sky picnic

picture a picnic table. the kind you find at the park where the table and benches are all attached to each other and the whole thing is one unit. okay. now picture the picnic-table-bench unit thing made entirely of concrete. now picture my entire family (mom, dad, sis and me) and a few strangers all on top of the picnic table (everyone is sitting but dad who is standing way over near the edge). you now have to picture the entire concrete unit (passengers and all) flying through the air!

although i have never seen a flying picnic table, i know i would picture it flying in the most aerodynamic way with the benches off on the sides like wings, but this one was flying sideways (and my father's percarious stance near the edge made me very nervous!)

the lady pilot was rushing us all through the air to meet up with a connecting flight (on a real plane). i was scared, and about to cross the line to very scared. but we landed safely, dad still on board, and were so grateful to our pilot (who did not charge us for this wonderful service) that we tipped her $51. well really, of course, i had no cash on me and had to coerce my mother into giving me the tip money to pass along to our pilot friend.

there was then so much more--an intentional fire in the hallway of a house, bombs/fireworks in the street, and the distinct odor of pine-sol. but the flying picnic table remains most vivid.