I was thinking about how I would bag on and mock this garbanzo-brained Darwin-tester when it occurred to me that I secretly envied him. I mean, imagine the rush you would get sitting there in your lawn chair, checking the altimeter and realizing you were rising too fast... and then the adrenaline shooting through your body as you precariously stand on the chair, preparing to bail out... and then the familiar wet warmth that fills your jeans as you lean forward, the chair shooting up behind you, and you flailing about for the rip cord... Well, happy 4th of July. You're a firework.
His name is Ken Couch, so it seems odd that he would choose a lawn chair, but go figure. I'm not sure how he got his wife's blessing on the third try -which seems the real feat here. He's "plenty confident" and he's bringing boiled eggs and chocolate for sustenance. Boiled eggs and chocolate? He's planned this? Oh, and jerky.
Anyway, he's got a corporate sponsor -which he'll need to pay the FAA fines. He also has five children. Now, before you go and chide him for being an irresponsible parent teaching his kids to act out on their crazy childish fantasies, consider that it may have been the five kids that drove him over the edge in the first place. I mean, seriously, five kids will make you crazy. I've only got one and I'm halfway there. Also, he has a chihuahua, which, in my humble opinion, he should take on the trip to use as ballast.
He will be launching out of the parking lot of the Stop & Go Mini-Mart in Bend, Oregon at 6:00AM on Saturday. (Think the cops will show?) There will be free helium balloons for the kids and Eastside Java will be serving Bellatazza coffee and lattes. God bless America!
Here's Ken's website: www.couchballoons.com. Check out the video.
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