Up, Up And Away

Sometimes it pays to be loud and direct about your obsessions. A good friend and constant reader who understands my personal conviction that all Free Americans should have their own personal jet pack by now let me know that Eric Scott had launched himself across the Royal Gorge in Colorado wearing, you guessed it, his very own personal jet pack. He made the fifteen hundred foot trip in just twenty-one seconds, which turned out to be good news in a couple of ways: First, he set a world record for height and distance. Second, he only had thirty seconds of fuel. On the other side, he drank champagne and celebrated like a rock star.
This makes sense because Eric Scott is a daredevil. He is a corporate-sponsored daredevil. The friendly folks at the aptly-named Go Fast Sports & Beverage company happily supplied the stickers, signs and caffeinated drinks to get Eric off the ground, and their partners at the even-more-aptly named Jet Pack International supplied the rocket Eric strapped himself to. Congratulations and hearty handshakes all around. You should all be proud of your accomplishment.
But back to me. I'm still waiting. I remember watching James Bond in "Thunderball," and Disney's "Rocketeer" wondering when it would be my turn. Even Gilligan got his shot in an episode entitled "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Gilligan." Well, maybe I won't have to wait much longer. On the Jet Pack International web site, there is a link to purchase their machines. Since they don't include prices, I suspect that I will have to continue to save my allowance for a little while longer before I can buy my own, but there was one more thing that caught my eye. The Go Fast Jet Pack folks are looking for pilots. I've got a few days off. Maybe I'll take a few minutes and fill out their four-page application. Why not?