Monster Story

It was a little over a year ago when I wrote of the most incredible story, here, about a truck, the universe and how it tends to know what it’s doing. It doesn’t need any help from us. In fact, if you try to assist, it retaliates by introducing complexity into your life.

IMO

Anyway, at the end of this story I posted this photo and caption.

It wasn’t my choice to get rid of either item. But that’s a long story for another day…

The story of how we originally acquired this balloon was equally entertaining as the camo truck story. The balloon was build by a movie company for a special event called Monster Fest. It was actually named Cuddles. I am not sure how much the balloon cost to construct, but I heard $120,000 floated. Special shapes that are engineered by this company are truly a work of art, and that, you pay for. After the campaign the balloon was no longer needed. But the pilot who was entrusted with the care, would fly it to keep it aired out, and billed the movie company monthly for this privilege, and to store it as well. When our friend became the CFO he questioned the expense and finally asked them to ship it back to them, so they could store it themselves.

One day the CFO found out that Fred was a balloon pilot and asked if he wanted to buy it for a dollar. Fred said no. A few months later the CFO asked again, and Fred asked a few questions. How many hours were on the balloon? What size balloon is it? What condition is it in? Of course he didn’t know. Fred said no.

A few months later the CFO asked again. This time Fred (finally) asked me and I said, “For a dollar, why not. Worse thing is we have to get rid of it, or make it a walk-about balloon.” A walk-about balloon is a balloon that you just inflate half way with a fan and let kids just run inside it.

Fred agreed to the purchase. The CFO asked if they could make it $100 because now they had to get a lawyer involved.

Obviously I made him do it.

Fred did have good reason for not wanting it. The balloon had been sitting around for several years in storage. He imagined it in a hot warehouse somewhere, and those conditions would effect the quality of the fabric.

We borrowed his brother’s box truck, along with the driver, and headed out to Long Island, where the movie company had the balloon stored. The entire trip out to Long Island, Fred went over all the possible things that could be wrong. We finally get there, and guess where Cuddles was stored? In a climate controlled room where all their film was stored. Fred was in disbelief.

We loaded up the monster and brought it back to New Jersey. It was finally time to unpack everything. We pulled the cover off the basket and it was like Christmas for Fred. A brand new fan stuffed in essentially a brand new basket. Fred grabbed the log book and with a wide eyed look on his face said, “154 hours.” (That still had some life to it.)

But this is not the story I want to tell.

The real story was how about two weeks after the camo truck came home, I received an email from a young couple that lives in the next county over. Sally had emailed me to let me know they had purchased the monster balloon and wanted to name it Fred G. Monster, if that would be ok with me.

Fast forward about 4 and a half years. I get another email from Sally’s husband Matt, telling me he is thinking of selling the balloon. Would I be interested.

Yes.

He said he wanted (what he paid for it).

OK

When can I pick it up?

This morning we got the inspection rolling on it. The payment was made and the paper work is on its way to the proper authorities.

The monster balloon is coming home. Of course it will be on display at balloon festivals I organize, that are usually low budget, and never have enough money to hire the balloon to come out for more than an occassional appearance. Bottom line, it belongs at my events and it found its way home.

But that’s not all. Just last week I got a call from Mike, down the road, that bought the truck. He’s been thinking about getting a new truck and is ready to part with the camo truck. He already knows I want to buy it. Within a month or so that will be parked in my driveway. And I will have a truck to transport the monster balloon around in.

I can’t help but wonder why these two things leaving and going to friends, and not total strangers, happened.

But more so, I can’t help but wonder why these things are coming back to me at the same point in time, or at this point in time.

All I do know is that the universe wants this balloon at my events, to bring smiles to our spectators. And when the universe wants something, it’s best to stay out of the universe’s way.