a mega leap, it was locally televised live and syndicated for 180 other stations. No money was involved, the sponsor loved the concept and we let our imaginations take over from there. What we came up with were 5 incredibly wonderful, zany ifyou will, "Dinosaurs from Mars" floats. After creating the frames in what I felt confident would fit the bill, we had our two buddies come down fron Chicago, (Hi Sheery), to help finish the balloons and walk the floats along with our kids in the parade. Everyone was hyped, after spending so much time on them we were all feeling great about what we produced. Parade day we staged and preped, ah, remember it like yesterday, and the anticipation grew. "Here we go", "Let's line up", "Come on lets move it", we were primed! Off we went... and in a matter of no more then 50 yards all hell broke loose. Cross winds, gusting to 40 and 50 mph. shot between the buildings. The stress was so bad it broke the neck on one of the units then broke one of the struts for the wheels. The float my oldest boy was in was completly lifted off the ground and he dangled in mid-air until he had to drop. Patti removed it from the route after removing several 20 lb plates of ballast from it and throwing them aside like they were styro foam. I had to lean into the wind at almost a 30 degree angle in order to stay erect, the crowd cheered , I said wow, this is cool, I'm gonna do it then I found out they were cheering for the fact I was walking into the trail of droppings deposited by the Sheriff's Pose that went before me! The float with the broken neck was walked about 80 perent of the route on 3 wheels with Sherry's husband acting as the 4th wheel and the motor. Patti again removed 80 pounds of plates to make it easier to hold up, same as she did previously. Sherry zoomed by me pushing her float to her max, I don't know how she did it. The parade officials wanted everyone to get a move on, and she did, going airborn several time and loosing her pilot wheel each time she flew. I am watching this going on in front of me , helpless to help, when my oldest son comes running up along side of me asking how things are going, I moaned, then I realized he was not supposed to be there!!!! WHAT HAPPENED??????I said!!!! The long and the short of it, after the floats were ransacked by the locals and Patti took back some decor a fellow took off the floats and was trying to sell ...I was dying a thousand deaths, a thousand slow deaths. As I sat on the curb with my head in my hands, Patti told the kids to "Stay away from Daddy right now, he is not feeling very good!" Ilearned alot that day! All I am saying is, "be prepared".