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A front was blowing in over the mountains this afternoon, so when we got our kites home and headed to the local park, we were greeted by some heavy gusts. For me, a very novice kite flier, it was intimidating. Especially after just having read the warnings in the kite's manual, which made it sound like I could decapitate someone with my ultra-special stunt kite, if I wasn't careful. Anyway, I got over my fears after Elly launched Opie without incident.
I set up my Beetle carefully, just like I had read in the instructions. I propped it up on its back and ran quickly back to the handles. As per the instruction manual, I gave the handles a little flick, and, much to my amazement, this thing took off like a schizophrenic Patriot missile. First it was on this side of me, then on the other side, paralleling the earth at mach 1.7. I flew it low to the ground and crashed it hard a few times before I realized that I could get it up higher by not spastically pulling back and forth on both lines. The kite gained altitude really fast in the gusty winds, and suddenly I was flying it like a pro.
Everything was great. As I flew this thing back and forth across the sky it seemed like the kite-wounds of my childhood (remember the cheap plastic piece of crap from the Chatham hobby store) were being healed. Hallelujah for graphite and nylon! Then, in all its glory, my Beetle met its match.
Its match was an overactive, semi-retarded (they all are), three-year-old black lab. This dog first tried to attack Opie, who was dangerously losing altitude right at the same moment this dog arrived at the park. Elly courageously brought Opie back up to safety by running with Tova on her back and pulling the kite against the wind. It was quite a sight. But suddenly, the wind died. The dog, which had gone back to sniff some dog butt in another area of the park, came back right on cue as the wind cut out. First, it violently molested Opie, ripping off one of the tentacles and tearing the kite right between Opie's eyes. Then, in my panic, I lost control of the Beetle and crashed it not 20 feet from where this Ritalyn-deprived canine was eating the nylon octopus. Of course the dog came barking and running towards my Beetle as if it were a dangerous alien that had just crash-landed on earth and was going to attack his master.
First, I ran away, pulling the kite into the wind. But then this dog had my Beetle in its teeth and was biting and stepping on it. All I could do was yell, "No no no!" I ran towards the dog, but by then, it had already broken the cross spar and was totally tangled in the kite's bridle. I was devastated. Totally devastated. My inner child started to cry, while, on the outside, I fumbled with the spars and made sure nothing else was broken. Of course the owner apologized profusely and felt like an ass, I'm sure. I actually kind of feel bad for the guy now, but at the time I wanted to stab his dog in the eye with my broken cross spar.
In the end, the damage came to $4.37 or something like that, although the emotional trauma cannot be put into dollars. My kite is fixed now, thanks to the guys at Into the Wind and I taped up Opie's tears and re-attached his tentacle. But what an adventure. In the future, I will be sure to fly in dog-free areas only. But this gave me a new idea for a kite: The Flying Porcupine.
Speaking of Craigslist, my wife has become obsessed with finding our daughter's missing Converse sneaker. I don't know what it is with moms and lost baby items but apparently they have their own brand of separation anxiety.
Dave, it looks like the 'other shoe' has dropped!